Thanksgiving Survival
by Rachel Lukasavige
Last year on Thanksgiving I started the day off by going
to a spinning class at my gym and it set the tone for
the entire day. Not only did I avoid overeating, I made
healthy choices for the things I filled my plate with.
I think that making one healthy choice leads to a snowball
effect, where other healthy choices are bound to follow.
While most gyms are not open on Thanksgiving you do have
other options if you want to get some exercise on your
day off from work. Get family members together and go
for a group walk, spend a little extra time doing housework
in anticipation of your guests' arrival, or pop in an
exercise DVD while the turkey is cooking.
When you sit down to dinner you will be so proud of yourself
for taking the time to exercise that you will not want
to offset it by eating too much. The typical Thanksgiving
meal is packed with more than 3,000 calories. And that
does not include all the snacking you do throughout the
rest of the day!
Follow these tips to help you make wise choices throughout
the day:
If you are cooking use substitutions to trim the fat;
for instance, use chicken broth or skim milk instead of
cream or butter in mashed potatoes.
- Avoid portion distortion by eating off of a salad
plate.
- Tell yourself that you will not go back for seconds
unless you are still hungry
- Indulge where it does not count - feel free to eat
as many vegetables as youwould like!
- Relax - stress can lead to overeating. Exercising
early in the day can help with this.
- Enjoy your company - remember that Thanksgiving is
not ALL about the food. It is about taking time to remember
the things you are thankful for.
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