When you decide to take control of your eating (a.k.a. "go on a diet"), you don’t have to completely change your life. You can still go to parties, eat at restaurants, visit friends, eat your favorite foods, and have lots of fun.

You do need to maintain a high degree of "eating awareness."

When you are trying to improve your eating habits, one situation that causes endless problems is the fast food restaurant. The choices are often quite limited, though improving somewhat. It would be wise to plan ahead for such occasions.

Though the choices are limited in many burger emporiums, there are still things you can do to avoid exceeding your caloric limits. Fast food is designed to be eaten quickly, without much, if any, thought. It is often loaded with sugar and white flour, two things you should avoid as much as possible. This type of food fails to activate your satiety signal, so the tendency is to eat too much. The spike caused by the fat, sugar, and white flour will cause a crash, making you feel hungry all over again too soon.

If and when you find yourself in this situation, here is how to make the best choices for your health:

Order a small sandwich, either roasted or grilled chicken, or a small burger. Order it with as many pickles, tomatoes, and other veggies as they will give you for toppings. Hold the mayo — choose mustard and ketchup instead. If they have a condiment bar, get extra mustard and relish. If they have a topping bar, get extra lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles. For side dishes, get a baked potato, if available, rather than fries. Get cole slaw or corn if they have it. Get a side salad without dressing or with dressing on the side. Get apple slices available. For beverage, get water, iced tea (unsweetened), or — if you must — diet soda.

Now, the all-important part — the eating sequence (yes, it matters!):

Eat the salad first. Drink your drink with it. The liquid and the water-filled veggies will help make a dent in your appetite. Eat slowly. It is more satisfying, both emotionally and physically. Eat the side dishes next, whether baked potato, cole slaw, or corn. Again, eat slowly and enjoy it. NOW, eat the sandwich. Slowly, and savor every bite. Take sips of your drink between mouthfuls. If you followed this plan, you will notice that you are enjoying the sandwich more than usual. If you got apples, have them for dessert. You should be feeling really good right about now.

Similar tactics apply at other kinds of fast food places. At Mexican establishments, you probably have the choice of beans. Have a double order of beans, and skip the high-calorie white rice.

Any place with a salad bar, like many Wendy’s, is a blessing. Eat lots of greens, along with tomatoes, cabbage, beans, a reasonable portion of olives, a few nuts, and any kind of veggies. Skip the greasy croutons and fried noodles. For dressing, use oil and vinegar.

You may not need anything else to eat after all that salad, so pay attention to your stomach. Remember: Stop eating when you are 80% full.

Also, when you are at home, you can beat them at their own game.