It’s easy to pack on the pounds over the holidays—especially when you are faced with questions like “can I get a grande-size amount of whipped cream on my tall peppermint latte” or “does watching football in my Snuggie count as aerobics?” When you add in shopping errands and family gatherings, maintaining your weight over a busy holiday schedule seems doubtful.

Beyond the commonly recognized tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, salt and umami (savory), a recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that humans are also able to detect the taste of fats in foods.

“Stress is your body’s physical response to events that make you feel threatened, upsetting [its] balance in some way,” states Angela Neal-Barnett, Ph.D., author of Soothe Your Nerves: The Black Woman’s Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Fear.

When you start craving everything a la mode, don’t be so quick to blame it on your mood. According to Dr. Michael Murray, co-author of Hunger Free Forever, sweet tooth cravings often result from a sudden drop in blood sugar.