When I eat out I’d like 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 charges for undressed salads and plain steamed vegetables? If not, how then can you solve the dilemma of too many calories when you eat out?

Here are seven strategies for getting 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 large. Stop super sizing and you?ll save money. Better still, order one dinner and have for a supplementary plate. Many restaurants will do this for a dollar or two, and it?s really worth it. Then share the meal together with your friend and you split the cost straight down the center. Another option is to order from the so called ?appetizer? menu. Two different people could order three entrees, one dessert and split the whole lot and it?s still a ton of food!

2. Miss the bread and rolls. Many family restaurants still serve a bread basket together 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 a meal. Just require it to be taken away when you can?t resist, but in all honesty, you?re an adult, it is possible to resist, in order to. You can simply choose not to put a roll on your own plate. Try it, just once and see if you don?t walk out of this restaurant feeling strangely powerful.

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

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

4. Slow Down YOU TAKE IN Too Fast! What?s the rush? Invest some time, savor the moment, enjoy the flavors. A big section of getting in touch with your hunger signals and learning 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 5 minutes. Take a bite then notice just how many times do you chew before you start wanting to swallow? Once, twice? Try to chew your food and your body will be much happier. A very large part of digestion begins in your mouth, not to mention you?ll get a lot more pleasure if you let the food linger.

5. Trim Visible Fat and Skin. I know, you really love the skin?needless to say you do, it tastes good, it should, it?s pure fat. Do you want to get leaner, or do you want to eat fat? You select. Coiffeuse eat chicken skin and never eat the visible fat hanging off a steak, good taste or no. You will need 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 that is counter to the reduced carb crowd?s belief that fat is good, carbs are evil, but I?ve maintained an 80 pound weight reduction 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 need to eat it all. Do this frequently and soon you?ll 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. In the event that you eat out frequently and you also carry extra weight, then that?s probably the problem there. This little book will let you realize why it appears you don?t eat that much yet you can?t lose any weight. Hardees recently introduced a fresh burger that clocks in at only under 1200 calories all by itself! Given that?s frightening.

If you really want to get a handle on your bodyweight problem, look first to where you eat, 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 a time, and see how easily you can take a number of the calories out of restaurant food.