How’s your weight lately? Saying no to food is always difficult. That’s why overeating is a very common problem. And especially now that Thanksgiving is coming up, it’s going to be extra hard to refuse the feast. But don’t worry, we’ll help you adopt a new and more disciplined attitude toward food so you can avoid overeating.

You still have a few weeks before the grand dinner, so start a better diet right now. Don’t think that since Thanksgiving is a few weeks away, you can just go with your usual big appetite until the actual feast. It will be easier to hold back when you’ve been doing it for days. It’s called conditioning. Start cutting down on your portions now, so that by the time Thanksgiving dinner is on, your portions are not so heavy anymore.

Before going to the dinner, eat a little snack. If you go there and you’re already starving, there’s no hope for you.

Take your time eating. Remember, it’s not a contest. Thanksgiving dinner is not just about the food; it’s also about the reunion with family and friends so talk a lot while eating. There’s a lot to catch up on, anyway. A lot of gab should take your mind off wanting more food.

Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for your tummy to tell your brain that you’re already full? This means you gotta eat slowly. If you eat fast, you’re going to eat a lot of excess for sure.

Drink while eating. Whether it’s wine, juice or just plain water, drinking a beverage is going to fill you up faster. This means you eat less food.

Try everything on the menu. No kidding! The secret is just to eat in very small portions, instead of just wolfing down a bowl of pasta. If you get to taste them all, your taste buds will be happy to have experienced different flavors, and so will you because you tried everything without pigging out.