Everyday Systems

Technically, I suppose restaurant meals are 'legal' for No S because they do fit on one (mammoth size) plate!

I'm thinking I'll eat what would fit on a normal size plate (or less) and take the rest home if it's something that would still be nice the next day (or leave it if it wouldn't be).

I usually force myself to finish it but that's obviously a bad idea, since we eat out on Saturday and Sunday lunches and for supper one or sometimes two nights a week.

Would it seem weird (if you were sitting next to me) if I pulled a Tupperware out of my purse and packed up some of my food?

No, it wouldn't. I have seen much worse

However, any restaurant will box the food up for you.

I've found a couple of restaurants that actually serve decent sized portions of food. But when I'm at one of those that serve mammoth portions, I eat half (or less) and usually take the rest home.

I just eat as much as I want, and then ask for the rest to be boxed up to go, if it's enough to be worthwhile.

Like others have said, I eat about half of it and take the rest home. It makes for a great lunch the next day!

Would it seem weird (if you were sitting next to me) if I pulled a Tupperware out of my purse and packed up some of my food?

Not at all -- remember the good old doggy bag.

It also increases the value of your restaurant meal, maybe even doubles it if you can get an extra meal at home out of it.

I usually force myself to finish it but that's obviously a bad idea

It is. But it's a powerful idea, once it grabs ahold of you. As effective as the doggy bag is in principle, it's probably better to find "intelligent default" restaurants with smaller portions so you don't have to constantly fight this.

Reinhard

Thanks everyone.

Reinhard, in response to your advice "As effective as the doggy bag is in principle, it's probably better to find "intelligent default" restaurants with smaller portions so you don't have to constantly fight this." ---

My husband married young and was divorced for many years before we met, and during that time he never learned to cook (he's now the main cook in our house!)

He once went for his annual physical and his doctor said he needed to lose weight.

He said he ate out every night and the restaurant he usually went to served huge portions and he was brought up to 'clean his plate' and had trouble leaving food.

The doctor told him to 'go to better restaurants' because their portions were smaller!

Actually our favourite places do serve 'relatively' small portions but still more than I need to eat, but I'm glad the people who responded thought it was OK to take some home.

I want to go back to the idea of the Tupperware and reinforce its use. Although i wouldn't overeat in order to avoid a doggie bag, the containers that restaurants use are getting bigger and more wasteful, although some are using "green" containers.

When I lived in Iran, the smaller cities had a system of having customers bring back the yogurt bowls that the yogurt was sold in. Yeah, I know, sanitation and all that, but it sure seemed smart from the environmental standpoint.

I can rarely eat all the food and always take the rest. Or with some of my friends we can order so that it's exactly the amount of food we need with no leftovers and no bloat.

I just got back from a trip to a spot on the Oregon coast, and one night, my husband and I were able to go out to eat at a nice restaurant (grandma and grandpa watched our son ). That restaurant served a really big portion of dinner, plus we started off the meal with a piece of buttered bread for both of us, a salad for me, and clam chowder for DH. Anyway, when we both reached about the halfway point in eating our dinners, we both decided we were too full to eat anymore, and we took the rest of the meals back to the hotel with us (we were staying in a little house on the beach that had a kitchen). It was SO nice to leave the restaurant feeling full, but not stuffed.
Anyway, I just wanted to share a real life example.

I have two methods when eating out.

If I eat at a fast food type place I use the method "Super Small Me". Meaning I try to eat the smallest size available, sometimes even a kids meal or just something off the value menu. (i'm a sucker for fast food and I KNOW its bad for me, so it's an sday treat)

For those resteraunts with bigger portions (like platter sizes) I often ask for a to go box right away with my meal and pack half my meal to take home. Some places are even willing to pack half the food in a to go box for me before it's brought to the table. I still leave feeling satisfied and I avoid the 'clean your plate even if you're too full' syndrome I grew up with.

My daughter and I ate out this weekend. We already planned to share our meal. I ended up with enough for 3 meals at home. Seriously!