I usually just let myself eat whatever I like when I go out. It only happens maybe once a month at this point, so I figure it's not too harmful.

I let my bf eat all the bread
And I get fish and my dessert is coffee.

Since I only order things that I can't make at home, I try to just enjoy them since it is a treat for me. I generally don't eat fried foods and always ask to substitute the fries out for something.

If the dinner is purely a social activity, I'll eat a bit before I leave so I can just order a salad or something fairly cheap. That way I can focus on my friends and conversation.

I drink a full glass of water before ordering a cocktail/glass of wine. it hydrates me and also makes me think about the rest of the meal/look at the menu. if i choose something really heavy, i might skip on the alcohol altogether, and if i choose something very healthy i might get my martini with a lot of extra olives

If I go out to eat, my man and I split one dish. Neither of us need to eat that much. And as for alcohol... I'll maybe have a draft beer if it's something I haven't had before or if it's a Guinness (naturally lo-cal)!

eat the veggies before anything else.

i try to research menus in advance so i can find the healthiest options.

if that isn't available, then i just try to order anything grilled. grilled chicken, fish, etc.

and i always eat a granola bar before going out to dinner! helps me stay away from the bread basket

I immediately ask for a to go box and pack half of my meal so I can eat it later for another meal or throw it out later if its not re-heatable. It may seem like a waste of money, but it works and I feel better about it!

I enjoy myself and order what I want - but I don't eat it all. I probably eat between 1/2 and 2/3 of whats on the plate before I ask the waiter to box the rest. I do always finish the veggies though!

I ignore any pressure to finish everything that I ordered. I will even leave half my entree just to order dessert. I just take what I didn't eat home with me and my husband usually eats it for lunch the next day.

Order a salad with dressing on the side. As a former waitress, I know that the servers are the ones who tend to ladle on the dressing, and the "on the side" portions are generally smaller than what they spoon on!

Also, I stop eating before I'm stuffed. If I have a large portion of something, I'll immediately cut it in two and push that part to the side to wrap up for later.

I tend to eat less when I'm eating with others. If I'm talking, I don't have time to stuff my mouth with food. This really slows down my eating.

I also don't drink my calories. I order plain iced tea or water. I also avoid cream sauces, which don't agree with me anyway.

-Choose the healthiest sides (vegetable of the day over fries)
-Be creative - sometimes 2 apps is better than 1 entree (and you get more variety!)
-Soup and salad, with dressing on the side of course
-Go for filling over rich - e.g. a bowl of mussels is much healthier than an portion of artichoke cheese dip

I avoid the bread basket, don't drink alcohol/calorific drinks and try not to eat my entire plate of food...and attempt to pick the healthiest thing on the menu.

I ask for necessary changes to the menu items. It's amazing how quickly restaurants will allow me to alter menu items to be healthier after I tell them I'm diabetic. (I am actually diabetic and it's a great reason to live healthy!) Seems with that piece of info restaurant staff is much less likely to roll their eyes and much more likely to worry about liability. Haha!

For what it's worth, I've known people to lie about diabetes, etc. for this very reason. They get healthier choices in a snap. To each her own.

Also seconding what kscincotta said about not finishing everything.

ah dining out is a toughy... my friends always make me feel like a party pooper when I don't want to share something unhealthy with them. The worst part is I usually give in, eat it, and don't enjoy it knowing how bad it is for me.

(I should get new friends heh)

(I should get new friends heh)

The only thing I do is order my dressing on the side, for my salad. But with two young daughters, we don't go out to eat all that often, so if I want something heavy or fried, I'll get it. I'll also tack on an extra 30 minutes of cardio at the gym the day of and the day after!

well my fiance and iwill typically share a dish. we'll also usually share a salad too like a caprese or something that's easy - and that way we're eating smaller portions. we also rarely order dessert.

I know it's probably a pain for the chef, but I am always very "high maintenance" at restaurants. I order my veggies steamed with no butter/oil/salt on them and I always order a salad with the dressing on the side. A lot of times, I'll order an entree salad, but I'll make it healthier by asking for them to not put cheese on it and put only half the chicken on it (and I ask for the chicken to be grilled). I also avoid the free bread and I order water or tea to drink instead of a mixed drink or a beer or something. Also, I never get dessert because it's always super expensive, so I just get coffee and put half and half and a little sugar or Splenda in it and it tastes just like dessert, but it's a lot lower in calories.

I'll make sure to order the vegetable of the day over something fried. I'll usually only eat about half my entree and I'll skip the appetizer and desert.

I always go to the website and view the menu, preplanning what to order based on my nutrition needs.

don't touch the bread basket!

Split the entree and stay away from the bread basket

I stay away from pasta dishes cause I can eat that like there's no tomorrow...I usually get fish/chicken for the entree...if I find a yummy-sounding salad I always ask if I can get grilled shrimp/chicken for protein since its more satisfying that way...I usually pick at the appetizers and have a few bites if I want it [usually my boyfriend orders whatever he wants]...everything in moderation!

No real tricks while I'm eating out...if I eat out, I'm going to let myself eat what I what, however much I feel like.

The only "tricks" I have is searching the menu for things that are grilled or baked instead of fried - because I can't eat them, not because I don't want to! If it's a buffet or something, though, every time I go through the line I pack my plate with fresh fruits and veggies before I get anything else. I'll get full off of the healthy stuff first.

If i know where I'm going I'll check their menu online and pick out something and then budget the rest of my day's calories accordingly. Sometimes I go healthy, sometimes I splurge. Or occasionally I will just flat out splurge, within reason and just run a little more than usual the next day.

I don't often eat out, so I get what I want. However, I avoid heavy cream sauces, fried stuff, mayo, added butter and other unhealthy foods that don't really add to my pleasure. Also, I love salad bars!

I live in a small city, so most of the restraunts in my area are generally lacking in Vegetarian options. When I go out, if there's nothing Vegetarian on the menu, I'll ask for alternatives, which will normally be some form of salad.
I don't go out very often, but when I do I don't want to be monitoring every single calorie that goes into my mouth. I want to have a good time, otherwise what's the point of going out at all? Wouldn't it be easier to make a meal for yourself at home that fits inside the food boundries you're wanting to follow?

sheesh i cant believe some of these replies here
isn't going out to dinner supposed to be a treat? i say order whatever you want. eating something high in calories one night isn't gonna make you fat
maybe if you go out to dinner every night you should be careful, but i mean once every few weeks eating whatever you like isn't bad!

I do portion control. I always have a salad for myself and a glass of wine and depending on what the entree is , I share it. For example last night I went to Delfina. Shared with two of my girlfriends warm marinated olives, Insalate Tri-colore, Tuna Conserva, and a sinful pizza called Purgatory. It was delicious but we shared and now off to the beach to do yoga!!

I look at the menu before I go but that's about it. I go out to eat 1-4x a week but I dunno.. I like to enjoy myself. It's hard for me to restrict myself when I'm at a restaurant. I just try not to go overboard and then I workout a little harder the next day.

I order a cheeseburger with extra mayo and gorge myself =)

No real tricks, if I eat out I want to enjoy my food and not feel any pressure about what I should eat.

I usually eat just a bit of bread is if it looks really good and homemade (I'm not a big bread person) and drinks lots of water - but that's because I want to enjoy all the food I order and not feel full after starters only because I've stuffed myself with bread!

avoid bread, savor a glass of wine, and give my husband half my entree. i rarely enjoy leftovers so i don't bother to pack them up.

I eat very slowly and guzzle diet coke in between every bite... i seriously go through about 8 diet cokes per meal. its probably not the most healthy way to do things, but its filling and keeps me from eating too much.

If I decide to order a salad, I get the dressing on the side and then dip the fork into the dressing before every bite. This reduces the amount of dressing used and makes sure that every bite has the perfect amount! You would be amazed at how little dressing is used! (And the taste doesn't suffer!) ~amy www.WithAmyMac.com