Another year, another Christmas meal! Enjoying the company of family, friends and co-workers is essential for your health, but it shouldn't have to come at the expense of your bodily health! Here are 9 ways to navigate holiday get-togethers without ruining your diet.

1) Eat Beforehand

Carefully fill your belly with the fuel that you have specifically chosen for its positive qualities and place in your diet. Then, when you go to the party, you'll be much less likely to eat a second meal.

2) Brush Up

Here's a little secret for cutting off the sampling. Once you arrive at the party, carefully choose a few things to sample. When you've reached your predetermined threshold, go to the bathroom and brush your teeth. It'll be harder to keep sampling (and taste gross!) if you have a nice, cleaned up mouth!


3) Watch the Cocktails

Of course, cocktails have their own fair share of calories, and so should be regarded as simply another part of the menu. In order to make good decisions about a drink, consider its individual parts. For example, many cosmos and martinis are flavored with sugary syrups, whereas most coffee drinks are based on heavy, creamy liquor. Good choices in drinks include red wines, light champagnes, or mixes based on diet colas or soda water. For example, a festive drink may be 1/2 soda water, 1/4 cranberry juice and 1/4 vodka. Since the soda water makes up most of the drink, the calories are cut in half.

4) Drink Water

Water keeps something in your hand, and helps to wash out toxins, anyway. On top of that, you'll keep your belly full. Follow each cocktail with an equal amount of water throughout your night for maximum damage control.

5) Wear Something Tight

A cinched belt or tight clothing can serve as a reminder not to fill up. However, we certainly don't advocate any fashion faux pas! This is simply an external reminder of your internal controls.

6) Mingle!

Chatting, dancing and mingling are all activities that keep you away from the buffet table. Try this: go into your holiday party or buffet with a goal in mind: "I will talk to every person in my department" or "I'll dance for the equivalent of 20 minutes." The bottom line is to head into the evening thinking about something other than food.

7) Bring a Dish

If your engagement allows you to bring a dish, this is the perfect opportunity for you to whip something up that satisfying, tasty and within your confines. You'll go into your festivities knowing that there's at least one thing for you to eat.

8) Have One

The thing about temptation is that it only works if something is forbidden. Give yourself permission to have one bite or one serving of the items that most catch your eye. It may just take away the temptation.

9) Start Over in the Morning

The long term problem with breaking set goals is that it seems to take the wind right out of your sails. So you lost the fight against the buffet table? You have two choices- to lose the battle entirely by giving up, or to start over the next day.