This blog is going to be short and if you're willing to accept it, I'd like to give you some advice on eating out. This simple, and in my opinion genius piece of advice is going to help you save money, not get full, lose weight (or at least not add it) and make you happier  :)  

Here is the method one of my best friends and I have been using for over a year now. When we go out to eat we collectively order ONE appetizer and ONE entree.  That's it!  Okay maybe we'll each get a drink too but I'll leave that decision up to you.  Simple huh?  If you go out with someone who has completely different food tastes this may not work, but for the rest of us this can be an awesome way to have our 'cheat' meals AND save money.

Have you seen the ridiculous portions on our plates today?  I am constantly wishing there was a half sized meal for half the price on the menu.  I understand we all want our dollar to stretch as far as it can but you don't need that much food.  I read somewhere that your stomach is the size of your fist before it expands then the size of your hand when expanded.  Is the food on your plate the size of your fist? Or even the size of your hand?  Doubt it. Then what the hell??? My cousin recently shared this article and quote with me...

Since the late '70s, we've added 570 calories a day to our diets, and half of them can be attributed to larger portions, according to research at the University of North Carolina. "Even though today's serving sizes can be more than triple what the USDA recommends, they've become our new normal, and anything smaller can seem puny by comparison," says Lisa R. Young, PhD, RD, a FITNESS advisory board member and the author of The Portion Teller Plan.*

Here's another tip, if you're worried that you won't be full by the end of your meal you can always order more food.  Why do we feel the need to order way too much up front?  Order less, spend less and if you want more then just order more.  It's that simple.

Conclusion
Nothing about this advice is really revolutionary and in my opinion it's just common sense.  I'm going to assume marketing has poisoned our minds into believing we need all this food when we don't. Save your money, save your waistline and enjoy your meal by simply splitting meals with your friends.  And remember you can always order more :)

*LINK to article from FitnessMazazine.com