Guideline No. 5: Never arrive hungry.
You know what foods you need to stay away from. Well, those foods are a lot harder to resist when you're starving and your blood sugar is in the pits. An ounce of prevention goes a long way here. A glass of tomato juice, some whole-grain crackers, a slice or two of cheese or a rice cake with some peanut butter will keep your appetite at bay. Try any of them an hour or so before the big holiday dinner and watch your willpower soar while your waistline stays in place.

Guideline No. 6: Go to the buffet line with a small plate.
A full salad plate looks like a lot of food and psychologically "feels" the same way. You can always go back for seconds, or even thirds; but all of this slows down the eating process, giving you more time to feel full. And more often than not, the larger portions of food you would have eaten if they had been on your plate will wind up staying on the buffet table.

Guideline No. 7: Bring snacks while shopping.
Prowling the mall for hours leaves everyone starving and vulnerable to the usually bad fast-food choices. If you come prepared to roam around with some crunchy, healthy snacks such as celery, carrots, or even nuts -- just don't scarf down fistfuls of peanuts -- you'll be less likely to succumb to the call of the food court.

Guideline No. 8: Replace sweet with spicy.
Cravings for sweets sometimes evaporate when you put something pickled or spicy in your mouth. It's okay to indulge the occasional sweet craving, but eat something spicy or pickled first and you may find you no longer want to.

Guideline No. 9: Be sure it's not thirst. Many times when we crave food, it's not really hunger that's driving the urge, it's mild dehydration. So drink tons of water. A slice of orange, lemon or lime will flavor the water and cut your cravings; flavored non-caloric seltzers accomplish the same thing.