Cheating the Cheating

3 places where your 'Dieting Skills' will be put to the test!

The Mall

People spend an average of 13 stressful hours at the mall during the holidays- plenty of time to grab lots of bites to eat.

What you can do:

1. Have a meal, not a snack. A Cinnabon roll has 730 calories and a Tim Horton's Blueberry bran muffin has 420 calories, while two slices of vegetarian thin-crust pizza has some protein and will fill you up for just 384 calories.

2. Decide what you want ahead of time. The mall's variety- Chinese! Pizza! Fries! All in one place!- can reduce your self-control to zero. Result: You eat more, and you eat worse. So enter the food court with a healthy food choice destination.

3. Say no to butter, mayo, tartar sauce, creamy dressings, or extra cheese. Use mustard, ketchup, salsa, salt, pepper or vinegar as fat-free ways to season your food.

The Party Buffet

Even amazing willpower means nothing when that tempting spread is staring at you. All night Long.

What you can do:

1. Grab a protein snack beforehand. You'll have 10 times the self-control.

2. Know you can stop. An extra calorie is an extra calorie, so having eaten one cookie is no reason to eat 10 more.

3. Let yourself feel full. Take a small plate of whatever you want, but wait 15 minutes before heading back to the buffet. Chances are you'll stop there.

4. Remember, you are there for the socializing and not just for the food. The holiday season is about celebrating with family and friends - you can focus on your goals and still have a great time.

Your Couch

As the winter doldrums kick in, we tend to spend more time snacking and sitting still.

What you can do:

1. Instead of snacks, eat your regular meal as you watch the television. While we never recommend eating while watching TV, it's food you'd eat anyway. Control portions and you'll be satisfied without overeating.

2. Pick pizza over wings. Five chicken wings with blue cheese pack about 130 more calories and three times the fat of a slice of pepperoni pizza. Thin crust vegetarian pizza is an even better choice!