When I eat out I want it to be special, consequently I don?t eat out often. You might have seen the advice on how to shave calories at restaurants but really, do you need to pay high restaurant prices for undressed salads and plain steamed vegetables? Or even, how then is it possible to solve the dilemma of way too many calories when you eat out?

Here are seven strategies for obtaining the calories out of restaurant meals while still ordering your favorites.

1. Say NO to super sizing. The size you ordered has already been too big. Stop super sizing and you?ll save money. Better still, order one dinner and ask for an extra plate. Many restaurants will do this for a dollar or two, and it?s well worth it. Then share the meal with your friend and you split the price straight down the middle. Another option is to order from the so called ?appetizer? menu. Two different people could order three entrees, one dessert and split the whole thing and it?s still a huge amount of food!

2. Miss the bread and rolls. Many family restaurants still serve a bread basket with your meal. Unless it?s a fresh baked loaf or some really special bread, just skip it. You don?t have to fill up on ordinary bread once you?re paying good money for meals. Just require it to be taken away if you can?t resist, but frankly, you?re an adult, you can resist, if you need to. You can simply choose never to put a roll on your own plate. Try it, only once and see in the event that you don?t walk out of that restaurant feeling strangely powerful.

If you can?t skip the rolls, at least skip the butter. That?s right. Eat it plain. Wholegrain bread is delicious simply by itself.

3. Stop Ordering Drinks. Soft drinks certainly are a huge cash cow for restaurants. For pennies they sell you a squirt of syrup and carbonated water and become they?re doing you a large favor by only charging you $1.29 for a giant 64 ounce soda. Start saving those dollars. Particularly if you?re ordering ?to go? skip the drink. If you?re eating it there, require water, or at least switch to diet drinks. Never drink ?fat pop.?

4. Slow Down YOU TAKE IN Too Fast! What?s the rush? Take your time, savor the moment, benefit from the flavors. A big part of phoning your hunger signals and understanding how to eat what really will satisfy is learning to recognize the subtle signs of hunger. You won?t know once you?re approaching satisfaction if you?ve gobbled everything down in five minutes. Have a bite then notice how many times do you chew before you start attempting to swallow? Once, twice? Make an effort to chew your food and your body will be much happier. A very large section of digestion begins in the mouth area, not to mention you?ll get a lot more pleasure if you let the food linger.

5. Trim Visible Fat and Skin. I understand, you really love the skin?needless to say you do, it tastes good, it will, it?s pure fat. Do you want to get leaner, or do you want to eat fat? You choose. I never eat chicken skin and never eat the visible fat hanging off a steak, good taste or no. You have to decide what you would like more, the second?s worth of pleasure of a yummy taste, or perhaps a lifetime of carrying around an extra 40 lbs? I know this is counter to the low carb crowd?s belief that fat is good, carbs are evil, but I?ve maintained an 80 pound weight loss for 18 years without dieting and I don?t eat visible fat or skin. Enough said.

6. Ask for a Doggie Bag at the start of Meal. Once the food is served, immediately portion off some to collect for tomorrow. Most restaurants in america serve way too much. There is absolutely no law you have to eat it all. Do this frequently and soon you? pâtes find you?re getting a supplementary lunch out of that meal.

7. Get yourself a copy of Restaurant Confidential by Michael F. Jacobson and Jayne Hurley, and begin checking out how many calories you?re really eating. If you eat out frequently and you carry additional weight, then that?s probably the problem right there. This little book will let you realize why it appears you don?t eat that much yet it is possible to?t lose any weight. Hardees recently introduced a new burger that clocks in at just under 1200 calories simply by itself! Given that?s frightening.

If you really want to get a handle on your weight problem, look first to where you take in, second at what you eat, and third just how much you take in. Where, What and How Much? Try these steps choosing one tip at the same time, and see how easily it is possible to take some of the calories out of restaurant food.