I know I'm still a newcomer here haha but people are always surprised at how I don't gain as much during the big holiday season (y'know, big Christmas dinners and whatnot), so I thought I'd share some tips of my own! They're not big scientific things, just little things I do to make sure I don't go overboard where I don't need to go 
Hopefully this can help someone out there!
1. I chew really slowly. Not only do I enjoy my meal a lot more and really get a feel of the great spices and sauces that were used, but since it takes awhile for your brain to realize you're full, it can help you not go above and beyond and then feel extremely stuffed later.
2. If there's lots of things I want to taste, I take a little bit of each. My dad once pointed out that we eat most unhealthy foods because of their taste, not to feed our bodies with the necessary nutrients and whatnot, so a little bit is more than enough! Plus, things can pile up really quickly, and since the food's avaliable for more in case I took too little, there's no harm in getting smaller portions.
3. My family is big on desserts, so I try to take 1-3 small portions of each. Explanation is the same for #2.
4. Throw in veggies and bits of salad, if possible! It's good to balance out your food types and, since my plate is fuller, I tend to put less meat (we're really big on meat, it's what we tend to have too much of).
5. Whenever I think I'm going to eat out of boredom, I try to find other things to do. Usually, the kids will be playing video games or soccer and I can get distracted by them, or I'll join family members I haven't spoken to in awhile for conversation. It's good on social terms and I make sure I'm not eating three to four plates of food that night rather than one or two good ones.
But really, this is a time to enjoy yourself. You don't need to mope around the food because you're restricting, but these tips can be good if you're going through with a good attitude about it!
What about you guys? What do you do to help control yourself a bit during the holidays?
Hopefully this can help someone out there!1. I chew really slowly. Not only do I enjoy my meal a lot more and really get a feel of the great spices and sauces that were used, but since it takes awhile for your brain to realize you're full, it can help you not go above and beyond and then feel extremely stuffed later.
2. If there's lots of things I want to taste, I take a little bit of each. My dad once pointed out that we eat most unhealthy foods because of their taste, not to feed our bodies with the necessary nutrients and whatnot, so a little bit is more than enough! Plus, things can pile up really quickly, and since the food's avaliable for more in case I took too little, there's no harm in getting smaller portions.
3. My family is big on desserts, so I try to take 1-3 small portions of each. Explanation is the same for #2.
4. Throw in veggies and bits of salad, if possible! It's good to balance out your food types and, since my plate is fuller, I tend to put less meat (we're really big on meat, it's what we tend to have too much of).
5. Whenever I think I'm going to eat out of boredom, I try to find other things to do. Usually, the kids will be playing video games or soccer and I can get distracted by them, or I'll join family members I haven't spoken to in awhile for conversation. It's good on social terms and I make sure I'm not eating three to four plates of food that night rather than one or two good ones.
But really, this is a time to enjoy yourself. You don't need to mope around the food because you're restricting, but these tips can be good if you're going through with a good attitude about it!
What about you guys? What do you do to help control yourself a bit during the holidays?