Tracking calories on Thanksgiving day?

Options
ellioc2
ellioc2 Posts: 148 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I want to enjoy my Thanksgiving this year and at least have some pie and mashed potatoes. I’ve been keeping my caloric intake quite minimal (1200) and really been avoiding carb-heavy foods. I know I should enjoy myself on Thanksgiving and I don’t have to restrict per se as long as I get back on track the next day. I don’t intend to gorge myself but I don’t want to not eat certain foods since I’m dieting. I don’t think it’ll be too hard, especially if I’m having my normal breakfast which is super filling (eggs) and then that one big meal. As far as weekly calories go I don’t think having a big meal will make that much of a difference. My question is, should I still try to track my calories though and set a limit for myself (say 2000)? Or would it be okay to just give myself the day off, enjoy the company, and eat all the Thanksgiving-y foods without tracking them?
«13

Replies

  • bemyyfriend0918
    bemyyfriend0918 Posts: 241 Member
    Options
    I don’t think I’ll end up tracking on Thanksgiving. I have been thinking about cutting my calories by about 200 or so during the days leading up to it. I was leaning towards Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday....
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    Options
    I might loosely track just to keep from getting too ridiculous. I need to do some lower calorie days between now and then. I am right up at te top of my maintenance range. I would have preferred to go into the holidays closer to or at the bottom. Oh well...
  • thezenarya
    thezenarya Posts: 38 Member
    Options
    I won't be tracking on Thanksgiving. I have purposely eaten under my calories so far this week and will do so next week to give myself some buffer, but realistically, going off track that ONE day is not going to send you up 5 pounds or anything. Give yourself a break!
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Options
    Depends on your definition of "okay." You should expect the scale to go up the next day, and you should also know that the increase will likely be mostly water fluctuation and undigested food. It's probably not fat gain and it will come off after returning to your normal routine, but it might take a few days. As long as you're aware that this will happen, and you don't let one day of overeating turn into many days of overeating, then you're fine.

    If you're a walker or runner, then you could do what we do and sign up for a turkey trot Thanksgiving morning. I'll get my run in, hopefully get a PR, have my post-race pie, and then go home and stuff my face.
  • jean133mjg
    jean133mjg Posts: 133 Member
    Options
    I plan on cutting a couple hundred calories each day preceding and enjoy food, family and fun on Thanksgiving Day and returning to my calorie plan the next morning. I'm also not going to weigh myself when I get up as I usually do because there will probably be water retention from more sodium in the foods I'll be eating and don't want to bum myself out for the increase. Since I won't be eating 3500 extra calories that day, I know I won't gain a pound through that one meal, but perhaps only through water weight. I'll wait about 4 days to weigh again. That should give my body a chance to level the fluid I may carry out of it. It took me years to gain all my weight, so one day isn't going to scare me. Enjoy yourself and remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    Options
    just eat. you're not going to magically gain 10 kilos because you ate food on thanskgiving. you will bloat yes but that will go away in a few days.

  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,168 Member
    Options
    Thanksgiving is just one day, so I’m not too worried about it. We also don’t cook for the holiday, so there isn’t the temptation to keep indulging in all the leftovers. I figure that alone gives me quite a bit of caloric leeway!
  • swirlybee
    swirlybee Posts: 497 Member
    Options
    I'm going to track just so I have data point. I'll indulge but it'll probably be just a tad above maintenance. The challenge is going to be whether or not I over-indulge in liquid calories (i.e., alcohol).

    I wasn't going to lower my intake in the days leading up to thanksgiving, but that may not be such a bad idea.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    Options
    I do track, and I prelog. I am a fairly consistent holiday eater, and I know precisely what my mother is making -- she is aware of my anxiety about eating outside my home, so she's told me the full menu -- so I can go back in my logs from previous years and get a fairly good idea. I'll probably end up eating around maintenance for the day, and possibly at a slight deficit. I've got a race that morning, so while that doesn't offset the entire meal by any stretch, at least it bumps my TDEE up a bit.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
    edited November 2018
    Options
    Take off if you want, it's one day! Enjoy :smile: I don't meticulously log but estimate because I have a calculator in my head and can't just not automatically tally up my cals, lol.

    I am not a fan of thanksgiving food anyways so it's not much different than a normal day. I only really like the turkey, veggies and homemade pie. Not a huge fan of any of the other traditional thanksgiving foods.
  • sbrooks0387
    sbrooks0387 Posts: 167 Member
    Options
    I plan on eating very lightly earlier in the day, then eating whatever I want for dinner. Just having reasonable portions and not eating past full.
  • DiscusTank5
    DiscusTank5 Posts: 337 Member
    Options
    I'm gonna eat more but also track it. I need the parameters tracking gives me: knowing that I'll log whatever I eat will help me handle the holiday in a healthy (ie, non-binging) way.
  • MalkinMagic71
    MalkinMagic71 Posts: 1,433 Member
    Options
    Not tracking anything. It's one day. Gonna enjoy myself.
  • jamesjeffsmith
    jamesjeffsmith Posts: 34 Member
    Options
    track it and limit somewhat by not eating pie crust only one bread small amount of stuffing. Enjoy and realize this will be a break even week. Don't fret or try to make it up by eating less than your 1200 plan and you'll be fine. As others have said it is not much in the scheme of things.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Options
    Here are two holiday themed threads I wrote a few years ago that may help you...

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10482342/thanksgiving-dont-sweat-it-eat-it-log-it-be-proud-of-it/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10303793/who-gained-weight-during-the-holidays-i-have-a-solution/p1
  • melissafeagins
    melissafeagins Posts: 1,421 Member
    Options
    I don't log on Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. Or my birthday. Or my wedding anniversary. Not tracking for 5 out 365 days is not going to be the end of the world as I know it.

Categories