Thanksgiving Advice: 3 Things To Avoid, 3 Things To Do
Written By Sasha Robinson
The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and Turkey Day is fast approaching. Thanksgiving is full of yummy, fattening food and it is often hard to resist that huge piece of pumpkin pie; at the end of the day you find you are letting out your pants a bit.
Trying to stay in shape for the pageant takes a lot of will power and trying to maintain a healthy diet and exercise plan around Thanksgiving can be very difficult. Instead of cutting yourself off from all delicious foods and being miserable throughout the holidays, try out these tips to get the most out of your Thanksgiving.
3 things to avoid:
Make sure to eat breakfast on Thanksgiving. Many of us are tempted to “save up” our hunger for the big feast so we can fill up on turkey and mashed potatoes. However, eating earlier in the day will help you avoid consuming an overwhelming amount of calories during the Thanksgiving meal.
Drink water instead of punch or another drink. This is a great way to cut out empty, unnecessary calories. But if you are just in love with the special drink your grandma makes then have a small glass and count that as a treat.
Don’t nibble at little things because you will lose track of how much you are actually eating. Make yourself a plate of food, eat it slowly, then sit for about twenty minutes before going up to get seconds so you can tell how full you really are.
3 things to do:
Cut yourself some slack! Eat healthy the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, so you have a little freedom with what you get to eat on the actual holiday.
Try cutting down on the super fatty parts of the meal (gravy, butter, pies, cream) and load up on veggies, turkey, and fruit.
Choose your desert wisely. Instead of taking 4 pieces of pie and scarfing them down, choose one small piece and savor it, really enjoy it. Try pumpkin pie instead of the chocolate cream, it is lower in calories and has many nutritional benefits!
Remember that balance is the key to being healthy in most things, so enjoy the holiday! Just remember the holiDAY is not all week. Get back on your healthy eating plan and keep your goal of general wellness–and performing well at your pageant–in the front of your mind. That makes it easier to make good choices day in and day out.