People eat a lot on the Thanksgiving holiday WEEKEND. It is no longer relegated to just one afternoon. I am pretty sure we all know this, but did you know If you include appetizers AND desserts, the average American eats a little more than 3,000 calories @ the Thanksgiving meal. 3,000 calories. Considering that the average American should consume 1,700-2,200 calories per day, 3,000 per meal seems a big excessive. What are some things that you can do so that you don't feel like a Turkey after Thanksgiving dinner? ie. #stuffed
Do NOT Skip Meals in an effort to 'save room' for more at Thanksgiving. This plan back fires every single time and you will eat more! Eat a well-balanced breakfast and maybe a lunch, depending on when your Thanksgiving meal is planned. We are a 4:00 meal, so for my family, I would recommend a balanced breakfast that incorporates a LOT of vegetables and protein to keep me satiated until we sit down.
Drink more water. Through out the day AND while you are at your gathering. Hydration is key to balance and to avoiding the post-turkey hangover.
Make your contribution a healthy contribution. I always bring applesauce for Thanksgiving dinner. My applesauce is homemade with apples and a few other ingredients. Its a perfect balance to other items that are on the table.
Steer clear of the kitchen. If you are not actively helping the host prepare something, make yourself scarce from the kitchen. In the kitchen are the apps and the closer they are, the more they will call out to you. If you are able to avoid the kitchen, you will be less likely to graze. When people graze, they are not even hungry for the main meal when it is time to sit down, but they still eat. If you must be in the kitchen, create a portion of apps and then move on
Eat what you like. If you do not like candied yams, do not eat them. When you are preparing your plate, try to make it as colorful as possible. Greens, turkey, orange, red. The more colorful, the more variety, the better the balance you are creating. If you try something and you do not like it, do not eat more of it. We are not children anymore, we are NOT required to clean your plate.
Create a portion. This could be for apps, for dinner and for dessert. Pick your favorite dessert. Cut a reasonable slice or piece and savor every morsel. If you get to the dessert part and you are already stuffed like a turkey, SAVE dessert for the next day. Savor and enjoy a portion of the treats that you love!
Those specific tips all relate JUST to the meal, but the one piece of advice for Thanksgiving that I would sing from the mountains if I could is to...
EXERCISE! Yes, you could join me for 10K run or a 5K walk or you can just exercise on your own. It does not have to be a 10K walk or run, but MOVE YOUR BODY. Strength, cardio, bike ride, walk, hike. Get outside and get your body moving.
Movement/Exercise on Thanksgiving will help you:
- decrease potential family stress
- boost your blood flow
- help you sleep better that night
- keep you from sitting around munching
- will make you feel better, stronger and more confident
If you think these ideas are good, I have MANY MANY More and I shared them in a HOW TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAY HUSTLE Webinar. I am going to present this again POST-THANKSGIVING because there are still holidays left. If you want more details. #staytuned
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