Foods to Avoid for thanksgiving

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BrittanyLynne21
BrittanyLynne21 Posts: 66 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So my family is a big eater family. And I'm sooo nervous for thanksgiving that I've been freaking out and I have not even been eating very much already b/c the stress of gaining is getting to me. My family is very big and they were discusing the menu for thanksgiving and so far it's Turkey and a Ham, mash potatoes, cheesy potatoes, baked beans, garlic green beans, 5 different type of pies, rolls, ice cream, cheese tray, stuffing, baked corn. Ahhhhh so much food. and then my family will eat it everyday for left overs =[ please anyone who can give me advice on foods to avoid or how to control this in some way so I don't gain weight why I'm home from break. Last year I gained 8 pounds over break. THIS CAN NOT HAPPEN AGAIN if anything I want to lose.. So stressed

Replies

  • jakejacobsen
    jakejacobsen Posts: 595 Member
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    punch the foods in and decide what your going to eat before hand
  • mandyc1108
    mandyc1108 Posts: 57 Member
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    Go more towards protein (turkey!) and less towards the carbs. Try to avoid the starchy dishes.
  • 21karensmith
    21karensmith Posts: 50 Member
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    Exercise, portion control, and lots and lots of water :happy: Good luck!!!!
  • nudqt
    nudqt Posts: 98
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    Great idea,Jake....thanks.
  • Joannguido
    Joannguido Posts: 67
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    you can taste various foods. Keyword is taste. a table spoon of this a bit of that. I find if I deprive myself of the food I only want it more. So I TASTE a bit of everything. And drink plenty of water to fill you a bit. I come from an Italian family, need I say more???? I intend to hit the gym first thing Thursday morning and again on Friday!! I may go for a walk between courses too!!!!!! Good Luck
  • Cathleenr
    Cathleenr Posts: 332
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    punch the foods in and decide what your going to eat before hand


    yup. plan ahead. eat what you want, as long as it fits.
  • kiwi1855
    kiwi1855 Posts: 218 Member
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    Sample everything. Take a little bit, fill the majority of your plate with veggies. Offer to bring/make a dessert, do your research and make one that you can eat without feeling guilty. Use a smaller plate (helps psychologically - seriously!). And don't let peer pressure get to you.

    Take small bites, chew thoroughly, savor each mouthful. Put your cutlery down in between each bite and take a sip of water. Spread out your meal time wise and you will feel fuller quicker (I use this every day... my lunch at work - I can eat at my desk - takes about 2 hours from start to end because I eat so slowly now!).

    Bottom line though, is to not beat yourself up about it. It is one day. One day will not make or break you. You didn't put the weight on in one day, and you won't lose it in one day. And any gains will likely be water weight. Remember 3500 calories are the equivalent of 1lb, so unless you are going to eat 28000 calories over your limit in one day, you won't gain 8lbs of anything except water weight. Enjoy, just set your limits ahead of time.
  • sufikitkat
    sufikitkat Posts: 596 Member
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    punch the foods in and decide what your going to eat before hand

    ^^^ This for sure AND stick to portion sizes :-) Try to split your plate into four sections: 1 for meat, 1 for stuffing/potatoes, 1 for veggies, 1 for dessert and/or one extra bonus section. Watch how much gravy you use and for things like cheesy potatoes, cut the serving size in half. Also, since there are so many pies, take a smaller square section of each variety so you get a bit of everything without going over. Hope this helps and also remember this: Just enjoy yourself and know that the fact you are thinking ahead about this is a huge accomplishment in your journey :-)
  • moremari
    moremari Posts: 119 Member
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    Great plan!
  • red_hatorade
    red_hatorade Posts: 166
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    I say eat on Thanksgiving, but the day after go right back to your "dieting". Me and my fiance love to eat, and every year would make tons of food. We are making the same foods this year, but only enough for a days worth of eating. I will eat what I want on Thanksgiving, but then resort right back to watching what i eat and counting every calorie.
  • msbanana
    msbanana Posts: 793 Member
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    Avoid everything that tastes good...


    Seriously, If you need a list of the stuff that's particularly bad for you think anything CREAMY, CHEESY, STARCHY (like potatoes), or SWEET... but then you miss out on all the good stuff.

    BUT THAT'S NO FUN!!!!! Here's what I do: When you fill your plate, think 1/3 of the plate should be turkey 1/3 of the plate veggies (like the garlic green beans provided they aren't smothered in cream sauce or something crazy), the last 1/3 of your plate is for the good stuff you don't get very often (stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, whatever) but you get only what fits in that 1/3. And then for desert I split a piece of whatever pie I want and skip the topping (ice cream or whipped cream). When I do it this way I don't feel like I've missed out and when I'm done I'm the only one left at the table that doesn't want to unbutton their pants and lay on the floor.

    Hope that helps!!
  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
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    Don't have more than a bite of PECAN pie!!! It's my personal favorite and also the heaviest! But this year I'll focus on pumpkin or something lighter like that instead. ;) And don't let anyone pressure you into eating when you've decided you're done!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Avoid everything that tastes good...


    Seriously, If you need a list of the stuff that's particularly bad for you think anything CREAMY, CHEESY, STARCHY (like potatoes), or SWEET... but then you miss out on all the good stuff.

    very scoobyesque, please explain why creamy, cheesy, starchy and sweet things are "bad for you"?

    OP eat whatever you want and get back on track on friday, 1 day doesn't make a big difference and if you have been dieting consistently a large refeed could be beneficial
  • llamalland
    llamalland Posts: 246 Member
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    you can taste various foods. Keyword is taste. a table spoon of this a bit of that. I find if I deprive myself of the food I only want it more. So I TASTE a bit of everything. And drink plenty of water to fill you a bit. I come from an Italian family, need I say more???? I intend to hit the gym first thing Thursday morning and again on Friday!! I may go for a walk between courses too!!!!!! Good Luck

    ...and savor each bite. The smell, the texture, the taste... then move on to a small bite of something else. If people pressure you to "oh, it's just one day, eat more!", just smile and think of the progress you've made so far. And, remember, in reality, it IS just one day-in spite of leftovers- and you aren't going to be thrown off track by one day!

    Have a good time with your family-there are other ways to enjoy each others' company besides eating. Grab a couple of them and go for a walk after dinner, notice how much better your body feels with a few pounds off, and remember that your are (perhaps the first) one in your family to take this step toward improving your health, they are proud of you, and perhaps are looking to you as an example. They just may be a little unsure how to encourage you...
  • 3ricaAnn
    3ricaAnn Posts: 288
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    punch the foods in and decide what your going to eat before hand


    yup. plan ahead. eat what you want, as long as it fits.

    This is EXACTLY what I did already!! I am making everything so I added the recies to my recipe box on here and added to my diary from there. I am over 400 but I will burn a lot cooking all of this and cleaning up and I'm black friday shopping Friday so extra walking! And I am going to try my best to avoid all drinks and just drink water but not sure how that is going to work yet! And I plan on working out when I get home just incase I go a little over board despite my planning. Good luck!!
  • Cowenlaw1
    Cowenlaw1 Posts: 106 Member
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    My buddy and I are planning a 30-mile bike ride on Thursday morning. We are then going to eat whatever we want. With all the calories we are going to burn, we can't gain that much weight going hog wild for one meal.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    You won't get away without being full. 1) Go for the turkey / ham first get LOTS of it. Make someone say "Damn girl, whatcha gon do wit all that slab."

    2) Get a lil bit of other things that look good. Some carbs / fat. Sit down and enjoy.

    3) Save room for dessert.

    Most importantly, enjoy the time with your family. One meal like this isn't going to make you gain a ton of weight. Plan a workout the morning of and the day after. I know you're still stressing so be sure you log it all well, and then work it off to clear your mind of it.
  • msbanana
    msbanana Posts: 793 Member
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    Avoid everything that tastes good...


    Seriously, If you need a list of the stuff that's particularly bad for you think anything CREAMY, CHEESY, STARCHY (like potatoes), or SWEET... but then you miss out on all the good stuff.

    very scoobyesque, please explain why creamy, cheesy, starchy and sweet things are "bad for you"?

    OP eat whatever you want and get back on track on friday, 1 day doesn't make a big difference and if you have been dieting consistently a large refeed could be beneficial

    If the OP is looking to cut calories on turkey day creamy, cheesey, starchy and sweet things tend to be the most calorie laden. They are "bad for you" if you're concerned with cutting fat and cals even on a holiday. If you continued to read- I gave a game plan for getting to eat those things but doing so in moderation. And for anyone who isn't familiar the "avoid everything that tastes good" was a nod to the late Jack Lalane who said "if it tastes good spit it out!"

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