Thanksgiving is one of the most challenging times of year when it comes to watching your weight. Temptations are everywhere—from that buttery bird, to the table glowing with homemade pecan pies and pumpkin cheesecake.
Check out these simple tips, and you’ll be ready to spare your waistline while still enjoying your family’s holiday feast.
Prepare a dish or two you can eat guilt-free.
Sure, vegetables are never the stars of Thanksgiving meals. However, if you make a lovely salad, butternut soup, mashed sweet potatoes, or creamed spinach, you can make sure you have healthy dishes to snack on throughout the evening. Besides, every table needs some color to spruce up the spread!
Don’t fast before the feast.
While waiting for the turkey to cook, it’s tradition to save our appetites for the main event. Yet, fasting throughout the day is an easy way to overeat once you sit down for the feast. Have a light snack before the finale so you won’t overindulge at dinnertime.
Decide how many drinks you can have.
If you decide to indulge in the festive beverages, be sure to decide how many you’ll have over the course of the evening and stick to it. Remember, every glass of wine, every bottle of beer, and each shot rack up the extra calories, so plan accordingly.
Follow the 30-minute rule.
Take half of the amount you really want to eat, enjoy it, and then wait 30 minutes before you eat anything more. It takes that long for your stomach to signal to your brain that it’s full. In that 30 minutes, you’re likely to get involved doing something else and won’t miss eating more.
Eat two or three bites of anything you wish.
If you can’t resist Aunt Millie’s Mississippi mud pie, have a small slice and eat just a couple of bites. You’ll get the taste you want without too many extra calories. The same applies to high-calorie drinks—take that raspberry margarita, enjoy three sips, and then give it to someone else.
If you overindulge, make up for it the next day.
Don’t skip meals, but if you overindulge one day, eat less the next couple of days, and be sure to make selections that are low in fat and full of nutrients. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water!
We Hope Everyone Has A Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!
