"Everything in moderation."  "Patience is a virtue."  "Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder..eh hem...beholder."  We have all heard these phrases a million times, but have you ever spent any time really thinking about them.  There is some real wisdom in these phrases.  As I continuously state that the weight loss game is really a mental game and not a physical one, today I will give you some of my tricks for eating moderately.

1. Carry out chinese food - Avoid the fried foods and always go for white rice over fried rice.  Eating carry out chinese food makes it tough to stay on a plan, but substituting the white rice for the fried rice will save you a bundle of calories and a couple hours on the treadmill.

2. If you are trying to lose weight - and you probably are if you are reading this - imagine what you would normally eat or order at a restaurant - then try to find an alternative that is at least one notch healthier and lower in calories.  For example, if you love McDonald's, instead of ordering a Big Mac combo meal, order just the sandwich.  If you order a grilled chicken sandwich with no mayo or other sauce you are going two notches better.  This prevents the feeling of deprevation that we all get when we think "I am never going to eat a Big Mac again" while a tear runs down our face.  If you can't do without the fries, order a small fries and something off of the "healthy" menu. 

3.  When you go out to a restaurant with your date or friends - agree to split one dish with them.  This saves you money and calories when the restaurant does the automatic upselling trick and loads you up with 2 meals worth of food.

Remember these tips and send me some of yours so we can all make our diet goals.