Holiday Tips....

Your Strategy: To cut down on the lure of the food court, you never go to the mall on an empty stomach.

More Tricks to Try:

• Plan your shopping route so you don't pass the Cinnabon stand a dozen times. Both sights and smells can coax you to eat.

• Choose a restaurant over the food court whenever you can, and request a table away from loud sounds and distractions, which can cause you to eat more.

Your Strategy: Before a party, you have a healthy snack to curb your appetite.

More Tricks to Try:

• Limit the number of high-calorie foods on your party plate. Research has shown that when faced with a variety of foods, people eat more—regardless of their true hunger level. Cutting down on your personal smorgasbord can decrease what you end up eating by 20 to 40 percent.

• Choose foods wisely, filling your plate with low-calorie items, such as leafy green salads and lean proteins, and taking smaller portions of the richer ones.