How To Survive a Thanksgiving Feast

I love all of it!  Family, friends, FOOD, and a season focused on THANKS!!!! Seriously though, the food. I love it all!  From the turkey, dress, cranberry sauce, to the pumpkin pie.  And I will most definitely have my pie and eat it too!  But, I can also plan to make smart decisions and avoid some things that will ruin all my progress.  So here are some of my tips and a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

1. Have a Plan!  Are you going to eat everything?  Or are you going to plan to indulge in specific things and not eat it ALL?
My plan will be to allow myself certain treats.  My mother-in-law makes an awesome pumpkin roll.  I will definitely have a small serving of that!  I will probably skip the potatoes, and give myself a hefty serving of veggies.

2. Plate Your Veggies First.  I personally love the veggies.  I made an awesome Green Bean Casserole  last year for our family Thanksgiving feast. It was SO good and didn’t contain all the fat and artificial goodness that comes in a traditional green bean casserole.   That recipe is here.

3. Think Containers.  Are you currently doing the 21 Day Fix or have you in the past?  Then you know what serving sizes should look like!!! Specifically yellow containers or carbs!  Make sure you control those portion sizes.  If you have a glass of wine, count it as a yellow. If you have those sweet potatoes or a dessert.  Count it as a yellow.  Here is my Pumpkin Pie recipe I made last year.  It’s lighter and it’s STILL so yummy!

4. Drink LOTS of Water!  You will most likely still consume a lot of sodium on Thanksgiving Day even if you are watching your portions.  I know that personally I do not consume a lot of salty foods anymore.  And when I do, it really affects my stomach.  I try to drink plenty of water when I’m indulging and flush some of that salt away.  It also helps keep you full.

5. THINK About What You’re Eating!  Family feasts are fun.  Catching up with people you haven’t seen in a while.  Laughing, talking, etc.  Wonderful! But that usually leads to mindless eating.  Going back and filling your plate just because.  Don’t do that!! Enjoy yourself.  Treat yourself, but THINK before stuffing your face just because.

6.  Get Your Workout In!! Just because it’s Thanksgiving morning, don’t skip your workout.  Get up, get it done, and your mind will be set for the rest of the day.  I’m committing to NOT skipping a workout the entire week of Thanksgiving.  It’s my focus; it’s my fuel.  I do it for ME!! Thanksgiving is no exception.

So!  Enjoy your holiday!  Make memories.  Linger with loved ones and stick with your goals!!!


Happy Thanksgiving!
xoxo
Rachel