11/23/2022
Thanksgiving Day Game Plan
Your “average Thanksgiving Day meal” is between 3000-4500 calories! No wonder we gain weight during this holiday. That does not have to be you! Let’s together come up with a game plan that you can stick to, to avoid sabotaging all your hard work this month at the gym!
1) Cook items yourself
If your grandma is like mine was, there is a whole stick of butter in the mashed potatoes! Offer to bring “extras” of items you prepared/cooked so you know what the exact ingredients and calorie content is.
2) Stick to the BASICS
Think of your Magic Plate and make sure you have your serving size of protein (turkey), your complex carb/starch (sweet or white potatoes), and veggies. SERVING SIZE is about the size of the palm of your hand. No need to fill up on empty calories, don’t waste those workout calories burned on unnecessary appetizers.
3) Pick a small plate
Smaller plate = smaller portions. If you are 75% full after you finished your plate, honor that fullness and DON’T OVERSTUFF. Food comas are SO OVERRATED and uncomfortable!
4) Do you really need seconds???
Especially the starchy foods like potatoes and stuffing, ONE serving is enough. This is where most of the fat and sodium is hidden, in these comfort foods. Resist the temptation and go for the Brussel sprouts.
5) Move Yo’ Body.
Movement is another kind of food for your body. It releases stress, makes you feel great and look great. When you don’t get enough, the body starts to look for other ways to blow off steam, like binging on pumpkin pie. Challenge yourself to do a workout early Thanksgiving morning so you can eat guilt-free later!
6) Check Your Beverages!
Sounds crazy, but sometimes unnecessary calories come from sodas, cocktails, and sweetened beverages that we forget about. Sweet cravings are often a sign of dehydration. So, pound a glass of water, before you eat to help curb cravings and overeating.
7) Avoid the gravy boat
You do not need your turkey floating in a sea of gravy. Most gravies are made from the fat drippings plus corn starch. If you want to cut out the excess calories, then the turkey can fly solo.
