Worried about your waistline with Thanksgiving coming up? Believe it or not, you CAN stay on track with your healthy nutrition program while still enjoying the festivities with family and friends. A few simple tips can help relieve the stress of staying on track without feeling like you are depriving yourself this holiday season.
Eat a small, protein-filled meal a couple hours before you get together with everyone on Thanksgiving. Many people tend to skip out on breakfast/lunch the day of to “save calories”. This method will cause overeating, slow down your metabolism, and your body will be more likely to hold onto the extra calories and store as fat. Not something most of us want! Instead, eat a small meal with protein a couple hours before, and you will be more likely to feel full and satisfied quicker.
Pick and choose, you don’t HAVE to try every single food there is to offer. It is easy to overload your plate with every single tasty option the first go around the buffet, but start with healthier options first. Opt for white meat turkey instead of dark, steamed veggies, roasted sweet potatoes, salads with low calorie dressing are all good options. For dessert, pumpkin pie is generally lower in calories than its other counterparts. Fill up on these before you make a second round on the delicious spread of food, then you’ll be less likely to over-indulge on your aunt’s famous (and fattening) stuffing or mashed potatoes and gravy.
If you’re hosting the party, lucky you! You get to make your own dishes, but you can tweak them to make them better for you and lower calorie. Using fat-free broth to baste the turkey or to make gravy, using sugar substitutes in desserts, and reducing butter and oil when possible. If you are not the host of the thanksgiving get together this year, consider making your own healthy and delicious version of a holiday favorite. Here’s a link for an easy, tasty, and non-time-consuming recipe for Cauliflower stuffing. Try this take instead of the traditional, calorie-laden Thanksgiving dish.
If you reside or are visiting family in West Palm Beach, Florida and are looking for a personal trainer, Dave and Amy Melnicoff are here to help you stay on track while keeping you motivated this holiday season. With decades of experience helping others with nutrition and fitness goals, they are available 7 days a week at their personal training studio located in The Warehouse District just outside of downtown West Palm Beach. Email them today at training@fitandpsyched.com or call 561-223-1112 for a free consultation!
