Thanksgiving means family -- and food. Despite our best intentions, good eating habits are often forgotten during the holiday festivities. Estimates clock the calorie count of the average holiday dinner between 3,000 and 4,500 calories. There's good news, though: With these tips from TOPS, a nonprofit weight loss organization, Thanksgiving dinner won't be a total diet downfall.
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Consider eating a light snack before the big meal, like a low-calorie dip and some vegetables or yogurt in order to control your appetite.
When cooking, look for places in the recipe to switch out ingredients for healthier alternatives. Try replacing butter with olive oil or sugar with honey.
If you're bringing a dish to a friend or family member's house, make it a healthy one: fiber-filled, Vitamin A-rich sweet potatoes are a strong choice, as long as you leave the marshmellow topping at home!
Alcohol can flow freely during a holiday meal, but many beers have between 150 to 200 calories per 12 oz. serving. Try skipping them in favor of a low-calorie beer or one of the new "light" liquors. Or switch to a no-calorie soda or nonalcoholic beverage instead.
Stock your plate with some buffet "best bets:" fresh fruit, reduced-fat cheeses and turkey breast can help cut back on sodium, fat and calories. What's more, the USDA recommends filling half your plate with vegetables to fill you up on fiber before dessert even comes around.
Be on the lookout for anything that might have seen the inside of a deep fryer -- and avoid it. Frying, as a general rule, can add up to 90 calories per serving.
Put yourself at an advantage from the start by using smaller plates, which will mean smaller portions throughout the meal.
Kitchen full of leftovers? Don't pile them up in the fridge. Instead, give them out to your guests on their way home from dinner, or find the closest drop-off point for your preferred charity (such as 
Fight the urge to nap the night away and plan a brief activity after the meal to work off some of those calories: a light walk through the neighborhood or a game of touch football in the backyard.
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