Dr. Laura Frank, a doctoral-level registered dietician, psychologist and professor of nutrition at LaSalle University, says people who struggle with food this time of the year might go to extremes.
"Either they're feeling like they're going to have to deprive themselves and not enjoy themselves or they're feeling like they're going to have to lose control and just eat everything," Frank said.
She says the biggest mistake many people make in anticipation of a holiday meal is to not eat beforehand.
"That really creates a problem for people because you're judgment isn't great when you're starving and at the same time, you're going to probably eat too fast and then before your brain even gets a message from your stomach that you've eaten, you've already overfilled yourself," she explained.
She says the goal is to strike a balance between allowing yourself to enjoy without going overboard. To help with mindful eating, she recommends having something in each hand at a party.
"So I'll have a plate and then I'll have something to drink in the other hand and that does slow you down. You know, you've got to put something down if you want to eat and it just helps you pace yourself," she said.
Frank says there are a lot of feelings that might arise when it comes to traditional family foods, but try not to let your feelings dictate what you put in your mouth.
"Taking the time to just say, well, what do I really want to eat?" she advised.