The holidays are notorious for helping us put on unwanted pounds. With all the parties and family gatherings, it’s easy to nosh on a few too many appetizers, eat an extra plateful at mealtime and sip on several high-calorie beverages.

The delicious, high-calorie foods and drinks that abound during the holidays make it easy to overindulge. In addition, stress levels tend to be higher during the holiday season — making us more prone to reach for comfort food or another cocktail.

There are a few things you can do to beat the urge to overindulge in food and drinks during the holiday season.

• Get plenty of rest. When you don’t get the proper amount of sleep (eight hours is ideal for most people), the hormones that control your appetite can become off-balance, leading to overeating.
• Recognize what causes you to overindulge. Some people overindulge in food and alcohol when they are stressed or “blue,” while others tend to eat or drink too much in social settings. Try to recognize your triggers and put a plan in place. For example, if youÕre feeling blue go for a walk instead of reaching for a cookie, or predetermine how many drinks you’ll have at a party.
• Drink water between cocktails. It’s easy to have too many cocktails at a social event. You can slow yourself down by alternating cocktails with sparkling water.
• Wait a few minutes before reaching for more. It takes our bodies about 20 minutes to process the calories we eat or drink. So if you’re feeling the urge to have a second serving of chips and dip, for example, tell yourself you can have more if you wait for 20 minutes. If you still want it after 20 minutes, you can have it, but in many cases the craving will subside and you’ll end up consuming fewer calories.
• Don’t skip meals. If you don’t let yourself get really hungry, you’ll be less likely to binge eat or drink when the opportunities present themselves. Plan regular meals and snacks at approximately the same time each day — about two or three hours apart (three meals and two to three snacks a day). This enables your body to regulate hunger so you’re hungry at mealtimes, but not so hungry that you’ll overindulge. If your stomach is full, but you still have the munchies, reach for low-calorie snacks like air-popped popcorn, raw nuts, or raw veggies with balsamic vinegar or low-calorie dressing.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself. When people try to completely avoid the foods they love, they often end up overindulging in them. Allow yourself to have a small piece of pie or cake — but not both. Select one decadent, high-calorie item from the buffet table and then load up the rest of your plate with healthy, low-calorie options.

These next couple months will be filled with opportunities to overindulge, but if you plan ahead, you can beat the temptation. I hope these practical tips will help you avoid the holiday bulge and enjoy a happy, healthy season.

— Karen Astrachan, M.S., R.D., CDE, CSSD

— The Palo Alto Medical Foundation and column editor Arian Dasmalchi provide this monthly column.