Research has shown as a nation, we eat out on average between four and five times a week.  Eating restaurant meals invites portion sabotage.   Plan for what you will order before you eat out.  If you will be going to a restaurant with a menu you are unfamiliar with,  check it out on the internet first if possible.

To control your portion sizes when eating out:

• Choose a lunch size rather than the dinner size.
• Choose an appetizer/small plate rather than an entrée.
• Share a meal or cut your meal in half when it arrives and save it for lunch the next day.
• Have a small healthy salad or broth-based soup before your meal
• Have a salad before your smaller size pizza and save slices for breakfast or lunch the next day
• When choosing fast food order the small size (i.e. small fries could save you 300 calories)

When I gaze out my condo window I have a view of multiple coffee shops and restaurants.  Although I cook in my kitchen most nights and rarely eat fast food, all of the above strategies have worked for me.