I want to encourage you all to stay focused this holiday season on your goals. We can often get distracted by just wanting to enjoy ourselves, but really we are setting ourselves up for disappointment at the weight we put back on. If you stay focused, you can get a jump start on the New Year, and start ahead of your goals instead of behind. Most importantly, you will build more self-control, commitment, and character. Three important areas you must develop in to lose weight and keep it off!
Thanksgiving Weight Loss Survival Tips:
- -Make a commitment to eat one plate of food. Do NOT go back for seconds.
- -Do not take leftovers home. Commit to preparing a healthy meal at home the next day or treating yourself to a healthy meal at a restaurant.
- -Eat a half portion of dessert and commit to exercising the following day to burn off any excess calories you ate above your calorie limit.
- -Take a healthy alternative item (like a veggie dish) to Thanksgiving dinner and fill up your plate with your dish and the healthier, lower calorie items first. Eat smaller portions of the calorie dense foods like macaroni and cheese (anything with cheese), potato salad, dressing or stuffing, ham, sweet potato casserole and pie, cookies, cakes, and desserts.
- -Eat turkey breast or chicken for your meat only without the skin. It it is not available, choose to skip any other fatty meats.
- -Minimize portions of anything containing added sugar or fat (butter).
- -Limit bread portions. Take a whole grain wheat bread as a side item. Skip the butter, use a little olive oil for dipping.
- -Limit the extras: cranberry sauce, salad dressing, barbeque sauce, ketchup, and definitely gravy. Make your own fresh fruit topping instead like fresh cranberry spread or take a low cal dressing as an option for salad.
- -Drink water or seltzer water with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
- -Pray before you leave home to empower your weight loss journey and choices at Thanksgiving Day dinner.
- -Enjoy time with family versus focusing on food. If you make better food choices, you won't be sluggish after dinner so you can really enjoy the festivities.
