Contributing blogger Troy Meyers is a certified personal trainer and sports conditioner with more than 10 years of experience. He owns Atlanta-based JockBoyLocker.com and contributes to the site’s Lockerroom Blog.

Picking a meal that fits your dieting routine can be fraught with problems. Eating out can make it even more difficult.

Who doesn’t like to eat out on occasion? We do it because we don’t feel up to cooking ourselves, we’re joining a social event or we want to try something different. There’s nothing wrong with that – eating out tends to be fun but it can complicate matters if your fitness routine includes a focus on what you eat as well as what you lift.

Many diners may find themselves in an awkward position as they try to pick a meal that fits with their dieting routine. But the right choices can leave you feeling comfortable dining out without compromising your diet.

Choose restaurants before heading out to assure healthy dishes are available. That will keep you from having to pick from unhealthy choices if that’s all the spot has to offer.

Sometimes different situations call for different strategies. When you make the call to dine out, the decision comes with the power to select the location (and healthy options). But if you’re joining friends for an evening out, you may get a say in the location or you might be joining an evening in progress at a spot you might not otherwise pick.

So what happens when you’re stuck with a place that’s not in keeping with your diet? Don’t compromise your goals. It’s not the end of the world – or the friendships – if you opt not to go. Friends will respect that call if you’re open about why you’re sitting this one out.

Or, choose to investigate the place a little before you get there. There may be options that will work so you can enjoy the best of both worlds – a night out with friends that doesn’t compromise your diet goals.

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