Thanksgiving is only a few days away and for many the beginning of the “eating season.” I made a conscious decision not to wait until January 1st to make healthy choices but begin today so that I don’t start 2012 with extra 1-7 holiday pounds.

 Dr. Deb’s Thin Thanksgiving Tips.

1.Burn Before & After

The average Thanksgiving meal has 1500-3500 calories and that doesn’t include second helpings and licks, bites and tastes that I can’t seem to avoid. Naturally it makes sense to burn calories before the big feast to prevent weight gain. There are great opportunities in Cincinnati with the 102nd annual Turkey Trot starting at 9am downtown.

You can also spin your calories off at Eastside Wellness Connection Turkey Spin starting at 8am.

In addition to burning before, there is some evidence that even a simple walk within 30 minutes of eating will prevent those calories from going right to fat so get up and move instead of falling on the couch in a food coma.

2. Eat before you Feast

Since you know you will be consuming a lot of calories, many are tempted to starve before the meal. That is one of the worst ideas since you will have high hunger hormones making it far more likely that you will overeat. Protein with a little healthy fat such as walnuts or almonds will lower hunger and increase full hormones helping you to eat less. It is also important to water down all day so your body does not think that it is hungry when you are really thirsty.

3. BYOHD (Bring Your Own Healthy Dish)

Bring you own healthy dish so you have some safe options. A veggie tray is a great appetizer to fill up on before the big feast. If you are not cooking, it is hard to gauge the caloric hit on each food item so bring your own healthy side dish to share. Some high caloric dishes like pies and stuffing may not be worth it. For instance, sweet potato pie can easily have 400 calories per serving. If you love sweet potatoes make your own with a little spray butter and spices and you can eat a whole baked sweet potato for only 115 calories.

4. Savor don’t Surrender

The greatest tip is to savor your food and not to surrender to devouring everything in site because you “blew” your diet. Be realistic that this is a special occasion. Slow down and be mindful of what you are eating. Eat what you love no matter what the calories, if it is worth it to you to prevent the feeling of deprivation. Eat as much as you need to so that you don’t feel like a martyr as my old Weight Watcher leader, Harry, would say, but plan for it. For example, you may decide to eat the stuffing but go light on the potaotes. Stuffing comes in at 500 calories per serving so savor every bite and you may not need to eat as much. Your stomach only holds about 2 fistfuls of food so don’t let portion distortion get you. You can also lighten up on some of your favorites by not eating the high calorie turkey skin or skip the crust on the pie.

5. Strategize for Stress

In addition to the stress of high calorie food, most have to deal with family and travel stress. That same person that annoyed you last year will be back again and probably more so. Lower the expectations and be realistic about family settings and plan ways to lower your stress. Smiling and asking about the person you find most annoying can be disarming to the toxic family member.  Sometimes it is best to just walk away. Huddling around the food table does not work so find ways to focus on the fun of your family.

6. Dress Skinny

Don’t wear elastic that will keep expanding as you do. Dress skinny with form fitting clothes and feel good about how you look. When you feel the pants tightening, you will be more likely to stop eating.

7. Lose the Left Over’s

The best and worst part for me are the left over’s. I love to eat them but I can’t stop and lose all sense of portion size. Give away or freeze the left over’s so you won’t be tempted to continue the feast all week.

This Thanksgiving calculator will count your total calories and tell how far you must walk to burn it off.  I caution you to look at the serving size. This may be a “regular” serving size but sometimes not mine. The calorie content may not be accurate as each chef may be use a variety of cream, fat and butter!

Most importantly make this holiday about gratitude and not just food. When we are thankful for our blessings then we are less likely to overeat and more likely to enjoy the season.

In gratitude,

Dr. Deb