Thanksgiving Plan!

drjennelle
drjennelle Posts: 138 Member
edited October 5 in Social Groups
as our weeks begin on friday, that means that week #2 is also... thanksgiving week :noway: it's a big obstacle to have in only our second week, but i think we can all do much better if we support each other and talk about a plan for the holiday! so for a little challenge this week - i want each of us to think about what is going to be our biggest temptation over thanksgiving and what we plan to do about it. i'll start :happy:

i have two thanksgivings to attend (one thursday, one friday), so i will list my biggest temptation and my plan for each!

thursday temptation: mashed potatoes
thursday plan: workout early thursday morning, eat a high fiber breakfast BEFORE leaving for thanksgiving dinner. allow myself a 1/2 cup portion of mashed potatoes, no more! bring a high fiber snack to eat after thanksgiving dinner in case i get tempted!

fridays temptation: alcohol and cheesy potatoes
friday plan: workout early friday morning, eat a high fiber breakfast before leaving for dinner on the cape, allow myself one glass of wine with dinner and one glass of wine after dinner. allow myself 1/2 cup portion of cheesy potatoes OR an additional glass of wine before dinner. bring lots of high fiber snacks to eat after dinner to stay full and not get tempted by more wine! :drinker: hehe

Replies

  • gdb86
    gdb86 Posts: 126 Member
    Eeeek Thanksgiving... do I really have to talk about it?! Ooooh okay, I guess. So, Thanksgiving food is my FAVORITE! Just knowing that, it is going to be a difficult temptation for me. I'm going to be as mindful as possible and be sure to not make any excuses.

    Starting with... stuffing. Which is probably the most heavenly devil version of food that has ever existed. I think I'll take a bit, but just so I can know I indulged a little and didn't over do it. I'm going to try to stick w/ veggies, turkey, and bits of other things I like. Oh and the PIE! Wow, they are incredible. Okay, so maybe I need to do some more planning before hand - Haha. I like Jennelle's high fiber breakfast idea - to stay nice and full pre-meal.

    I plan on counteracting any Thanksgiving temptations with working out. Getting it over with in the morning, so I won't feel bogged down later on in the day to get it in. My other issue will be, because I'll be in my home town for the Holiday I am seeing some old friends I haven't seen in awhile and usually our thing to do is ... you guessed it... eat and drink! Again, I'm going to try to stay mindful then too, but also allow myself to maybe have a glass of wine or two or just be human and enjoy their company without completely ruining my progress.

    I'm hoping to strike a balance with working out, being mindful, and also having a little bit of fun! If anyone has any advice on alcohol choices that can be better than others I'd love to hear! I know that red wine is healthier than white, but the sugar content is insane. Obviously light beer options are better than regular and clear hard liquor is a good option too - but any advice is welcome! Balance is key this week!

    Alright that's it for me... can you tell I love Thanksgiving? :)
  • drjennelle
    drjennelle Posts: 138 Member
    I'm hoping to strike a balance with working out, being mindful, and also having a little bit of fun! If anyone has any advice on alcohol choices that can be better than others I'd love to hear! I know that red wine is healthier than white, but the sugar content is insane, and obviously light beer options or clear hard liquor is a good option too - but any advice is welcome!

    geri - this is the best attitude and the only one that has ever worked for me :) the only reason i have had any success is because i made sure to NOT sacrifice fun for weight loss! you have to be able to enjoy yourself! of course we're all going to eat some thanksgiving foods and drink some alcohol and probably more than we should - BUT it will be less than we have in the past AND we will be mindful of fitness and healthy food options all the while :) the longer i live a healthy lifestyle, the more i realize how enjoyable events and holidays are when you just spend time talking with people rather than focusing on the food and bev! as i like to say "focus on FUN not food!" :) hehe

    as to alcohol - i have two thoughts. when im with family we tend to drink more wine and champagne so i try to just have a few glasses and make sacrifices elsewhere. when im out with friends or at parties, etc i now drink seltzer and vodka - either plain seltzer with flavored vodka (the rootbeer vodka is heavenly - it tastes JUST like rootbeer!) or try flavored seltzers with plain vodka! i prefer the flavored vodkas because the flavor is a little stronger - however any flavored seltzer with a whipped cream/ marshmallow vodka is DEVINE (i really enjoy raspberry lime seltzer with whipped cream vodka). the reason these bevs are so good are three fold - 1) they taste awesome (big win), 2) you stay hydrated from all the seltzer while getting a good buzz from the vodka (rather than dehydrated from only alcohol - this helps a LOT with hangovers!) :), 3) THEY ARE ONLY 60-70 CALS A POP!!! this is the real winner in all honesty haha! my opinion is that you drink fewer (because it's vodka, not beer), and it's already fewer calories than even most light beers, and it's more DELICIOUS than most beer! you really can't go wrong ;)

    emily - i thin you have a great plan too! calories in, calories out baby ;) all it takes is a little mindfulness and smart choices and we can tackle this holiday with fun and the right food!

    WOOT WOOT!
  • Thanksgiving! So many things to be thankful for...especially family and friends like all of you! xoxoxo

    I'm not sure what my plan will be. We normally eat around 12-2p somewhere in there...sucks its the day before weigh in! haha
    I think I'll either have a light breakfast or just some coffee and a piece of fruit before hand. I am a fan of white meat, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and yams with marshmallows on them (only thing I contribute to the meal is green beans and yams haha - I suck at cooking)...oh and the yummy rolls! I just plan to have a little of everything I love! Weight watchers has these serving size spoons (1/2, 1/4, 1 cup) that is used for soups mainly but they are very helpful when it comes to meals like this. I think I'll use the 1/4 and 1/2 cup spoon for everything! Not a big pie person so that will be easy to have just a sliver and I haven't drank since August and I don't plan to ever drink again so I'm good in that aspect! :) I hope to drink a lot of water with my meal! Also, my husband is working 8a-8p so I'll probably head to my parents the night before and stay over (we have a huge Manchester Road Race that goes by there house so roads get closed off early!) I'll walk the dog for exercise in the morning and I'll work out when I get home (as long as I'm not in a food coma!)

    Overall, I think it will be an easy day to stay on track - as we are cooking the food - I'll put in the calories! My major issue is putting too much food on my plate and never finishing it - also leftovers are a killer for me! But Fridays are my OFF day and I'll endulge in the yummy leftovers then! :)
  • nelsons417
    nelsons417 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanksgiving is going to be a rough day for me!! I love to eat, and this is my last one with my parents since they're moving away in January to California. I am, however, running in the 5 mile (or 4 mile, something like that) Manchester road race that morning so I'm hoping I can work enough to not go over my goal or only go over a little bit. I think I'm just going to really work hard at not going too far over and be good the rest of the week.

    The biggest thing is that I have 2 dinners on the day, one with my parents and one with my in-laws. Thankfully, my mother-in-law is a super healthy eater so I can count on having healthy foods that I may try to fill up on first. But, sweet potatoes are my weakness so I know I'll put out a bit on them. I haven't thought about it! I'll have to try and work out some more maybe Thursday evening (Wii Zumba or Just Dance, perhaps) to work a bit more of the day off!
  • drjennelle
    drjennelle Posts: 138 Member
    i made a crazy choice yesterday - we are not going to go to the second thanksgiving after all! we have been in the hunt for a nice flatscreen tv, so we decided that we are going to actually venture out on black friday to get one instead of gorging on a second thanksgiving dinner ;) now my temptations are cut in half! WOO HOO! :)

    we can do this!!!
  • Great plans ladies, I am going with the high fiber breakfast as well and will head out for a workout first thing in the morning, getting it done and not missing any chance to earn extra calories.
    My temptations will be alcohol, and starches,....dressing, mashed potatoes, rolls!!!
    I have cut back on sweets and honestly don't crave them anymore. Have to remember to keep list of water around too, to keep me feeling full. Good luck everyone.
  • What kind of high fiber breakfasts are we talking here? I need yummy ideas to feel more full in the morning!
  • Oatmeal or kasha cereal work for me, and adding an apple too,
    Any other ideas??
  • drjennelle
    drjennelle Posts: 138 Member
    in all honesty - check my diary :bigsmile: as of november 1st ive been really upping the fiber and protein and i've lost 4.8 lbs in 21 days (and continue to go down!) all of my breakfasts are really high in fiber and SUPER yummy! there are lots of good breads that are high in fiber and low in calorie which i recommend, and then the original fiber on cereal (or stop & shop's brand of the same high fiber cereal) or any all-bran cereal are REALLY good options, especially if combined with a couple of tablespoons of granola and some fresh fruit (blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries, etc). these have been my go-to breakfasts! and on the weekend i do one egg (or egg whites) with high fiber toast and some fruit on the side - SO filling!!! if you're interested in yummy food that is healthy and filling, i honestly recommend checking out my food diary for the month of november - i am following the instinct diet meal plan (the company i am now working for) and i am really really enjoying it!!
  • in all honesty - check my diary :bigsmile: as of november 1st ive been really upping the fiber and protein and i've lost 4.8 lbs in 21 days (and continue to go down!) all of my breakfasts are really high in fiber and SUPER yummy! there are lots of good breads that are high in fiber and low in calorie which i recommend, and then the original fiber on cereal (or stop & shop's brand of the same high fiber cereal) or any all-bran cereal are REALLY good options, especially if combined with a couple of tablespoons of granola and some fresh fruit (blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries, etc). these have been my go-to breakfasts! and on the weekend i do one egg (or egg whites) with high fiber toast and some fruit on the side - SO filling!!! if you're interested in yummy food that is healthy and filling, i honestly recommend checking out my food diary for the month of november - i am following the instinct diet meal plan (the company i am now working for) and i am really really enjoying it!!

    Anything quick and easy? I'd love to eat cereal and oatmeal but I am on the run in the mornings most of the week - I eat my breakfast in the car on class days!
  • Quick fix in the morning,.........try a fiber one bar and an EAS protein shake is good too.
    Happy Thanksgiving everyone
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