24 November 2009
Have a Nutritionista-Approved Holiday: Thanksgiving
You guys have probably heard every “stay healthy for the holidays” tip in the book by now, right? So I’m sure my tips won’t be mind-blowing. After all, there’s no magic bullet for holiday buffet situations. Just keep in mind that every choice you make during the holiday season and beyond will either take you closer to or farther away from your goals. It’s totally up to you. That said, here are my tips for winning the war on Thanksgiving.
- Make sure you’re physically prepared for battle. You have all morning and afternoon on Thursday to get some exercise in. If you’re with family you never get to see, invite them along! Or just suck it up and wake yourself up before the rest of the family to get a quick workout in. The very LEAST you can do is take a walk. To further prepare yourself, take Rachel’s tip of wearing some form-fitting jeans. No spandex for you!
- Avoid sudden appetizer bombs. You’re minding your own business when suddenly — HONEY ROASTED PEANUT ATTACK! SHRIMP COCKTAIL EXPLOSION! Those sneaky devils, right? Wrong! Appetizers can be easily avoided. They’re usually just store-bought throwaway dishes anyway, so steer clear by posting up in another room or chewing gum while others munch. You’ll get plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in delicious Thanksgiving fare, so there’s absolutely no need to indulge (unless they happen to be a favorite, rarely eaten dish you look forward to all year).
- Choose a plan of attack. In my mind, you can choose one of two options for Thanksgiving dinner to keep yourself from going overboard. Either get a small portion (and I do mean SMALL — think a couple bites) of everything that looks remotely appetizing, or get a healthier portion of the few (that means 3-4, guys) dishes that you like. You really can’t have it both ways.
- Determine an exit strategy. Once you’ve finished your plate, get out of there! Don’t sit at the table/around the food if you’re done eating! I don’t know about you, but I have a pretty hard time just being around food without eating it. Excuse yourself to “powder your nose,” make claims about having to watch “the game” (if you’re like me, you have no idea which game, but whatev), or go play with the kids in the basement if you have to. Just get out of there!
- Now that the battle’s over, you still have a war to fight. Most likely, Thanksgiving food (and family members who want to feed you) will be around all weekend. Make the holiday about more than just food by finding other activities to engage in. Like one of my Winter Shape Uppers is doing, bring some board games for before/after Thanksgiving dinner and the rest of the holiday weekend. Organize some kind of physical activity outside if the weather’s decent. Hey, you could even try to immerse yourself in a war of a whole different kind: The Battle of Black Friday. (Note: Nutritionista does not condone spending money as a replacement for spending calories!)
- Don’t walk away with PTSD (Post-Thanksgiving Stress Disorder). Even if you had one piece of pumpkin pie too many, remember: It’s just one day! It’s not going to make you or break you. As Gena reminds us: “It’s just food. Enjoy what’s on your plate, and walk away without looking back.” Don’t allow food (and the over- or under-consumption of it) to have any power over your holiday. This post jokingly turns Thanksgiving dinner into a war we must fight, but keep in mind, if you enjoy yourself and feel great afterwards… you’ve already won!
Most importantly, have a great Thanksgiving! I’ll try to take some pics of my holiday plates to share with you all.
