Table of Contents
Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
It is a time to give thanks and celebrate all of our blessings, but it is also a major food holiday. If you are someone who is concerned about their health, having a healthy Thanksgiving can be incredibly challenging.
The appetizers.
The drinks.
Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings.
The endless assortment of pies and desserts.
It is a mindfield of food and if you don’t have a plan heading into Thanksgiving you can easily find yourself eating a week’s worth of calories in a single day.
So if you are looking for a game plan to help you navigate Thanksgiving below are 6 tips to keep in mind as we head into the holiday.
1. Start The Day Off Right!
Eat a healthy breakfast to start the day, focus on protein and veggies, and make it lighter on the carbs. Skipping breakfast will lead you to feel very hungry come dinner.
Get in a workout or long walk. Exercise helps regulate appetite, moving your body will set you up better come the main event.
2. Avoid The Mid-Day Trap
Most people eat dinner mid-afternoon or evening so it’s time for another meal. Again keep it light on carbs. If you are going to be eating mid-afternoon you can do a protein shake or a protein heavy snack like jerky, canned fish, or a light salad a big serving of protein. If you didn’t get a workout in the morning, try to get one in mid-day. If you did workout in the morning try to get in a walk mid-day. The goal should be to accumulate 10k steps before Thanksgiving dinner.
3. Thanksgiving Dinner: Game Time!
Load up your plate with turkey and veggies. Be careful though because lots of side dishes will have a lot of extra in them. That sweet potato casserole is not the same as a plain sweet potato. That said choose your favorite dishes and put them on your plate, but focus more on the whole food sides. Want seconds? Go for it! Again make sure the seconds have protein and veggies as well.
4. Dessert: Eat It!
Pick your favorite dessert and have it! No judgement here, this is a holiday you should be enjoying the food and the company. Please pick a meaningful dessert. The pumpkin pie Grandma made is great choice, the store bought cookies your sister brought, skip it.
5. The Next Day: Time To Get To Work!
Now it’s time to put those calories you ate to good use! The day after Thanksgiving is a great day to lift heavy or do some high intensity cardio. You should be well fueled from the previous days meal and primed to put out a little extra work.
6. Don’t stress!
The #1 rule for Thanksgiving is to not eat like an asshole. If you eat within reason, even if you overeat, you won’t be setting yourself back at all. Enjoy the holiday, enjoy the company, and give thanks.
Bonus Tips For A Healthy Thanksgiving!
If you follow these 6 tips to develop a healthy game plan for Thanksgiving you will be sure to survive and thrive during this tricky time. However I do have some bonus tips for you! If you would like to get 3 additional bonus tips enter you email below to join my newsletter and I will email you some additional tips to make your Thanksgiving even more epic!