Fun Thanksgiving Coaching Video: Want to eat light this Thanksgiving? This coaching video I made a few years back, takes you through easy strategies to keep Thanksgiving both fun and light.
SLIMMING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND MANTRA
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. No pressure to buy presents, no eggs to hide, no fireworks to fight the crowds to watch, just family, friends and food—it’s just so simple and nice.
One thing I do not love, however, is feeling stuffed and bloated after Thanksgiving—and I am sure neither do you. It is one thing to celebrate all we are grateful for, to dine and connect with family and friends, but it is another to eat too much, drink too much and finish the day disconnected from ourselves in a food fog.
There seems to be a general consensus in the world of masters of long-term permanent weight release on how to get through Thanksgiving while maintaining or releasing weight. I have boiled down these pearls of wisdom down into a do-able mantra that you can repeat to yourself through the entire weekend. Unfortunately, saying the mantra doesn’t burn calories, but it may keep some extra ones from hopping onto your plate–into your mouth and down to your tummy–remember the turkey gets stuffed so you don’t have to.
The mantra is these three simple words: Know-no-know
Okay as simple as the mantra is, please read the strategies that back up the words of the mantra—
Part 1: Know roughly what you are going to eat on the big day and plan for it. This is one holiday where you can’t use the excuse “gee I didn’t know what we were going to have…”. There’s going to be turkey—right? –then there’s going to be the carbs–the potatoes–the sweet potatoes–the stuffing–the parker house rolls, then the attempts at veggies, and then there’s going to be some cranberry thing and probably some dessert-hmmmm what could that be?? I wonder…
Our mind gets over stimulated when we are in social situations for long lengths of time. This leads to a decline in willpower and impulse control and we can typically overeat 250-750 calories more than usual. If you plan ahead for what you really want to enjoy, in portions that won’t bust your weight management budget, then you have a good chance of staying on track and coming home with your belt at the same notch as when you started that day.
Sure, you can leave room for surprises but plan ahead and you will be ahead.
Another helpful “know” tip is to create your Thanksgiving vision. Yes, creating a vision of how you want to wake up feeling Friday morning and how you want to head into the following week feeling—having stayed connected to yourself all weekend long and not diving head first into the dreary and major buzz killer–food fog.
One more important “know” strategy: come prepared with a not so starving tummy—eat some protein before heading over the river and through the woods. Bring some light appetizers to the party to nosh on.Don’t arrive starving and then spend the next hour sitting in front of a bowl of potato chips and onion dip.
Part 2. “NO”–practice saying “no” it in the mirror, visualize saying it in your head. Be kind, be firm, say what you mean and don’t be mean but say “no thank you” when you don’t want it or need it. Say it sweetly but firmly to your mom–your aunt–your friend–yourself.
Say, “No thank you–I’ve had enough, I’m pacing myself, I can’t eat sugar, I am driving no more wine etc.” Say, “that looks beautiful, but no”. Say, “Hell no!” No to extra food–yes to extra conversations–yes to connecting to others and yourself–yes to helping out–yes to having your feet rubbed–yes to watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. But when it comes to food that will take you outside your body’s energy needs for maintenance or weight release–just say, “No!”
Part 3. Know–this is a big one masters. Know. Know what and how much you ate. Write it and own it. “Know” without the k = “now”. When you “know” you can live in the “now”. Many times we fall into the trap of “trying to be good” and when we eat something we shouldn’t have and “blew it” we give ourselves permission just overeat as much as we want the following day since we were so “bad”. This usually then means the whole weekend because who is going to start a diet on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Try tracking what you eat on “My Fitness Pal” or another calorie data base and tracking app. Often, when we think we “blew it” we were just fine and if we had stayed moderate for the rest of the meal, could have stayed on track. Most weight gain doesn’t happen before, rather after we say “I blew it”. Don’t label food as good or bad, but instead ask, “is eating this food going to allow me to feel good a few hours from now?” Focus on feeling good.
I hope this simple mantra really serves you this holiday weekend. Have a wonderful, grateful Thanksgiving with the ones you love, including yourself! I am grateful for you and the Shift Weight Mastery Community.
oxox Rita
Rita Black 