Dining out may not be bad for diet

AUSTIN (NBC) - University of Texas researchers take a closer look at how dining out affects women on a diet.

They studied middle-aged women who frequently ate at restaurants. Half of the women got tips to prevent weight gain, such as like how to look up calorie information before going out.

The study found that those women lost an average of four pounds -- despite dining out at the same rate.

The other group had averaged a very small weight loss.

Other weight loss tips include:

• eating a light meal early in the day if you know you are going out later
• order sauces and gravy on the side
• try to chew food slowly