Thanksgiving: Don't Sweat It - Eat It, Log It, Be Proud Of It!
I've seen so many threads already this year expressing concern about Thanksgiving...
"What Can I Eat?"
"How Do I Keep My Family From Thinking I'm Crazy Because I Don't Eat?"
"What's Your Plan For Thanksgiving Calories?"
"How Can I Not Gain This Week?"
"Lowest Calorie Thanksgiving Choices"
These are just a few of the titles I've seen the last couple of weeks, and the agonizing over December Holidays is already beginning as well.
The advice (especially from the veterans) is almost always "It's one day, eat it, enjoy it, move on", which I wholeheartedly agree with. The one caveat I would add is to still log the calories... even if they are nothing more than wild guesses based on not knowing how many sticks of butter grandma uses in her mashed potatoes...
Logging big, indulgent meals like this, can be scary, especially for those who are normally very strict about staying in a deficit, and who emphasize accuracy at all times. A lot of people want to enjoy Thanksgiving and give themselves the day off from logging, and I can certainly respect that! But I also find it to be quite educational (and fun) to make an attempt at logging the meal. It helps provide perspective, about what impact our choices for a single day have on our lasting results. This is my fourth Thanksgiving logging on MFP. Looking back at what I ate, how it added up, and what impact it had on my overall progress, has been really enlightening. Whether it was my first year eating at a strict deficit and worrying that indulging at the holiday would derail my progress, or the second year when I was newly in maintenance and worried that indulging at the holiday would derail my progress, or my third year when I was determined to really enjoy myself, calories be damned... the funny thing is? Every year the total calories I ate has been about the same (between 1700-2100 for the meal + alcohol + dessert) and the results have been the same also.
No Impact On My Weight Whatsoever
So rather than stressing, rather than agonizing about how to log, let's practice our estimation skills and be proud of our day of indulgence! Post your planned menus, favorite Thanksgiving recipes, pics of your plates, creative ways to use leftovers, and most importantly, your calorie estimates for the day. And then don't forget to come back in a week or so and let us know if there was any long term negative impact from a day (or in some cases, multiple days) of indulgence.
I'm guessing there won't be any regrets.... other than maybe wishing you'd had a second piece of pecan pie after all.
