Watching Those Holiday Calories

Oh dear!
I have no secret information on how to avoid overeating during the Christmas holidays.
Essentially, at our house, now that our children are grown up, it is easier to stock the kitchen with healthy foods, which is helpful.
Usually we have no ice cream or cake sitting around tempting us, but holidays are different, since we do have some decadent desserts. My husband and I each stick to one serving of dessert, and send the rest of the fruit tart / fudge cake / baklava home with our sons.
Is this too cruel to our sons? They are happy when they leave, laden with heavy duty paper plates loaded down with delicious leftovers for their next meal.
We drink lots of water at our house, before and during holiday meals, which helps to fill up faster.
I also subscribe to the idea that we eat more reasonably if we are not ravenously hungry when the dinner bell rings and the meal is served, so I put out things to nibble on, like shelled nuts and boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce. Yeah, I'm a big fan of protein.
I welcome tips on this topic.
Here are today's blog hosts, and be sure and visit them, since they have alot to offer.
http://anotherroadtoramble.blogspot.com
http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com
www.writerlypursuits.wordpress.com
http://fromtherooftop.blogspot.com