Thanksgiving-Strategies to Stay on Track!

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  • tigerlinly
    tigerlinly Posts: 219 Member
    usually at 9 or 10 that mornign a breakfast of eggs, maybe pancakes or biscuts and gravy

    around 3-4 when the family gets there its turkey, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, broccoli casserole, peas, giblet gravy, dressing, wild rice and the list goes on. desserts include caramel apple pie, chocolate mousse pie, pumpkin pie, fudge, pecan pie banana pudding and much more
  • barb1241
    barb1241 Posts: 324 Member
    For us, it's as close as we can get for "healthy" turkey day food.

    Turkey
    Mashed Cauliflower
    Betty Crocker homestyle stuffing w/ apples and onions added
    pumpkin pie....sort of...recipe from hungry girl website
    fresh raw veg for me
    cooked green beans from fresh for hubs

    There are just the two of us, so no need to go overboard. Pretty much covered our favorites except the decadent marshmallow/sour cream/pineapple/walnuts/etc. salad which is just waaaay more than needed. We will take leftovers for dinner out of town the next couple of nights after.

    Barb
  • rubberbiscuit
    rubberbiscuit Posts: 128
    My kids are in the marching band, so I'm going to the high school football game in the morning. One nice thing about this (besides not having to play hostess), is I'll get to my mom's house after everyone has already eaten the appetizers. Every year I make a sugar-free, crustless pumpkin pie, and a low-sugar cranberry sauce, so those are two safe to eat things. Everything else I'll do in moderation. I won't deprive myself and I'll try at least a little bit of everything on the table. (Well, I might skip the pecan pie!). I'll try to concentrate on the turkey and vegetables, and I'll only taste the potatoes and stuffing. After dinner, I might be able to talk my hubby into going for a walk and if it's nice outside, I might challenge the little kids to some kickball.

    At least this is the plan.
  • Tranquil_Miche
    Tranquil_Miche Posts: 66
    I will be at work. The Thanksgiving meal at the hospital is horrible (I had it last year), so I will be taking my lunch like normal and eat turkey leftovers my husband brings home from the festivities. We usually make our own turkey on the weekend when I'm off, but we don't do the extras.
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
    People, it's one meal! I say, workout hard all week. Eat what you want that day and continue to workout hard that weekend. Don't worry about it. You are not going to gain 10lbs over a meal!
  • psarah
    psarah Posts: 84
    I'm planning on cooking my favoriyes but with a healthy spin. Then eating in modertaion. I will also make sure i work out that morning with my 60 min of the eliptical; :):happy:
  • nikinyx6
    nikinyx6 Posts: 772 Member
    It was probably a poor strategy...but I ate no breakfast, just coffee, then loaded my plate with everything except potatoes and rolls (why waste calories on white things?) I tallied it all up, and everything i ate was still undert 900 calories...not that bad really...
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
    I'm planning on cooking my favoriyes but with a healthy spin. Then eating in modertaion. I will also make sure i work out that morning with my 60 min of the eliptical; :):happy:

    ^This.
    I love turkey, but only the breast meat anyway so that is a healthy choice. A taste of everything, but try to make healthier sides.
    I am doing a 5K Turkey trot the morning of, and probably a walk in the late afternoon too.
  • angiechimpanzee
    angiechimpanzee Posts: 536 Member
    I'm going to eat whatever I want on Thanksgiving lol. And then after that, it's right back on track like nothing happened.
  • ThisIsMaggie
    ThisIsMaggie Posts: 31 Member
    I did this last year and it worked perfectly. I assume most people could find someone to count on...For me it was my husband.

    I knew ahead of time what was going to be served, also buffet style. Or at least had an idea.
    I also made sure what I brought (the pies) were "healthy/low cal" options.
    Me and my husband talk over the entire meal days before, over and over. What I wanted, what I didn't need...I am a sucker for mashed potatoes, that's my struggle year after year.
    Anyways, long story short, I had discussed every detail of my Thanksgiving lunch with my husband and when the time came he knew exactly how much I wanted of which foods and went through the buffet for me. I also made sure to put dessert on the dinner plate, everything on one plate means less for, for me anyway.
    Overall my Strategies are:
    1) Have a well understanding of the Thanksgiving menu
    2) Bring a dish that typically is fattening, but make it health-ier.
    3) Discuss plating with a friend/family member/hubby
    4) Have the friend go through the buffet for you
    5) Put everyone on one plate...dessert too.

    6) Oh yeah, and drink lots of water before, during, and after you're meal...Really pound the water when you have to watch everyone else go for seconds, or thirds!

    Good luck!
  • NoisyAstronomer
    NoisyAstronomer Posts: 9 Member
    I'm nervous about this, too. My first Thanksgiving while watching what I eat.

    I couldn't do the gum chewing thing. That only makes me MORE hungry. My belly is like, you are chewing but there's no food coming! What gives?!

    Usually I stuff myself til it hurts. This year I plan to stop when I'm ACTUALLY FULL. Most days I'm under my calorie goal, so in the long run it averages out. (I've had this come up before when going to Indian restaurants. That is worse than Thanksgiving for me.)
  • BPayton27
    BPayton27 Posts: 626 Member
    I am planning on enjoying myself this Thanksgiving. I am not going to eat until I want to vomit, but I am going to eat without obsessing. I've been at this for a year now and am pretty comfortable giving myself a day a week. Enjoy your holiday! Like others have said, it's a lifestyle. Keep active to compensate and strive for progress, not perfection.
  • Car0lynnM
    Car0lynnM Posts: 332 Member
    I will take one reasonable spoonful of all my favorites, and a small piece of each of my favorite desserts, and even some wine. I will workout that morning, and drink plenty of water throughout the day. The most important part is that I will enjoy the day with my family. I love Thanksgiving!!
  • DKWaggoner
    DKWaggoner Posts: 185
    i doubt the gym will be open that day my love :)
    I'm planning on cooking my favoriyes but with a healthy spin. Then eating in modertaion. I will also make sure i work out that morning with my 60 min of the eliptical; :):happy:
  • jnn0409
    jnn0409 Posts: 171 Member
    My plan is to have half a plate of vegetables, and the other half whatever I want.

    ...And a slice of pie.

    Great idea! Thanks :)
  • babeinthemoon
    babeinthemoon Posts: 471 Member
    The worst for me though is going to be stuffing.... it is my favorite part of the meal and something that I cannot have. This will be the first Thanksgiving since becoming 100% gluten free.

    My MIL makes a stuffing that has almost no bread (or no bread, I can't remember) and wild rice, water chestnuts & corn with other yummy things. Geeze I wish I could remember more about it. In any case, it has normal stuffing spices, and is really really yummy. If you want me to get the recipe from her, message me!

    My FIL is vegan, so it makes Thanksgiving dinner really really interesting. I think we'll be roasting a turkey again and bringing it with us. And my husband always makes a Cranberry gelatin salad w/ walnuts, celery and marshmellows on top (in perfect little rows because he is OCD on that kind-of thing.

    I don't like the Cranberry salad, so I'll probably have turkey, wildrice stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, gravy & a roll. I might have pumpkin pie, but I'm not sure. It isn't my favorite, but I do enjoy it on Thanksgiving.
  • a_crotty
    a_crotty Posts: 225 Member
    I have 3 Thanksgivings this year over 3 weeks. So my plan is, small portions and work out twice that day rather than my usual once. When I have mine here at my home, I plan to do healthier option variances to classics. Sugar free desserts, healthy appetizers etc and I too will log my everything.

    I am just starting out so I hope that this works.

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