It used to be that almost all meals were eaten at home. The only exceptions were if you happened to travel for business, were a truck driver, or happened to be on vacation. People simply cooked and ate at home. But over the years that has changed, and now it is estimated that people in the United States may eat more than half of all their meals outside the home. One of the big problems with this is that you don’t have control over what goes into the food you’re eating. This adds up to big trouble if you’re trying to lose weight.

However, there are some things you can do to eat healthier when eating out. Here are some tips to help you eat better, and keep your weight under control at the same time.

Skip the bread and butter. Sure, it’s nice to have something to nibble on while waiting for your food to arrive, but a slice of bread, with butter can add up to 300 calories. Have two slices and you’re already up to 600 calories, and none of your food is even at the table yet.

Choose your appetizers wisely. It’s a good idea to get an appetizer because it will keep you from overeating when the main dish arrives. Don’t order anything deep fried or that’s has cheese on it. Anything made with fresh vegetables is a good choice, as is a clear soup or seafood cocktail.

If you get a salad, have them put the dressing on the side. Otherwise there is a good chance the kitchen will pour too much dressing on the salad, and that adds up. You control how much you add when you have it on the side. (This goes for all sauces whenever possible)

Generally speaking, chicken and fish are better choices than pork and beef. However, you also have to pay attention to how it’s prepared. Fried chicken and fish, covered with cheese or a heavy sauce will have more calories than a lean cut of beef that is prepared the right way. Better methods of preparation include roasted, baked or grilled.

Share the entree. One thing most restaurants are known for are their large portion sizes, and they keep getting bigger. So, see if you can split the entree with someone at your table (some restaurants will charge a nominal fee for this, but it’s worth it). If no one wants to share, then eat half and take the other half home. You can always ask for a container before you start eating to make sure you’re not tempted to eat everything on your plate.

Fruit for dessert. If you still have room for dessert, then opt for one that contains fresh fruit. Remember, you can always split a dessert, too.

The main thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to put your diet on hold just because you’re eating out. Learning to make better choices is all it takes to dine out without having to worry about an expanding waistline.

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Many people think about the Atkins diet and imagine all the horror stories you can think of, about tasteless bars and unexciting meals twice a day. Contrary to popular belief, someone on an Atkins diet eats five times a day, and each dish can be made in a healthy way that is still very appealing to people with all types of preferences.

The meals go in the following order:

Breakfast

Snack

Lunch

Snack

Dinner

When you eat as suggested above you are more likely to get the nutrition you need for your day and to make more energy throughout your entire day rather then having spurts of energy until you are hungry again. This also helps you to limit yourself because when you eat smaller amounts more often a person tends to not feel the need to eat as much in one sitting and rather to simply make sure they get the nutrition that they need while still getting to be full and able to function.

Many people feel as though they need coffee or other items to wake them up in the morning before they go to work or start their daily activities. With this diet you should no longer feel as much of a need for sugar or caffeine and will have more energy on a regular basis as long as you stick to the diet as it is mapped out and keep on schedule for eating.

The Atkins diet was originally created by Dr. Robert Atkins to try and battle against obesity and help people to stay healthy so that they will be able to live longer and healthier. People do not have to be obese or even heavy to go on this diet, you can simply want to get to a healthier brighter you who is able to have more energy and be able to get in shape. When a person feels the need for caffeine is can many times be because they feel a need for energy that they do not have because they do not have a healthy diet that gives them the nutrition that they need.

In many ways the Atkins diet is easily compared to many other normal diets where you are mainly trying to eat in a more nutritious fashion to become healthier. Many people think of the Atkins diet as being very different then other diets when in many ways the only difference is that they try to encourage you not to eat as much cholesterol while still trying to keep you as healthy as possible. The Atkins diet is primarily tying to help a person be at their key weight and be able to be as active as they want but more importantly to keep them healthy. With the delicious recipes that are available for everyone to try, you are sure to be able to get to your best weight while still eating things you enjoy.

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