Ways To Avoid Overeating On Thanksgiving

Written by Pamela Hartford

We’ve all done it so don’t beat yourself up too much! Overeating at Thanksgiving, sound familiar? Thanksgiving is a traditional holiday celebrated in the America and Canada. It started out as a day of giving thanks and blessing of the harvest and the year went by. It is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States,

Delicious Food For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is all about family, friends, and food! A typical Thanksgiving meal includes turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables, gravy, cranberry sauce. For dessert you may eat pumpkin pie, pecan pie wall washed down with a glass of eggnog! Sounds delicious but I can already feel my belt buckling!

Calorie Consumption During Thanksgiving

On average, each of us consumes around 4,500 calories with a whopping amount of 45% fat.

Overeating, generally, isn’t a healthy thing for your body to experience, neither is being overweight. Living a healthy lifestyle is something that we should all adopt, for increased longevity and living a life free from disease and illness. There is a plethora of information out there when it comes to health, diet, and lifestyle. For health tips and weight, loss guidance check out sites that recommend useful nutritional health supplements that can help as part of your weight loss program such as Forskolin. Whatever path you choose. Thanksgiving is a holiday to be enjoyed not suffered.

It isn't all doom and gloom, there are things that you can do to minimize the impact of this very lovely holiday. Here are some top tips to help you choose wisely and end the day not feeling bloated and lethargic.

Healthy Substitutes For A Lighter Thanksgiving

Perhaps the most obvious way to consume fewer calories would be to simply eat less. However, with all the yummy, delicious food being served on the table this is a tough nut to crack. Here we list several options that may make the difference between a Happy Thanksgiving or a Heavy Thanksgiving.

Drink Lots Of Water

A great tip for feeling fuller sooner is to drink a full glass of water prior to eating a meal. Drink two 8-ounce glasses (16 ounces total) of water before each meal. It will fill up your stomach and trim up to 60 calories per meal. Researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands found a simple change such as drinking more water can alter messages sent from the stomach which is interpreted as fullness by the brain.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

Start your day off on the right foot. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This shouldn't be a huge breakfast but something to kickstart your metabolism. A combination of good carbs, fiber with some added protein would be great. Try oats, with almond milk sprinkled with brazil nuts and cranberries. It will also ensure that you fill up quickly during the meal and are less likely to reach for the pie when it comes to dessert.

Slow It Down

Most of us eat way too fast. Eating slowly and mindfully will help you eat less, Eating fast allows you take in way too many calories. It takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness. And feeling full translates into eating less. Eat slower giving your tummy and brain to register the same message that you are full.

Leave Out The Soda

Not only is soda crammed full with chemicals, artificial sweeteners, zero nutrients and artificial colorings, to say the least, it contains huge amounts of sugar. One can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar! Such huge amounts of sugar can lead to weight gain, diabetes, insulin resistance, and other health problems. Reach for the water when it comes to drinking options.

Be Food Aware!

When food is served on the table, all we see is the wondrous sight before us and smell the deliciously tempting aromas. Such joy is this sensory overload that we are almost blinded when it comes to the calorie content contained within the food. By being more aware of the nutritional content of food and what we consume, will allow us to make more educated and aware choices. There are skinny alternatives too, check out our list right here.

When it comes to the meat (turkey or ham), make sure you choose the white meat and leave out the fat.
Go light on the stuffing. 1 cup of bread stuffing provides a whopping 355 calories and 17 grams of fat. Try switching to some tasty low-fat stuffing recipes. Select one that is made of nuts, seeds, vegetables and fewer breadcrumbs and lower fat content.
These healthy berries are packed full of goodness when they are fresh. However, ½ cup cranberry sauce provides 209 calories due to the added sugar. The good news is that the fat content is how offering 0 grams of fat.
Perhaps it is the desserts that are the ones that pack on the pounds. An regular slice of pumpkin pie will set you back around 325 calories and 15 grams of fat. If you can avoid this, then do. If not, only have a thin slither of pie.
Make your eggnog with skimmed milk. If you use whole milk and alcohol, 1 cup provides you with 440 calories and 19 grams of fat. Best bet on this, skip it.
As with the pumpkin option, a slice of pecan pie will set you back a great deal when it comes to counting the calories. A whopping 456 calories, 21 grams of fat. Load up on the main dish so you aren't able to fit any in. If you need, then take a couple of spoons.

The Bottom Line On Thanksgiving

Whilst ‘a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips’ is true, Thanksgiving is something to be enjoyed, with family and friends and not something to be afraid of or suffered.

Just be food aware, eat healthy alternatives and perhaps add a long, brisk walk to your day. This way when you will be able to enjoy your food and not worry too much about stacking on unwanted pounds. After all, we are what we eat and what we do.

Happy Thanksgiving!