“Life is a gift. Never forget to enjoy and bask in every moment you are in.” – Unknown
Eating out while being on a diet does not have to be a cause for panic. I am sure that you hear all about oversize restaurant portions and the plethora of fattening menu choices available all the time, but that does not mean dining out will doom your dieting efforts.
When I am on my dieting plan, I still treat myself with a nice dinner at a restaurant once a week. It is usually on the weekend. Sometime it is a good thing to treat yourself to a good meal at the end of the week because of all the hard work that you do throughout the entire week.
When I eat out, I usually ask for water or order fat-free or low-fat beverages, such as unsweetened tea or other drinks without added sugars. When I order sandwiches, I will ask for whole-wheat bread. In a restaurant, I advise you to start your meal with a salad, packed with veggies. It helps control hunger and you feel satisfied sooner. Do not forget to ask for salad dressing to be served on the side, then use only as much as you want.
Choose main dishes that include vegetables, such as stir fries, kabobs, or pasta with tomato sauce. You can order steamed, grilled, or broiled dishes instead of those that are fried or sautéed. If the main portions at a restaurant are larger than you want, you can order an appetizer-sized portion or a side dish instead of an entree. Other options are to share a main dish with a friend or take leftovers home.
To keep your meal moderate in calories, fat, and sugar, you can order foods that do not have creamy sauces or gravies, add little or no butter to your food, and choose fruits over dessert. Do not feel bad about modifying your food as long as you are nice to the server.
WayofGray shares 5 simple tips for dining out. Her tips are:
- Get garnishes for your water
- Ask for herbal tea with a big glass of ice
- Do not be afraid to ask if anything is added to your meal
- Ask for your sauces on the side
“Do not allow your healthy lifestyle to have you left out of the fun.” Gray said. “It is not about being 100 percent all the time. Do not be so hard on yourself, and ease up once in awhile.”
BeTheBestofYourself 
You already mentioned this, but one thing definitely is the portion sizes. When I studied abroad in England over the summer I lost about 15 pounds and I would bet that a lot of that had to do with the fact that the portion sizes in restaurants over in Europe are much smaller. One thing that helps here is to drink a lot of water before your meal. It helps you to feel full faster.
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