How hard is it when you start a weight loss program and you are starting to see really great results - when all of a sudden you receive an invite out to a restaurant where you know that most of the food is rich and probably isn't going to do your diet any good? I have a lot of personal experience with restaurants and weight loss because I really enjoy dining out on a regular basis. Because of this reason I have been able to manage my own weight loss and still maintain my great pleasure of eating out.

I know when I first began my weight loss several years ago I used to worry about the meal choices I would make when I would go out for dinner, or lunch. Mostly because I knew most of the food on offer was high in fat, salt and additives. Not to mention the heavy dressings and oversized portions. I pretty much figured that I would be almost impossible to lose any weight while still dining out and that I would be stuck having to choose unhealthy meals.

It wasn't until I started to really educate myself on the nutritional value of food that I was able to come up with the solution - 10 of them infact. I got this information from a respected weight loss expert and fitness trainer - and it helped me enormously when I dined out - especially so because I would dine out on average 3 - 4 times per week.

Here is where you too are now going to discover these 10 secrets eating at restaurants and weight loss so you can continue on your weight loss journey

1. Choose vegetables every time over fries, wegdes or chips. Vegetables are very low in calories and loaded with fibre and good antioxidants

2. Food such as chicken, turkey or fish are the best meal choices to make because they are high in protein and have very little fat

3. Enquire about the types of dressings the dishes come with - are any low fat? Always choose low fat or no dressing where possible.

4. Steamed, grilled or baked meals should always be chosen over fried - once again you would be consuming less calories.

5. Ask for small serves, don't upsize for any reason. Upsizing can sometimes double or even triple your calorie intake, more for you to burn off at the gym.

6. Try to lmit your alcohol intake as alcohol is quite high in calories

7. Drink water with your meals as it will fill you up quicker

8. Desserts can be taken, however always choose where possible dishes that have fresh fruit

9. White bread intake should be kept a minimum, go for grained bread rolls etc where possible.

10. When you are full - stop eating. Usually when we are eating a good meal we ignore the stomach when it tells us it's full - only eat till you are satisfied and no more.

These are just 10 secrets to restaurants and weight loss- there are many more out there that will also have you choosing the best meal choices so you can go out socialising for dinners and not feel guilty. It's a simple matter of educating yourself on nutrition - and once you have this covered you will be one the tens of thousands of people who are enjoying the dining out experience and still managing to lose weight.

This article is only a taste of the types of meal choices to look out for when dining out - nutritional education is the key.