How to Eat at Restaurants

by Maia Appleby

One of the most common problems people have with losing weight is pitfalls like the restaurant scene. Here are a few ways you can control the urge to live it up:

• As soon as your food is served, ask for a box and put half of your meal into it, to take home. Restaurant portions are usually twice the size they should be anyway.

• Don't ruin a nice, low fat salad with creamy dressing. Go for the vinaigrette or oil and vinegar, and use them sparingly.

• Don't let yourself down by getting (or sharing) a dessert. Order some fruit or Jell-O instead, if you must have something sweet.

• Arrive with a healthy meal in mind and ask for it without opening your menu. This will spare you the pain of looking at an array of temptation.

• After each bite, put your fork down, and don't pick it up again until you've completely swallowed the last bite.

• Drink a glass of skim milk before you leave your house.

• Look for restaurants that serve "contemporary", "spa" or "California" cuisine.

• When ordering seafood, choose the leanest types, such as haddock, sole, scrod, orange roughy, scallops, shrimp and crab.