For some people there is nothing more enjoyable than going out to eat at their favorite restaurant. On the downside, it is a proven fact that people consume more calories while dining out than when eating at home.

It is great to go out to eat, but some care must be taken when choosing what you'd like to order. Often times, the things that taste the best to eat, aren't the best for us.

There are more restaurants today that offer healthier eating options. Applebee's now has entre's made to be used in conjunction with the Weight Watchers Points diet program. Subway has ten subs with 6 grams of fat and even Mc Donalds is getting in on the act by introducing new health conscious meal choices.

When ordering salads, another option is to use one of the new spray-on dressings. You can purchase these at your local grocery store and carry it with you when you dine out. These are just another one of the great options available for the healthy minded consumers of today.

Choose places that cook with olive oil - Most restaurants will cook with fattening butter, because it's less expensive for them than healthier olive oil. Don't be afraid to ask whether a restaurant uses butter or olive oil to cook with - and request that your meal be prepared without lard or butter.

While we are talking about salad dressing on the side, and skipping butter and lard, another option that can save unwanted fat and calories is to skip out on the heavy gravies, creamy sauces and smothering things in cheese and oil.

Avoid Buffets - The foods that you see in the buffets are ones the restaurants can easily make in bulk. These usually turn out to be fattening fried foods or pasta dishes. If you think you can easily steer clear of the fattening items and stick with healthier salads and foods, then go ahead and enjoy the buffet!

In the advent of two parent households, it is more common now than ever to eat out or dine on the run. You can do this successfully by carefully choosing things that you know are good for you, do your best not to overindulge. By eating only until you are full and taking a portion of the meal home with you, you can enjoy eating out and still watch your health. I lost 40 lbs in 3 months with an extreme weight loss diet that almost destroyed my health. I took spicy food and milk together which led to serious diarrhea everyday. I've been doing a bit of research after my dramatic weight loss experience and found that there's actually a PROGRAM designed to do what I attempted, except its basically more healthier and effective. Check out my #1 picks Weight Loss Programs for men and women to find out what are those diets.