Staying Balanced on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, a day of family, food, football, gratitude, and an abundance of calories! The average Thanksgiving meal can add up to 3-4,000 calories, in one sitting. This means a 160 lb. person would have to run at a moderate pace for 4 hours, swim for 5 hours, or walk 30 miles to burn off a 3,000-calorie Thanksgiving Day meal. 

Is the availability of the food, the higher-calorie and fattening food at meals, desserts, chocolates, sweets, anything pumpkin, pies, cookies, etc., a challenge for you?  If so, you are not alone.  Here are some simple tips to help you create a day you would like to remember. 

PRE-THANKSGIVING PREP (morning of) 

• Get your Body ready: commit to move your body for at least 30 minutes that morning.
• Get your Emotions ready:  before you get going, open up your journal and write about what you are feeling/ or thinking about.  Next, answer the question what would your ideal Thanksgiving look and/or feel like? 
• Get your Mind ready: simple. Set your thinking onto WHAT YOU WANT.
• Get your Spirit ready: sit with yourself in silence and take 10 deep breaths; breathing in positive energy and exhaling anything you don't want. 

CALORIC EDUCATION ON THE THANKSGIVING MEAL

Food	Serving Size	Actual Size	Calories	Fat	Weight Watchers Points
Turkey	6 ounces	Size & thickness of your hand	250	6	5
Mashed Potatoes	1 cup	Your fist	400	20	10
Candied Sweet Potatoes	1 cup	Your fist	300	9	11
Stuffing	1 cup	Your fist	400	14	10
Green Bean Casserole	1 cup	Your fist	300	15	6
Cranbury Sauce	½ cup	½ your fist	190	1	6
Cream Gravy	¼ cup	3 second pour	50	4	4
Pie (pumpkin)	1/8 of pie	Of a 9 inch diameter pie	315	14	11
TOTAL=			2,205	83	63

-being a little more conscious with your meal can save you thousands of calories

DURING THANKSGIVING 

• Glance at all the appetizers before you choose anything to eat, be mindful, present, and scan all the foods 
• Choose to only eat the foods you LOVE. 
• If applicable: bring a veggie tray 
• Pick one appetizer, have one serving, put it on a plate and sit down to enjoy it. 
• Sit down to eat everything! 
• Chew every bite, at least, 20 times, and really taste it! 
• Bring a water bottle and try to drink water to stay hydrated 
• Look at your plate as having three sections, one for meat (no larger than your hand), one for a carbohydrate (no larger than your fist), and the rest is for veggies. 
• Serve yourself proportionally and say “NO” to seconds! 
• Select one dessert to eat, chew slowly, and enjoy every bite! 
• If you try something you don’t LOVE—don’t eat the rest. 
• Stick to a 2-3 alcoholic drink maximum. 
• Choose low calorie drinks.
• Choose veggies over crackers.
• Socialize away from the food.

 Remember, Thanksgiving can be more than the food.  Think about your intentions for the day, detach from the food so you can actually enjoy it, and spend your time thinking about all you have to be grateful this year!  Happy Thanksgiving from LSS Harmony.