You know what I love about Thanksgiving? Eating. And you know what I hate about Thanksgiving? Gaining weight! It would seem that the two go hand-in-hand and there's just no way to avoid it. Every holiday season, I stare at my waist line as it expands more and more as I cringe, thinking that I'm helpless against the Thanksgiving-to-New Year's weight gain.
Well, it turns out that I'm completely wrong about that! Seriously. There IS a way to lose weight and stay healthy during the Holidays—and it's MUCH easier than anyone would have ever imagined! All you need to know are these 5 easy ways to lighten up Thanksgiving dinner and you'll be well on your way to actually stay sane, letting yourself indulge a little but then not hating the numbers on your scale come January 1st. And doesn't that just sound like a magical revelation?
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1. Cut out the butter and lard: Trust me, it pains me to say it but if you're REALLY serious about cutting the calories in your Thanksgiving menu, then butter and lard absolutely HAVE to do. Don't rely on margarine, though. Instead, use extra virgin olive oil or even coconut oil (it's a very healthy oil for frying!) in all of your favorite recipes.
2. Make a lemonade with kick: Did you know that eating spicy food actually makes you eat less calories? One of my favorite tricks for making sure I don't overindulge on a big meal is to make sure I'm also sipping on something that has some spice. Make a natural lemonade (that means water, lemon juice and a bit of honey ONLY! No refined sugars here) and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Drink it with your meal and you'll fill up in no time.
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3. Start with the veggies: Whenever I'm really trying to lose weight, I have a very specific way that I eat: I always, no matter what, eat all of my vegetables first. Why do I do that? Well, the fiber in the veggies will help me fill up quicker while also supplying my body with foods that have less calories and way more nutrients. After you're done with that, THEN you can bite into the turkey and mashed potatoes—and you'll end up eating a lot less of them, too.
4. Have just ONE piece of pie: I love pumpkin pie and pecan pie and all kinds of pie just as much as the next normal red-blooded Latina-American girl. But, seriously, if you're hoping to keep the pounds off this holiday season, you have to do your best to limit yourself to just one single piece of pie. And I don't mean cut off half the pie and call it "one piece." Here's the trick, though: eat it very, very slowly. Close your eyes and savor each bite. By the time you're done, you'll be so satisfied that you won't even want more.
5. Remember it's one meal on one day: If you mess up or overindulge on any of these tips, don't stress or freak out or use it as an excuse to fall off the weight loss bandwagon. I know it happens because I've done it many, many times before: you have a second piece of pie, you bloat, you feel like you ate 5,000 calories (well, you might have!) and then you get depressed, thinking you've completely ruined your diet. Well, guess what? One bad meal on one day of the year isn't going to mess up the rest of your year. So do your best and just keep going! The stress will actually do worse to your body than those 5,000 calories… as long as you don't follow them up with 5,000 more depression-fueled calories the next day!
Image via FoodMayhem.com/flickr
