It is no secret that Thanksgiving is a day dedicated to gluttony and feasting.

Most people take pride in their fourth helping of mashed potatoes and pecan pie. If you are among the few, however, that plan on enjoying themselves without causing early onset diabetes, read on.

The expansion of fast food and portion sizes has made maintaining a healthy weight difficult for many. It seems that everything is working against a healthy lifestyle in this modern food world. Even your own brain can work against you, tricking you about portion sizes and reacting to different environmental cues.

There are some tips and tricks that can make a huge difference in the amount of food people consume on a daily basis. Simple tips can help you to trick your brain into feeling more satisfied with each meal. Also, just knowing what can trigger your brain to overeat can help you to prevent this from happening.

Whether it's the Thanksgiving table coming up this week, Christmas dinner, or a big family occasion, overeating is a struggle for many people. Educate yourself on the causes, figure out the preventative measures, and enjoy your holiday without any food guilt.

1. The Reason: Plate Size

It has been well-documented that, when compared side to side, a larger plate holding the same amount of food as a smaller plate is perceived as having less food. This is an unfortunate "glitch" in the brain that causes many to overeat, simply because they believe they have not eaten a large enough volume of food. If your brain believes the portion size is small, so will your tummy. This leaves you feeling dissatisfied after what could have been a very balanced and well-portioned meal.

The Solution:

This Thanksgiving, serve yourself your Thanksgiving meal on a salad plate, instead of a large dinner dish. Fill it up until the plate is completely full. Allow your brain to fully take in the fullness of your plate before eating. Try doing this for all of your meals from now on, and see if you feel any more satisfied than usual afterwards. Chances are, you've beaten your brain at this one.

2. The Reason: Peer Pressure

Though the term "peer pressure" usually refers to high school and mean girls, it can also apply in the adult world. Humans are inherently social creatures, and so they tend to mirror one another and act in similar ways as their peers in order to be accepted. This lends itself directly to food choice. When out at restaurants or dinner gatherings with friends, we tend to order and eat what we see others order and eat. It has even been shown that though someone may not enjoy a particular dish, they will enjoy it more if a peer ordered that dish as well. This peer influence, while handy during the caveman era, can sabotoge your healthy eating plans for the holidays if those around you are not on the same page. 

The way to combat peer pressure is not by attempting to defy it, but by making it work in your favor. Finding friends and family who are willing to go easy on the holiday feasting with you may be tricky. Many may say that you are being silly, and to just enjoy yourself and wait until the holidays are over to worry about your waistline. This is a very personal decision, and applying it to your daily life outside of the holidays will likely be just as effective. If you would like to stay on track for the holidays, however, seek out a friend in a similar situation. Texting can be a great way to have a peer motivator if your health-buddy is at a family gathering elsewhere.

3. The Reason: Utensils

Significant amounts of research have recently investigated how different utensils affect our satisfaction with our meals. Though it may seem strange, the different weights and colors of our silverware, glasses, and dishware can affect the amount of food our brains acknowledge. For example, yogurt eaten on a plastic fork, which is light in weight, makes the yogurt seem more filling. It can also affect how palatable a food is. Different colors produce different flavor intensities. Yogurt eaten on a white spoon would taste sweeter than that same yogurt eaten on a black spoon. This research is relatively new, but opens up many new possibilities in the world of food habits and conscious eating.

The Solution:

Set your Thanksgiving table very carefully this year. Finding utensils that enhance your food experience can make each meal more fulfilling. Choose light dinnerware and pick colors that will reduce color contrast between your food and your plate. This will make each meal more satisfying by tricking your brain into thinking you are consuming a larger amount of food, and more flavorful foods.  

4. The Reason: "Regular"

When people look at a menu and see the "regular" size, there is an indication that this is the proper size to order. Not too big and not too small, the word "regular" suggests normal, and all humans have a desire to be normal. It is another survival technique, similar to the peer pressure phenomena, that must be carefully monitored by modern man. Research has shown that when people order foods labeled "double-size," they leave a significant amount of leftovers. "Regular" sized meals, however, do not leave nearly as many leftovers, even when the amount of food served is actually the same.

The Solution:

Break out of the "regular" jargon and focus on what you are being served. When out at restaurants, ask the waiters the approximate size of what you would like to eat. When your food is in front of you, concentrate on what you are eating. Whether you have ordered the lunch size or the dinner size, eat what makes you feel full and satisfied. Sometimes that is half of a lunch portion, and other times it is the entirety of a dinner portion. In either case, listen to your body, and ignore the marketing tricks.

5. The Reason: First Encounters

It has been shown that foods we see first are likely to be put on our plate first, and in more abundance. This is often the case for buffet brunches and large banquets. Dishes at the front of the line, healthy or unhealthy, are generally piled onto diner's plates with gusto. As the buffet table continues on, however, people stop putting so much on their plates. Generally, this leads to more popular items, which tend to be unhealthy, dominating the meal. Fruits and vegetables, most often placed towards the end of a buffet, are often ignored. This can also be the case for your Thanksgiving dinner, with the turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing being placed out first. They are the most popular items, and get the most attention. Vegetables, though hopefully present, are often looked over. This leads to a Thanksgiving dinner plate devoid of healthy green vegetables and fruits, come dessert time.

The Solution:

Do not allow your visual cues to dictate your meal decisions. Make a conscious effort to pile your plate high with fresh veggies. Salads, steamed broccoli and green beans, sauteed carrots; the possibilities are endless in the veggie game. Come dessert time, scale down the slice of pumpkin pie, and fill half your plate with fresh fruit. This will leave you feeling full, not deprived. Extend these tips to meals outside of the holidays, and make fruits and vegetables the centerpiece of all your meals. This gaurantees high nutritional intake, and will leave you feeling fuller longer.

6. The Reason: Environment

The lighting situation in your living room or dining area can greatly affect your dining experience. Bright lights have been linked to higher food intake. Background noise can also change how much food you consume in one sitting. Music that is too loud, or hectic conversation has been shown to increase the percentage of food eaten on your plate. Ambiance in general can greatly affect your overall dining experience, including general satisfaction and amount of food eaten.

The Solution:

If you are the host this Thanksgiving season, turn the lights down low and keep the music to a soft background murmur. This will allow you to feel relaxed and calm, letting you enjoy your meal to the fullest extent. Keep this in mind for your regular meals. Make sure distractions are at an all time low during meal time so that you can truly savor what you are eating.

Reach Staff Reporter Ashley Seruya here or follow her on Twitter here.