Survive the Holiday BUFFETS!

I can be hard to say no to all the cakes, cookies, mayo-slathered salads, and roasted meats. How could any warm blooded meat eating American survive the holiday table without putting on the pounds? Here are the secrets from MSNBC and Dr. Brian Wansink from the Cornell University Food & Brand lab.

• Sit as far away from the food as possible. That’ll discourage you from making many trips. Don’t face the buffet. Just looking at all that food makes you more tempted to fill your plate again and again.


• Use a salad plate. The more food on your plate, the more you’ll eat.


• Take a lap around the table once before you even pick up a plate. People who do that are seven times more likely to eat less, because they have time to think about what really sounds good!


• Also, try this great idea from Dr. Wansink – he calls it The Rule Of Two: You can choose anything you want from the buffet, but you can never have more than two items on your plate. When Wansink tested this rule he found that people took the two types of food they wanted most. So if you’re a dessert person, you’ll probably choose a dessert first – but then you’ll stop. If you were unlimited, you’d most likely work your way up to dessert. Also, people practicing the rule of two tended to take smaller portions.