3 Tips for Fighting the Thanksgiving Bulge
By Genevieve Cunningham
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and what a wonderful time of year it is. We love to get together with family members and friends and enjoy all of the delicious treats. Of course, Thanksgiving also comes with a few difficulties. Besides dealing with relatives, Thanksgiving may also bring some trouble with the scale. More specifically, you may find it creeping upward. If you would like to enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner without worrying about gaining extra weight, take a look at these tips to help you get through the holidays with your health intact and your scale steady.
Skip the Drinks
Since you're already going to be consuming a ton of calories on Thanksgiving, it's a good day to skip the extra drinks. Don't choose the tea or the soda or the alcoholic beverages. Or if you do choose these things, choose just one, and then fill the rest of your day with plenty of water. Water will help you feel full and will also help to move your digestion along throughout the day. It may not be the most appealing option at the table, but it is likely the healthiest thing that you can choose for the day.
Plan Your Dessert
It's extremely tempting to have a little piece of everything that from the dessert table. You only do it once a year, right? While this may be true, you may be adding thousands of calories to your day by sampling everything on the dessert table. Instead, make a plan before you go. Choose one or maybe two must-have dessert items. Know exactly what you're going to eat and when you're going to eat it. Then don't deviate from your plan. While this may sound restrictive right now, you'll be glad that you had a plan of action when your pants still fit the next day.
Eat Slowly
There is absolutely no reason to rush through Thanksgiving dinner. Unless you have somewhere to be, take your time. Enjoy your time off and your time with your loved ones. Eat very slowly and really taste each item that goes into your mouth. This helps you enjoy the meal more thoroughly, and it may also keep you from eating too much. Win-win all the way around.
Who doesn't love Thanksgiving? It's fun and delicious and traditional. But to make it even more fun and healthier, let's take the weight gain out of the tradition. Use these tips to keep your weight gain to a minimum and feel good in your skin as the new year arrives.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Mo.
