What do you do when you go out to eat?

 I order anything that is protein and not fried. My last restaurant meal was a grilled  chicken/ham patty with provolone on it. I got cottage cheese as a side, and had plenty of leftovers. Can't have veggies yet, but when I can I will have those too. Afterwords asked for a box and that is that. 

 I never order a drink (I just say flat out that I can't drink with my meals) and I usually share with someone.  If everyone's ordering something I don't like then I'll sometimes look for an appetizer that isn't an insane portion, or I'll just order a cup of soup.

If I don't share with another then I ask for a to go box to be brought when they bring my plate. Immediately I put only the portion I should eat on my plate. The rest goes in to the to go box. This way I only eat the right amount. If the waiter forgets my box I place a napkin over my plate so I am not tempted to nibble.

I am still a "foodie" so I love sharing so that I can have a little bit of multiple items... typically I will share one appetizer and one entree with a friend, and I have 3-4 small bites of each.  I always ensure that I'm ordering protein-centric dishes, and I totally avoid pasta, rice, and other white carbs.

Now I'm a very popular dining companion - I eat 10-15% and pay 50% ;-)  I have made it a game with some friends, I always say "I need help with the rest of my food, can you help me?" and they get to save me from having to deal with leftovers, which I usually don't like to take.

One of my favorite dishes out is crab legs - because they take so long to crack open that it doesn't seem like I'm eating way less. And I can open up more than I'll eat and bestow tasty crab meat on my dining partner, or take it to go.

Heather

 
I travel a fair amount and am proud to say I can eat anytime, anywhere any country and find something to eat.......not a problem.

Sure, look for clean protein first......Chicken something is always on the menu...... You always have to think de-construction.....Eating the inside of a taco.......the burger less the bun......

In maintenance I'm not afraid of pasta or rice now and than....... When I eat pasta I stick with approx 3oz. even though it's easier to eat more.

Ordering an appetizer is a great thing to do.....and if I order an entree..... I got leftovers or the people I'm eating with...get more!!!

frisco

My daughter orders healthy appetizers and then snitches a few bites from her hubbies plate. She had sleeve and he does not eat that much so it works out good. She still has to take some home but due to needing to eat slow and chew so much you can still enjoy going out to eat. I was band to sleeve revision 4 days ago so no regular food yet, but looking forward to it.

If I know where I am going to eat out, I look online to see the menu to make my decision before going.  Then I quietly ask the waitress/waiter to bring my meal out last.  That way everyone else has a head start on me and I eat very slowly putting my fork down after every bite.  I always try to order unbreaded fish and ask for it to be grilled or broiled without butter or butter substitute.  I also will order fajitas or chicken if the chicken is unbreaded or grilled.  As a last resort I have had to order a grilled chicken salad with the dressing on the side and just picked out the chicken to eat first then ate a bit of the salad.  I order wor won ton soup and only eat the chicken or seafood in it at Chinese restraunts, refried beans with cheese in a Mexican and if neccesary I will deconstruct the foods in other restraunts to meet my needs.  I have never been denied a seniors, childs or lite portion during the ordering process if they meet my nutricional needs.  I simply say, "I am on a very narrow diet due to allergies and your child's (senior, lite) menu meets my nuticional needs. 

I eat out quite a bit.  I tend to plan ahead and check the menu before I go. Seared Ahi Tuna is usually a good bet or a any fish that's not fried.  I shared filet mignon with my mother saturday night for her birthday, a lovely  rack of lamb with a friend the weekend before. Shrimp is often a good choice -- it's good bang for the buck in terms of the amount of protien you get for a small number of calories. 

I love breakfast, and  one of my favorites is actually eggs benedict. I'll order it without the english muffin; so, just an egg (2oz soft protien), canadian bacon (usually 1/2-1oz dense protien), and a tablespoon of hollandaise sauce.  It's ridiculously decadent.  If it comes double that size, I leave half or share it with my husband.

I do usually order a drink -- coffee -- but fini**** before my food arrives.