Restaurant Strategies

OK, we all know how to read a menu and pick what's best, right?

Choose grilled, not fried or breaded. Order salad dressing on the side and use very little. Watch salad toppings like cheese and chips and candied nuts. Know your portion sizes ... most restaurants give you at least double of what a normal portion is.

But what happens AFTER you order and get your food? What can you do to make sure you don't blow it when that big, beautiful plate arrives?

Some people ask for a to-go box right away and bank half. I think that makes sense. But at a fancy restaurant, it can be a little tough. My solution is to give part of mine to Jim right away, so it's off my plate and not tempting me.

I also try to focus on the stuff I love most. In my old life, I was programmed to eat everything ... regardless of how hungry I was or how much I liked what was on the plate. Now I will evaluate all of the components and decide what's most important to me. Mashed potatoes or white rice or even French fries? Nothing so special about those. So skip 'em.

When I get to the point on my plate where I know I should be done, the thing that works best for me is to simply throw in the towel. Well, throw in the napkin, really. I very deliberately take my napkin off my lap and place it and my silverware on my plate. The grosser my napkin is (lipstick, for instance), the better this works. The visual cue to me and to others that I am done solves the problem of eating more.

Emily Post might not approve. But she doesn't have to fit in my jeans.