It's funny the way it happens. You watch your weight during the weeks and months before the holidays, hoping to make a svelte and confident impression at parties and family gatherings. So why is it that even if you've managed to drop 5 pounds by Thanksgiving, you're 10 pounds heavier by New Year's? The holidays are supposed to mean spending special time with your family, exchanging gifts and thinking about the religious significance of the season. But, more often than not, one aspect of the holidays triumphs over all the rest: food. No matter how often you've vowed to go easy on the eggnog and say no to the party nuts (even the caramel-coated pecans), you find yourself lingering by the buffet table at parties and eating the chocolates you bought "in case company arrives unexpectedly."

Despite the temptation of sugary snacking, it is possible to make it through the holidays and still be able to fit into last year's little black dress. Though it can sometimes be tough to bypass the season's traditional foods (which are often traditionally fattening) and still maintain a holiday spirit, there are plenty of ways to enjoy yourself without consuming enough calories to fill Santa's pack. You don't even necessarily have to deprive yourself of the food that is part of your family's traditions. Just because you're trying to avoid overindulgence doesn't mean you have to forgo your mother's famous pumpkin pie or your mother-in-law's fruitcake (does it bear a resemblance to the fruitcake you gave her last year?). Below are some tips to help you cut back on holiday treats without cutting out any holiday fun.

WHEN IT COMES TO SWEETS, THINK QUALITY, NOT AVAILABILITY

There are two kinds of sweets: the kind worth all the calories and the kind that's mostly there for decoration. When you have a craving for something decadent, go ahead and indulge yourself ('tis the season, after all). But know the difference between something worth eating, like your sister's homemade chocolate Yule log cake, and something you could probably afford to pass up, like the dish of candy corn you just have to pillage every time you walk by. During the holidays, it seems like food is everywhere--truffles at the office, cookies at your kids' school--but keep in mind that just because it's there doesn't mean you have to eat it. When you feel the urge to take a bite, take a moment to evaluate just how worthwhile this particular little morsel is. If you're about to eat a fistful of candied nuts even though you really don't like candied nuts all that much, consider whether you might rather have a bite of your sister's cake later on. "When you're at a party, try to scope it out first and see what food is available," says Heidi Skolnik, M.S., a certified dietitian and nutritionist, and president of Nutrition Conditioning, Inc., in New York. "If you want to have the most fattening hors d'oeuvre, go ahead and have it, but then don't eat all the things you don't really like or care about."

LET YOUR KIDS KNOW THAT THE HOLIDAYS AREN'T ABOUT FOOD

If food is a central part of the holidays to you, there's a good chance that your kids will have the same attitude. Break this pattern early on by emphasizing the spiritual and social aspects of the holidays. Tell your children that time spent with family and friends is more important than having the opportunity to eat reindeer-shaped sugar cookies in school. Try to avoid giving food, especially sweets, as gifts (even stocking stuffers), and don't fall into the trap of thinking that because you received food as a gift, it doesn't have any calories. The old "it doesn't count if I didn't pay for it" rationale just doesn't work, especially around the holidays, when much of what we consume was actually purchased by someone else (or made by Mrs. Claus). "Tell your kids they can pick one dessert, not three," says Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., a New York nutritionist in private practice. "And if you want a really decadent dessert, just forgo a side starch like sweet potatoes or bread."

DRESS FOR WEIGHT CONTROL SUCCESS (WEAR CLOTHES THAT ARE SLIGHTLY TIGHT)

It's a lot easier to pass up that second or third helping of Christmas quiche when your pants are feeling just a little tight around the waist. And everyone knows the feeling of leaving the house in a great-looking, form-fitting dress and blithely passing up fattening food because you want to stay this slim forever. These are good techniques and the holidays are a terrific time to implement them.

ENTERTAIN HEALTHFULLY: YOUR GUESTS WILL THANK YOU

You don't have to serve a lot of baked goods if you're expecting company. Although breads, cookies and cakes are traditionally associated with holiday entertaining, you'd probably be surprised to see how much your guests appreciate some lighter fare. Try serving raw vegetables like carrots, broccoli and radishes (which come naturally in festive colors) with some tasty, low-fat dip. Instead of making punch, consider serving juice that's lower in sugar and will give guests a welcome respite from rich, heavier drinks like eggnog. And be sure to have plenty of nonalcoholic drinks on hand. "Alternate alcoholic drinks with club soda," says Bauer. "People always seem to need to have a drink in their hands, but they forget it doesn't have to be alcoholic." Of course, there's nothing wrong with offering cookies and other baked goods at a holiday party, but just don't feel compelled to make a high-calorie dish the main attraction. Besides, gingerbread houses often look better than they taste.