We’ve got the results from a new survey on the number of friends people have at different ages. And by “friends” we’re actually talking about people you spend time with and talk to . . . NOT Facebook friends who you might’ve met once in 2005.

–According to the survey, people peak with their most friends at age 21 . . . that’s when the average person has 99 FRIENDS. Of those, 13 are best friends, 17 are close friends, and the rest are acquaintances.

–That number drops to an average of 68 friends at age 29 . . . 63 friends at age 39 . . . 43 friends at age 49 . . . and 41 friends at age 55.

–The survey also found that the average person has 18 close friends who stay consistent throughout their lives . . . and that men have about twice as many close friends as women.

–It also found the average person currently has 208 Facebook friends . . . about 25% of people say their partner is their best friend . . . 20% of people say their mom is their best friend . . . and 14% of people say a sibling is their best friend.

So we’ve moved past the Halloween insanity and we move closer to Thanksgiving and the holiday season in general. And that’s about the time when we find more excuses to eat the sweets and fats and slow down on the exercise with all the cold weather. What happens? Most of us put a little extra junk in the trunk, we plump up in the face, and have to loosen up the belt a few notches. I’m gettin’ serious about what I eat over the next three weeks because I want to be able to eat anything and everything I want at Thanksgiving and not feel like I’ve been moving toward the cliff all month and now I’m jumping off, you get the idea. If you ever feel helpless around the holidays, let me help you when it comes to the next few times you eat out. You’ve seen the eat this not that articles… the info below is from one in Men’s Fitness.

One of the best things you can do is know what you’re eating. Americans on average underestimate the calories in what they eat by more than 50%. That’s HUGE!!! So be honest with yourself. If you can’t find the calorie count for what you are eating at a restaurant, then go by the number of words in the title of what you’re ordering on the menu. Usually more words = more calories. If it’s X with A, B, and C or just X, order JUST X!!!

Going out for Seafood?
–Eat Here: Red Lobster!
–Not Here: Long John Silvers (I don’t think we have one?
–Alex says: Order that fish GRILLED or BAKED, not breaded or pan fried. Sushi lover? Order smaller rolls. White rice is not your friend.

Want a sub?
–Eat Here: Subway
–Not Here: Quizznos
–Alex says: Subs are loaded with tons of carbs that unless you exercise a ton, your body won’t use. Eat regular sandwiches, not subs.

In the mood for chicken?
–Eat Here: Chicken Fil-A
–Not Here: Church’s Chicken
–Alex says: Agreed. Church’s loads their chicken with hydrogenated oils. I don’t think we have Chicken Fil-A here so KFC would be my choice. They have grilled chicken on the menu.

How about Italian? Everyone loves Italian!
–Eat Here: Macaroni Grill
–Not Here: Olive Garden
–Alex says: The “eat here” choices not being available in Wisconsin is a re-ocurring theme… hmm. Sorry, we don’t have Macaroni Grill and I wish we did because it’s pretty good! If you love Italian, there’s a place on the eastside near UWM called Sala De Pranzo. Order whatever fish is on the menu, grilled and skip the bread/oil. You could probably get by with a fish entree at Maggianos too.

Pizza lover?
–Eat Here: Domino’s
–Not Here: California Pizza Kitchen
–Alex says: Are you kiddin me? Pizza is pizza. Even a serving of the BEST thing at Domino’s is 27g of fat. Ditch the pizza.

Breakfast/brunch:
–Eat Here: Bob Evans
–Not Here: IHOP
–Alex says: No kidding, don’t do IHOP. Denny’s has a healthy section now on their menu but one of the places you’re about to find out is one of the worst places you can choose period if you’re trying to watch the pounds, Cheesecake Factory, has an “energy breakfast’ and I know it’s around 600 calories but very low fat. And it tastes great! Other than that, you’re out of luck at CF. Going out to brunch is a bad idea because brunch places pack almost every choice with either lots of cheese, cream or butter. Go to Starbucks and have a spinich feta wrap! 280 calories, very low fat, very satisfying! You even can spare a few more calories and get a latte. If you don’t believe me about the spinach feta wrap, ask Leigh McNabb, she gets it all the time!

Mexican:
–Eat Here: Chipotle
–Not Here: On The Border
–Alex says: So the best option at Chipotle is the Steak Burrito Bowl with Black Beans, Cheese, and Green Salsa. 425 calories, 16g of fat. Not too bad but that’s not a winner. Never heard of On The Border except the strip club in Racine. If you go out for Mexican, skip the chips and salsa. They will destroy you.

Family restaurant:
–Eat Here: Ruby Tuesday
–Not Here: Cheesecake Factory
–Alex says: I disagree. Cheesecake Factory is definitely the epitome of America’s problem with portion size control but there are plenty of very healthy choices there including the ahi caparaccio, ahi tartar, french country salad, and energy breakfast. Ok beyond that, it gets pretty bad. And the bread’s addicting. The “family restaurant” concept though is usually about huge portions whether it’s CF, Ruby Tuesday, Applebees, TGI, etc. A good trick at these places is ordering your entree from the appetizers/appetizer salad section. They’re usually cheaper too!

Chinese:
–Eat Here: Panda Express
–Not Here: PF Changes
–Alex says: Agreed.

Burger joint:
–Eat Here: Wendy’s
–Not Here: Dairy Queen
–Alex says: Agreed again. The pattys at Wendys aren’t too big and if you want something instead of a burger, that baha salad’s a great choice. Less than 400 calories for the half size. Go light on how much of the chlli you put on there and skip the dressing and chips that you can sprinkle on as well. You won’t need either!

Looking at all this you might gather that if you’re trying to watch the waistline as we get into the holidays, going out to eat might be something to pass on as much as possible. Eat at home!

Here are some more survival strategies which I pasted from the Men’s Fitness article!

12 Months of Restaurant Survival Strategies
Adopt one every time the calendar flips and be leaner by the end of 2011

January: Avoid the combo meals
A recent survey of New York City restaurants reveals that combo meals account for 31 percent of all burger-chain purchases, and the average calorie toll exceeds 1,200 per meal. Defend yourself by ignoring the preset combos and building your own meal with a couple of nutritious items instead.

February: Order small cups
A Duke University study found that when people order drinks at fast-food joints, they tend to pick the medium size regardless of the volume of the cup. That means restaurants can control how much you drink by deciding how big to make their “medium.” Keep portions under control by sticking with the small soda. (You’ll get at least 8 ounces, which is plenty.)

March: Eat more plants
Most restaurants offer a vegetable side other than fries. Order it. A University of Florida study that tracked the diets of two groups of young adults—an overweight and a normal-weight group—showed that both groups ate about the same number of calories. So why the difference in body weight? The thinner participants ate more calories from vegetables.

April: Drink up
If your stomach is growling as you enter a restaurant, reach for the water first. In a Virginia Tech study, two groups ate low-calorie diets, but only one group also drank 2 cups of water before each meal. Over 12 weeks, the water drinkers lost nearly 5 pounds more than the control group. The reason? Water, like food, fills the stomach, blunting appetite.

May: Ban the handouts
What do tortilla chips, dinner rolls, and breadsticks have in common? All of them are made from cheap refined carbohydrates, loaded into baskets, and doled out free of charge to patrons. Take the bait and you’ll end up with a few hundred worthless calories tacked onto your meal. The better option? Tell the server to save the basket for another table.

June: Order by number
The health-care reform law will require chains with 20 or more outlets to post calorie counts on menus. Until then, do some digging to find out how many calories are in your favorite restaurant meals. (A copy of Eat This, Not That! 2011 could help.) A study in the American Journal of Public Health shows that people regularly underestimate calories in foods by nearly half.

July: Slow down and then decide
A study published last year in Psychological Science reveals that the mere sight of a fast-food sign on the side of the road is enough to make people feel rushed, which can lead to impulsive decisions—and dangerous nutritional choices. Sidestep your impulses the next time you eat out: Plan your order before you walk through the door.

August: Don’t exaggerate the occasion
You’re 45 percent less likely to make healthy choices when you identify a meal as a “special occasion,” according to a 2008 study in the International Food Research Journal. The problem is, study participants identified “special occasions” several times a week. Unless you know what you’re celebrating, stick to your healthy habits.

September: Keep it simple
Beware of menu verbiage. The longer the name of an item, the more fattening it tends to be. IHOP’s original French toast has 920 calories, but the Strawberry Banana French Toast has 1,060. At Applebee’s, a burger has 770 calories while the Steakhouse Burger with A.1. Sauce swells to 1,190. If you can’t check calories, have the simply named entrees.

October: Avoid peer pressure
What your friend eats might be making you fat. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that your risk of obesity jumps 171 percent when a close friend becomes obese. Friends may influence your eating habits, the study authors suggest. Don’t let them dictate your meal (“Let’s share the chili cheese fries!”) when you eat out.

November: Listen to your gut
Try ordering a smaller meal—you might be surprised at how full you feel. In a Penn State study, people ate 30 percent more food when they were served bigger portions, yet felt no more satisfied than those who’d received smaller portions. Start by ordering less than usual (the Whopper Jr., say), and then gauge how satisfied you feel before ordering more.

December: Watch the alcohol
Your booze buzz just might be making you eat more. A study in the Journal of Psychology & Behavior found that drinking alcohol before a meal prompted people to consume 19 percent more calories. In the mood for a drink with dinner? Save yourself from calorie overload by holding off on your drink order until you’ve settled on a healthy meal.