How are you getting ready for Thanksgiving?

working my butt off until Thanksgiving I am not counting on Thanksgiving though... and gonna do a 24 hour fast starting Thanksgiving night... it's all part of my plan anyways. I always fast on Fridays...LOL

Good question!

1) I'm planning my week so that Thursday will be my "cheat day" for that week (not easy, since Tuesday and Wednesday I will be driving from Seattle to San Jose with my family, and therefore eating every meal in kid-friendly restaurants!)

2) I'm deliberately aiming myself at ONE Thanksgiving-specific food: turkey. Which isn't all that fattening. I intend to eat all the turkey I want, and other than that try to stick to salads and vegetables, not mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes or gravy or stuffings or anything like that. If I just stick to turkey and veggies, I can probably eat a lot of them and still not be TOO far over my calorie target.

3) I'm conscientiously writing down everything I eat here on the food chart. Even that day. I want to be aware of how many calories I'm consuming, even if I don't actually limit myself because of the knowledge. It will really help me decide whether I actually WANT another slice of turkey or am just taking it because it was offered.

4) I don't see how I'm going to be able to resist dessert. So I am deciding in advance that I may have one small sliver of pie, any flavor they have that I want, and I'm going to enjoy the heck out of it... but that's all. Hopefully that won't be too high-calorie, and it will leave me not feeling sulky because everybody gets dessert and I don't. I'll just savor it slowly.

Hope some of those ideas can help other people! I'll let you know how it goes after I try it out!

I honestly haven't even thought about it. I'll be traveling to Cali but won't stop working out. I'm just going to try and eat as healthy as possible. And when I have that big huge piece of apple pie a la mode, it'll be okay cuz I'll just pick right up where I left off the next day.

The keys are portion control and a balanced meal. Make sure you eat your veggies along with that ugly-but-delicious bird. My personal "trick" is to eat as much of my veggies as I can first, and then dig into the proteins. Save the stuffing for last.

As long as your "splurges" don't turn into "binges," you'll be fine.


Brian

Headed to the mountains for a week of hiking and rock hopping (and shopping). And since we are out of town and I don't cook for Thanksgiving (all hails back to when my husband died) I've made reservations. I may have one HUGE meal but no left overs to pick at.

Long but here's the menu to choose from buffet style. Y'all can help (but I'm totally eating - one meal of 3000 won't kill my effort)

HORS D'OEUVRES, BREADS & SOUPS
Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup - ewww
Potato, Grilled onion and Corn Chowder - ewwwww
Holiday Cheese & Fruit Display - YES
Deviled Egg Salad with Crostini - ewwwww
Roasted Tomatillo Queso Dip With Tortilla Chips - ewwwww
Biscuits, Cornbread, Fresh-baked Rolls - I'll HAVE A FEW

CENTER OF THE THANKSGIVING TABLE
Roasted Fresh Tom Turkey With Giblet Gravy & Cranberry Sauce - MEH
Sage, Onion, & Cornbread Dressing - YUM
Baked Fresh Ham With Cider, Bay and Sage Jus - OH HECK YEAH
Mountain Trout, crusted, With Lemon Butter - YES PLEASE
North Carolina Sweet Potato and Caramelized Pecan Pudding - FAVORITE
Creamy Smashed Bliss Potatoes - YEP
Buttered Roasted Sweet Corn and Red Pepper Medley - ewwww
Baked Green Bean and Fried Onion Casserole - ewwwww
Braised Collard Greens With Ham Hock - NUMMY
Baked Macaroni & Cheese - YES PLEASE
Roasted Root Vegetables - DEPENDS

FROM THE RIVERS & THE SEA
Mountain Trout, Crusted, With Lemon Butter - ALL OVER THIS ONE
Steamed Shrimp With Cocktail and Rémoulade Sauces - AND THIS ONE
Maryland Crab Cakes - OUT OF MY WAY CAUSE THESE ARE MIINE
Dilled Creek Shrimp and Bay Scallops Pasta Salad - OH HAYLE YEAH

SALAD ARRAY
Apple and Dried Cranberry Waldorf Salad - NOPE
Heavenly Pineapple-Mango Ambrosia Salad - MAYBE
Feta, Cucumber & Red Onion Salad Vinaigrette - NOPE
Sweet Pea, Red Onion and Cheddar Salad - YUCK
Garden-Fresh Green Salad with Dressings - YES
Red bliss Potato and Green Onion Salad - NOPE
Marinated "Copper Penny" Carrot Salad - OH DEAR LORD HORK


OUR CHEF’S FINISHING TOUCH - EATING ALL OF THESE
Hearty Pumpkin and Pecan Praline Bread Pudding
Apple Cranberry Cobbler With Chantilly Crème
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Layered Mocha Chocolate, Dried Cherry and Genoise Pudding
Cranberry, Orange and Cream Cheese Gateaux
Classic Pies: Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple
Assorted Cookies

This is a problem for me and I haven't quite decided how I want to handle it yet. Not so much that I can't say no to the foods. I am generally not a huge fan of the thanksgiving foods. And now that my mother has it catered, I like them even less. The problem I am having is deciding what foods I will actually want, and will want to make enough to share with everybody. I have been put in charge of the green bean casserole. This is the one food that has always been my favorite. I insisted mom stop having this one catered because theirs is weird and have made it myself the last couple of years. I think she is not going to be pleased when the green bean casserole is turned into a big plate of freshly steamed green beans but if i am cooking it, i am making what i want...lol. I have been thinking of doing the same thing with asparagus. i will also make the cranberry sauce. and maybe a fruit salad or veggie salad. I am also thinking on making a fairly light dessert, maybe that angel food pinapple thing i have seen on here. I know i will get scolded at by mom because she caters it so we don't have to cook, but i really hate that we cater it anyway...lol.

okay that was mostly a bunch of rambling as i was thinking out loud (umm... through the computer) :-)

my family is coming over, so .............Im hitting the wine ASAP.............

I am working out 2 to 3 hours a day, burning as many calories as I can, then Turkey day, I plan on eating only a few things that are healthy........like the turkey, only a small amt of dressing, but Im going to bake my own sweet potatoe, as I know its healthy to do it this was, as opposed to the sweet potatoe cassorole with the butter, nuts, brown sugar, and marshmallow......
I am going to more or less have the calorie count in my head, as well as working out that evening before Thanksgiving, as I know the gym is closed, so Ill get my work out in .........Im all prepped for it, but like I said, I am having my family over, and wine is the only thing that gets me thru it..........funny thing, I really dont even drink unless they come around, lol...........

Keep me in your prayers and thoughts............Lloyd

im sticking strictly to my calories and trying to add some extra workouts in there. some days im even going to the gym twice to help burn off the extra pudge ... Only to make room for a slice of pumpkin pie of course. but i am also going to florida for xmas so i will be doing alot of cooking and eating out so i am trying to get myself in a really good place for the holidays. I even found a gym down by my dad to go to while im down there.

I am going under my calories on wed. and fri.