Danger: Diet Disaster Area Ahead!

How to navigate potholes on the dieting highway without gaining a pound.

By Heather Hatfield
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

It's the all-you-can-eat buffet at your favorite restaurant, or the vacation where you just want to let loose. Or, worse yet, it's Aunt Sophie piling mega-portions of her secret-recipe garlic butter mashed potatoes on your plate at the weekly family dinner.

Whatever your own personal ''diet disaster zone,'' it's a person, place, or situation that can leave you heavy with guilt and extra pounds.

Here are some common potholes along the dieting highway that you should be wary of, along with tips from experts on how to navigate around them without gaining a pound.

Restaurant Ruination

The Disaster: Your favorite restaurant, offering up an all-you-can-eat buffet bar or portions of creamy, buttery pasta that are too big for three people, let alone one.

''Restaurants are tricky,'' says Rick Hall, a registered dietitian in Phoenix. ''We feel our pocketbooks itching on our legs because we're paying so much for the food, so we feel like we can't let it go to waste. Even if they bring you a huge portion, you feel like you need to eat it all because you're paying $50, $60 or more for what's in front of you.''

The appetizers don't help, especially when they come in the form of baskets brimming with bread (with butter on the side, of course).

''What happens is you're so hungry when you get there, that when the waiter brings out the bread, you fill up on it,'' says Hall, who lectures on nutrition issues at Arizona State University. ''But then you still eat a full meal.''

Coping Strategies: ''First and foremost, skip the bread,'' says Hall. ''In fact, ask the waiter not even to bring it out to the table.''

Next, ask the waiter how generous the portion sizes are. If they're big enough to feed a small army, share the wealth.

''Ask the server what the portion sizes are, and if you can share -- most places these days will let you do that,'' says Hall. ''And the good news is that if you share your main course, you can share a dessert as well.'' (Of course, if your dining companions aren't into sharing, there's always the doggie bag.)

Whether you're eating out or in, eating slowly is another tool for portion control.

''It can take up to 20 minutes to feel full, so eat slowly,'' says Hall. ''Otherwise, you just keep eating when really you should be done. And even though it seems simple, when you are full, stop eating.'' And if your favorite restaurant is the dreaded all-you-can-eat buffet? It's time to find a new haunt.

''Avoid the all-you-can-eat places like the plague,'' says Hall. ''It's just illogical to eat that much food.''