• Choose a restaurant that offers a wide variety of food, to increase the odds of finding fewer fatty, highly caloric foods.
  
• Avoid "all-you-can-eat" restaurants.
  
• Ask to have the bread basket (or at least the butter dish) removed from the table.
  
• Refuse french fries, potato chips, and desserts, even if they're included in the price of your meal.
  
• Ask for food broiled without butter, salad without dressing, and baked or steamed food that's normally fried.
  
• If servings seem especially large, portion off the excess and put it aside before you begin eating.
  
• Leave some food on your plate, or take it home for tomorrow's lunch.
  
• Share one meal with a companion.
  
• Order a la carte so you won't feel obligated to eat side dishes just because you've paid for them.

Partying Down to a Slimmer You

As with most festive occasions, food plays a prominent role at most parties. It gives people something to look at, something to do, something to talk about, and something to remember. But you don't have to stay home just because you're dieting.

Here are some ways to join the party and not blow your diet.

• At a buffet dinner, first look over all the food presented, then decide what you will and will not eat.
  
• If possible, inquire ahead of time as to what will be served at a party. If nothing on the menu is allowed on your diet, plan to eat at home first.
  
• Ask your host or hostess if you can provide a platter of raw vegetables or other low-calorie offering, so you'll be assured of something you can munch on during the party.
  
• To avoid being tempted to eat hors d'oeuvres and snacks, don't sit near them.
  
• Politely inform your host and hostess of your diet and ask them not to coax you to overeat.
  
• Choose mineral water or diet soda instead of alcoholic beverages, or at least alternate them with alcoholic drinks.
  
• Make a point to socialize with other people or enjoy the entertainment rather than concentrating on eating.