5. Stick to a Schedule
“Treat holidays and days with holiday functions like any other day of the year in terms of following your usual eating schedule,” says Cordella. “Don’t skip meals to ‘save up’ for a holiday meal and make sure to include nourishing and satisfying snacks throughout the day in between meals. Ideally, try to avoid going more than four hours without eating as going too long without eating will increase the likelihood of mindless eating and eating past fullness at the holiday event,” she adds.
While you might think it’s smart to bank calories by skipping meals in anticipation of a holiday meal, forgoing breakfast or lunch could actually trigger mindless eating — and overeating. “We make more informed decisions about what to eat when we aren’t uncomfortably hungry,” says Johnson.
6. Pack Your To-Go Plate First
There’s no question that we tend to overeat foods we only get once a year. Before settling down for a holiday meal, pack up all the things you think you’ll want more of later. The practice will help you remember this isn’t your last opportunity to enjoy holiday foods, which can decrease the pressure to eat opportunistically and past the point of fullness, Johnson says. If hoarding food ahead of a hosted meal sounds a tad awkward, bring a to-go box to fill later on, and fill it mentally before you make up your dinner plate.