Thanksgiving is right around the corner and, for those trying to lose weight, this holiday can be very stressful. How do you keep yourself from indulging, with so much delicious food all around? Below, you will find 5 helpful and easy tips to prevent holiday weight gain.
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Portion control. Instead of planning on skipping out on your favorite dishes, a rather more practical way to save on calories would be portion control. Aim to make your plate colorful by filling half of it with beautiful leafy greens, bell peppers, carrots and other veggies. Reserve a quarter of your plate for turkey, ham or meat based dishes, and the other quarter for mashed sweet potatoes. Also, remember if you do plan on eating desserts, stick to fruit-based pies.
Do a pre and post-meal workout. A good workout before the big meal is important because it will create a calorie deficit. Weight loss is all about burning more than you can eat or eating less than you burn. By creating a deficit in advance you will have enough leeway to indulge in your favorite meals. A workout after the holiday meal is a good way to burn those calories. You can even make this a family affair.
Make your recipes healthier. Customize your recipes and make them healthier by substituting refined sugar with natural sweeteners. Cut back on butter and oil. If you decide to go ahead and indulge in red meat, trim out the fat and serve yourself small portions. Rather than butter, use herbs, garlic or chicken broth to enhance the flavor of mashed potatoes. Instead of sour cream, use Greek yogurt. Remove the skin from the turkey to cut down on calories. Also, don't overdo it with the gravy. It's filled with calories!
Forget the food. Thanksgiving is about more than just the food. It's about conversation, reuniting with relatives you haven't seen in a long time and making memories. Rather than tasting every dish, concentrate on catching up with the family. After the meal, help clean up. It will burn calories and prevent you from eating the leftovers.
Don't overeat. Eat till you are full and then put down the fork. Don't clean your plate. Serve yourself a small portion of each thing you want. That way even if you do feel the need to eat it all, you won't be overeating. Eat consciously. Enjoy every bite. Eat till you feel satisfied rather than sick!
Don't forget to share this article with all your loved ones. Together we can make this a happier, healthier world!
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