7 Surefire Tips to Help You Avoid Getting Stuffed this Thanksgiving Holiday

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7 Surefire Tips to Help You Avoid Getting Stuffed this Thanksgiving Holiday

By Polly | November 11, 2007

By: Holly Rigsby, CPT

Thanksgiving; a time to offer thanks, a time to EAT - turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, etc. Unfortunately, the Thanksgiving holiday is the time of year when many people end up putting on the extra “holiday pounds”. It is easy to do for the holiday season continues for two months! This means more family dinners, parties with friends and high-calorie foods than we eat during the rest of the year combined. But the holidays come once a year. What’s the point of refusing a piece of pecan pie, then feeling miserable? As my close kept secrets are about to reveal. It’s absolutely OK to enjoy your favorite holiday treats and stay on the fat loss train. Incorporate the following 7 strategies to fight back against the battle of the holiday bulge.

Make Exercise A Priority - The first key to preventing weight gain is to increase your activity level. Besides burning extra holiday calories, exercise reduces stress, elevates your mood and gives you more energy. Yes, it’s harder to fit in a workout when you toss in traveling, shopping, baking plus a whole host of other holiday-related activities. That’s why it’s important to make a commitment to fitness and incorporate short burst exercise into your routine.

Have a Plan - If you are prone to overindulging, have a plan in place. Visualize what and how much you will eat before you approach the dinner table. Have a backup plan that incorporates physical activities for that day, or the following day, to burn off those extra calories. The activities can be anything from a longer shopping spree to a game of flag football.

Don’t Skip Meals - On the day of the Thanksgiving feast, be sure to eat regularly all day long. If you will be eating in the evening, start with a supportive breakfast - particularly something with protein and a high fiber carbohydrate. Be sure to eat something light in the afternoon like a healthy, high-protein snack. The protein will help you feel full longer. You’ll be less likely to binge, and reduce overall calorie consumption. Once you arrive, go ahead and indulge in some of the fun, delicious foods. Since you have eaten meals earlier in the day, you will find that you aren’t as tempted to go overboard and eat everything in sight. Whatever you do, do not starve yourself. Not only will you slow your metabolism down to a hearty fat storing rate, arriving ravenous will guarantee overindulgence.

Portion Control is Key - Instead, allow yourself to enjoy your favorite foods with the ones you love, but in moderation. Take time to survey the foods before you make your choices. Try a serving-spoon size of the foods you really want to eat and smaller portions of the foods you just want to “taste.” By selecting a sample size of several offerings, you will have the enjoyment of trying many different foods without overeating. Make a small plate, take small samples of each kind of food and skip the seconds. Instead, save room for dessert, but have smaller portions. For example, you might allow yourself two small samples of decadent desserts. You don’t need to deprive yourself of the foods you love, otherwise your cravings will grow and you’ll be more likely to overindulge.

Wear Form-Fitting Clothes - Want to really keep yourself honest and the same size during the holiday season? Wear your most form-fitting clothing. Another trick is to tie a string or ribbon around your waist under your shirt that will not budge with the bulge. This will keep you mindful of the actions you take during dinner.

Limit or Avoid Alcoholic Beverages - If you decide to drink alcohol, stick to light beer or a champagne spritzer. The average alcoholic drink contains 200 calories per glass while an 8-ounce cup of eggnog with rum contains 450 calories. Not only does alcohol pack a lot of empty calories, but over-consumption lowers inhibitions and self-control. Not a good combination when you’re near the buffet table! Some suggested non-alcoholic alternatives include club soda w/lime, tomato juice and diet soda.

Practice the “Cheat Technique” - If you make supportive food choices 80-90 percent of the time, you can - and should - allow yourself to let loose and ”cheat” the other 10-20 percent. You’ll enjoy the festivities without carrying them around on your waistline and into the New Year. If you do over-do it, be forgiving of yourself and get back to your regular plan the following day.

Failing to plan is planning to fail. Right now, before the holidays get crazy, make fitness your priority. Thinking you’ll ‘get around to it’ just doesn’t happen when there are gifts to buy, foods to prepare and family to visit. Make a plan, write it down, and stick to it. You can enjoy the holidays to their fullest, without depriving yourself of the great food we all look forward to.

If, by chance, the scale registers the same weight on Jan. 2 as it did on Thanksgiving Eve, rejoice! The cheer of the holiday season should not come to a screeching halt; in fact, you have given yourself the gift of “weight maintenance.”

Have a Healthy Thanksgiving!

Holly Rigsby is America’s #1 Fat Loss Expert for Moms. She is the Author of Fit Yummy
Mummy. For additional tips and strategies, be sure to visit www.FitYummyMummy.Blogspot.com

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