How to eat out with friends while dieting?

Trying to lose weight? You don't have to swear off dinner outings altogether—just follow this tip:

 When you're trying to drop pounds, grabbing dinner with friends can seem like the fastest way to undo all of the hard work you've put in eating right and hitting the gym. After all, a shared appetizer here and a drink there, and you've suddenly overshot your daily calorie goal—by a lot. But encouraging new research suggests that you can maintain your social life and lose weight—so long as you choose the right dinner dates: Eating with friends who maintain a healthy diet may encourage you to order something equally good for you, according to a new study presented at the Agricultural and Applied Economic Association’s 2013 annual meeting.

 For the study, researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Oklahoma State University looked at the orders of 1,459 restaurant customers who didn't know their choices were being monitored. Turns out, diners often ordered something from the same category as the other people they were eating with. And as an added bonus, when more people at their table ordered from the same category as them, they were more likely to be satisfied with their choice. So if you grab dinner with friends who you know always go for lighter dishes, not only will you be more likely to choose a salad—you'll also be happier with your decision.

(Women´s Health Magazine)