With the holidays approaching, you may find it hard to resist many of the treats and heavy meals. But with the right portion control, you can sail through the next two months without worrying about the impact of your diet on your health.

According to a study by researchers from Summa Health System in Ohio, 38 percent of participants who practiced portion control lost 5 percent or more body weight. And 33 percent of those participants who didn’t measure their portions gained 5 percent or more body weight. Here are some helpful tips to control your portions:

• Three small meals per day, plus one healthy snack, will help you avoid overeating. By withholding calories during the day you’ll go into evening meals “starving” and eat too much.
• Measure and weigh your food so you know exactly how much you are consuming. For example, a portion of lean meat should be about the size of a deck of cards—not the size of a dinner plate. This tip will also help you avoid grabbing handfuls of snacks and overeating.
• If you must have dessert, why not indulge in three small bites, or split it with someone to cut down on the calorie consumption.
• In a study in Calgary, 17 percent of people that ate food on plates with painted lines to help measure the right amounts of each food group lost 5 percent of their body weight. Even better, try using small cocktail plates instead of full-size dinner plates for all your meals. This will help you cut down on portions and calories.
• Plan what you are going to eat for the day, and record it in a journal. Then compare it to what you actually eat. By seeing exactly how much you consume, you can address your weaknesses head on and improve your bad habits.

These suggestions combined with healthy “eating out” strategies such as ordering soup before your meal to get you fuller, faster… and immediately placing half your dish in a carry-out box… will help keep you on track, as well.