If you don't want to feel as stuffed as the turkey when you have finished your Thanksgiving celebration, you may want to figure out some strategies for that special day.

These are my top ten tips for getting the most enjoyment from holiday meals:

#&149; Don't fill up on appetizers. Put some distance between you and the chips, dips and cheese tray before dinner.

#&149; Sit down for the meal feeling hungry but not famished.

#&149; Be selective. Instead of filling up on foods you can eat any time, choose the special foods that are served only at holiday meals.

#&149; Leave some space between the foods on your plate.

You can always have more but you may find you are satisfied with a small serving. If you heap your plate, you are likely to overeat and feel uncomfortable.

#&149; Pace yourself. Take time to savor the taste of your favorite foods.

#&149; Sit next to someone who will engage you in conversation. More talk means less eating.

#&149; Don't talk “diet talk” at the table. “I shouldn't be eating this because. ...” is diet talk. This can ruin your enjoyment and possibly everyone else's enjoyment of this special meal.

Calories, fat grams and points certainly were not part of the conversation at the first Thanksgiving. Feeling guilty about what you are eating not only takes away the pleasure but also makes it more likely that you will over eat.

#&149; If something doesn't taste good, stop eating it. Save room for something better.

#&149; Take a break before eating dessert. Wait at least two hours to allow some time to digest the main course or even save the dessert to eat at the next meal (or as the next meal).

#&149; Give yourself permission to eat what you really want. If you manage to feel satisfied and comfortably full at the end of the meal, give yourself credit for doing well. If you feel that you have overeaten, forgive yourself and do not use this as an excuse to continue to overeat.

Thanksgiving tip:

For safe leftovers, remove turkey from the bones, place in shallow storage containers and refrigerate no longer than two hours after removing turkey from the oven. Use within three to five days. Refrigerate gravy in shallow containers and use within one to two days. Heat to boiling before serving.

Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN, is a nutrition resource educator with the Eat Smart NY program at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County