I've only had one meal out since starting IP and I ordered a salad with dry grilled shrimp. I rarely go to chain restaurants (I'm trying to remember the last time I was at one and can't come up with a thing) but some of these tips are helpful for any restaurant experience, I think.

I went to my first restaurant today in 4 weeks since IP. I looked it up beforehand and did not think I could modify the Belgium cuisine. I had an ice tea and kept the conversation active while everyone was eating. It was a bit odd but everyone lived through it. I prefer to not eat out and not travel which we were doing.

I have always said to the waiter or waitress that I want the combo special "NAKED". That always gets their attention. I fact, my meal always looks better than everyone else's as they have to make everything fresh.
I say that I am on a strict cardiac diet and absolutely nothing should be on the food. The Naked request, always gets their attention.

http://www.dietfacts.com/fastfood.asp

this will show you many places menus online to assist with pre before you go out to eat.

I've not eaten out since my first night on ip more than 61 days ago....i just try to avoid it. Tho i wont be able to avoid it forever....

That is a good way to put it! I'll have to remember that next time I eat out.

Thanks for the link Art3mis, that is helpful!

I've had good luck eating out ordering steak, chicken, or salmon. For salad I usually ask for Caesar without the croutons, cheese & dressing (in other words, just romaine lettuce) -- that seems to be the easiest for most restaurants. I ask for olive oil and lemon wedges on the side for dressing. I have learned I have to specify PLAIN olive oil, or else they'll often bring olive oil with balsalmic vinegar added.

After you get used to ordering, eating out becomes simple. We typically eat out 2-3 times per week.
It is much easier when you can plan ahead and make it part of your plan for the day

We eat out a lot like some others on here, and have found staying away from any chain restaurant is the mosty IP friendly way to go. Many of their food items at chains are "corporate" issue and come frozen..spiced, sauced and not prepared from scratch.

Mom and pop places for breakfast and lunch do an excellent job...and the prices are usually pretty wallet friendly. At dinner we never go to a chain restaurant as we have found the local spots are usually open to customizing your plate ...and to tell the truth...quite used to it! Often making suggestions on what they have in the kitchen that is NOT on the menu. Always should ask...it's amazing how simple it can be to get what you need once the server knows your needs.

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We aren't chain visitors either, mostly because we prefer to support small business, rather than corporations. There are SO.MANY locally owned places in our area, there is literally no reason to visit a chain. We may do so when on the road, just because we know what to expect there.

You are right. We find small biz much more accommodating.

We eat out a lot. Here are a few of my experiences at restaurants here in Utah:

Rumbi - order the rice bowl with no rice, double veggies (steam the veggies instead of coating them in teriyaki sauce) and no sauce. I use soy sauce, but you can also do the Walden Farms ginger dressing if you wanted to bring it with you. Sadly, all of the salads require major surgery to get something OP. I haven't bothered.

Smashburger - either the Smash chicken or Smash burger can be ordered with lettuce instead of a bun. Order the side salad without dressing and use a Walden Farms dressing packet from your purse. Totally OP.

Which Wich - they will do any of their hoagie sandwiches as a lettuce-wich. They are the same size as the hoagie and you don't miss the bread. I order mine with turkey, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, mustard and olive oil. I wish they had a vinegar that is OP, but they don't. I would seriously buy vinegar packets if I could find them.

Dickies - pretty tough here, but I order the smoked turkey with a side of ceasar salad to which I add my own dressing. The only other side dish that is remotely OP is the green beans, but you have to pick out the bacon if you do that. I don't recommend this place for Phase I, but if you have to go, the smoked turkey really is amazing.

Wendy's - the chef's salad works great as long as you have them hold the cheese and croutons.

Zupas - you can't order anything off the menu without major alterations. You have to do the make-your-own salad option. But there are plenty of great salad toppings here. I don't know about the soups. I'd love to find one that works, but I haven't dared try them.

Firehouse Subs - Their Chief's Salad is a great option provided you hold the cheese. Big chunky vegetables and lots of lettuce. They do offer a fat free dressing, but it has 12 grams of carbs, so I stick to my Walden Farms packets here.

Cafe Rio - Order either the salad minus the flour tortilla or the tostada. Double the chicken and pico, hold the cheese and tortilla strips.

Jason's Deli - they have a fabulous salad bar. I still bring my own dressing, but they have a great range of toppings.

I had my first restaurant experience a week ago and I think I did a pretty good job!

Everyone wanted to go to this Rib/Crabshack.

I ended up getting the house salad (that was just lettuce, tomato, and cucumber). Asked for double veggies on the salad. Also asked for no dressing but got about 6 lemon wedges instead (they were generous - only asked for some wedges). And I got 3 snow crab legs - cracked em open and shredded them on top of the plain salad and sprinkled everything with lemon juice!

I also brought a IP bar with me so I counted that meal as a lunch (as I think the 3 crab legs were probably a minimal amount of meat so I figured that they didn't really count as anything - just ate slightly less than 8oz of meat at supper time that night).

For drinks, I got a lemon water and a plain black tea.

The 99 has a 6oz steak you can get plain and steamed broccoli double order plain also. Since I have started IP been to the 99 a couple of times, very helpful and a good steak!

My son wanted to go to Chili's between his dr. appointments. I was dreading it. However, ate the salmon and steamed broccoli. it was excellent.

I live around the corner from Chili's and have been want to take a break from cooking. Looks like Chili's salmon and broccoli are in my future.

Chilis works well I think. I have their 6 oz sirloin that is on the Light menu (or what every they call it), broccoli and have a salad (I generally have a packet of WF dressing in my purse).

We also have a small chain here in Colorado called Mad Greens. It is a salad place that makes all the salads right in front of you. You can alter one of the "signature salads" or they have a build your own and you can tell them what to put on it. Once again I have my WF dressing.

I think you can usually do okay at a steak restaurant too. I haven't tried Red Lobster yet.

You just have to be careful.

We eat out a lot, both because of business and because our house being on the market, need to keep it clean and smelling nice.

So I have gotten my routine down. I am very direct and gentle with the waiter and explain that I need my meat 'naked', no butter, no oil, no sauce. I ask for the veggies the same way - steamed. If potatoes are offered, as they often are, with the entrée, I ask for double veggies instead. Since there is not a huge serving of veggies offered, doubling it does not go over the 2 cups.

Sometimes I will get a sweetheart of a waiter who will actually be in on the whole thing, asking if there are certain vegetables I prefer, etc. They get a god tip for that sort of cooperation. We also tend to repeat our visits.

Applebee's has good menus for under 550 but you still have to edit how they are cooked and remove the potatoes.