Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and friends and all the things that come with this special day.   It is a time to be a reminded of traditions, inside jokes, stories, and memories. 

For me, the food we eat at the Thanksgiving table represents how we grew up.  Just the smell of it cooking takes me back to the feelings I had going to grandma’s house and playing with cousins out in the yard.   It’s a time to focus on blessings. It’s not a time for our minds to be cluttered with thoughts of macronutrients and calorie counting! Everyone has that one (or two) dishes that, unless they are on the table, it doesn’t feel right.  We don’t eat Nana’s dressing or mom’s banana pudding throughout the year, so EAT IT UP!

With that being said, we need to have a little bit of control throughout the week of Thanksgiving.  It’s one day.  It’s not a deal breaker, but a week will kill your progress, your discipline, and your goals if you take that approach throughout the entire holiday season!  It is way too easy to just follow suit with the notion that you need to “just get through the holidays” before recommitting in January for the ole New Year’s Resolution.

 I think we’ve played this record before, have we not?

As we say, Healthy is Simple.  It’s not easy but it can be a simple concept if you just take a few steps to prepare.  Here are my 5 simple strategies for keeping your head in the game for Thanksgiving.   

ONE:

Plan to move Thanksgiving morning.  Literally anything is fine.  Take a long walk, jog, or hike.  If you’re part of a gym community like ours, do the workout planned.  Ours is “Burn the Bird”. Getting your heart pumping and the endorphins kicked in is a great start to the day to destress and help you to feel good about the feast going down.   If you think it’s too much to squeeze in with all there is to do, get up earlier.  I have no other answer to this problem.  You will feel fantastic and accomplished and will be nicer to everyone.  Trust me!

TWO:

Drink your water.  Staying hydrated the days leading up to Thanksgiving and especially the night before will help you feel less hungry, keeping you from eating as much in one sitting.  Being fully hydrated helps your digestion as well.

THREE:

When filling your plate, take a small portion of everything.  Look at it like a small sampler platter.  It’s hard to use the plate method on Thanksgiving because everything is so carbohydrate heavy, so don’t even worry about that.  You will want a little taste of all the things, so think a small spoonful of this and a small spoonful of that!  You don’t deprive yourself, but you are controlling how much!

FOUR:

We get really excited about finally sitting down to eat. We are all talking about how good everything looks and smells.  We just dig in and go hard!  Try to slow down, put your fork down and drink water or unsweetened tea between bites, and enjoy each delicious dish.  

Take 10-minute time out before going back for seconds!  Let your belly and brain have a conversation.  Assess which foods you really want more of or maybe you are full and want to call it after one plate.  Dessert is still there, right?   Be mindful of how satisfied you are with what you had.  If you had a bite of everything, is there anything more you need?   

FIVE:

Make the Friday plan!  What will you do with all the leftovers?  Some make soup and sandwiches with the turkey and ham.  All the sides can be divided among guests and sent home with them.  Make sure you have give-away containers ready to go!   Also plan to workout.  After all the carbs, you will be very strong so it’s a great day to test your lifts if you have the opportunity.  Burpees won’t feel great, but a good back squat or a deadlift is going to be one for the books!   Decide what Friday is going to look like right now.  Plan and get right back on your normal routine! 

What about the rest of the weekend?  I mean, it’s the “holiday weekend”!

Here is an extra tip…DO NOT go without your normal meal prep routine this week.

 Just because you are going to have a little extra food at home doesn’t mean the whole week needs to go out the window!  Monday through Thursday morning should be normal, healthy, and proper portioned eating.  The Thanksgiving meal is one meal so don’t give yourself the excuse of not having anything to eat except pecan pie! 

You do this every year. You know what to expect.  You know what happens when you don’t plan.   Enjoy the day…get back to normal the next day! 

Be thankful for your ability to make your own healthy choices! 

Happy Thanksgiving