Gratitude And Confidence At The Thanksgiving Table
This Thursday, families will be coming together to spend time connecting, relaxing and of course, eating! Every year, we get a lot of questions from clients around this time like: "How do I portion control at my Thanksgiving meal?" and "How can I make sure I only have one bite of my favorite pie?" These may seem like reasonable questions, but they actually stimulate a scarcity mindset which can be a roadblock to your success.
We suggest letting go of the idea of "control" around food and practice behaviors that "add" to your life and meals instead; this will help you enjoy holiday parties and family gatherings without going completely off course. Here are some of our strategic ideas on what you can try before, during and after Thanksgiving to enjoy and offset some festive eating:
The night before: Do a quick 8 minute HIIT workout or 20 minutes of heavy strength training. Doing these types of exercises creates a long-lasting afterburn effect and before big meals can help shuttle those extra calories to muscle repair rather than to fat storage.
HIIT example of 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest: 1st+2nd round: jumping jacks, 3rd and 4th round: push ups, repeat for a second time through.
Weight lifting: 4 sets of 8 reps for each: bent over row or push press (upper body) and back squat or deadlift (lower body).
Make modifications as needed.
Bonus: add it in Thanksgiving morning and/or the day after Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving morning, have a PFF breakfast: Protein Fat and Fiber, if/when you are hungry. Examples are breakfast sausage with eggs and spinach or regular Greek yogurt with berries and almonds. These stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce cravings for sugar. Keeping added sugar to under 25 grams each day also helps keep blood sugar levels steady long term - skip this for the Thanksgiving meal though!
The Thanksgiving meal: Eat the stuff you love and skip the stuff you don't. Heck, even have two helpings of the things you love, even the pecan pie. All you have to do when you are eating is add in this next bullet point:
Focus on what you are thankful for including the food you are eating, take time and savor every bite. Use gentle, nose breathing to a level that fills you, yet still feels natural and comfortable. Use your breathing as a natural pause during meals.
Drink extra water (not sugary drinks). The body has a better understanding of when it is full when we eat our calories instead of drink them.
Get outside 1-2 hours after eating. After you give yourself a little time to relax and digest, getting some brisk air can liven you back up. If the space you've been in was cramped quarters, getting out of the house can feel amazing. Ask a family member you haven't been able to chat with much to go on a short walk with you. Some light exercise or movement can help clear your mind, clear waste from the body, reduce cravings, boost energy, and increase sleep quality. Where I celebrate Thanksgiving in Minnesota, a bunch of us go out and play a friendly game of touch football - which is way more fun than watching football on TV, IMO.
The next day: Eat when you are hungry; you may only be hungry for one or two meals the next day. Try to make the meals PFF if possible. And remember, the most important thing about eating on Thanksgiving is how you eat Friday and the days thereafter!
As a last bonus, here are a few fall inspired recipes that are nourishing and delicious. (And would probably be a hit if you share any of them on Thursday!)
Arugula and Roasted Pear Salad - Skip the sugar and only use the butter. I cooked my pears longer in the oven at a lower temp so that they were roasted with a little bit of pumpkin spice. It was tasty!
Prociutto-Wrapped Asparagus - This is something that doesn't take long but presents itself as a little fancy; perfect for a holiday table.
Best-Ever Cauliflower Stuffing - For anyone willing to modify a holiday favorite, this might be the one to try. It has stellar reviews!
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole - A less sweet, more rustic version of the fluffy marshmallow variety. This recipe offers a new twist with vanilla beans and a crunchy pecan oatmeal topping.
Leftover Thanksgiving Salad - A great way to add in some vegetables is to put this on a bed of lettuce with olive oil dressing. I would reduce cranberries to 1/4 cup and swap the light mayo for an avocado-based mayo like the Primal Kitchen brand.
If you enjoyed these tips, but want to learn more or want someone to hold you accountable, now through December we are offering a NEW 2 month health coaching membership at 20% off! We will personalize your plan and provide additional holiday centered tips to help you breeze through the rest of the holiday season AND have time remaining to fine-tune your new healthy habits and start 2020 off right! Get started with that HERE.
Happy holidays to you and yours from Thrive Nutrition!