What's Your Holiday Eating IQ?

1. A typical Thanksgiving meal contains how many calories?

A. 500

B. 1,000

C. 1,500

D. 3,000

CORRECT ANSWER: D, a typical Thanksgiving meal contains more than 3,000 calories. The good news is that it takes 3,500 excess calories to gain a pound - so you might escape from your holiday feast with little to show for it.

Slim down in time for kissing under the mistletoe with our get-fit-fast exercise tips.

CORRECT ANSWER: D. A study by Pennsylvania State University found that when people ate among friends or family, they consumed about 50 percent more than if they were alone or among strangers. Barbara J. Rolls, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Penn State, theorizes that drinking and watching others indulge lowers our resolve, and that conversation prolongs the meal and distracts us from calorie counting.

Keep temptation at bay even when you're family is pushing "just one more piece of pie!" on you with these strategies.

4. Which is the first thing your body metabolizes?

A. Carbohydrates

B. Protein

C. Alcohol

D. Liquids

CORRECT ANSWER: C. First to be metabolized is alcohol, which is sent directly to the liver to burn up within minutes. Liquids follow, and over the next few hours the body breaks down solid foods, disposing first of carbohydrates, then protein, leaving fats for last. Why? Because fats are more complex to break down. This is another reason why, after overeating, it's so often the fat calories that will be left over.

So you ate a few too many helpings of stuffing or knocked back more cups of eggnog than you planned — what to do the day after to keep those fat calories from sticking around for good.

5. What's your best bet if you're trying to save calories on alcohol?

A. A 12-ounce glass of beer

B. A two-ounce vodka martini with an olive

C. An eight-ounce vodka tonic

D. A six-ounce glass of dry white wine

CORRECT ANSWER: True. Alcohol also slows the breakdown of fat. In one study, people drank 100 grams of alcohol - about six drinks - and their ability to burn fat dropped more than 30 percent. "We burn fat in our liver. But when we drink alcohol, the alcohol burns instead of fat," says Charles Lieber, M.D., director of alcohol research, Bronx Veterans Administration Center.

Six drinks can also leave you with a nasty hangover. We separate hangover myth from fact.

CORRECT ANSWER: True. "Your gut is empty and begging for more food to fuel your body's daily functions," explains Bettye Nowlin, R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. A large meal also makes your digestive system work overtime, raising your blood sugar. Once the meal is digested - usually while you sleep - your blood sugar drops, triggering greater secretion of insulin, which further whets the early morning hungries.

Want to undo the damage on your waistline? Check out our four tips for getting back in your skinny jeans.

8. What should you eat before the big Thanksgiving feast so that you're less likely to binge?

A. Nothing - you should skip breakfast and lunch the day of Thanksgiving so you're not loading up on extra calories.

B. Soup

C. A slice of pecan pie

D. Some dairy, like a few slices of cheese or a glass of milk.

9. Which dessert is the less caloric option?

A. Pecan pie

B. Pumpkin pie

C. Apple Brown Betty

D. Bread pudding

CORRECT ANSWER: The Apple Brown Betty, followed by the bread pudding and pumpkin pie. Pecan pie takes last place, packing in over 500 calories per slice.

Skip the pie and try out our tasty cocktail recipes, including favorites like the Gingerbread Apple Cocktail and the French Kiss.