How can I avoid overeating at restaurants?

Before even arriving at the restaurant, you can prepare yourself for how you will handle the meal.  Most restaurants have online menus so that you can preview your selections and decide in advance what will work best for you. You can also eat a small snack before you leave so that you won't arrive famished and ready to eat the entire bread basket.  Remember, you have the power to control everything that passes by your lips and having a game plan will not only reduce your anxiety, but empower you to make healthful choices.

If you must eat out more than once or twice a week, you need to be more cautious. I often tell people to eat something before they visit a restaurant. And while you may be thinking that would simply add more calories, you'll find that if you eat something healthy as a snack before, you will make better choices and be less interested in the bread, for example. The whole idea of saving up to eat out and starving yourself all day is hard to manage because of ghrelin (hunger hormone) production. When you are at a restaurant, start with a salad or soup. What you'll discover is, after that, an appetizer may be more than enough for your main course. Or, you may choose to order a salad and two appetizers. It keeps portions small and often gives you more than enough food to satiate your hunger.

Don't arrive at the restaurant starving! Eat a little healthful fat, such as six walnut halves, before you get there. The healthful fat in walnuts triggers a chain reaction that slows the rate at which your stomach empties, so you'll feel fuller faster. Also drink at least one full glass of water before you order. This helps fill you up so you don't overeat. Ask for cut-up veggies instead of bread, and stick to an appetizer or consider sharing your entree.

Take the RealAge Test!