Tis’ the season for excessive indulgences. During the holidays, we really try stay on diets, but after Thanksgiving’s gorge-fest, plans go out the window. But there is a consumerist way to help you trick yourself into eating less.

According to new research published in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that plate and table color matter too when it comes to the amount a person eats at a given sitting.

Many diet experts recommend that people looking to lose weight should replace their dinner plates with appetizer-sized plates, which will help them decrease their portion size.

But results from five different studies conducted by researchers suggest that both size and the contrast in the color of foods to the plate influence how much a person eats.

In this study, researchers re-created the Delboeuf illusion using different sized plates filled with food, with people overserving themselves on large plates and underserving on small plates.

They found eliminating contrast between plates and background tablecloths removed the illusion of an outside circle and the tendency to overserve.

Researchers said it is difficult to pinpoint the underlying process that causes table settings to alter people’s perceptions of serving size, serving behavior and consumption.

Stop the madness! There is no doubt that one has to train the mind to eat differently, breaking habits that are ingrained into one’s everyday routine. But seriously, this seems like a very pricey way to lose weight during a recession.

Maybe I’ll just pretend that vegetables are green sour apple candy and whole grain bread is Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Tricks are for kids …