What's for Thanksgiving?
What does your Thanksgiving look like? Is there so much food on the table that there is barely room for you to sit around the table with your loved ones? Or is there a main table for all the food for you to eat buffet style like my Thanksgiving?
This year we are going to Aunt Marie's house. The counter top of the island in her kitchen will be covered with food. Since I do not host Thanksgiving, I don't know for sure what is on the menu, but based on previous Thanksgivings, I have an idea of the staples. Turkey, ham, lasagna, macaroni and cheese (possibly made by my mother or Aunt Marie – no difference; you can't go wrong with either one), mustard greens (I don't like those), collard greens, string beans, black eyed peas, rice (not brown), fried chicken, stuffing, candied yams, corn bread, dinner rolls, and punch. ALL of that and I have yet to mention desserts!!
I already have you salivating so I'll share desserts too. Aunt Marie's sweet potato pie. I've been told it's to die for. Thankfully for me, I am not a fan of sweet potato pie. Mom's 7-Up cake. I don't like that either. I'm not a fan of vanilla icing, but the rest of my family goes crazy over Auntie Sis' (my mom) 7-Up cake. There are also brownies, my mom's banana pudding (another one I don't like, but folks pile their dishes high with the stuff), and Rice Krispy Treats, just to name a few.
What is the One Thing You Need for Thanksgiving?
I thought about figuring out how many calories would be consumed if I were to have all of my favorites. I then decided that would take too long. Besides, I do not need to know the exact number of calories. From sheer guesstimation I know it would be a lot of really bad calories.
Now, there are some folks out there who may not care about the number of calories, fat, or carbs that they take in on that day. It's a once a year special occasion, after all. At least that is their rationale. You are different. You do care. What is the one thing, then, that you can do in order to not have Thanksgiving add to your waistline or sabotage all of your hard work to lose weight and lose fat?
Have a plan.
Your Thanksgiving Game Plan
Going into Thanksgiving last year I had been working out religiously five to six times per week and eating healthy for four months. The process of staying committed and consistent with exercise and eating nutrition-rich healthy foods allowed me to lose 41 pounds as of the week before Thanksgiving.
I had worked too hard to decide to let myself loose on Thanksgiving by believing I deserved to let myself go. Don't get me wrong; I did believe I could have some of my favorites and I did. The idea was not to go over the top with my plate piled high. To make sure that happened I had a plan going into and for the day of Thanksgiving.
This is how well the plan worked. The day after Thanksgiving I weighed myself. In that week I lost two and a half pounds. You read that right. I LOST weight. I lost .2% body fat too!
I know. I know. You want to know the plan. Here it is:
Rev up the workouts: If you are currently not working out, start today. If you are already working out, up the intensity, add in a second workout one day. Let your body know you love it. CAUTION: Do not do too much too fast.
Workout Thanksgiving morning: Yes, I already mentioned working out, but I put working out on Thanksgiving morning separate because I wanted to be certain that you saw it. By working out on Thanksgiving morning you are telling yourself how truly committed you are to your journey, to your process, and to your health and wellness. You are setting yourself up for what you need to do at Thanksgiving dinner. More on that in a little bit. Keep reading.
Drink water: Start the day drinking water. Drink water all day. Drinking water will help with the rest of the tips that follow.
Enjoy yourself with small portions: Last year I had all of my favorites. Ham, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, corn bread, collard greens, and mixed greens. I also had turkey breast and the grilled salmon that I made and brought with me. The portions of ham, macaroni and cheese, and stuffing were really small. Most of my plate consisted of vegetables. I even had a tiny bit of room for the monkey bread my Aunt Lil made. See, I enjoyed myself.
Bring a healthy dish or two: If you missed it above, last year I made grilled salmon and brought it to my aunt's house. That is a great way to ensure you have something healthy for dinner and/or dessert, especially if you know the last thing that will be at your family's house is something healthy.
Eat throughout the day: You may be the Thanksgiving host, agreed to bring something with you to dinner, or were told to bring nothing but your charming self to Thanksgiving dinner. Whatever the case may be, start the day with a nice healthy breakfast. Two and half to three hours later, have a snack or a fruit and a protein such as yogurt, raw almonds, or cottage cheese. Depending on your dinner time, you may even fit in a light lunch. By doing this, you will be hard pressed to go overboard at dinner time. The small portions you mentioned above will be all you can manage.
Smile, then say, “Thank You’ I’m good.” Then repeat: Trust me on this. There is going to be a family member who is going to believe you have not eaten enough. They are going to pester you and pester you about eating more. Aunt Ella is going to say, “Girl, you barely ate. Go get yourself some more.” And she is going to keep saying it. Uncle Earl is going to tell you, “Baby, you ain’t got no meat on them bones. Go get some more of your Aunt Doris’ yams and macaroni and cheese.” (Meanwhile you know you have another 30 plus pounds to lose). You know what you are going to do because you had a plan coming into the day? You are going to keep being polite and let them know that you are done. If you feel you cannot take it, kindly excuse yourself from the table.
Thanksgiving Success Recap
The sure fire way to enjoy your Thanksgiving and keep your waistline the same size or possibly see a smaller number on the scale the day after is to do one thing. Have a plan.
- Exercise leading up to and on the day of Thanksgiving.
- Drink water.
- Enjoy small portions.
- Make or bring healthy dishes for dinner.
- Eat small meals throughout the day.
- Don't be pressured into eating more.
Start the Discussion: Now that you have been armed with a plan for Thanksgiving, what will you do differently than you have in the past? Share it in the post comments, on Facebook or Twitter.