Anyone else panicking over Thanksgiving???
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tifanietiberio
Posts: 76 Member
so i was asked to join my firm's wellness committee ( i know...........what?!?) and i need to submit an article for our november newsletter. so i am doing a couple of healthy recipies and a list of substitutions (egg whites for eggs, etc)- actually i will paste it into the end of this post.........
anyway, it got me really worried about thanksgiving and the holidays in general. when i am controlling what i am eating i don't really have a tough time, but i will be at my dad's house with my aunt and then probably with my best friend's family- and i will be really aware of portion sizes, etc. but i LOVE thanksgiving- like LOVE all thanksgiving food- and i am just really worried about how to deal with it, how to log it, etc. Or do i just really cut back during the week before and call it a freebie day? Or do i do the most obnoxious thing possible and bring a lean cuisine turkey/mashed potato meal with me and not eat anything else.
if i do eat actual thanksgiving dinner, here is what i will not compromise on- mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, turkey (obvi) and deviled eggs. i actually thought it would be nice to maybe take a pumpkin cheesecake to my friend's and then i looked up the calories and wanted to cry.
then as we get into christmas, etc the amount of random cookies and candy around my office is going to be insane. not to mention the umpteen holiday parties i have to attend.... i am more worried about fitting copious amounts of alcohol in with a minimal amount of food than i am party food.
I know i can try to throw some physical activity in there to balance it, but i am not working currently, and i cannot guarantee that i can get into any kind of a groove any time soon. or at least in a way that would have any kind of effect.
so i guess i am just wondering if anyone else is freaking out, and what you are strategizing to get through it.
And here is what i found as far as helpful substitutions, etc.
Turkey:
When you roast your turkey, use lemon juice for flavor and to keep it moist and extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. You can use a variety of seasonings to rub on the turkey, including, sea salt, black pepper, garlic, rosemary, thyme and parsley. The turkey will pop with flavor and you will not miss the traditional fatty version.
Light meat lower fat content than dark meat.
Avoid eating the skin.
Fill your plate with lean protein and vegetables, with the smallest percentage of the meal going to breads and starches.
Portion size is important.
Use smaller plates.
Use gravy, dressing, toppings sparingly.
Drink extra water- helps keep you feeling full and helps deter bloating form salty foods.
Recipe calls for... Substitution
1 whole egg 2 egg whites
sour cream low fat plain yogurt or low fat sour cream
milk skim or 1% milk
ice cream frozen yogurt
heavy cream (not for whipping) 1:1 ratio of flour whisked into non fat milk (e.g. 1 cup of flour + 1 cup of non fat milk)
whipped cream chilled evaporated skim milk or other low fat whipped products such as Nutriwhip
cheese low-fat cheese (please note: non-fat cheese does not melt well if use in cooking or baking)
butter light butter
cream of mushroom fat-free cream of mushroom
that's what i got for now...............
anyway, it got me really worried about thanksgiving and the holidays in general. when i am controlling what i am eating i don't really have a tough time, but i will be at my dad's house with my aunt and then probably with my best friend's family- and i will be really aware of portion sizes, etc. but i LOVE thanksgiving- like LOVE all thanksgiving food- and i am just really worried about how to deal with it, how to log it, etc. Or do i just really cut back during the week before and call it a freebie day? Or do i do the most obnoxious thing possible and bring a lean cuisine turkey/mashed potato meal with me and not eat anything else.
if i do eat actual thanksgiving dinner, here is what i will not compromise on- mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, turkey (obvi) and deviled eggs. i actually thought it would be nice to maybe take a pumpkin cheesecake to my friend's and then i looked up the calories and wanted to cry.
then as we get into christmas, etc the amount of random cookies and candy around my office is going to be insane. not to mention the umpteen holiday parties i have to attend.... i am more worried about fitting copious amounts of alcohol in with a minimal amount of food than i am party food.
I know i can try to throw some physical activity in there to balance it, but i am not working currently, and i cannot guarantee that i can get into any kind of a groove any time soon. or at least in a way that would have any kind of effect.
so i guess i am just wondering if anyone else is freaking out, and what you are strategizing to get through it.
And here is what i found as far as helpful substitutions, etc.
Turkey:
When you roast your turkey, use lemon juice for flavor and to keep it moist and extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. You can use a variety of seasonings to rub on the turkey, including, sea salt, black pepper, garlic, rosemary, thyme and parsley. The turkey will pop with flavor and you will not miss the traditional fatty version.
Light meat lower fat content than dark meat.
Avoid eating the skin.
Fill your plate with lean protein and vegetables, with the smallest percentage of the meal going to breads and starches.
Portion size is important.
Use smaller plates.
Use gravy, dressing, toppings sparingly.
Drink extra water- helps keep you feeling full and helps deter bloating form salty foods.
Recipe calls for... Substitution
1 whole egg 2 egg whites
sour cream low fat plain yogurt or low fat sour cream
milk skim or 1% milk
ice cream frozen yogurt
heavy cream (not for whipping) 1:1 ratio of flour whisked into non fat milk (e.g. 1 cup of flour + 1 cup of non fat milk)
whipped cream chilled evaporated skim milk or other low fat whipped products such as Nutriwhip
cheese low-fat cheese (please note: non-fat cheese does not melt well if use in cooking or baking)
butter light butter
cream of mushroom fat-free cream of mushroom
that's what i got for now...............
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Replies
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Not worried at all. I'm having thanksgiving at my parents' house, and I don't keep things that don't belong on my diet at my house. Thanksgiving is my first planned cheat day since I started losing weight, and I'm gonna enjoy every hour of it. Sure I'll weigh a few more pounds the next day, but it took years to gain the weight I'm trying to lose, and one day isn't going to balloon me up again.
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Same - No Worries here. I just am planning alot of work outs that week so I can enjoy my day!0
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JUST had a 907 calorie LUNCH here at work because we had our Thanksgiving today.
So yeah, I'm freaking out and the actual holiday is 2 weeks away.
The good news is that I'm taking Salsa lessons tonight at my gym so I'll be taking some of that 907 off.0 -
Nope. I'm gonna eat what I want and enjoy the day. One day is not going to torpedo months of hard work.0
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One or 2 days of indulgence isn't going to break the bank, especially if you think about all the healthy options there are at the dinner table. Gravy is probably the only thing I'm going to even be conscious of, never mind go easy on.
Turkey and sweet potato??? Those are better than what I generally eat anyways!0 -
Not worried at all... I already planned our Thanksgiving menu ahead of time and it will allow me to stay on-program with no issue at all.0
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P.S. Don't just do the egg whites. Turns out real eggs actually help lower your cholesterol. Not kidding. If they are organic, free range omega 3 eggs they have many health benefits. Don't diss the egg! Ask anyone that's over 100 years old...they all say they eat eggs daily.
Here you go: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=920 -
Same - No Worries here. I just am planning alot of work outs that week so I can enjoy my day!
This!! I'm going to enjoy the day! Will try to log as best as I can, but if I go over, it's not the end of the world. That is to say, I won't go out of my way to pig out, i'll have smaller portions and will TRY to not go back for seconds...but oh well, if so. Will do lots of exercise the day of and that week, too!0 -
I'm not worried. One turkey dinner can't undo what I've done. I'll still be chiseled on Black Friday and the next Friday and the next Friday and the next Friday...0
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Nooooo. You will never be satisfied with this when you have real food all around you. Just eat some reasonable-ish portions of the regular food. You can enjoy it without over-stuffing yourself.Or do i do the most obnoxious thing possible and bring a lean cuisine turkey/mashed potato meal with me and not eat anything else.
But remember it's ONE day. It's not the whole season. Don't use the holidays as an excuse to overeat for a whole month, and you'll be fine.
And stay off the scale the day after.0 -
i am a little, but as some of the above say, it wont kill us..we have been busting our booties, and thanksgiving is meant to be enjoyed, so overeat, do extra workouts, whatever you feel comfy with..good luck:drinker:0
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I started a thread on this the other day...
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got is to skip the stuff you can get year round and enjoy "seasonal" treats instead. So that means I pass on things like mashed potatoes, bread, mac and cheese, etc. I can get all of that at any time. And quite frankly, I don't eat a lot of it anyway. And I honestly have no problem skipping most store bought sweets like pumpkin pie or cookies.
But things like my homemade sweet potato pie, or my mom's chocolate chip cookies I only get at this time of year. So those are the things I enjoy.0 -
Same - No Worries here. I just am planning alot of work outs that week so I can enjoy my day!
This!! I'm going to enjoy the day! Will try to log as best as I can, but if I go over, it's not the end of the world. That is to say, I won't go out of my way to pig out, i'll have smaller portions and will TRY to not go back for seconds...but oh well, if so. Will do lots of exercise the day of and that week, too!
This.0 -
It's one day. Maybe 2. You're not going to get fat over one day, unless you eat the entire spread all by yourself. Eat what you love, don't overstuff yourself, and don't weigh in until the following week so you have time to flush the excess water weight out of your system.0
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ME! I'm panicking! I'm considering spending the holiday alone to keep me out of my Mom's kitchen...0
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Same - No Worries here. I just am planning alot of work outs that week so I can enjoy my day!
This!! I'm going to enjoy the day! Will try to log as best as I can, but if I go over, it's not the end of the world. That is to say, I won't go out of my way to pig out, i'll have smaller portions and will TRY to not go back for seconds...but oh well, if so. Will do lots of exercise the day of and that week, too!
Ditto! I worked too hard to get where I am now to "sabatage" it...I probably will not log my food so I am not stressed out...I didn't log my food for a long weekend trip we took and the scale went down that week still...I might indulge in a few things I normally wouldn't, but I agree, one day is not going to hurt anything...PLUS, for me, we are running in a 5K on Turkey Day so I get to sneak in a little extra that day...don't stress yourself out! Enjoy yourself!0 -
i know i tend to be a little anxious in general
but i guess my fear is i have worked so hard to cut all of that stuff from my diet. i mean i never go over on my calories even, bc i know that the first time i make an exception, i'm cooked. i know myself, i am pretty much addicted to food- my concern is the snowballing out of control. i am going to try really hard, but i don't know if i have developed that kind of restraint in less than 6 months.0 -
I plan on eating massive quantities, and getting back on track the next day0
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Don't panic over any food or meal. Food is not meant to be feared or stressed over. One meal will never destroy everything you've accomplished or throw you off from your ultimate goal. Enjoy Thanksgiving. Eat what you normally eat, spend time chatting with friends and family rather than worrying about the calories or macros on your plate.
It makes me sad when I see people freaking out over whether they can have cake on their birthday or splurge while on vacation. These changes we're making here are meant to be sustainable for the rest of our lives. That means adapting not eliminating. I plan on eating birthday cake, a couple of plates of Thanksgiving fixings and a massive piece of Christmas lasagna (Italian in-laws) every single year. I don't suddenly wake up the next day with all the weight I've lost back on my body because I didn't eat right for a meal or a day. And I don't stop eating healthy and more moderately the days following simply because I had one great meal.
It's food, family, love and happiness. A day to give thanks for everything that we have in life and that includes the enjoyment of being to have a meal like that when so many others don't. Enjoy every last bite of home made mashed potaoes made with real cream and butter, every drop of hot, fat-flavor enriched gravy, every crumb of fresh stuffing made with hearty bread, every morsel of sweet, chunky cranberry relish, each layer of delicious candied sweet potato and definitely every last bit of both white and dark meat roasted turkey with the crispy skin that it was meant to be eaten with. And just enjoy the beauty of the day and the food in front of you. 0 -
I like your list - can I add orange juice and apple juice for the turkey? It makes a great brine and a great "moist-alternative" while cooking! Also, there's no need for stuffing in a turkey, not adding it helps to keep the food healthier!
And for eating - I don't panic over food, but I do try and moderate...
As mentioned, only eat foods that you consider "special occasion" - that bread from the grocery store? forget it! That homemade herb bread? Try a small piece! Don't even look twice at store bought pumpkin pies or even whipped cream! If the food really looks good, get a little bit but there's no reason to go crazy with piling stuff on. Consider putting a second plate on top of your first one, if the food is too high and the plates can't touch, it's too much food.
Finally, if you feel you are too weak to get back on the healthy eating wagon the next day, then make a list of food ahead of time, add the calories, and stick to it. Otherwise, enjoy yourself and move on back to good eating the day after. Thanksgiving and Christmas are only 1 day each (or ya know, 2-3 days each for some people) out of 365 days - no reason to let them rule your life!0
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