The annual Thanksgiving feast can pack a real calorie wallop, but you can employ some strategies to lessen the blow.
Sally Squires, who writes the Lean Plate Club™ blog, told WTOP that people eat an average of 3,000 to 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving. That鈥檚 compared with 2,000 calories on a regular day.
That鈥檚 a lot, but Squires said it was important to keep that in perspective 鈥� 鈥淚n order to actually put on a pound, you have to consume about 3,500 extra calories.鈥�
She added, 鈥淔irst of all, it鈥檚 only one day, so I think none of us need to get too hung up on this one day. It only comes around once a year.鈥�
Still, 鈥測ou want to be smart about it,鈥� and there are a number of painless ways to do that.
Before the meal
First off, don鈥檛 skip breakfast. And if your Thanksgiving dinner is later in the day, don鈥檛 skip lunch either. That way, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not munching all day long, or not eating anything and then arriving at your Thanksgiving meal ready to eat everything including the tablecloth,鈥� Squires said.
That said, if you have a choice, you鈥檙e better off having the big meal in the middle of the day, she advised. 鈥淭hen you haven鈥檛 been snacking all day long, and you have to time to burn those calories,鈥� after dinner with a family walk, a touch football game or some other kind of activity.
A late dinner invites the temptation to slide from dinner to a football game on TV to bed, and that will help the calories stick to you.
If you鈥檙e the one in the kitchen, let鈥檚 face it 鈥� you eat while you鈥檙e cooking.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really easy time to eat mindlessly,鈥� Squires said, and there鈥檚 no point denying it, so fix yourself a plate of healthy snacks to munch on while you鈥檙e putting the dinner together.
It also might be a good idea to make a deal with yourself regarding alcohol.
鈥淢aybe you don鈥檛 start imbibing right away,鈥� Squires said, advising that you abstain before dinner, then have a guilt-free glass of wine while you鈥檙e eating.
During the meal
A great way to feel full without gorging on calories would be to start with a soup course, Squires said 鈥� especially something like a butternut squash or pumpkin soup, which taste creamy without having any actual cream in them.
Squires also said that if you鈥檙e going to indulge, concentrate on the holiday-specific foods such as stuffing and maybe pie 鈥� not the chips, dips and pigs in a blanket that you can have any time during the year.
And we all know by now to eat slowly, right? Put down your fork between each bite and you鈥檒l feel fuller on fewer calories.
After the meal
鈥淯nless you鈥檙e a glutton for punishment鈥� (as opposed to the traditional kind, I guess), Squires advises against getting on the scale Friday morning. You won鈥檛 like what it says, and it also won鈥檛 tell you anything significant.
鈥淥ne, you鈥檝e eaten a lot more food than you normally do,鈥� Squires said. 鈥淭wo, you鈥檝e eaten a lot of salt,鈥� which leads to water retention. The scale will have bad news for you, but, 鈥渙dds are it鈥檚 just water weight and it鈥檚 going to go away,鈥� she added. 鈥淚鈥檇 wait a couple of days and let things settle down.鈥�
Again, she emphasized: It鈥檚 once a year, and generally includes family you don鈥檛 see much. 鈥淭his is a wonderful time to gather. It鈥檚 important to savor all of that, in addition to the food.鈥�
That said, go back to your usual nutritional routine on Friday: 鈥淒on鈥檛 use that wonderful day of celebration as a way to celebrate throughout the weekend.鈥�
