Happy Thanksgiving

For many of you this week is the start of holiday festivities and fun. In the US we will be celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday which is always challenging for anyone struggling with their weight, or simply short on time for exercise routines.

This need not be a situation of all or nothing, meaning either you stuff yourself silly or deprive yourself of pumpkin pie, stuffing or even the smallest spoonful of gravy. It is one day, you do not have to over-indulge all week long or straight through until New Year.

If you start today, by staying compliant with your healthy meal plan, you can indulge a little on Thanksgiving! Focus this week on maintaining the weight you are right now and eat your Thanksgiving meal responsibly. You can have everything! What you don’t need to do is have everything for 3 people!

Tomorrow, you can get right back on track. Remember, it is a time to enjoy your family and friends and be grateful for all you have. With that in mind, here are a few tips:

1) Focus on how many times and how long you will be able to exercise this week, then schedule it. What gets scheduled, gets done.
2) Eat small amounts of food every 2-3 hours throughout the day to give you better control of your appetite so you do not arrive at the Thanksgiving table starving. Not eating or eating very little that day will make you more inclined to over-indulge.
3) To the best that you can, start your day with exercise and focus on the intensity and duration both. Obviously creating a calorie deficit will help the equation of calories in calories out… which also supports #1.
4) Avoid drinking your calories, they add up quickly and stimulate your appetite. Water is always the best choice. Save the calories in your calorie bank account for the delicious food.
5) Make smart choices with what is available. Go ahead and try it all if you can’t resist… just watch your portion size.
6) Eat slow, and relax. Enjoy your company. Stop frequently and take a deep breath. Give your brain time to get the signal that your stomach is full… it takes a while.
7) Get up and move from the table or help clear as soon as it is appropriate.

I would like to take a minute to tell you how thankful I am to all of you who have participated in my programs, to all of you who have taken the time to leave comments on my blog, and to all of you who subscribe to my newsletters. To all of you celebrating Thanksgiving, I wish you all a very happy holiday.