Ah, the smell of the stuffing, turkey, gravy, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, greens, pumpkin pie and football. The holidays are fun for everybody except your waistline! As a Certified Nutrition Consultant and Personal Trainer, I always struggle with my clients this time of year looking for advice that is actually doable and not out of reach of reality, because after all, who doesn’t cheat a little this time of year? And you should! That’s right, I am telling you to indulge, but not to gorge, and there is a difference and you know it.
So as your Coach, here is my 5-Point Plan for keeping it all in bounds this year…
Get moving. If you start the day off with some form of exercise, then making better choices later will be easier since your endorphins and mood will be elevated. Try a Turkey Trot race as there is one in almost every city Thanksgiving Day! And try toget your family and friends involved as well because exercise is a great way to bond while burning calories!
Plan ahead. And that means to be prepared for a day, or days, of tempting treats leading up to the grand finale! Make sure that you have crunchy, sweet, and satisfying snacks available as healthier choices falter. I always keep crunchy baby carrots around to dip in hummus, nuts, and dark chocolate for something sweet. Don’t think of it as restricting, think of it as healthysubstitutions!
Substitute where you can and modify where you can’t. If you can choose to eat normal meals and snack healthier leading up to the big meal, then when you do indulge and stay in control, you won’t feel deprived. So if there is a choice between an extra helping of mashed potatoes or saving some room for dessert, make the smart choice so you can have some of the sweet treats without overloading on everything else!
Be Smart. The last thing you want to do is to starve yourself during the day to save up for the calories at the main meal. This will only set you up to make poor choices. Good choices are not solely based on will power, but also on having good information and realizing that the next day you can get right back on track.
Add your own healthy alternatives. Ever tried Tofurkey? Sounds strange, but I have been eating it for the last 10 years and it is really yummy and even comes with tasty stuffing. I even have my mom make the mashed potatoes with soymilk and butter that is made from olive oil and we also have a huge platter of grilled vegetables. Start your own traditions and add something healthy but tasty and make sure to not drink too much alcohol as that tends to alter our good choices.
Changing old habits may seem difficult, but the reward is big and that is worth trying.