Thanksgiving eating on my mind

Posted on November 21, 2014

Thanksgiving is weighing heavily on my mind.

The good news is my parents are hosting and I know all the dishes that will be served (so I can think ahead what to eat & what to avoid). The other good news is I'll be making two of the side dishes & while one is traditional for our family and laden with fat and calories (and delicious), the other is the sweet potatoes & I think I can find a recipe that will be yummy but healthy - I will definitely be able to have that and the turkey.

The problem is my greatest downfall is parties. I can have all kinds of plans for how to eat but once I get there and start socializing and having fun and the food comes eating everything in site becomes part of the fun. And of course there's the desserts, of which there will be at least 5 different kinds.

So this is my plan: rather than having a day where I work to keep a caloric deficit, I am thinking I will look to have a day eating "maintenance" calories. I will get to eat a little extra, it will confuse my metabolism, which sometimes results in a loss, and hopefully I will feel more like I'm not being denied much. I also plan to workout in the morning so I have extra calories to eat.

Anyone else have suggestions?

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Cindy

11/21/2014 7:04PM

Love these tips. So I think the plan is to... drink a glass of water 10 minutes before the food is served, start with the veggies & protein to fill up, and sit in a place where I can't see the food table. Awesome.

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Shauna

11/21/2014 9:40AM

Sounds like you have a great plan in place! It also helps me if I find a place to sit and socialize where I can't see the food. At the table I try to eat very slowly so that I'm not tempted to keep eating, then I excuse myself and start cleaning or dealing with kids, or whatever I can to not continue to eat more and more as I sit there.

Aileen P.

11/21/2014 9:16AM

My Thanksgiving plan for the past few years has been to load my plate up with the healthier options first (peas, squash, turnip, beans, etc.) and to eat as much of that as I can. Turkey is also a good option, so I have that next. After that, the edge of my hunger has been dulled, and I find I can enjoy small amounts of the other options, really focusing on how good they taste, rather than wolfing them down. I am a wolf. Better for me to take that out on veggies first!

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Jocey

11/21/2014 8:31AM

Is it possible to go out after dinner for a bit of a walk? Or maybe before you go to bed? Any kind of extra movement will help keep your metabolism going - and help work off that food a little bit faster.

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Cara H.

11/21/2014 7:33AM

I think maintenance calories is a great idea. I plan on doing that as well. We're going to be at my Mom's this year and it'll be challenging because she makes sure everyone's favorites are on the table, which means LOTS and LOTS of choices. She also tends to use paper plates to save on cleanup and gets the huge rectangle ones. My plan is to get in the cupboard and get out one of the plastic 'grandkid' plates. It'll be a bit smaller than a normal plate and lots smaller than the disposable ones. I will fill to my heart's content. When the plate is empty, I'll drink a full glass of water and wait 10 minutes before allowing myself to get more. This way I hope to avoid the "I'm so stuffed I think I'm going to puke" syndrome.

Cindy

Oh, I like the glass of water trick! I'm going to do that.