Hello there, I'm new and while I have an alright grasp on fitness rules the world of eating out eludes me. Which is a humongues problem on my part. My family loves to eat out! And I mean they love to eat out. But when I go to the restraunt I don't want to pick out a salad everytime so what should I do? Any suggestions would be appreciated. ...

Thats a tough one. The bottom line is, you really can't control your calories at restaurants. If the rest of your family wants to go and eat whatever they want, you can still make your own decisions. If you are serious about losing weight, you can always eat some healthy food before you go, to fill up halfway. Then eat something small and a drink when you get there. Even ordering a restaurant salad is not safe. The fat in the dressing alone could be more than what you would eat in a day at home making your own food.

Ah, thank you so much I had never thought of eating beforehand. That's such a good idea. Thank you for reply, and I know it's so evil that even the dressing had a thousand calories in them when you eat out.

Anyway, please have a nice day and do your best at whatever you do!

I've heard that getting the dressing on the side and dipping your fork in it when you eat salad can cut the amount that you eat by quite alot, whilst still providing the flavor =D

Whenever I go to restraunts I just eat the bread and drink water... I'm a picky eater, lol. Maybe try getting a large plate of food and sharing it with your family? That way they'll be less likely to question what you eat, and you can still have the comraderie of eating out.

I know the same feeling. My family likes eatting out all the time. I bitched at them about it and now I'm no longer asked to go eat with them. I rather eat at home anyway. It's upsetting that they don't support me but hey I get by.

ah i share this burden as well, my coworkers and my family go out to eat often; and i'm left with little choice (or convenience) but to go

i find my key is tp avoid any type of fried food, like chips/battered stuff etc. those salads as well as other people have pointed out are often misrepresented. i often just make sure its a garden salad with plenty of veggies but little to no dressing used. sometimes if you ask they'll specify if its fat free or not, but it depends on the waiter/waitress and how much they care

of the places i frequent - such as the keg, outback, swiss chalet - i try and stick with grilled or baked chicken with a side of steamed veggies. for a drink, resisting the urge for a coke or beer might even be more important than worrying about the meal itself lol. those free refrills with those upsized glasses..ugh!

water and a lemon is a great alternative

Hello, there I'm sorry for not getting back to you guys faster. I missed a day. So, thanks to everyone for all their helpful advice you guys/girls make me so happy.

triumvirate the fork thing sounds intriguing I think I'll try it some time. Also, I can't help but think I'd give in to the temptation to eat too much bread which is weakness of mine. I think that might be half of my problem. I also am unfortunatly in this circumstance, not a picky eater.

However, the getting one thing and sharing it with everyone sounds good because I liked the idea with the whole eat before you go philosophy, but I didn't really want to order just an appetizer because they tend to be rather fatty. I wonder why?

Ah, EHinata that's so sad that they don't support you.
However, I don't think that I'll ever have the nerve to do what you did. Also, I really enjoy eating out with my family, and our relationship is rocky at times, so I'm not sure I'd have the courage to do that. But I know that I feel helpless in those situations. Maybe, I could try to get them to keep from eating out to about one time a week that might help.

Also, heymatt the suggestion about the grilled makes sense; although I knew that trick, but your advice on the salads is good. I forget that some places do put more stuff on than necessary with salads. The sides thing is also welcoming because without even realizing I order like potatoes which are bad for you even when they're not loaded.

I don't drink alcohol, and the only thing that could be potentially damaging for me is if I drink too much diet coke. I probably should cut back on that even though I love it, the horror. I, unfortunatley, forget how many cups of that deadly soft drink in one sitting... it's not even funny... or at least it isn't to me.

Anyway, thank you to everyone so far for all their helpful advice! I just hope I can get this eating out thing under control. I have a feeling once that is done I can lose this last bunch of weight. It just hangs on for like forever. So evil. So, everyone keep doing your best!

I normally only go to places that have websites and nut. info online so I can plan ahead.

I also try to find info before I go to a restaurant, but sometimes you just go in blind and order what you can. I have found that soups are a good option along with the salads. Even the creamy soups tend to pack in fewer calories than some other of the options.

I understand this website contains "Healthy Diner Finder" but I am new and not finding the path to it quickly. Any help?

I am in the same boat as you but for a different reason. Eating out for me is a release and a source of relaxation. It has became torture for me now that I am trying to lead a healthier lifestyle because there are so many "can't have that" on the menu. Basically, I adopted 2 habits that allow me to eat without so much guilt or torture.

-Eat very slowly and enjoy every bite- I found that when I eat slowly I fill up ALOT faster than I did when I would wolf down an enormous burger and fries. Now I eat barely half of the burger and and even smaller amount of the fries. What's great is that I still got to taste the flavor of the food, but my bodies' intake self regulation was able to take over. A close friend of mine told me about this approach and it really worked for me. I can't say it will be the same for you, but you could always give it a shot.

-Don't be afraid to leave food on the plate (or in my case take it home)- I have huge problems with leaving anything on my plate. It's the way I was raised. All those starving children in Africa I suppose... Rather than outright leaving food on my plate I ask for a doggy bag. It is a nice compromise for me.

This is what works for me. I can't say it will make you want to eat out more, but try to focus on spending quality time with your family when you are there rather than fretting about the food you are going to eat.

When I am going to eat a steak or chicken breast at the restaurant I try to check that the size is equal to my hand palm size or at least very close.

I usually always plan on doggie bagging half for lunch or dinner the next day. That way you save some cash along with not eating too many calories.

I just bought a great book called, eat this, dont eat that, it really helos, as it has alot of restaurants in it!!

I love that book. It was really shocking to see some of the numbers in it.