You’ve decided how much you are going to eat before you take the first bite. Put the rest in a doggy bag before you start eating.

Restaurant portions are about twice the size they were 15 years ago. A full restaurant meal may supply most of your daily calories. You can’t change how much food a restaurant serves you, but you can change how much you eat.

As you order, immediately ask your server for a doggy bag. Don’t wait. Do it now.

When your food arrives, immediately divide it in to your correct portion size as soon as it is brought to your table. Don’t wait. Do it now.

Immediately put all the food you shouldn’t eat in the doggy bag. Don’t wait. Do it now.

Don’t fool yourself that you’ll stop eating later. You probably won’t. Once you start eating the food will taste so good you simply won’t stop.

By following this strategy, you are both cutting down on how much you are eating and you also have an excellent meal for the next day. Think of it as getting two meals for the price of one with the added bonus of staying on your diet!