7 secrets to safe splurging on Thanksgiving!!!!

The holidays can be a dreaded time if you are trying to focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. With temptation to indulge seemingly everywhere and a combination of bad weather, shorter days, busy schedules, the kids out of school… (you name it!) getting in the way of regular exercise, it can be a challenge to stick to even your basic strategy for staying on track.

Despite these challenges though it’s important not to lose sight of what’s important and remember that you can still enjoy the holidays while not completely ditching the healthy lifestyle. Staying positive and filling your heart and mind with the love and thankfulness of the season is the best way to beat stress and stay on top of the craziness. Whether you are with family and friends over this holiday weekend or far away take the time to let them know they’re in your thoughts and hearts, And reflect on all the things you're thankful for!

Here are some more great tips for taking the stress… and the excess out of the this food filled holiday without losing any of the fun or flavor :)

1. It’s okay to splurge now and then. There. I said it. Sticking to the diet plan can be a challenge sometimes. If you have been doing a good job working towards your goals let yourself enjoy some things that you wouldn’t on a normal day ;)

2. Don’t let the holiday throw you off track. Like I said, a splurge (1 or 2) is fine… but make sure it stays just that… a splurge. Don’t let yourself fall into that mental trap of giving up on everything you’ve worked so hard for because you took it easy for a day or two. (plan your splurge ahead of time and stop when you're supposed to stop, then get right back on your healthy eating plan!!!!)

3. Size matters. Well, portion size anyway! You can still sample a little bit of all the tasty treats on your Thanksgiving table without going overboard. Instead of heaping your plate with mounds of food serve out a small portion of the stuff that looks best to start. Going back for seconds is okay! Taking a little bit of time between servings will make it easier to choose reasonable serving sizes based on how hungry you actually are instead how hungry you think you are.  Take small serving sizes of everything except veggies!!! LOAD UP ON THE VEGGIES!!!!!
4. Quality Counts! You may not have much control over everything showing up on your Thanksgiving menu, and if you are at a parent or grandparent’s house you might not have any say at all. If you are preparing the meal or bringing a dish to someone else’s, try to make it something healthy and filling so you know you have at least one option to rely on. If you aren’t making anything just go for larger portions of nutrient dense foods (turkey and veggies!) and just sample the stuff that’s full of sugars and fats.  Just FYI, I ALWAYS bring something healthy to share, even when I'm not asked to!!! LOL!
5. Don’t fast for the feast. For some reason, when Thanksgiving rolls around everyone seems to take on this fasting mentality… “No food until dinner!” and “Have to save room!” You know the story… but not eating leading up to a big meal tends to make your body more likely to store fats from foods when you finally eat. Not to mention that the fasting before hand will make you more hungry and craving larger portions when the meal is finally served. Have your NORMAL small meals every 2 hours earlier in the day and get your metabolism revved up to handle that Turkey!

6. Walk it off. Thanksgiving morning is a great time for a FUN FAMILY FITNESS ACTIVITY!!!  MAKE IT A TRADITION! In my family we LOVE to run in a Turkey Trot. If you're not into that, Go for a walk in the morning before the serious cooking gets underway and family time makes getting in that workout impossible. Remember that Black Friday is good for more than just great deals… walking around the mall all day is a great way to burn some of the previous day’s calories. Even if you don’t plan on hitting the sales try to find some activity that gets you up, active and off of the couch.  Here's a link to a Turkey trot near us!!!!!

http://www.hcrunners.org/

7. Enjoy yourself! Above all this is the time of year for enjoyment and gratitude. Avoid stressing out about what your eating for the day. Think ahead and try to make reasonable choices, but if something looks really good… have a bite! Relax with your family and friends and…

HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

ALL THIS WEEK I WILL BE POSTING SOME OF MY FAVORITE HEALTHY THANKSGIVING RECIPES SO KEEP CHECKING BACK!!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!