If your Turkey Day ritual is to gobble gobble way too many slices of pecan pie before you wobble wobble over to the sofa to plop down, unbuckle your belt, and snooze like the rest of your family, you're not alone. After the second and third helpings of game, along with volcanic mounds of mashed potatoes with lava-like streams of butter or gravy, the sugar cookie smorgasbord, and the slew of syrupy cocktails, most of us feel more stuffed than the bird on the table.

Food is an important part of the holidays; it's okay to let loose a little and have fun. A day of indulging won't cause you to gain a significant amount of weight. But keep up these eating habits the entire season, and you might find your stockings a bit too tight. And I'm not talking about the ones you hang over the fire.

So what can we do to eat a bit healthier and beat the bloat? I've got a cornucopia of tips and ideas to help you eat healthy and avoid holiday weight gain without missing out on the festivities.

Pre-plan for the event.To prep for calorie-dense foods you know you're going to crave, Dr. Joanna Dolgoff says to cut out 100 calories per day a few days prior to the holiday dinner or party. Also, think about which holiday foods are most important to you and know exactly what you plan to consume.

Is it really worth the splurge? Dr. Dolgoff says to ask yourself, for example, is this food holiday-specific? In other words, is this the only time of year I'll be able to eat this? Or can I find it in the supermarket any time of the year? Maybe a slice of Aunt Carol's famous blueberry cheesecake is more valuable to you than a few store-bought chocolate chips. If the food is a must-have, treat yourself to a small portion. It's okay to feed your sweet tooth, as long as it's in moderation. Depriving yourself may tempt you to binge later on.

Balance it Out. Even though it's the holidays, you can still manage to find healthy, guilt-free foods for your plate: there's always the turkey breast, vegetables, sweet potatoes (not including yams in heavy syrup or sweet potato pie), and fruit salad. Registered Dietician Martha McKittrick, author of the blog CityGirlBites.com, says to fill up half your plate with veggies or other low-calorie, high-volume foods such as romaine lettuce.

How do I avoid the famous "Oh, you're on a diet" comment? Dr. Dolgoff says to be matter-of-fact. She suggests, "Don't say, 'I'm trying to lose weight,' but instead, make it more about health--'I want to be healthy' or 'I'm trying to eat healthy.'

Drink right. Take small sips of water in between bites rather than trying to quench your thirst with cocktails which are high in calories.

Set your limits. If you've got an extremely addictive personality (i.e. you can't stop after one or two cookies or a few small drinks), you might choose to avoid certain fattening foods and stick to other healthier options.

If you're going to a holiday cocktail party, arrive a bit late, and make sure you've already had a small snack (i.e. a string cheese and some nuts, a piece of fruit and some peanut butter) so that a) you'll be better able to resist scarfing down greasy hors d'oeuvres, and b) if you choose to have a drink, your decision to snack will not be clouded.

Take it Nice and Slow. Savor each morsel. Put your fork down between bites, chew thoroughly and enjoy what is in your mouth before reaching for the next scoop. Eating slowly gives the body enough time to realize it's already full, so you not only learn to appreciate your food, but you're less inclined to heap seconds and thirds on your plate.

Stick to these tips and I promise nothing will stick to your hips!

— Written by Danielle Travali

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