Portion Control

Many people expect to overindulge at the Thanksgiving table. But after several helpings, you probably feel more than full — you feel guilty. Don’t resign yourself to an overstuffed belly and underscored shame. Fight gluttony urges by pulling in your own reins:

Peruse choices. One study found that obese people tend to eat more at buffets because they load up before surveying the selections. Do a fly-by of the meal options and decide first what you want before helping yourself.

Estimate helpings. Learn how to gauge serving sizes. A 1/2 cup of rice is about the size of a light bulb; 3 ounces of meat is roughly the size of a deck of cards, while a tablespoon of butter or dressing measures the size of a poker chip.

Shift assignments. It’s easy to cast meat in the starring role. But if you downgrade its status, giving veggies and salad the main parts, you’ll fill up faster. These sides also are more nutritionally dense and less fattening than meat, so you get more calorie bang for your buck.

Practice patience. It takes approximately 20 minutes for the food entering your mouth to satisfy your stomach. Before reaching for seconds (or dessert), sit back and wait. Controlling your appetite might be no harder than giving it enough time to subside.