Thanksgiving!!

Normal people don't stress about holidays since they are few and far between. If you can't relax and let go once in a while you're sucking the fun out of life. Lol

I am doing low starch for a medical reason right now to see if that helps me. That limits my choices substantially. Turkey, cranberry sauce and not much else traditional. I will probably roast diced rutabaga with olive oil and spices. I am definitely making some baked apples with a large cavity stuffed with chopped pecans, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. So I may still spike the calories.

Thanksgiving is largely about making low cal foods high cal (at least that describes my family's traditional dishes), but in that I've been doing this for a while now it's not hard to make many Thanksgiving dishes that are quite reasonable calories, and turkey is not high cal. I usually make a garlic mashed potatoes with just a bit of milk and let everyone add butter to taste (I make a gravy too, but I don't care much about gravy so usually pawn off the making of it to someone else). My sister last year did a cauliflower potato mix that she's really into and prefers. Then I roast sweet potatoes (the only way I like them) and don't add anything but olive oil and salt. If someone wants candied yams, they can bring them (IME, no one really likes these, most prefer the plainer sweet potatoes). I have a green bean dish with dill and almonds and mushrooms that I prefer to a green bean casserole, and will usually do brussels with bacon, but it's easy enough to do them pretty plain and roasted too. Salad is easy. I'm picky about cranberry sauce and will usually make one with fresh cranberries and some other fruit to add sweetness. Someone else will bring their favorite stuffing (I used to spend tons of time on stuffing and then just delegated it, because I don't even care about stuffing). Our other always dish is a broccoli and cauliflower thing with cheese that my mother used to make and my sister now does, but although high cal it's vegetable based (and the way we make it, it would be fine for someone low carbing, although I don't think any of the crowd currently is).

Then there's dessert, but you can go easy on these.

And, no, I never log Thanksgiving.

The reason I think the holiday season can be challenging isn't the holiday meals, but the many, many extra treats available and parties and cookie exchanges and so on between Thanksgiving and New Years (and my birthday is in there too, although at this age, who cares). ;-) Plus perhaps an attitude of "it's the holidays, I have to eat this or I am missing out" which I used to have somewhat.

Nope...I am keeping my eyes open and keeping it in perspective. My mind and goals are in a good place with my success that holiday food will not derail me. I will enjoy but with a perspective!

It is possible to eat "holiday food" in moderation. We are not required to eat until we are stuffed to the gills. By all means, do it if you want to, but you have no social or legal obligation to do so. Same goes for leftovers after Thanksgiving, etc.

I agree with you all one way or another. It is what we make it so eat smaller portions and choose to be happy and enjoy being with the family. Have a great Thanksgiving.

nickssweetheart wrote: »

CarvedTones wrote: »

I am doing low starch for a medical reason right now to see if that helps me. That limits my choices substantially. Turkey, cranberry sauce and not much else traditional. I will probably roast diced rutabaga with olive oil and spices. I am definitely making some baked apples with a large cavity stuffed with chopped pecans, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. So I may still spike the calories.

YUM!

One of the recipes I have calls it "pecan pie baked apples". You use a paring knife to remove the core in a funnel shape that doesn't go all the way through. Stuff it, bake it just enough so that it only softens a little, cool and slice in half and the halves look like small pieces of pecan pie are in the middle.

I already told my mom that I'm sticking to turkey and green beans for the meal. And I'll be weighing everything before I eat it.

Leftovers. That is what freezers are for. Get some plastic containers and portion out those leftovers into meals you can eat in the future. If you are portioning for the family, label yours and family separately. That way you know which you have taken the time to weigh before you eat them.

I, personally, am going to eat about 2,000 calories of just stuffing. That's not counting the gravy, cornbread or turkey and mashed potatoes I'm going to add to the 2,000 calories. So, you could say I'm not worried about it.

@lemurcat12 - recipe for the green bean dish??? Sounds like a potentially light side-dish option.

This year, I have decided to go nearly non-traditional with the menu. I'm planning on a potato-fennel soup, pumpkin cornbread, wild rice/roasted beet/orange/romaine salad, maple-glazed tofu. Except the pie will absolutely be one traditional item - pumpkin. I think I'm also going to try a vegan pecan pie this year.

Overall, I don't think it's too decadent a meal. In fact, may add some stuffing and cranberry sauce to round it out, because I looove stuffing and cranberry sauce. Will be enough food for a good meal with some, but not tons, of leftovers. In fact, if more family come than we have planned right now, I may have to increase the recipes or we likely won't have enough.

I will vaguely track, but not overly concerned about it.

I'm so hungry now.

Last year I got things started in the morning and headed out for a nice 10 mile walk.....I felt so pumped after that I did not over eat at all. Will employ the same strategy this year.