In naming this post, I went back and forth several times about the title. Different levels of “how to eat” came across my mind. The truth is, part of American culture (just like many others), is eating. Birthdays, holidays, other celebrations revolve around eating. This is not inherently a bad thing: it does not need to produce anxiety around food and eating if you’re watching your food intake.
Thanksgiving is filled with delicious foods: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and generally desserts galore. The great (and not so great!) part about Thanksgiving is that it is ONE day. ONE.
Enjoying yourself on Thanksgiving will not cause you to gain weight, derail your progress or do anything other than maybe make you a little bloated for a few days.
It takes approximately 3,500 extra calories to gain one pound of fat. In thinking about the day, most people eat a big lunch or dinner/combo of the two. If instead of eating three meals and two snacks, you’re eating 2 meals and 1 snack or 1 very large meal, etc., your calorie intake is now spread a little wider. It’s also important to think about how much you can possibly eat in one sitting. It would be difficult to actually eat an additional 3,500 calories.
That being said, Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be about gorging yourself either. You can eat moderately and thoughtfully while still enjoying all the foods offered.
Think protein first: Add some turkey (or whatever other meat is served) to your plate first. Getting some protein in will keep you satisfied and help you from overdoing it on other things. Next, add some vegetables. Going for veggies second helps to keep the meal as close to your normal food intake as possible. Third, sample everything else you want. You don’t need to eat full servings of every side dish* there is. Take
Mighty Fit 