Ways to eat less in a restaurant

How often do you eat out in restaurants? If you are a typical city dweller, you do it quite often. According to FDA statistics, Americans eat one third of their total calories away from home. For most of us, that means eating in a restaurant.

So, what’s the problem with dining out? There really isn’t one if you are at a healthy weight. But for dieters, it can be a minefield of temptation. We often think of eating out as a special occasion and when that happens, our good diet habits go out the window.

But it is possible to curb your calories when you eat in a restaurant and yet still enjoy the experience. Use these tips and strategies to make your dinner both healthy and enjoyable.

Choose your dinner date wisely
Believe it or not, your dining companion may play a role in the food choices you make during your meal. When you eat with family and friends that overindulge, researchers have found that you are likely to overindulge as well. So make smart decisions about the people that share your table.

If an overeating friend asks you out for dinner, suggest a different type of activity such as a walk, a coffee date or a diet-friendly happy hour.

Exercise before you go
You’ll feel better about your body if you exercise before you go out to eat. Some studies have shown that this can help you make better food choices.

Be careful, however, to avoid starving yourself prior to your special meal.

You don’t want to arrive at the restaurant famished. Have a healthy post-exercise snack before your night out so you feel comfortable eating a moderate meal at the restaurant.

Seat yourself by a window
Believe it or not, dining by a window may help you eat less. In his book Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life, researcher Brian Wansink says that when diners eat in a dark booth, near a television or at a bar they are more likely to eat more calories.

When they sit near a window, they are more likely to order a salad.

Of course, there is no guarantee that you’ll make better choices by a window, but there is not harm in sitting there and the distractions outside might prevent you from mindlessly overeating.

Choose wine or dessert
If you are the type of person who starts their dinner order with a wine or cocktail request, then this tip is for you. Decide in advance if you will enjoy wine or dessert with your dinner, but don’t have both.

The calories in wine add up quickly because most wine glasses are bigger than a standard serving size. In addition, there is no nutritional value to the calories in alcohol. So to keep your meal healthy, choose one indulgence.

Source: www.weightloss.about.com