Just because you’re watching what you eat, doesn’t mean you have to forgo the pleasure of eating out. Order carefully and you can still enjoy the luxury of having someone else do the cooking and the clearing up afterwards, without taking the shine off your halo.

Follow these simple tips to stay on track when you're eating out:

• Be the first to order in a restaurant - we’re often swayed by others’ choices, so getting your order in before anyone else means you’re less likely to be tempted.
   
• If water doesn’t come automatically, ask for it as soon as you sit down.
   
• Don't be afraid to tell the waiter or waitress that you’d like your vegetables served without butter/margarine or your fish without sauce but make sure you do it when they take the order.
   
• If you do choose something with sauce ask for it to be served on the side, that way you can use a little to still get the flavour.
   
• Don’t fall into the trap of believing that vegetarian options are automatically lower in kilojoules; they’re not. Avoid dishes containing lots of cheese and cream.
   
• You don’t have to miss out on dessert - just choose wisely. Stick to fruit based desserts or sorbet. Or why not share a treat?
   
• Don’t allow the waiter to fill up your wine glass before it’s empty - if your glass is being constantly topped up, it’s difficult to keep a check on how much you’ve had to drink.
   
• Before you order, look around to see what other people are eating. If portions sizes look huge, go for two starters rather than a main course.