1. Carbs Are Cheap
Millions of people have discovered that not only do they eat way too many carbohydrates, but also that carbs are a trigger for them to eat. By maintaining a low carbohydrate diet, it is easier to lose weight. But try telling that to the restaurants who want to fill us up on carbs because they are the cheapest--and often best tasting and tempting--foods they can serve.
2. Know Your Enemy
Learn the carb content of your basic foods. Most restaurants serve bread with meals. If you know ahead of time what kind of bread, look it up in your food counter. Otherwise, go prepared with some numbers for an average slice of bread or dinner roll. Many restaurants post their menus online, so customers can look up portions and decide on meal choices based on the numbers. For the most part, you should not expect a restaurant to know the carb content of their dishes. Half the time, they can't even tell you how much pasta is in the bowl unless they look that up, too.
3. Snoop Around
Do some digging before you even go out to eat. Some restaurants are more sensitive to dieters and will denote which meals on the menu are low-carb. For example, Burger King offers a bun-less burger served in a bowl with a fork and knife. Family-style restaurant Ground Round offers a separate low-carb menu with prices that are adjusted accordingly. Even Cracker Barrel, the country's biscuit heaven, offers a low-carb breakfast menu.
4. Go Veggie
If you stick with salad bars and vegetable plates, you won't have to worry too much about having carbs snuck onto your plate. You will spend more of that outing mastering your domain and holding your own against tempting rolls and desserts. Pile on the salad and fresh vegetables so high that you won't have room to roll a pastry onto your plate. If ordering cooked vegetables, don't rely on the cooks to follow special directions. They get busy in restaurant kitchens, so unless the cook is a personal friend or you are eating in an exclusive top-drawer kind of joint, order items as they are defined on the menu.
5. Stay Home
The best defense is a good offense. Stay home and order your preapproved, prepackaged and precooked low-carb food online, or cook your own meals from scratch. The best way to avoid eating carbs is not to buy them. That way, when you get hungry and go to grab a snack, your only choice will be the Atkins bars you bought by the case or the candy you bought for the neighborhood kids.
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