Chili's

1.	Guiltless Grill chicken sandwich (490 calories, 8g fat)
2.	Guiltless Grill salmon (480 calories, 14g fat)
3.	Create your own combo: Firecracker tilapia (270 calories, 7g fat) and spicy-garlic-and-lime grilled shrimp (260 calories and 13g fat). To save even more calories, split the dish with a friend and order a house salad with low-fat vinaigrette (180 calories, 7g fat)

Extra tip: Skip the country-fried steak with sides, toast and gravy; it has 1,890 calories and 107 grams of fat!

Red Lobster

1.	LightHouse jumbo shrimp cocktail dinner (without sides) (228 calories, 4g fat)
2.	LightHouse snow crab legs (without sides) (262 calories, 5g fat)
3.	LightHouse LobsterChops (without sides) (136 calories, 2g fat)

Extra tip: The seasoned fresh broccoli (56 calories, 0g fat) or baked potato with pico de gallo (208 calories, 1g fat) are both great side dishes to pair with your main dish.

Wendy's

1.	Junior hamburger (230 calories, 8g fat)
2.	Small chili (190 calories, 6g fat) with plain baked potato (270 calories, 0g fat)
3.	Grilled chicken Go Wrap (260 calories, 11g fat)

Extra tip: Need a sweet fix? Order a chocolate junior Frosty; it has 160 calories and 4g fat.

Arby's

1.	Regular roast beef sandwich (320 calories, 14g fat)
2.	Martha's Vineyard Salad with half the raspberry vinaigrette dressing (370 calories, 16g fat)
3.	Kids size Market Fresh mini turkey and cheese sandwich (244 calories, 5g fat) and fruit cup (35 calories, 0g fat)

Extra tip: Skip the mayo on your roast beef sandwich and you'll save 105 calories and 11g fat.

 Thankyou for the thoughts & ideas.  Although I don't eat at those places, how do you will yourself to make the right decisions at the beginning?

I guess I am asking because we went to Boston Beer Works and I had the snapper which was like cardboard and the broccoli and it was doused in pepper - everything else on the menu was loaded with cheese.  I was good and made the right decision, but I had to pay $20 for something that was healthy where I could have had something loaded with calories and junk and paid $13 - but going out to eat is such a luxury for my husband that he's not prepared to give up, but I have to pay more to be deprived to make the smarter choices.

Any other hints or suggestions?  Thanks!

hey, have you been reading my food journal? i have almost all those stats posted so i know what is a "good" choice when i'm eating out. some of the things you've mentioned are at my favorite places to eat.

NHSkiGirl-first, you can't look at the "good" choices you're making as deprivation. you have a goal (to lose weight) and to meet that goal, you're going to have to change the way you eat. it's not easy. many times i've gone into a restaurant with every intention of making a good choice, and then....NOT making the good choice. you are also correct in that, it will cost you more to eat healthy. you can get fries and a burger at Wendy's for $2.50 but the salad (which is basically a huge bowl of lettuce) is $5.00. you'll feel better paying the $5.00 and making the right choice.

as far as the food being bad, or not seasoned/prepared correctly, send it back. some people will disagree with me on this. they say, if you send food back the "chef" will do something bad to it before sending it to you the second time. i don't know if that's true or not. what i do know is, i work hard for my money, and i deserve to have my food the way i want it.

finally, and this may not be popular either but, you say eating out is a luxury. that leads me to believe that you don't do it that often. so, if you know you're going out to eat. allow yourself one of your favorite dishes.

if you "diet" you will lose weight. if you "diet" you will also gain it back when you stop. permanent weight loss is because of a lifestyle change. that means, having some of your favorites every once in awhile.

take care and best wishes to you.

:-)