It’s that time of the year!
Taking a break from work or school is fun – but being surrounded by family and friends who may not be so supportive of our health goals, and being surrounded by ALL THE FOOD – can be stressful.
Here are some tips for making it manageable – enjoying yourself without going overboard.
How to Not Overeat (Portion Control!) at Thanksgiving with These Simple Steps
1. Decide ahead of time what you’re looking forward to most
Whether it’s the pumpkin pie, the stuffing, or the turkey – you know your taste preferences best.
Decide you’ll have a regular portion of whatever that is. And by regular, I generally mean:
Protein: 4-5oz
E.g. 4 oz sliced turkey, 4 oz sliced ham (or 2oz of each!)
Starches: 1/2 cup
E.g. 1/2 cup stuffing, 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup sweet potatoes
Veggies: 1-2 cups
E.g. 1-2 cups Brussels sprouts, 1-2 cups roasted carrots
Extras: 1/8 cup – 1/4 cup
E.g. 1/4 cup cranberry sauce, 1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) gravy
That type of thing!
When we restrict ourselves too much, it often backfires. When we say “I’m never going to have ice cream again!” – it becomes just a little tooo tempting.
In the same realm, when we OVEReat our favorite foods, they don’t taste good anymore!
Eating what you love, in regular sized potions, is the way to go.
2. Survey the scene when you get there
There’s nothing like buyers’ remorse! (Or “eaters’ remorse” in this case haha).
If you were really excited for the mashed potatoes, but they’re looking a little grey and unappetizing, choose something else. OR if you weren’t thinking pecan pie but it is calllinnggggg your name, have that as your dessert instead of the cookies you were planning.
3. Track What You Think You’re Going to Eat
If you’re tracking what you’re eating, e.g. with an app, I like the “Lose It” app!
Step into another room for a minute and track what you think you’re going to eat – so that there are no surprises.
It’s 100% ok if this isn’t perfect – it would be nearly impossible to know exactly what you’re eating. Embrace the imperfection!
4. Portion your plate appropriately
A good rule of thumb is to make half (1/2) you plate veggies, 1/4 starchy foods (like pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, winter squash), and 1/4 of your plate protein (the turkey!).
Again, here are some good portions of typical Thanksgiving foods – and some visuals to help (because it would be awesome if you did, but who knows what 1/2 cup looks like??)!
Starches: 1/2 cup
E.g. 1/2 cup stuffing, 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup sweet potatoes
1 “baseball” amount
Extras: 1/8 cup – 1/4 cup
E.g. 1/4 cup cranberry sauce, 2 Tbsp gravy
2 “dice” worth
Protein: 4-5oz
E.g. 4oz sliced turkey, 4oz sliced ham (or 2oz of each!)
About the size of a deck of cards
Veggies: 1-2 cups
E.g. 1 cup Brussels sprouts, 1 cup roasted carrots
1-2 large fist-fulls
5. If you don’t like something, don’t keep eating it
Remove it from your plate – and choose something ELSE!
Is this wasteful.
I like to think of this type of thing as just a learning experience.
And to think about what my grandma used to say: “it’s better to waste food in the trash than inside your body”.
6. Bring a Dish to Share
If you know your family isn’t the healthiest, bring a side dish of something you know you’ll feel comfortable eating.
Try roasted Brussels sprouts with a little bacon, or stir-fried green beans with garlic.
7. Bring a Platter of Veggies & Salsa, AND a Case of Sparkling Water (Seltzer)
When you’re going to be sitting somewhere for HOURS, it’s really helpful to bring with you a case of seltzer and veggies & salsa to keep your hands busy.
Seltzer can be like a treat – there are so many flavors to choose from!
Veggies & salsa is one of my go-to tracks – salsa is pretty much just more cut-up veggies! Grab a bag of baby carrots and quickly chop up some celery and call it a day.
8. Check in with Yourself Mid-Way Through the Meal
When you’re halfway done with your plate, check in with yourself – are you full? Are you getting closed to stuffed?
Take a break from your plate – it will still be there in a few minutes.
What are your fullness cues? A good idea is to be plugged into them ahead of time. Here are some examples of fullness cues from the book Intuitive Eating.
A subtle feeling of stomach fullness
Feeling satisfied and content
Nothingness – neither hungry nor full
What are your body’s fullness cues?
9. Make a Plate of Seconds for Tomorrow
You may be feeling like “I’ll never get to eat this food again!”.
I hear you, but that’s actually (typically) not true!
You can (likely) make any of these dishes any time you have access to a full kitchen. Ask your family members for the recipes!
Make a “seconds” plate for the next day – put it in a Tupperware or put plastic wrap over a plate and keep it in the fridge. That way you KNOW there’s more coming, just the next day when you’re not feeling stuffed!
10. Leave with Dessert
Taking 1 dessert with you when you leave is the perfect way to not take seconds (or thirds or fourths!). For example, if that brownie catches your eye, take one with you when you leave to eat in the car ride home.
11. If You’re Tracking What You’re Eating – Enter It Into Your App
You may have already done this!
Even if it’s not perfect, entering something is better than entering nothing. This method can typically keep us objective and accountable – it can typically help us by only going over our limit 500 calories (versus 5000 calories!).
I like the Lose It app – but many apps are similar!
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