Are you new to a healthy lifestyle or trying to lose weight, and worried about the Thanksgiving holiday coming up? You’re not alone. After all, Thanksgiving is based around a giant meal, and most of us associate it with stuffing ourselves with so much delicious food that we must unbuckle our belts and take a couch nap during the big football game. It doesn’t have to be this way, and just like the rest of life, Thanksgiving can be enjoyed thoroughly in moderation and by making the best choices available. Here are 8 healthy Thanksgiving tips for staying on track.
Have a Plan
Have a plan ahead of time. Even if it’s just thinking through the best choices a few hours ahead of the meal, it’s going to prevent you from making impulse decisions that you will later regret. Make decisions about what is worth indulging in and what isn’t.
Don’t Show Up Hungry
Eat your normal healthy breakfast, or a small filling but smart snack before your get-together. If you’re starving, you’re more likely to lose control at the food buffet.
Fill Up Your Plate With the Best Choices
Thanksgiving meals actually do have some excellent choices. Turkey white meat is an excellent staple for your plate. It’s lean and full of protein. Sweet potatoes are another great choice as long as they aren’t loaded in butter, marshmallows, or brown sugar. Cranberries, salad, apples, broccoli, pumpkin, and even red wine are also popular Thanksgiving staples that you can enjoy without much damage. If you are hosting Thanksgiving or bringing a dish, there are tons of healthy recipes out there for you to prepare yourself!
Sample the Unhealthy Choices
It’s a holiday, so enjoy the foods you love, but in moderation. After you fill up your plate (and your belly) with the best choices, take a small sampling of the mac and cheese, the apple pie, the mashed potatoes. A few bites aren’t going to break your diet – just don’t let it spiral into a binge-fest.
Ignore the Guilt From Relatives
Your family members likely slaved away over their pies and casseroles, and might take it personally when you’re not inhaling their creations. Smile and politely thank them for their hard work, and sample it if you want, but remember that they don’t have to live with your food choices – you do.
Move a Little
Instead of lying down after the meal to watch the game, get outside and play a game of touch football with your family, or take a stroll and catch up or just enjoy the beautiful autumn weather and colors together. It doesn’t have to be a full-out workout today, but moving even just a little will go a long way.
Get Right Back On Track
Make your next meal after your Thanksgiving meal a healthy one. Don’t worry about too many calories. It’s more important to get right back into your good habits.
Be Thankful
This Thanksgiving don’t forget to count your fitness and health blessings too. It will remind you of why you are making the healthiest choices possible every day of the year. Be grateful for your good health!
by Deanna Schober (Coach Calorie)
