Okay. We've heard of Ruby Tuesday's and Fridays being low carb friendly. Subway now has salads. Last week we went to an all you can eat Japanese buffet where if you like sashimi, I had lots of fresh fish prepared a number of ways that kept it interesting. I had raw fish sushi, in a marinated salad, Japanese veggie (the soy bean pods edamame) tofu soup, a little teri beef, etc. So let's share where you eat out successfully while lcing.

I eat out pretty much anywhere. I may have to get creative when ordering, but there are low carb choices on just about any menu. My favorite is to order a 'double portion' of salad or steamed vegetables with my entree (to replace that seemingly mandatory potato everyone serves).

At fast food places, I'll order a burger, toss the top bun, cut what's left in half and stack it... all the good stuff and only a bit of bread. Or you can strip off all the bread and eat it with a knife and fork. Most burger places now have side salads (but don't eat the dressings!!! most are loaded with sugars).

At a Taco Bell kind of place, I order a taco salad without beans and rice, then eat the salad and leave the taco shell 'bowl'.

At a barbecue place I'll order chopped or sliced beef no sauce or sauce on the side, pass on the potato options and opt for a salad bar. If the entree comes on a bun, strip it and leave it on the plate.

One thing I had to get over when I went low carb is that guilt of 'leaving food on my plate'. If I don't put it there (ie I'm not serving myself), I don't have to eat it simply because it's in front of me!

I've also been know to declare a meal a "carbs be darned" situation and just order whatever. When I do that, I still find that I stay away from the worst of it since my tastes have genuinely changed in the past year. I really PREFER lower carb things.

Interestingly, when DH and I were in Jamaica for our wedding last October, we both discovered that we were choosing low carb things from the resort buffet... not because we had to, but because those are the things we like to eat

Ginger

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Life is NOT a dress rehearsal.
159/142.5/139->130

Wow...since I basically drive around alot, I try to bring something with me, but I do end up eating out sometimes. For breakfast, I go to Grandy's and order eggs, bacon, and sometimes sausage. (Not sure what all is in there!)Or the McDonald's "2 for $3" specials and toss the english muffin. For lunch, back to Mickey D's for 2 double-cheeseburgers sans the bun. They also have a nice Caesar salad if you have the time. On Tuesdays, our KFC runs a $1.49 special for 2 peices of chicken. Toss the included biscuit and batter!
As far as dining in, I detest oriental-type food, so I don't know about that. At Don Pablo's, there's a low-carb fajita...I never had it, but some friends did. They said it was expensive and NOT GOOD. I usually just order something with a meat base and ditch the tortilla. Of course, steak houses are a good place. It's just that they love to offer POTATOES in every different form possible. Seafood joints are good...just watch the sides and breadings. Don't go to Macaroni Grill...as the name implies, everything centers around pasta. There are only a couple of things on the menu that we could eat. MOST places offer some sort of Caesar/grilled chicken salad, though. Just ask them to leave off the croutons. The Colter's or Dickey's around here offers and Atkins meal: 2 meats and 1 side with lowcarb BBQ sauce. Gosh, rereading this makes me seem like all I do is study menus! Just my observations!

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At the pizza place my coworkers like to go to, I get a sausage sandwich without the bread...SO good! I also do the hamburger-without-the-bun thing at some places. At a place like Perkins or Friendly's, I get an omelette if available or get a salad that doesn't have breaded chicken on it. Don Pablo's also has a low carb fajita option. Eat n' Park has a low carb menu (for those lucky enough to live in Eat n' Park areas). And another thought I had, if you are going to a place that has fajitas (the perfect food, except for the tortillas), either forego the tortillas or bring your own low carb tortillas in a ziploc bag! And finally, often I get a chicken or steak entree and just ask them to hold the starch and give me double vegetables. Every restaurant I have done that at is happy to do it.

If the budget allows a more expensive restaurant I choose a steak house or seafood place. Otherwise my eating out consists of either Wendy's salad sensations or Hardees LC thickburger. Don't make the Hardees mistake I made. When I ordered the first time the cashier asked me if I wanted a single or a double. I had no idea about the size so I said a double. But then I noticed a sign and the Lc double thickburger is 2/3 pound. Luckily I had my dog in the car or there would have been some waste.

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Where I live I eat at Arby's, they have a great grilled chicken salad, or Ryan's steak house, where I can fix my own salad and usually have a piece of baked chicken or some other meat that's lc friendly. I haven't tried Hardees thick burger yet, but I hear it's great. I think KFC has a roasted chicken as well as the breaded stuff. I love Jack-in-the-boxes ultimate double cheeseburger. I just toss the bun and get a salad to go with it. We have a subway too, but I haven't tried their stuff yet. There are lots of choices now as opposed to how it was a year ago. I can go to just about any restaurant and find something I can eat.

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shawny

177/169/125 Final goal

Chili's has a great low carb menu. I had the Mushroom Jack Fajitas and couldn't finish them. So good! Also we have a place in southern California called Chipotle. If you like Mexican this is a great place. They will put your burrito on a plate of salad and it is so good. I order the chicken fajita burrito on lettuce. Also, my DH and I go to Del Taco and ask for the macho combo burrito with no beans and no tortilla. They will put it on a place and it's wonderful. They have chicken and beef. When your shopping in the mall this is a great quick stop. Also, Outback has a great burger where you can add all the toppings you want. Good price and great value. Their Alice Springs chicken is to die for.

Heather
206/186/160

Unless I'm in a real time crunch, I prefer to eat at home and make eating out a nice ocassion. DH & I have agreed that we'd rather eat out less often and save our pennies for a nice restaurant. I'm blessed to live 10 minutes away from my office, so I prefer to come home for RnR and eats, over the noon hour. I enjoy cooking, when I'm feeling good. Rarely do we eat out during the week, usually it's on the weekend.

I know, I know, I'm the odd one out!

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Ozzie's Place

Like Kumus, we don't eat out that much any longer. We used to, but I feel better staying on track eating and cooking at home. I take breakfast and lunch with me to work, so...If I know we are going out I can adjust those two meals for dining out.
There are some great suggestions here already. Just remember, you can eat anywhere, just ask for your food the way you want it. No potato, rice, or other starchy foods, no bread, tortillas, etc.
State the the waiter what you want and don't want and they will be more than happy to accomodate. Fast foods (hardly ever go there any longer) no bun, side salads with the meat.
I usually go to a medateranian restaurant a couple times a month for lunch - they have a wonderful greek salad with either chicken or gyros meat on top. Their salad dressing is fresh made and no sugar added.
Dinner - we have a chinese, american and japanese buffett that has boiled shrimp, crab legs, oysters, and craw fish on the buffett (all you can eat for 8.99) If I know we are going there I will eat light during the day, cause I have to have some hot and sour soup, maybe a bite of sesame chicken, but lots of shrimp and crab legs....they also have a small salad bar.
so.... go out and eat, and make the right choices

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carolyn in texas
started 8/11/03 327/268/177
5/20/08/ - 348
onward thru the fog

HEATHER! I think I am looking in the mirror! I am always hawking the Chili's menu, and can't wait to try the mushroom jack fajitas! We have a Chipotle here, and I'll be going soon. I am single, so while I try to eat at home as much as possible, sometimes I don't want to cook just for me, so I like having some out-to-eat suggestions.

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Heather
182-2/27/08

Hmmmnnnn....

A new Chili's is just about to open here - I'll have to check it out.

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Tina

I don't like fast food, but when I have to have it, Hardee's is the best. I always get the burger without mayo or ketchup (you have to ask, or it will come with both.) Even w/o mayo it's plenty juicy, and that cuts out a lot of the calories.

I think that locarb eating out is alot easier than when I was on WW years ago. If I eat at fast food, Arby's is my favorite. Roasted chicken salad, or roastbeef sandwich and throw the bun. I love steak so at a better restaurant thats usually what I order.
Jackie

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Jackie
Nobody can make you feel inferior
without your permission. -Eleanor Roosevelt-

I tend to eat out quite frequently (almost everyday for lunch) not breakfast or dinner though... I always seem to go to FireHouse and get the Tuna Salad Salad, It's SOOOO good, i think I'm known when I go there now, they say "the usual?"

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185/157/130

I want a normal BP, healthy weight and good Cholesterol

This topic is so helpful with everyone contributing. You could never get some of this stuff from a book. I hope the newbies read this. It would have helped me. Great suggestions everyone. We live in a society where we are so busy working full time jobs with less time to actually cook. It also seems like the cost of fast food (even healthy ones) is comparable or sometimes even cheaper than cooking at home, not even considering the time element.