Thanksgiving is THURSDAY! That gives us three days to mentally and physically prepare for the holiday so that we make informed, intentional choices that don’t derail our hard work.
I already hear some of you saying, “But it’s only one day a year!” Oh don’t get me started on that! Thanksgiving is one day a year, Christmas is another, Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, your birthday, my birthday (hey, it’s an important day), New Years Day, Valentines Day, Anniversaries, and so on and so forth. So the “one day a year” argument can be parsed into 20 days a year, which eventually ends up in “I tried to lose weight, but it just didn’t work!”
First, think back to last year. What did your family eat? If you’re not the one in control of the food, reviewing family traditional foods can really help. For example, I recall that last year there was no low-fat salad dressing, all high fat. I also recall that all the desserts were high in calories and fat. Not only do I not want to sabotage my own healthy diet, but as someone with half-a-pancreas (or so), I really can’t eat those high fat, high sugar foods in a large, concentrated meal. I’m not criticizing the wonderful family meal that was prepared, I’m simply making note.
So this year I know I’ll bring my own salad dressing, and a dessert to share that is light and delicious.
Second, pre-plan your day. Is there a turkey trot you can run or walk in the morning? Check with your local YMCA. Is it running a food drive workout? Ours is. Bring a few cans of food and work out between the hours of 9:00 and 10:00. If that’s not available to you, what other things can you do to get a workout in first? Put that on your calendar. Even if you’re the chef, you can get into your fitness gear, prep the turkey, put it in the oven, and go out for 30-60 minutes before the next thing needs to start.
Next, pre-journal the foods you know you’ll have. Again, if you’re in charge this should be easy. You can make your special dressing with less butter (I suggest replacing most if not all butter with fat free chicken broth in dressing/stuffing), you can reduce the sugar in your homemade cranberry sauce, you can provide lighter desserts, lowfat salad dressings and dips, lots of healthy fruits and vegetables, salads that aren’t dripping in mayonaise, and make the meal delicious AND nutritious! Nothing wrong with having family favorites, but you can make them in moderation and some of the other things you can lighten up quite easily.
If you’re going out, prejournal what you know will be there. I know that I’ll have the following:
- Turkey breast, skinless about 4 ounces 120 calories
- Cranberry sauce (probably canned): 1/4 cup 110 calories
- Salad with Fat Free Italian dressing: about 50 calories for a large serving
- Fresh vegetable, unless it’s covered in butter about 60 calories
- Mashed potatoes: about 1/2 cup 120 calories
- Gravy: about 50 calories
- Raw, fresh veggies with nonfat ranch dip: about 50 calories
- Pumpkin Angel Food Cake: About 130 calories
Total pre-journaled: about 800
Knowing my meal, even with low fat choices, is going to be around 800 calories, I’ll save a few hundred for a piece of HOMEMADE fudge or a HOMEMADE cookie. If everything is from the store, I’ll pass it up. I just tell myself I can have that any time.
Breakfast will be a filling meal of probably simply shreds hashbrowns (no added anything), with peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc. and an egg white omelette. This will give me a filling large meal that will carry me into a light lunch. Since dinner is “early” I’ll eat a pretty light lunch, carry with me for the drive over a 100 calorie granola bar.
With burning about 600 calories in exercise, I’ll have 2000-2200 calories to enjoy throughout the day. Some will have more, some will have less. But planning now will help me go into the holiday confident without feeling out of control or like I might have to dodge some traps.
My holiday rules I set for myself years ago:
- Holidays are not about food. They are about family, friends, and memories as well as focusing on the true meaning of the holiday.
- I don’t take a holiday from good health.
- I don’t eat anything I can buy at a store that comes in a box.
- I don’t eat anything that I don’t love. I’m not a huge stuffing fan, that’s why it’s not on my list. I gave up taking “polite helpings” years ago. You know what? No one cares what I eat?
- If I find a treat that is homemade and I absolutely love, I won’t say no. Instead I’ll take a 1/4 cup or so serving and enjoy it fully. If I want more, I can have more.
- Even if I don’t know the exact calories, I still journal everything because knowledge is power. I can look back at last year’s journals and have an idea of what I might eat this year.
- Exercise is non-negotiable, even on the holidays.
- I pre-journal everything.
- If I go over, I journal it and make adjustments the next day or the next two days. I don’t say “Oh well! It’s only once a year!” I learn from it, readjust and move on. After all, it isn’t what we do in one day that matters. It’s what we do over a series of days.
- I enjoy myself!
Have a blessed Thanskgiving and remember what you’re thankful for. I am thankful for my family, my wonderful husband, my fantastic friends both home and away (that include all you all), and my health. THAT is what is important to me on this day, not stuffing…not turkey…not pie.
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Pumpkin Angel Food Cake
1 box angel food cake mix
1 small can pumpkin
1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
Mix and cook according to directions on the angel food cake box. Oh yeah, it is
THAT easy and it is also amazingly delicious and low in calories. Calories will be for one serving of angel food cake plus about 10 calories, max, for the pumpkin. It’s a very moist cake that needs no frosting. I cook in a bundt pan (prepared) and it comes out perfect! Serve with Cool Whip Free or make a cranberry topping if you’d like.
Tags: calories, holiday, Nutrition, recipes, thanksgiving
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