How Do I Control Calories on Thanksgiving?

The health and fitness industry can create some struggles for people during the holidays. The stigma of being healthy can put unrealistic expectations on us which can lead to not enjoying the special day and that’s not good.

After all, that’s what is most important., to enjoy your day with your loved ones.

This short blog is going to dish out(no pun intended) some helpful tips and strategies on how to enjoy your Thanksgiving guilt-free while eating the foods you enjoy. 

Fitness

Don’t work out to earn your meal - If you want to do your workout on Thanksgiving Day because you truly enjoy it then I 100% support that. I personally really enjoy my workout time so I will be training on Thanksgiving. I will do it because I have fun, not to earn my feast.

Fitness is a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for what you ate, and definitely not a way to earn what you are about to eat. You already earned this meal and it has nothing to do with a workout. 

Nutrition 

Don’t count calories - If you are someone who counts calories during the week, today is your day to take a break. One day of not hitting your numbers isn’t going to ruin your progress, enjoy your day off from tracking. 

Don’t skip breakfast to “save” calories - There is absolutely no reason to skip breakfast to save calories. If you skip breakfast to save calories you are going to put yourself in the mindset of binging because you have extra calories to eat. Ultimately, you could end up eating more calories than if you just ate breakfast, and then ate what you wanted during dinner. 

Eat how you normally do leading up to the big meal - At the beginning of the day, it seems like a good idea to skip your regular snacks and meals so you can just go all out on dinner. Then you stuff yourself full later in the day, you feel like crap and regret your decision. Try to eat a regular breakfast and lunch to give yourself some control over what you eat. This will benefit how you feel as well as your digestion. 

Eat healthy snacks to enter the meal at a comfortable hunger level - You don’t want to go into the meal “starving” because that’s how you overeat. Including some fruits and vegetables for a snack during the day can help keep your hunger at a comfortable level so you don’t sit at the table like a ravenous animal ready to destroy everything in your path. This would be a good time to pack in some fruits, vegetables, and protein. 

Eat the damn pie - Someone has to stick up for the pie and if it has to be me then so be it. Don’t make the pie out to be the bad guy, ok? No one gained an extra 10 pounds because they had a couple of small slices of pie. Please don’t skip out on dessert because you think it will put you over the top. I’m not saying to stuff your face to be uncomfortably full but I am saying to save room for dessert. This is a holiday, a day to celebrate with the people you care about. That includes dessert. So eat the damn pie. Try a little bit of both, put some cool whip on top if your heart desires.

Drink plenty of water - I’m including this here just for the sake of encouraging you to drink more water. I am most definitely not using this as a way to feel more full. It’s important to stay hydrated and during holiday gatherings we are quick to grab a soda or beer which is fine but don’t forget to drink water. You can easily drink as many calories in a few beers as you would eat in a meal. Be mindful of your liquid calories.

Eat what you want - Eat the things you enjoy and want at the meal. Make sure to enjoy everything you eat. If there is something you really like and can see yourself having more than your stomach can handle at the moment, ask for leftovers to take home. You don’t need the third helping of stuffing right then and there when you could just bring some home and have it in the next few days. This can also help with the feeling of missing out on something. If there’s something you want to try but don’t have room for, ask for some to take home. 

Prioritize protein - During the day leading up to dinner make sure that you keep your protein in check. You don’t have to count calories but you can still try to get 75% of your protein for the day before dinner. Another helpful tip is to eat your protein first during your Thanksgiving dinner. Foods high in protein make you feel more full than foods high in carbs and fats so if you eat your turkey first you are less likely to overeat stuffing and mashed potatoes.

Follow the 50/25/25 Plate Rule - Make sure that 50% of your plate is fruits and/or vegetables, 25% of your plate is protein, and then the other 25% of your plate can be carbs. Even if that last 25% is a casserole or stuffing. This is a great way to eat the things you enjoy in moderation while making sure to eat nutrient-dense foods.

Replace soda with carbonated water - It’s so easy to rack up liquid calories when you have a glass of soda or two with your meal, especially if you also have a couple of adult beverages. I prefer to eat my calories but I also like a little bit of flavor and texture with my meals so I go for carbonated water with my food. I don’t drink alcohol so I’ll be the family member showing up to Thanksgiving dinner with a couple of cans of carbonated water for myself. They taste good, give me the satisfaction of the carbonation, and also help me feel a little more full than regular water.

Wrapping up

I think it goes without being said that I don’t take the holidays as a straight-up free-for-all but I also don’t restrict myself, count calories, or skip meals.

I eat what I like and don’t eat what I don’t like. I also keep a somewhat normal routine and that is what I think is most important.

Being someone who eats the same thing every day, my Thanksgiving dinner is just going to replace my everyday dinner and my dessert will probably replace one of my snacks. I’ll eat the same breakfast and lunch that I do every other day of the week.

There’s a good chance I will end up eating more calories than I do any other day but I don’t care because it’s not going to ruin my progress.

One thing is for sure, I am going to enjoy myself. And you should too!

I hope this article was helpful for you and takes away some of the stress that comes with pursuing a healthy lifestyle during the holidays. If you need any help heading into any of the upcoming holidays don’t hesitate to reach out. You can send me an email to my personal email and I’ll respond within 24-48 hours. Patrick@syracusefitnesscenter.com.

If there is one message I want you to take away from this, one day isn’t going to make your progress, and one day isn’t going to break your progress.

Off subject, if you are someone that is looking to improve their mobility I have a free mobility eBook that you can download and put to use. All you have to do is fill out the short form at the bottom of this page.

Happy Thanksgiving

- Partick