How do you keep the weight off during Thanksgiving?

devinberglundjoubert

Hello All,
I was just wondering what you all are planning on doing for the holidays to keep off extra unwanted weight? And how you will deal with eating healthily? I have a feeling it's going to be hard for me, because I really love Thanksgiving food and goodies! Any ideas, links, or help would be muchly appreciated!

cwolfman13

Well, it's one day...you don't get fat in one day.

Mokey41

Portion control. Eat the foods you like in smaller quantities. You don't have to eat until you need to undo your pants to enjoy yourself.

Siansonea

Eat under my calorie limit most of the time.

Debbie_Ferr

Pre-plan the best you can, be accountable for your actions, accept the outcome, then get over it and move on.

1 - Pre-plan your food .
2 - Eat something healthy before the big meal, to curb your appetite.
3 - Up your water consumption
4- Log everything you eat.
5- ACCEPT that exercising will NOT cancel out your calorie consuption for the weekend..
6- ACCEPT that you most likely NOT be within you calorie/macro targets for the weekend.
7- Do the best you can, then let go of it. Take a deep breath, smile, and move on.

for me, by COMMITTING to log everything I eat, it keeps me in check.
there's definetely times I don't consume something, 'cause I know I'll have to log it. It saves me from reaching for that extra cookie, or that 2nd serving of stuffing.

p4ulmiller

Eat under my calorie limit most of the time.

I'm in the uk. My calories don't count during your "thanksgiving".

MB_Positif

The same way I have kept weight off for the last two years. I eat food in moderation.

YouHadMyCuriosity

Keep up with my calorie goals and exercise all the days around it, plus adding in a couple extra workouts to give myself some wiggle room.

Usually, at Thanksgiving dinner, I let myself enjoy! It is one day, and if I tell myself I CANNOT have certain things, I just get resentful. I do, however, usually load up my heaping plate with everything I want, with the caveat that I will not go back for seconds. One extra full dinner plate will always satisfy me, and I know that I usually end up eating less if I pile everything I want on in one go, rather than taking "smaller" portions, but going back 3 times.

zephtalah

Well, it's one day...you don't get fat in one day.

^This and moderation. Don't gorge, but it is okay to enjoy a favorite dessert now and then.

POTELoewee

portion control is so important during the holidays. I also log everything I eat, especially during this time. If I truly want something that will put me over my calorie goal for the day, I exercise first to "bank the calories" per se. It is amazing how sometimes the food isn't worth it if you look at it in the sense of how many minutes you have to exercise to eat it.

FitnessTim

In my experience, It's not just one day. Overindulging during the holidays just triggers all the old bad eating habits.

I'm planning on counting my calories on Thanksgiving just like any other day. Turkey breast is pretty good and there will be lots of vegetables to choose from. I'll still be able to enjoy the meal with my family.

I'll be having fresh fruit for dessert - no whip cream.

Every holiday meal, we say a few words about the people we've lost. I started to realize that most of those that passed, died from weight-related diseases, heart attack, complications from diabetes, etc. With that in mind, I have no interest in overeating.

scubasuenc

Plan for that special treat that you know you are going to have. For example, I'm making a pumpkin cheesecake, and I am damn well going to have a piece. But I know how many calories it is, and I intend to find those calories within my daily limit. I will eat a little less of other things and make sure to get my exercise in. Also, most days I don't eat all of my exercise calories, but I will allow myself to do so on Thanksgiving....

Athijade

My thinking is this...

I did not get fat from Thanksgiving and Christmas. I got fat from all the other days that I ate like crap.

As such, I still enjoy my holidays with my own traditions. I will be making a peanut butter pie.

stephcbms

I'm definitely going to have plenty of healthy choices along with the traditional stuff And plan on sending most of the leftovers home with my son. Also I'm going to log everything, that helps me stay on track.

samammay

Well, it's one day...you don't get fat in one day.

This.

Kevvboy

I like to "bank" a few extra workouts - a nice fast bike ride on Thanksgiving morning makes you feel you've totally earned that big dinner. And I make it a big one - but I try to take "spa helpings." Just the amount of food that will give you two or three satisfying bites of that flavor - then on to the next good thing. Don't feel guilty - enjoy your food.

clb105

You need to adjust your scale back about 10 lbs and then you can eat all you want! LOL :laugh:

No, Seriously for me what I've done was take a small portion of everything I liked just for enough to taste and enjoy it, but not over do it at the same time. I usually have found it was enough and I was not hungry afterwards and not overly stuffed either.
Also keeping up with the exercising during at least part of the week helps too. That seemed to help me to keep off the extra pounds during the holidays. Hope that helps and good luck!!

Flabulousss

Have a light breakfast & lunch, eat thanksgiving dinner, have some dessert, go to bed.

edit: I think I've never struggled too much with this holiday (or any holiday really) because I'm always so damn busy trying to get gawgeous the morning of, before traveling some distance to go see relatives. So I usually forget to eat very much, or at all. Pro tip: get really vain the day of, and forget all your calorie troubles. Or go out and exercise like normal people do.

Ed98043

My plan is to eat whatever I want on Thanksgiving day, then get rid of all the leftovers except the turkey meat (skin goes in the garbage), not weigh myself for a couple of days afterwards and carry on as usual. At most I might eat enough surplus calories to gain a pound so I'm not worried about it.

Debbie_Ferr

My thinking is this...

I did not get fat from Thanksgiving and Christmas. I got fat from all the other days that I ate like crap.

As such, I still enjoy my holidays with my own traditions. I will be making a peanut butter pie.

THIS

Let's remember.... You have to consume approx an additional 3,500 calories to gain a pound.
So chances are your weight gain from Thanksgiving is 90% sodium water retention, and you should bounce back just fine in a couple of days, as long as you resume your mfp good habits once the day is over.

aimforhealthy

I plan to go for an hour-long walk after Thanksgiving dinner and spend most of the weekend out-of-doors as well. Nice way to get out of doors and get some fresh air. Portion control and accepting that I might either maintain or put on a pound. I'm making dinner this year, so I'm keeping an eye on lower-calorie, leaner options.

Debbie_Ferr

I think I'm going to keep my Thanksgiving recipes, as is.

but for those of you considering tweeking your recipes, here's an interesting article on how to cut calories when preparing some of the classic T-day dishes....

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/5-healthy-thanksgiving-dishes-with-classic-roots.html/?ref=YF

Mr_Knight

I was just wondering what you all are planning on doing for the holidays to keep off extra unwanted weight?

Every forkful is a choice.

That means the power is completely in my own hands.

What could be better than that?

gigglesinthesun

I always feel that it's not the big celebration meals that made me gain weight, it's the small treats that I let myself have during the rest of the time.

3500 cals in addition to my normal maintenance is actually quite a lot of food in one go. However 1 Christmas biscuit is 100 calories and if I have 1 maybe 2 in addition to my maintenance every day of December that is in the worst case scenario (2 every day) 6100 calories extra and I won't feel like I have totally overindulged either.

ninerbuff

For me it's a combination of extra exercise and portion control.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Lyadeia

I stay on schedule with my workout plan through the week that Thanksgiving falls in, and I also stick to my normal meal plans for everyday other than Thursday. Then I don't get all upset when I have some tasty foods on Thanksgiving. Friday I am back on my normal schedule, only with more turkey dishes for dinner, lol.

The problem with Thanksgiving for most people isn't the actual meal or that specific day, it is the lack of self control to not continue to eat like a glutton afterwards.

Darcie45

Thank you for posting this. This has been weighing on my mind quite heavily lately. I will keep to my normal routine with my walks and log everything. The thing I am actually stressing about is taking the time to input the recipes and calculate the calories per serving since I will be making everything. But that's ok, I can do it and you can too!

loriq41

I am quick adding a best estimate because this is one of very few days I am not going to overevaluate my food choices. I will exercise Thanksgiving morning, I have gone a bit under on calories since last Sunday, I will load up on veggies and only eat the things I truly love ..I cannot guarantee moderation. Then I will climb back on the wagon and hit the gym friday also (and avoid the scale for a few days...no biggie!

rosemary98

light breakfast and lunch. load up on fresh veggies and salad along with portion controlled high-calorie goodies. stay within maintenance calories--i am forgetting about my deficit for that day.

SmartAlec03211988

I will keep the weight off by not treating every day like Thanksgiving. Just Thanksgiving like Thanksgiving.

Nobody gets fat in a day.

skullshank

Well, it's one day...you don't get fat in one day.

this.

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