Eating mounds of food seems to be part of our culture. And a lot of this food is consumed at restaurants because of time famine. Now, if you decide to not eat out, your social life might take a major turn for the worse.

Fortunately, you don’t have to become a fat loss hermit to get the body you want.

Thus, here is how to lose fat when dining out:

1. Pick a salad with the right dressing: Dressing isn’t necessarily bad for you if you don’t abuse it. Instead, have a modest serving of an olive oil vinaigrette. Not only does olive oil fight inflammation, but it has also been shown to help people eat less calories per meal.

2. Be careful with tasty sauces and extra toppings: There are some perfectly healthy meals that simply get ruined because of the calorically dense sauces they are drenched with. A better alternative here is to simply get the sauce on the side and/or grill the server about what is in the sauce.

3. Load up on carbonated drinks: Drinking calorie-free carbonated drinks before your food arrives is a great way to feel fuller before beginning to eat. You see, mechanoreceptors in your stomach respond to volume. So increasing volume without food is a great way to eat less food.

4. Have soup: Soup is very filling because it has so much water. So if you order a healthy soup, you will feel full with minimal caloric load. Even better, order the soup with extra vegetables for maximum impact.

5. Avoid small side dishes: Just because they are small doesn’t mean they don’t have calories. In fact, many side dishes can have just as many calories as the main course, especially if it’s a sweet dish! So stick with your main meal instead.

You can stay in shape or even get in better shape when eating out. The key here is to make smart decisions that prevent the caloric load. Doing so will let you have a vibrant social life while not feeling like a prisoner.

Author Katherine Crawford M.S., a Harvard fitness physiologist and former arm fat casualty, teaches women how to reduce arm fat very quickly. Unlock how to get sexy arms by exploring her website about the best arm fat exercises for women that work right now!