• If you know you are going out for dinner, don’t eat out for lunch and breakfast. Be wary of what is going into your mouth throughout the day before you head out. Choose healthy and lighter options. Maybe skip that 3pm snack you always have. Be realistic and know you are going to consume more calories than normal when you go out to dinner, so eat fewer calories that day. Simple.
• Once out for dinner, try to choose a balanced meal. Protein, carbs and veggies.
• Don’t order the bread as an entrée. Try some grilled prawns or scallops instead.
• Choose a salad and see if there is an option to add chicken.
• If you can have a potato over fries, do it.
• Don’t add sauce. Sauce equals sugar, which equals calories.
• When everyone orders dessert maybe order a entrée meal instead. That way you are still eating with them, but you aren’t having the sugary treat that is going to make you feel lethargic later.
• Choose grilled over fried. Always.
• Do you really need that creamy pasta? Is your stomach going to thank you after it?
• Be mindful of what is going into your mouth. Stop and think if you are really hungry. Are you just eating for the sake of it?
• If you aren’t drinking alcohol, always choose water. You don’t need a soft drink. It is full of sugar and will add not only dollars to your bill, but bad calories to your body.

Enjoy the company of good friends and family. Don’t let food control you. Be in the moment and feel great after leaving the restaurant instead of sick and bloated from all the wrong foods.