If you are attempting to follow a low-fat/reduced calorie diet, you know there are challenges surrounding you nearly every minute of the day. Here are some alternatives to high-fat fare that you may find helpful.

• Diner Dilemma Ah, the sweet temptation of a milkshake! We have a very popular diner in my hometown that makes the best milkshakes I have ever had. In fact, our newspaper does a contest every year awarding local eateries, services, and so forth as "Best in County" by its readers. This diner has won hands-down year after year. Imagine the challenge I face each time I eat there. Sure, now it's grilled chicked and tossed salad back when it used to be a burger and fries... but even if I've changed my meal for a healthier alternative, the milkshake still beckons.

  So, what to do? One day I asked if they could make me a milkshake with low-fat frozen yogurt and skim milk instead of the usual stuff. My wish was their command and it certainly did the trick. My craving went away as soon as I sipped it, and upon doing some research on the milkshake's nutritional content, I found it was only worth 1 gram of fat. What a fat-budgeting bargain!

• Bagel Blunders Reduced fat bagels may have become standard breakfast fare, but cream cheese can sabotage your good intentions. Instead, try pureeing some low or even non-fat cottage cheese along with fresh fruit, your favorite spice or flavoring or maybe even some strawberry jam. This will provide you with a delicious, creamy topping for your bagel, but without the added fat.

  Additionally, not all bagels are created equal. Bakery bagels tend to be more fattening than store-bought ones, and even if you are getting them out of the frozen foods or breads section, look for a low-fat option or check the nutrition guide on your usual brand... you may be surprised by what you find.

• Dessert? You Bet! I've heard a couple of interesting dessert alternatives lately. One friend of mine who has lost 15 pounds suggests freezing diet whipped topping and covering it with chocolate sauce as dessert. Both are fat free, and this diet diva swears that the frozen topping masquerades as ice cream very well. An ice cream sundae for no fat! I'm into it! Just be sure to watch your portion sizes since calories still count even if something is fat free!

  Another suggestion? This one is extra special because it adds in a nutrient boost and if you're aiming for a certain number of fruits a day, chalk this one up! Sylvia D. says she has cured her sweet tooth on an apple a day -- she cores it, covers it with a smidgen of cinnamon and a spoonful of brown sugar and then zaps it in her microwave until it is soft. Ta-dah! Fake apple cobbler -- sans fat!

  Doris P. swears by non-fat puddings. Most are under 100 calories a serving and are available in a variety of flavors. "There used to be so few to choose from, but now there are several brands and flavors out there. Like a lot of reduced fat products, they have improved in time with a better taste than the early ones."

• Potato Partners A Weight Watching friend of mine can't abide diet sour cream, but a plain potato sends her running in the opposite direction. "Too bland!" she said, adding that potatoes had been a staple in her diet all along. "Of course, before, I always loaded my potatoes with sour cream, butter, bacon bits and even melted cheese!"

  She has come up with some very interesting alternatives to the high fat fare of pre-Watching. "I have tried several different toppings until I came up with my favorites. They are: picanté sauce blended with diet cream cheese. This also makes a yummy topping for baked tortilla chips as well. I have also used plain non-fat yogurt. I don't even like yogurt and don't normally eat it any other way, but I think it's great as a potato topping along with some chopped chives."

  And her potato-topping tips don't end there: "My newest trick is reduced-fat melted cheddar cheese and sautéed mushrooms. Yummy!"