So in weight loss, we order on plan as best we can and (for me anyway) usually end up with a less than desirable meal. In maintenance I refuse to eat anything that isn't amazing and not what I really wanted. So if from time to time that means dessert for dinner then so be it. I know that usually I can find a completely suitable, healthy meal, but sometimes either A. I can't, or B. I just don't want to. Situation A. example, last night I got a half order of a regular entree salad at Applebee's (I don't care for Applebee's, but there was a power outage and not many options) instead of one of their 550 and under options because they looked comletely unappatizing. The HALF order was a whopping 990 cals! So I only ate a little over half of it to stay on plan. I was satified with that, but for that many cals, I would have rather just gotten a 1/2 burger and side salad.

So anyway, I figure my maintenace approach to restaurants will generally be just eating half of whatever sounds good on the menu and accepting that it's an occassional treat. But I'm just wondering if anyone has any maintenance words of wisdom on how to handle restaurants and enjoy going without stressing about what to order.

I typically order what sounds best to me. That said, what sounds best is usually a far cry from what sounded best to me before.

I went to lunch with a friend of mine the other day, and for some reason (I suspect hormones), I was really craving a burger. So I ordered one. It would typically come with fries, but I knew that would be fat/salt/grease overload, and wouldn't make my stomach happy, so I asked for a side salad instead. It was a REALLY good burger, and I ate about half of it. I also had a glass of wine alongside. A lovely, and fairly reasonable, meal.

I typically limit the frequency of going to restaurants, and then since I don't go often I allow myself to get whatever I want when I do. I count it as my cheat meal for the week.

That said, a lot of the stuff I used to get doesn't appeal to me anymore (like, chicken breast smothered in cheese? ew. Also, the oil overload on a lot of dishes upsets my stomach now.). I tend to order healthier options for my entree, but then I splurge on dessert, which I always share, but half a restaurant dessert is still usually at least 600 calories.

If a restaurant has a low-cal menu, I will often order from it because it sounds just as good as the rest of the menu. FWIW the Applebee's 550 cal menu has a good spicy shrimp pasta, and they're not lying when they say that even though it's lower-cal the portions are still big -- I ordered it once and had enough left over for lunch the next day.

Focus on the part you DO want and dont get sidetracked by the parts you dont care about. I'll order the entree I want but change up the sides. Who cares what the restaurant says the meal comes with, ask for something else.

And counter-intuitively I often skip my veggies. I will often order double veggies, no starch for my side and if the veggies are good, I'll eat them. But quite often I find that if I ask for them without butter or oil, they are overcooked and blah. Or if they are not, I can tell they have SOMETHING in them. So I often dont eat them at all.

And I no longer add on a side salad just because the meal has no veggies. I find most restaurant side salads tasteless - whatever they do to keep the lettuce from going wilty makes it like styrofoam to me (I also dont like bagged lettuce for the same taste). Or the salads have so much on them that by the time I remove all the caloric stuff I am left with a plate of lettuce. Woohoo.

I watch my dh sometimes (who never really struggles with weight). He goes to a steak place and orders a steak. And at the end of the night the steak is gone and the potato has had 2 bites because he is full on steak. He eats what he craves and doesnt eat anything he doesnt.

I call ahead whenever possible. I also have apps that show calorie counts for restaurants. I am also devising a list of tasty items to order from a variety of places.

For me, it would really be unrealistic, to say I will not eat out often. I travel to wonderful places quite often and have no intention of stopping. I also lose weight will traveling. Thus, I need strategies that I can rely on. So when these unexpected things occur, I have more options to choose from.

I personally rarely get desserts in restaurants. I really don't want them for the most part. Once in a while, I'll order a dessert to take home. I also go to a restaurant basically every week and definitely eat things I want although the restaurants I tend to go to tend to have a lot of good tasting, healthier options. My strategies are just smaller portions.

Absolutly! I'm finding this as well and it is very encouraging for me. I used to LOVE french fries, now I barely ever order them, usually I swap them for a side salad, plain fruit or veggies or nothing and I do it because I want to. It's nice because early on I'd go and be like ok I really want the whatever with extra cheese and fat please but I'll get this healthy thing instead because I'm "dieting". Now I want or crave the the healthy thing and the fatty things do not appeal at all. To me that is very exciting because I really feel like I've made a lifestyle change. The only thing I really need to work on at restaurants are a) martini's b) dessert and c) not feeling like I have to clean my plate and stopping when I'm full.

I still sometimes like a few fries. Often, if we're both ordering a burger or sandwich, my wife will order fries and I will order a salad on the side, and we'll split both so we end up with a healthy portion of veggies and just a few fries (I usually don't even finish the half portion).

I don't always have to have an "amazing" meal in a restaurant. I'd rather have my amazing body

That being said, I do have treat meals where I drink wine and enjoy dessert. But, since we eat out a lot, some restaurant meals have to be carefully on plan, which means they are NOT the yummiest thing on the menu. I'm okay with that.

I always stick to my forever no's - onplan/treat meal, whatever.

Another quote worth saying true, true. It was a blast wearing a trim skirt today to a meeting with DH

I also have to remind myself of my priorities which on forums can be different from others. I gained weight following other peoples priorities rather stick with what my goals were. Never again.

Yeah. My whole family will quite often split a small order of fries. It's not that bad when 4 people split. Especially the sweet potato fries at the local brewpub

I rarely go out to eat. When I do, because it's inescapeable, it's usually in Manhattan with my foodie friends, who tend to like places where it's hard to get reservations, and who also tend to chase trends.

Lately the trend has been toward seasonal, locally sourced food, so I've been lucky. This usually doable. (I like pea shoots & fiddleheads & sauteed radishes -- who knew?) There's also a trend toward organ meats, which I try earnestly to avoid. There's also the artisan pizza problem. Then there's what I want to call the Momofuku Milk Bar problem, when the place is riffing on comfort foods in inventive but diet-threatening ways.

Nearly always, however, I'm able to get something that I'll eat. (Although on a few occasions, they do get pouty about modifying it because then it no longer resembles the chef's vision. And then I feel bad. Because it is an art, and I respect art.)

I have also done the spoiled wealthy woman/model/celebrity thing & ordered off-menu, usually very plain but beautifully fresh & prettily presented fish.

I have real anxiety about these occasions, but once I've researched the restaurant & am actually there & have made my choice, it lessens considerably & I am able to have a good time. My friends are pretty good with me. They understand the concept of recovery & rehab; they can transfer it to food & eating. And the people-watching & decor examinining in such places is very entertaining. So it's okay.

But any thrill that dining out had for me? Is pretty much gone.