You'll have to be strong, though: "Once you enter one of these temples of grease, powerful emotive forces, olfactory assaults, and all the excitement and sense of occasion that swirl around such places undo your resolve in an instant," warns Sue Kreitzman in Low Fat Lifeplan (Piatkus). And there are other pressures: the waiter may not understand what you want when you ask whether a dish can be grilled, steamed or baked without fat; and you may feel embarrassment compounding if you have to ask to speak to the manager. One handy trick is to phone beforehand to get a copy of the menu, and to find out whether things can be done with less fat.

A word of caution here: some chefs may take exception to being asked to leave out the butter and cream in their award-winning creations, so use your discretion when you're in more formal, upmarket eateries. You could of course plead a medical condition or allergy problem and ask for their suggestion.

Don't forget alcohol. "If you plan on having alcohol with your meal, remember to count it as a carbohydrate portion," advises dietician Karen Protheroe in The Lean Aubergine (Random House). "To enjoy a guilt-free two or three glasses of wine, I suggest ordering a plain salad as a starter, followed by ostrich steak, grilled fish or calamari with fresh lemon and steamed vegetables, rounded off with fresh fruit salad and coffee." We don't think guilt should ever be part of the dining experience.

Follow these guidelines for various types of cuisine and celebrate eating out:

Italian
With olive oil virtually Italy's raison d'Otre, you will be hard-pressed (pun intended) to escape it. But there are ways of cutting back on fat: