Thanksgiving Does Not Mean You Have to Gain Weight
Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to relax, and enjoy some time with our family and friends. Most of us also know it is a great way to pack on the pounds. While Thanksgiving has become associated with stuffing ourselves silly, there are ways to help curb your eating, and give yourself a positive, healthy start to the holiday season. Enjoy these tips to help cut back this turkey day.
Not eating too much on Thanksgiving actually starts on the previous day. The stresses of making travel arrangements, coordinating get-togethers, and buying supplies may cause you to start over-eating before the big day even arrives! Remember to take time to relax, de-stress, and take some time out for yourself during the month of November. This is actually a good philosophy to keep through-out the rest of the holiday season as well.
Making small meal changes and substitutions while cooking is one simple way to keep from gaining weight at Thanksgiving. This does NOT mean you have to prepare a tofurkey! Just substitute certain ingredients for healthier alternatives. Such as adding spices to your meals instead of butter or gravy. You can even substitute evaporated skim milk in desserts and chicken broth to gravy and mashed potatoes to add flavor without all the fat. You can try alternate cooking methods as well, like letting the fat drip off of the turkey or steaming the vegetables to make the meal healthier.
Even if your Thanksgiving dinner is early, do not skip lunch. If you’re starving when you go to eat, you will likely eat a lot more, even factoring in the extra lunch calories. Just remember to eat a sensible lunch, and don’t “pig out” before the big meal either. Try eating a healthy snack prior to the main course, such as a piece of fruit. You can also cut your portions of fatty foods by adding a healthy option at the beginning of the meal, such as a nice salad.
Instead of taking a little bit of everything, pick up the things you want to eat the most, and take only a sensible portion of each item. Many of us do pretty well when it comes to keeping our portions small at Thanksgiving, but depending on how many options you have at your meal, all of those small choices can add up to a lot of calories. By only taking the foods you want the most, you will consume fewer calories, but you’ll feel more satisfied because you got eat all of your favorites.
Besides limiting your caloric intake, try going for a walk with a loved one, or play football with the kids, or do some other phyical activity after the meal. This will help get your digestive system revved up to digest and burn off those extra calories faster. Another great option that the whole family can join in and bond at the same time is an active game like charades.
With just a little bit of effort and planning on your part, you can keep your waistline from expanding this Thanksgiving holiday!
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