We all do it. We go to restaurants too frequently and end up over eating. Is there a way to stop this and thus, stop the weight gain?<\/p>\n

As you are quite familiar, restaurant portions seem to be getting larger and larger. The only way to stop gaining weight is to eat less, not more. On average, restaurant portions are 2-3 times more than what you need in terms of required calories. Below are some tips to help reduce the gain:<\/p>\n

Request a takeout box\/doggie bag right away<\/strong>
\nAsk for a takeout box as soon as your food arrives. Once you have it, split the meal in half and put one portion in the box and eat the remaining.<\/p>\n

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\nHave your plate removed as soon as you are done eating<\/strong>
\nIf you do not want to take food out of the restaurant, as soon as you\u2019ve finished eating a satisfactory portion of food, i.e., you begin to feel full then, have the server remove your plate from the table. Because face it, if it stays, you\u2019ll just keep picking at it while other finish eating. You won\u2019t\u2019 be hungry, it\u2019s just a natural thing to do. So, have the plate removed.<\/p>\n

Pay attention to fullness<\/strong>
\nAs you eat, how do you feel? Develop a self-scale to check, say from 1-5. If 5 is stuffed then, let your body tell you when you should stop. A word of caution, this only works if you eat at a normal\/slower pace. If you eat quickly, you\u2019ll feel full quickly and will have likely overeaten before you can prevent too much calorie intake. It\u2019s simply a way to limit eating too much at one time.<\/p>\n

Dessert Time<\/strong>
\nWhen dessert time comes, like all else, these menu items are getting larger too and they are real calorie bombs. Split the dessert with a friend or take half of it home. You\u2019ll satisfy your sweet tooth without eating another 1,000 calories over your daily calorie budget.<\/p>\n

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\nHalf portions<\/strong>
\nIn many restaurants you can get a half or what is sometimes called a lunch portion. It has less calories because it\u2019s smaller and it\u2019s generally less costly. So, a half portion works great if you don\u2019t want to take food home and reduce calories at the same time.<\/p>\n

Following are additional tips:
\n\u2022 Don\u2019t go to the restaurant starving \u2013 like shopping you\u2019ll get\/eat more;
\n\u2022 Eat a healthy plate – half a plate of veggies, \u00bc protein, \u00bc grains;
\n\u2022 Fill up on veggies and water \u2013 this will leave less room for calorie bombs;
\n\u2022 Finish eating last \u2013 doing so will help you eat slower and thus, feel full at the appropriate time;
\n\u2022 Eat healthy and stay healthy;
\n\u2022 Keep tempting food off your plate \u2013 cheese cake, French fries, and other goodies;
\n\u2022 Limit alcohol \u2013 sugar alcohols have 7-calories per gram and serve as an immediate food source storing other calories as fat;
\n\u2022 Order an appetizer or kid\u2019s meal as your entr\u00e9e \u2013 it\u2019s smaller than adult menus;
\n\u2022 Remove the basket of bread or chips \u2013 these have too many calories;
\n\u2022 Skip the all-you-can-eat buffet \u2013 this is a guarantee to overeat \u2013 stay away;
\n\u2022 Stay away from \u2018bottomless\u2019 drinks \u2013 particularly sugary soda; and
\n\u2022 Stop justifying overeating \u2013 vacation, wasted food, etc. are all excuses \u2013 order small, eat small.<\/p>\n

Watching the little things, without over splurging will help you reduce weight gain from eating out, which has become more popular multiple times per week. Don’t be a victim of oversized portions – you are in control!<\/p>\n

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