Need Advice of Processing Raw Files Between LR and PS

After browsing through my computer today looking for a missing file from my Lightroom library, I came across the file and just realized how large Tiff files are. They were all around 500mb to be exact.
Ever since moving to LR3, everytime I use the "edit in photoshop" feature, it creates and Tiff file. If I recall correctly, my LR2 did not do this.
My question is, is there a way to process raw files from LR to PS without it creating a huge Tiff file?

Not fully understanding the question... LR is a raw editor (among many other things) and uses the Adobe Camera Raw conversion engine. When you send a raw file over to Photoshop, it is converted to a 16bit TIF by default. Start stacking layers on a 16 bit TIF and you'll have an enormous file size in no time.

You can reduce the file bloating by working in 8 bit mode and flattening your layers if they are no longer needed.

You can change how Lightroom sends files to Photoshop by choosing Edit > Preferences and click the External Editing tab.

Try opening as a Smart Object (you choose this in the Edit in Photoshop dialog).

But, using the normal editing mode, if you decide not to keep the tiff "project" file, all you need to do is delete it in Lightroom.