What to do about Thanksgiving?

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Replies

  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited November 2015
    I'm eating as much of everything as I want, not spending one second worrying or caring about it, and enjoying every.single.bite. Then getting right back on track the next day and carrying on as usual.

    [ETA:] I'll probably eyeball estimate and log it, just for the amusement of seeing how many calories I eat.
  • hannahadrianna
    hannahadrianna Posts: 8 Member
    I'm not dieting. I'm changing my lifestyle...which includes holiday meals. Since I cook for Thanksgiving (just "helping out" the last couple years quickly turned into "why don't you just take care of it all?"), I keep track of all nutritional information and weigh my food...just to keep an accurate log. I'm not worried about keeping strictly within my weight loss calorie goal, but I'm not going overboard. I don't feel like I need to make up for going over either.

    Now that exercising and cooking have become fun, integral parts of my life, I don't worry about sticking so close to my goal on those days. It'll all even out in the end.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I'm giving myself 4000 calories for Thanksgiving. I have no idea how accurate that is going to be because I don't want to be that annoying person weighing everything at dinner when I know my dad made his mashed potatoes with tones of butter, cream cheese and sour cream.
  • Ashtoretet
    Ashtoretet Posts: 378 Member
    I plan on eating at maintenance. I'll probably go to the gym the days before and after to give me some more total calories.
  • Toria718
    Toria718 Posts: 396 Member
    snikkins wrote: »
    We do the Turkey Trot 5k to justify eating whatever we want. I mean, that's how that works, right? ;)

    That's what I am doing lol :)
  • mommarnurse
    mommarnurse Posts: 515 Member
    elisa123gal wrote: »
    I've been thinking of my strategy. I'm going to exercise extra the next three days..adding 15 minutes of cardio to my one hour. I'm going to cook myself some dishes that are low in calorie but festive and not "announce" it to anyone. I.e.: mashed potatoes made with chicken broth and I'm adding mashed cauliflower to them to bulk them up and adding a wedge of laughing cow cheese. I'm going to focus on white turkey meat..and then going to roast root vegetables also. I might also make a wine gravy…and i'm going to skip the rolls. I'm wondering if I could get a workout in without looking like an obsessed nut..that would help.

    Dessert has me stumped for the moment.

    Apple cider gravy. Yum. Super low cal.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,189 Member
    I can't pre-log because we are going out for dinner with family so I don't really know how much or what I will be eating. I am taking with me an ice chest to keep anything that I don't eat on Thursday, for Friday's meals. I don't have a sweet tooth and I don't eat anything with cinnamon, so deserts and sweet potato caccerole are out, and I don't care for ham either. So maybe turkey, mashed potatoes, and veggies and probably a roll. Except for a light breakfast it will be the only meal of the day so I think that I will be OK.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    Since I started maintaining a few years ago I never track what I eat on weekends or holidays. Holidays is time to relax and spend with family and friends, not worry about one day of potentially eating more calories than I need to maintain.
  • hgycta
    hgycta Posts: 3,013 Member
    I was going to eat everything in sight and disregard that day until holiday baked goods got the best of me three times this past month making me go over my calories by a total 6,300. As someone in maintenance, that's a lot, and quite honestly I'm sick of eating so much xD I'll enjoy my family, but I couldn't care less about the food, I'll be done eating before I know it anyways! If you have enough calories to enjoy yourself then do it, or if you feel you don't need it then don't force yourself to do it out of habit. Listen to your body and take it easy, drink plenty of water, and get your rest (unless you intend on shopping early for Black Friday). c;
    As I see it, if I REALLY want pecan or pumpkin pie I can make them any time of year, so I don't see the point in binging when I could spend my calories on something like Chinese food or pizza
  • Ladibug23
    Ladibug23 Posts: 16 Member
    I plan on eating in moderation the things I like. I've been cutting out white flour and all sugar, and it's working well. I don't want to mess myself up by going overboard.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,008 Member
    whmscll wrote: »
    ET what you wNt on Thanksgiving, get a bit of exercise that day, and then go back to eating at a deficit on Friday. Thanksgiving is one day. It won't derail you if you get back on plan Friday.
    +1...
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Super Bowl, Easter, July 4th and Halloween are days that I let myself eat as much as I want and not worry about it.
  • tugsandpulls
    tugsandpulls Posts: 111 Member
    i plan on having a spoon full of everythng skip the pies
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    As you can see, there are many different ways to handle it. I have been using MFP for a few years now. On Thanksgiving, I usually just eat a small breakfast (like 150-200 cal) and then "whatever I want" for lunch (when my family does the big meal) and a very tiny plate of leftovers for dinner. This year I'm planning to go about it a bit differently by eating ONLY the food that truly appeals to me. For example, I could care less about rolls or stuffing so I'm not having any of that. I am up 4 lb from where I should be already and I just don't like the food served at Thanksgiving enough to go overboard, honestly. Christmas with fudge and cheesy soup will be a whole other issue.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    tamaeus wrote: »
    Well, this is my first major holiday since I started my diet. What should I do about Thanksgiving, which is in a few days? Should I only eat the minimum amount of calories per day for me, then I'm allowed to just pig out when I eat Thanksgiving Dinner (to counteract each other), or do I still have to count my calories on Thanksgiving and stay below my goal?

    Do whatever you want. You'll survive one day going over your calorie goal. Just get back to normal as soon as you can.

    I am cooking on Thanksgiving and I have pre-logged my whole day. I'm going over my goal but not over maintenance level. I'll probably do some exercise too.
  • CitrusEscape
    CitrusEscape Posts: 30 Member
    I always log in my calories. But that's because I want to compete in the bikini division of bodybuilding a year from now. If I feel like pigging out, I always tell myself, "A moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips."
  • CitrusEscape
    CitrusEscape Posts: 30 Member
    Also I'll be that strange person toting around my food scale..
  • Diana_GettingFit
    Diana_GettingFit Posts: 458 Member
    I'm about to go for a run. That'll burn off some calories that I plan to eat later. Other than that I'm not going to worry too much if I go over. It's just one day and will hardly derail me. I've been doing very well eating under my calorie goal lately and tomorrow I'll just get back on the wagon with no regrets. If this is going to last for you you need to understand this isn't a "diet", it's a lifestyle and you have to be able to let go sometimes.
  • Working2BLean
    Working2BLean Posts: 386 Member
    I eat whatever I want

    It all counts. This cheat day idea is silly to me. Calories count. That is how we got fat!!!! An incorrect way of thinking about food

    I go for a ride with friends. Some go run. The Tri club has a 5K and Half Marathon. I chose to ride with friends today. We rode a 42 mile trip thru some hills that was pretty intense on a calm day. Today was windy so it was brutal.

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