In less than a minute, such worries are forgotten, at least until after dessert. Then you hear it once again.

If those who let off such a litany of weight-gain concerns were not dear to us, we’d have deleted their names from our Christmas party guest list. But since they are usually siblings, aunts, old family friends, and former classmates, we have learned to treat weight-gain concerns as part of Christmas entertainment.

As one of those who used to verbalize my weight-gain concerns in front of holiday food, let me share some tips to help you through the next seven days:

• Although you don’t mean it, saying your weight-gain concerns just before a holiday meal dampens the mood around the table. Food – and eating – is a form of socialization and seldom taken as nutrition. Since it brings families together and serves to relax them, keep your worries to yourself.

• Choose water, instead of cola or wine. You’ll take in less calories and won’t feel as full at the end of the meal.

• If you are drinking a beverage like a softdrink or juice, consciously avoid one dish. So instead of having four kinds of food on your plate, have only three.

• Leave food on your plate. I know my mother won’t like this kind of advice, but I’ve learned that just consuming all of what’s on your plate because of "the children in Africa who are hungry" is not healthy or enjoyable. When you’ve satisfied your hunger, stop eating.

• When ordering food in a restaurant, always inquire about the portions and the side dish. You may feel too guilty about leaving food on your plate and will over-eat just because the chef was in the mood to serve you more.

• If you’re expected to eat at a party because the hostess cooked all that food, eat slowly, put down your fork, and enjoy the talk. You will give your stomach enough time to communicate to your brain that you are not hungry anymore. Then you won’t have to clear your plate!

• Eat a snack before you go to a dinner party so you won’t be eating too much. I always hear friends skipping a snack or beverage because she’s going to spoil her appetite for the party. That’s why they groan about eating too much!

• In a restaurant where you are expected to order several courses, skip at least one course. Better yet, choose the soup and main course; or if you can, take only the soup and salad. Then you can have place for dessert.

• In a family reunion where the best family secret recipes have been cooked for the big gathering, take small portions of each so as not to displease whoever cooked them. If you find one or two of them really delicious, resist the temptation to eat as much as you can just because you may not taste the dish again until next year. Instead, ask the relative who cooked the dish for a portion you can bring home. That will be a big compliment that could be your investment to a yearly gift of that dish.

• Choose to eat alone for one meal each day until New Year’s Eve. You’ll be eating less and you can have room to over-eat on New Year’s Day.

Of course, you can ignore all these tips and go on to become your family’s major entertainment number before holiday meals. Who knows, you might even become the most popular relative in your clan.