Tips on Sticking to Your Diet on Thanksgiving

Treat Thanksgiving just like any ordinary day by continuing with your usual physical activities and exercises. If the gym is closed, do indoor exercises or engage in other activities that will require physical exertion. For example, if you need to do some shopping, park your car a few blocks away from the store so you can engage in some brisk walking. Skipping the elevator and/or the escalators in favor of the stairs can also work quite well.

It is so easy to grab quick but carb-laden and fatty snacks when doing your shopping during Thanksgiving day. But instead of picking up the next fry, stash an apple in your bag. Better yet, eat first before you do your shopping.

Most people work up an appetite for a big party by skipping lunch or breakfast. Doing so can only lead to disaster, as skipping meals will result in binging. A simple trick is to eat right. Have complete but light meals, like a bowl of oatmeal and fruits for breakfast, chips for light morning snack, then your usual lunch, and another light afternoon snack. I am pretty sure that by the time the big Thanksgiving dinner comes, you will not have the urge to gobble up everything that is set on the buffet table.

Just because the dishes were served buffet-style, it does not mean that you need to eat them all. Instead, browse casually over the fare and do a mental calculation of all the calories that you might get. If you really cannot resist the temptation of all those fattening foods, take small portions of each dish. This way, you get to taste a bit of everything without having to pop a few buttons on your jeans.

Remove all visible fats (chicken skin, pork and beef fat) as they have the tendency to settle in your waist, hips, and thighs. If you really want meat dishes, at least choose the lean, barbecued, roasted, or grilled kind.

Avoid alcoholic drinks, sodas, and concentrated juices as these are packed with calories. Aside from packing on the sugar, these drinks also have the tendency to bloat you up. Instead, ask for water and take a sip between your bites. Water will fill you up without the bloated feeling and cleanse your palate for total food enjoyment.