5 Tips for Not Gaining Weight over Thankgiving

Pumpkin pie, cornbread stuffing, glazed ham, sweet potato casserole,…oh my! As Thanksgiving nears, many of us are daydreaming of the delicious foods that will soon fill our bellies and not to mention our waistline as well! Did you know that the typical consumption during Thanksgiving holiday is between 3,000-6,000 calories? This can equal up to two pounds of weight gain! Yikes!

Yet, it’s ONE day, can’t we just enjoy the ONE day? Well yes you should, however, if you have more than just one Thanksgiving festivities to attend, those calories consumed can quickly end up being three pounds or more. So here are some tips to make sure you do enjoy your Holiday meal, without gaining the weight, especially if you’ve worked so hard to lose it.

1. Party with a Plan

- Don’t arrive starving. Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch with lots of fiber to make you feel full before the turkey dinner.

- Snack on an apple before the meal so that you don’t overeat.

2. Portion Control

- Survey the beautiful displays of food on the buffet table and decide what you’re going to choose.

- Fill your plate with your small portions of your holiday favorites that you may only get to enjoy once a year.

- Enjoy high-caloric food in smaller portions, and only one serving!

- Skip second rounds.

3. Healthy Plate Method

- Fill half your plate with a colorful assortment of vegetables, fruit or salad.

- A quarter of your plate with protein, be it turkey or ham.

- A quarter with starches. Even though foods like yam, potatoes or corn are considered vegetables, they are high in starch and should be placed on this part of your plate.

- You can visit WebMD to download a Portion Size plate guidelines.

4. Avoid Sugary Beverages

- Stay away from apple cider or juice

- Skip the high calorie, high fat eggnog

- If you plan on having alcohol, save those calories for a glass of wine

- Drink more water or sparkling water

5. Exercise

- Take a walk after your meal, even if it’s just 15 minutes

- Incorporate some sort of physical activity, maybe playing tag with the kids or jogging up and down the stairs

- Last resort – battle the Black Friday shopping madness!

Remember the goal is here to maintain your current weight and not lose it during the holidays. Moderation and smaller portions is key. Have a wonderful Thanksigiving holiday with your family and friends!