The first date with my gf - about halfway through those 30 lbs I mentioned - was at Cheesecake Factory. Earlier that day, I just about drained my phone's battery looking for nutritional information about their menu. I finally found a PDF that somebody from Oregon had posted to a weight loss forum (Oregon requires restaurants to publish nutritional data). They do NOT want anyone to know how calorie-packed their meals are — most of their entrees were in the 1400-1700 calorie range, with a couple edging close to 3000 (!). Fortunately, they had a chicken dish with white rice and steamed veggies, which was like asking for seltzer water at a frat party (or Bud 55 ), but just 750-ish calories.

So, yeah, keep checking the labels, or cook good meals at home, and you can learn how to spot the good stuff when eating out.

We're going out this weekend to a steakhouse with some friends of hers, and we're planning to split the meal like usual. She wants to mess with the other wife, though; she demands the star treatment from her husband, so when we order, I'll ask for the NY Strip, and I'll say that my gf will just have the side salad. Once we get the steak, though, we'll slice that sucker in half and do our usual thing.