I now realize that I completely underestimated the temptation of Halloween candy and don’t want to make the same mistake for Thanksgiving.  I will be cooking a dinner for my family and my parents and possibly others.  Typically I would serve both turkey and ham, but ham is something that I really have a hard time stopping on...so maybe I will just do a turkey.  This is about as far as I have gotten.  Just thinking about possible menu options is making me hungry because I love the traditional turkey, gravey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, etc. 

I am curious if anyone has some success tips to share.  I want to enjoy the holiday and, of course, I feel the pressure to deliver the meal that everyone is looking forward to.

Looking forward to hearing your sage advice.

Suzanne

I know the pressure that Thanksgiving brings - plus, if your family is like my family, there is enough stress from seeing relatives that you normally only see once a year that would make you eat too much on a normal day let alone Thanksgiving!  How do I cope?  First, I mentally prep myself for the challenges of dealing with everyone - I tell myself it is only for one day, and I can deal with anything for one day!  Secondly, if Thanksgiving is at my house, I provide healthier options - baked sweet potatoes instead of sweet potato casserole, steamed broccoli, and a fresh fruit platter along with the pies.  I also still make excercise a priority and drink NO alcohol (Dealing with my mother while semi sloshed is NOT a good idea - I learned this the hard way last year!).  I always say no to bread - it is just a slippery slope - and always take small portions of the food I love.  I leave plenty of time after clearing my plate the first time - usually I get busy doing something else and forget I was craving that second slice of pie.

Great tips, Jen.  And great question, Suzanne!

I’ve never actually cooked a thanksgiving meal, so I’m not much help on that front.  But I’ve had a lot of experience eating them, and here are some things I’ve learned:

- figure out what I like and only eat those things.  Thanksgiving is not the time to be “polite” by filling up my plate with 20 types of dishes.
- if I absolutely must eat everything, I make sure the portion sizes are really small. 
- turkey is very filling, and a little goes a long way.  People often carve like they’re sending you off into the desert for a few weeks.  I “just say no” to half a turkey sitting on my plate.
- wait at least 10-20 minutes before going back for seconds.  It takes the stomach about 20 minutes to signal the brain to say “I’m full.” I wait until those 20 minutes have passed before going back for more.
- listen to your body.  Yes, the food is so tempting, but if you’re fit to burst already, you’re going to pay for it later.  Besides, that’s what leftovers are for.
- save room for dessert, and then have some.  Who wants to feel deprived on thanksgiving?  I’m good for a few days before thanksgiving so that I can afford to have some extra calories for dessert.  Yay!

Okay, that’s the tips I can think of at the moment.  I’m looking forward to seeing more tips roll in!

Cheers,
Julie

Hello girls.

I too fell hard on Halloween candy this year. It took me 3 days to “detox” and get the cravings out of my system. And I’m still eating bananas like an ape, just to wean myself from lots of refined sugars. I really let myself down, didn’t I?

Here’s my Not to BE a turkey day plan:

Day before - Eat salads, do Cardio, Lift and more cardio in the evening
For Turkeyday

Do some intense cardio that morning (Gets you metabolism fired up, suppresses your appetite, reinforces your proactive sense of taking care of yourself, and burns some calories, so you can indulge a little without wrecking your progress)

Food: Focus on Protein, Fiber and water.

Sneak some Turkey breast (if you can) about an hour before the feast. It really will help. Have some all-bran for breakfast, and sneak in a handful while everybody else is eating peanuts and cookies. These things will help you feel full, stay full and give your body some good protein to build with.

Day After:
Eat salads to keep the 3-day window / avg calories down. Remember the MTM show where Scott talked about the 2/3 average?

Fasten yer seatbelts, here we go!

Frank

That’s a great plan of attack, Frank.

First I got a 6 mile hike in in the early afternoon. Then I had a mini Thanksgiving at my Mom’s on Sunday. She roated a turkey for my sister’s birthday party. Thankfully she decided to not have all the appetizers that she usually makes because she wanted everyone to eat her turkey and other dishes. That made everything so much easier for me.

I chose a small slice of turkey breast, a small scoop of mashed potatoes with no gravy, some pickeled vegetables and some cornbread casserole that I made. I left enough room in my belly and calorie tally to have a small slice of birthday cake. So I passed this test. I think I’m ready for the real deal November 22nd.

Well we’ll be heading over to my M&D;’s for the annual MD-IL drive straight through road-trip extravaganza.

One thing that holds me well, is I pre-plan what I want and one of my secrets is passing on the things that I can get every day (i can get mashed potatos, corn, rolls anytime, anywhere so why fill up on that?) and concentrate on only those things that i made the drive for. I do those in moderation and what will fit in a 1cup measuring cup. Supplement with fresh veggies galore all day and with the dinner and I drink alot of water (two pint glasses downed before every meal).

I can’t do it. Restraint is the furthest thing from my mind on Thanksgiving Day.

My schedule is pretty much the same every year. Wake up and go with a group of running buddies to the Turkey Trot in Dallas. I usually shoot for 1:04. It’s 8 miles which for me is about 1100 calories which is a good start.

I get home at about 10AM to the smell of Thanksgiving. My sister usually shows up a little after 11. We give thanks, eat what we want and then migrate to the living room to watch football. By 1PM I’m asleep on the couch with my 3 year old

I realize sticking to a diet is important in the long run, but, for me there are exceptions and Thanksgiving Day is one of them. The memory of being with family on holidays is something I cherish and I don’t want anything to interfere with the experience. I can spend the rest of the weekend dealing with the excess calories.

Oh I agree with you on the exception to the diet Kevin. My problem is that it’s not just one day and extends from the 15 hour car ride out on Mon through to the 15 hour car ride back on Sunday. Our Thanksgiving is heaped with memories and one to be cherished and it is our one big family get together of the year as we’re all spread out all over from Maryland to Hawaii and it’s the only time the extended family comes together as everyone celebrates their own family Christmases.

What I found in going somewhere else for a period of time is that I lose control over things I could control if I was home. If I didn’t have restraint and a plan I’d wind up stuffing myself from the moment we get there on Tuesday until we leave on Sunday and then it can get out of control and fast.

I have Thanksgiving with friends every year - usually in the cabin in North Carolina.  We plan so there is no need for restraint.  We usually have a light breakfast, and prepare the turkey and stuffing.  We make everything fresh with minimal added butter, cream, oils, etc.  The stuffing is a mix of apples, onions, raisins, a minimum of bread crumbs, and seasonings.  We add a touch of low fat milk for moisture.  We usually have the cranberry relish prepared ahead (again home made with real cranberries, and orange with a minimum of sugar.  (My friend made it with Splenda last year and it was very good).  We chop and prep the veggies, usually a mix of broccoli, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes.  Once everything is ready and while the turkey is cooking we go out for a walk.  After the turkey is mostly cooked, we stir fry the veggies, cook the sweet potatoes and have a normal dinner - with really good food.  Since dinner is somewhere between a late lunch and early dinner, we wait a bit and maybe have a small desert early in the evening instead of another meal. 

We cook, we eat, but the focus is on the friends and being away in the mountains and not just on the food.  The nature of the traditional turkey dinner makes it easy to stick with good eating habits, lean protein, and fresh veggies.  No restraint is required.

Ah, the benefits of living too far away from family to go there for a long weekend.

Hubby is cooking, and since he’s also on the weight loss road, I’m not at all worried. Then I call Mom and listen to them complain about how they’re all hurting, and just smile. I do eat a bit more for that meal than I do for a typical lunch thing, but then I eat a lighter supper than normal. No stretchy pants here! Oh, and the pie is at my normal snack time. The girls make it, how could I turn that down?

Bree

If I can keep from snacking and only have one desert I’ll be fine. I’ll also take a walk and work out at my parents place. It’ll be a little challenge, but not too bad, since we don’t go totally crazy.

I agree with all of the above, especially the planning part!  I also have a tossed sald with light dressing available.  I have found that if i eat a salad at the end of a meal I full pleasantly full without adding a lot of calories.