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 exactly to shave calories at restaurants but really, do you need to pay high restaurant prices for undressed salads and plain steamed vegetables? Or even, how then can you solve the dilemma of too many calories when you eat out?

Here are seven tips for obtaining 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 an extra plate. Many restaurants can do this for a dollar or two, also it?s really worth it. Then share the meal together with your friend and you split the price straight down the middle. Another option would be 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 huge amount of food!

2. Skip 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 need to fill on ordinary bread once you?re paying good money for a meal. Just ask for it to be taken away if you can?t resist, but frankly, you?re an adult, it is possible to resist, to be able to. You can simply choose not to put a roll on your 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 certainly 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, ask for water, or at the very 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, benefit from the flavors. A big part of phoning your hunger signals and understanding how to eat what really will satisfy is learning to recognize the subtle signs of hunger. You won?t know when you?re approaching satisfaction in the event that you?ve gobbled everything down in 5 minutes. Take a bite then notice how many times do you chew before you begin wanting to swallow? Once, twice? Make an effort to chew your food and your body will be much happier. A very large part of digestion begins in the mouth area, not forgetting 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 wish to get leaner, or do you want 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 should decide what you would like more, the second?s worth of pleasure of a yummy taste, or 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. When the food is served, immediately portion off some to collect for tomorrow. Most restaurants in america serve way too much. There is no law you will need to eat it all. Do that frequently and soon you?ll find you?re getting an extra lunch out of this meal.

7. Get a copy of Restaurant Confidential by Michael F. Jacobson and Jayne Hurley, and begin checking out just how many calories you?re really eating. If you eat out frequently and you also carry additional weight, then that? Boutique pâtes . This little book may help you realize why it seems you don?t eat that much yet it is possible to?t lose any weight. Hardees recently introduced a fresh burger that clocks in at only under 1200 calories all by itself! Now that?s frightening.

If you actually 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 eat. Where, What and How Much? Try these steps choosing one tip at the same time, and see how easily you can take some of the calories out of restaurant food.