If you’re dreading throwing a party for fear of ruining your diet (or a friend's), fear no more. It is possible to organize a successful party while maintaining, and even improving, your current weight. Take a look at these suggestions  for an unforgettable bash that won't pack on the pounds.

Push the Focus Away From Food

While guests are expecting food at a party, there's no reason why the focus should be on the food. Consider organizing a theme party and going all out with decorations, games, and entertainment, while making the menu secondary.

As you're deciding on the focus of the party, consider who your guests are. If this is an informal gathering among friends, you can go all out and plan a full themed party. Go Mexican with brightly colored decorations, sombreros, and maracas; or go black and white and rent a jukebox for a 50's party. If this is a more formal affair, play the theme in a subtler way.

Even if there's nothing officially planned, you can give diet-conscious guests a way out by providing entertainment options that allows them to walk away from the table.

Set up "posts" around the room --A small table on a corner with a few board games, a media station to encourage guests to play DJ, a series of interesting objects to start a conversation… You can plan a movie night, where guests swing by to watch a new release, or invite your girlfriends over for a spa experience right in your living room. Anything is fair game.

Focus on Light Alcohol

Offer opportunities to mix and match - Drinking a low-calorie beverage in between alcoholic drinks not only reduces overall calories but also keeps your guests sober. Offer unlimited quantities of icy lemon water or seltzer water with a touch of juice.

To make sherbets diet-friendly, keep Diet Sprite around. Tilting the proportions towards the soda saves a lot of calories.

Buy only light beer or the new low-carb varieties. You'll save about 50 calories per bottle plus a 30 percent reduction in carbs without sacrificing flavor.

If you're offering wine coolers, keep chilled carbonated water on hand so guests can serve themselves half a glass of each.

Provide a few hard liquors. Rum, vodka, and whisky are low in calories and have no carbs. If you're doing a Mexican-themed party, you can go with tequila, another diet-friendly option. Get plenty of diet ginger ale or colas so guests can mix with the liquor.

Provide Plenty of Non-Alcoholic Drinks

Make your own diet lemonade by mixing icy water with a bottle of lemon juice and a couple of packets of Splenda or other artificial sweetener. Or buy some of the no-cal fruit flavored waters available in the market.

Diet soda can be drank alone or used to water down liquors.

Seltzer water with a slice of lemon or lime is usually a great alternative for anybody on a diet.

Make your own warm mulled cider by mixing unsweetened apple juice, ground cinnamon, and orange zest. Simmer for an hour over low heat. Add a couple of packs of artificial sweetener as soon as you remove the pot from the stove.

Go Heavy on Appetizers

Whether you're planning a formal three-course meal or a buffet, putting the emphasis on entrees gives guests the most options.

A big plate of crudités is a great appetizer option if you provide guacamole, salsa or hummus as dips, and it's something all guests can enjoy. Or mix salsa with either low-fat cream cheese or yogurt for a tangy alternative.

Avoid junk side dishes such as chips, fries and onion rings. Instead, bake whole wheat pita and cut into triangle wedges.

Offer grilled vegetables such as eggplant and Portobello mushrooms. Brush with soy or teriyaki sauce and top with crumbled cheese

Make a low-fat chili by replacing the beef with beans or chicken.

Buy everything on a smallest size available. Did you know they make mini-gingerbread man cookies and bite-size cheese crackers? By providing tiny bits of "forbidden foods" you’re giving your guests the chance to indulge without going overboard.

Consider a Buffet

Instead of forcing dieting guests to face a parade of dishes they can't have, consider setting a buffet so they can choose to walk away from the table whenever they want. This also gives you the freedom to offer a mix of low-fat and full-fat options that will please everybody.

Jazz up your options by offering feta cheese salad instead of plain salad, grilled tofu and shrimp instead of fried chicken wings, and golden baked potatoes instead of fries.

Offer several healthy protein options. Tofu, salmon, tuna, or hard-boiled eggs are all good choices.

Roast, bake, broil, or grill everything.

Avoid high-fat condiments like mayonnaise, heavy cream, and béarnaise sauce. Cook using only small amounts of olive oil and plenty of fresh herbs.

Go vegetarian. Sort of. Offer a variety of dishes heavy on veggies, such as pepper-squash ratatouille, soy burgers, and bean cassoulets.

Provide dessert-size plates. It gives guests the option to eat a small meal and skip second servings.

Provide Light Dessert Options

Separate dessert from the main meal. Either make your guests step aside for coffee and dessert (which gives them an option to pass on sweets) or offer the chance to

Fresh fruit topped with light sour cream or a fruit salad is a classic diet-friendly option. For a more exotic alternative, offer strawberries dipped in light chocolate. Or put the melted chocolate on the side so guests have an option to pass it by.

Offer sugar free sorbet or low fat frozen yogurt. Skip the syrup.

If you’re bent on having a traditional dessert, choose Angel food cake and replace fat-laden chocolate coverings with light whipped cream, or bake apples instead of serving apple pie.

Make It a Potluck

You can also give everybody the chance to bring a dish of their choice. Let’s face it –In a time where you're likely to have friends following low-carb, low-fat, and low-calorie diets, it's almost impossible to accommodate everybody. By letting guests bring a dish, you're taking the pressure off you and giving them a way out.

If you're the one organizing the party, you can offer to provide drinks and dessert while guests bring the main dishes. It's a win-win situation.

Remember that a successful party is not so much about the food as it is about enjoying the people there. Happy skinny partying!