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

Here are seven tips 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 big. Stop super sizing and you also?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 with your friend and you split the cost straight down the center. Another option is to order from the so called ?appetizer? menu. Two 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 restaurant s 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 need to fill on ordinary bread once you?re paying good money for a meal. Just ask for it to be studied away when you can?t resist, but frankly, you?re an adult, it is possible to resist, if you need to. You can simply choose not to put a roll on your own plate. Try it, only once and see if you don?t walk out of this restaurant feeling strangely powerful.

If you can?t miss the rolls, at least skip the butter. That?s right. Eat it plain. Whole grain 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 become they?re doing you a large favor by only charging you $1.29 for a giant 64 ounce soda. Start saving those dollars. Especially if you?re ordering ?to go? miss the drink. If you?re consuming 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? Invest some time, savor the moment, enjoy the flavors. A big part of getting in touch with your hunger signals and understanding how to eat what really will satisfy is understanding how 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 just how many times do you chew before you start attempting to swallow? Once, twice? Try to chew your food as well as your body will be notably 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 your skin?of course you do, it tastes good, it will, it?s pure fat. Do you want to get leaner, or would you like 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 need to decide what you want more, the second?s worth of pleasure of a yummy taste, or perhaps a lifetime of carrying around a supplementary 40 lbs? I know that is counter to the low 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. Require a Doggie Bag at the start of Meal. When the food is served, immediately portion off some to collect for tomorrow. Most restaurants in the US serve way too much. There is no law you should eat it all. Do that frequently and soon you?ll find you?re getting a supplementary lunch out of this meal.

7. Get a copy of Restaurant Confidential by Michael F. Jacobson and Jayne Hurley, and start checking out how many calories you?re really eating. If you eat out frequently and you also carry additional weight, then that?s probably the problem there. This little book will let you realize why it seems 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 all by itself! Given that?s frightening.

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