What I'd Order at a Pizza Place to Lose Weight

Pizza night doesn't have to mean the whole pie. Start with protein and it takes care of itself.

John Schaefer, fat loss coach for 27 years · Updated October 2026

Type your goal weight and every order below shows how much of your calories and protein it covers. Same math I use with clients: goal weight x 12 for calories, goal weight x 0.7 for protein.

What do I order?

Tell me where you're eating and your goal weight. I'll tell you exactly what to get, with the calories and protein.

Want me to email you your numbers? Your calories, protein, carbs and fats for your goal weight, plus this page so you have it at the table.

Answers are estimates from published nutrition data, not medical advice.

What I order

Wings plus a big salad

Lunch style

Dry rub wings, dressing on the side

700calories50gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 39% of your calories and 48% of your protein for the day.

Two thin crust slices after a salad with chicken

Carb meal

Your carb meal

850calories45gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 47% of your calories and 43% of your protein for the day.

Meatballs and a Caesar

Lunch style

How I order it, the calories and the protein are in the Eating Out Playbook, along with 60 other chains and 25 kinds of restaurants.

See the Playbook ($7) →

The move: Put two slices on a plate and close the box. Eating out of the box is where it gets away from you.

Skip these

Deep dish slice650 cal
Garlic knots500 cal
Pepperoni stuffed crust slice450 cal

Drinks: Beer and pizza is a classic. Pick the one you want most.

Estimates for a typical restaurant portion in the US. Treat them as a close guide.

How I fit any restaurant into the day

Protein firstEat the protein, then the vegetables and fats, then the carbs. You're satisfied before the bread matters.

One carb meal a dayBread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fries. Keep the big carb hit to one meal. On a night out, that's dinner.

Zoom out to the weekFat loss runs on your weekly average. One dinner out is easy to absorb when the rest of the week is steady.

The Eating Out Playbook

Every restaurant you go to, already figured out.

60 chains and 25 kinds of restaurants, including every pizza spot. Search the place you're going, pick an order, and see how it fits your goal weight before you sit down. Works on your phone, $7 one time.

Get the Playbook Free: my numbers

Quick answers

What is the healthiest thing to order at a Pizza Place?

Wings plus a big salad: Dry rub wings, dressing on the side. Around 700 calories and 50g of protein.

What should I skip at a Pizza Place when I'm losing weight?

Deep dish slice (650 calories), Garlic knots (500 calories), Pepperoni stuffed crust slice (450 calories).

What about drinks?

Beer and pizza is a classic. Pick the one you want most.