Thanksgiving will be here in less than one week.  Some of you may be looking forward to spending time with your family and/or friends and enjoying a good meal. Others may be looking forward to a day of overindulging. Thanksgiving  gives us many of us the green light to gorge.  Just the word “Thanksgiving” conjures up thoughts of overeating. For those of you who are trying to watch your weight, you may be feeling a little anxious as how to handle this food filled day.

Here are some tips to trim your turkey day:

1. First of all, I want to say that Thanksgiving is not the day to diet. Expect to go off your eating plan. I tell my clients to allow themselves to “overeat in moderation”. Telling yourself that you have to stick to your eating plan 100% will only set you up for failure.

2. Eat the foods you really like.  No need to take a helping from every plate that gets passed. If you don’t like Aunt Mary’s creamed green beans (or whatever that dish is called with green beans, cream of mushroom soup and onion rings),  skip it. Why eat the dinner roll when you can eat rolls anytime?

3. White meat turkey is the perfect “diet” food (not that I love the word “diet”). Fill up your plate with turkey and veggies. Take smaller portions of the higher caloric foods such as stuffing, gravy, potato, cranberry sauce, etc.

4. Eat slow. Watch your family and friends overindulge.

5. If you are going to a friends home for Thanksgiving, ask if you can bring a dish. Bring something healthy. If you are cooking the meal, include some dishes that are lower in fat, salt and sugar. Tasty food doesn’t have to be loaded with fat and/or sugar. I’m sure your other guests will appreciate some lower calorie dishes.

6. Be careful with the appetizers before dinner.  A few handfuls of nuts,  some cheese and crackers and a glass or two of wine can add up to over 800 calories.

7. Keep in mind that the alcohol calories add up quickly. Not only does alcohol contain “empty calories”, it also can lower your resolve to watch what you eat.

8. One of the major problems with Thanksgiving is not the actual meal itself, but the lingering leftovers (stuffing, gravy, desserts). This is a problem for those people who are having Thanksgiving in their home as well as for those people who are going home for the long weekend. I would suggest that you give your guests doggie bags that include the fattening leftovers. Save the white meat turkey and veggies for yourself!

9. Thanksgiving is not just about the food - try to focus on family and friends.  

10. If you end up eating a lot more than you planned, don’t beat yourself up. Just get back on track the next day (or at least by Monday!). Remember the real damage is not done in one or two meals but by the mentality of “well I overdid it, so I might as well continue”.

Here are calories of foods we typically eat/drink on Thanksgiving:

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