Thanksgiving Dinner

Would you like the good news or the bad news first? Ok, the good news: just by reading this I know that you are already thinking about your health! Yes, it's Thanksgiving - turkey time, a perfect time to eat together with our ohana and be grateful for what we already have. But are you also ready to gain 5lb or more in one night? If you plan the day before then you don't need to. Of course I'm not suggesting you follow a crazy strict diet, you just need to be sensible and use your intuition. I have some tips for you, but first lets remember that you need to correct knowledge to make the correct decisions. If you eat more than you need in one meal then you will store new body fat - that's the way your body works! Also remember that one gram of carbs (bread, rice, potato, pasta etc) makes your bodies cells hold three extra grams of water. So when you gain weight you will also be gaining water weight. And if you've been dieting then you'll push your body back to its starting point. So what can you do?

• Make sure that you don't miss your breakfast on Thanksgiving day. Eat more lean protein (for example eggs, cottage cheese, greek yoghurt, protein powder...) to help keep your blood sugar stable.
• Drink tons of water!
• Don't eat or drink any type of sugar. That means sugary drinks like soda too!
• Don't do extra exercise before your dinner. This will just make you more hungry than before. Instead do extra exercise the next day.
• When you start filling up your plate, start with lots of veggies. This will help you eat more slowly.
• Reduce oil and butter wherever you can. Try just 1tbsp of gravy.
• Try to eat your dessert at least one hour after your dinner.
• If you choose potatoes then don't also choose bread or rice.
• Think differently! You can eat all the food you want but after you will not feel good. It's better to enjoy your meal, so try and eat mindfully. When you start to feel full, stop eating! You can always eat more later if you're still hungry.

If you want to succeed at permanent weight management then you need to learn how to eat during holidays, birthday parties etc. It doesn't have to be try that you always gain weight after your Thanksgiving dinner. So, what's the bad news? It is your choice, to watch what you're eating or to choose not to care. It's really that simple. Whatever you choose, you need to take the responsibility - don't blame anyone or anything, it's really up to you. Be objective. Remind yourself what you want to do, and what your motivation is for doing it. Be grateful, be thankful, enjoy your dinner! Happy holidays!