8. Bring Your Own Treats

Whether you’re going to a friend’s party or an office potluck, consider bringing a low-calorie treat that you know you’ll enjoy. Bringing your own dessert will make the more fattening alternatives less tempting. And don’t feel your dessert has to be typical holiday fare. “Get away from rigid thinking about what holiday food has to be,” Goldberg says. “People love fruit.”

9. Limit ‘Tastes’ While Cooking

If you do a lot of cooking during the holidays, crack down on all those “tastes.” “People lose their appetites when they’ve been cooking because they’ve been eating the whole time,” Finn tells WebMD. Instead of tasting mindlessly every few minutes, limit yourself to two small bites of each item pre- and post-seasoning. “Just put the spoon in and taste a little bit,” Finn says. “It’s not grounds for a big scoop.” For tried-and-true recipes, dare yourself not to taste the dish at all until it is served.

10. Walk It Off

Make a new holiday tradition: the family walk. Besides burning some extra calories, this will get everyone away from the food for awhile.”Get people off the couch and move,” Finn says. “Go out for a walk as a family before or after the meal.” She says walking not only benefits you physically but also puts you in a mindset to be more careful about what you eat. “There’s something about activity that puts you in control.”