How to stop overeating on Thanksgiving and the carry over into the weekend
Are you feeling anxious about going overboard and binging on everything just because it's there this Thanksgiving?
Maybe your family travels to multiple houses and you're asked (and slightly expected) to eat at every house. & it’s exhausting.
Or you might be nervous that you’re going to be overeating until Sunday and you want to make sure your Thanksgiving eating doesn’t carry into the weekend.
If you can resonate, with these sentiments you’re not alone.
These are common concerns for many of my clients too.
In this week’s blog post, I've got some helpful tips and shifts for you to help you feel calm and in control as you go into this food-focused holiday!
The holidays bring enormous to-do lists.
What we want to do this year is add the most important person on your list = YOU. Put yourself first and make the commitment that you won’t fall into the same traps you did last year.
First, let’s start with what NOT to do.
The Don’ts:
#1 Skipping Breakfast
Now, it’s easy to see how this can happen because the week of we’re usually running around like crazy women:
Running errands, getting our hair/nails done, cooking, shopping, cleaning, preparing - ALL THE THINGS!
So, tend to feel like we don't have time to eat.
& in turn, skip breakfast or lunch and by the time Thanksgiving dinner time comes around - we feel ravenous and end up eating out of control.
Then we feel guilty and frustrated, and end up right back where we started.
Some women skip breakfast intentionally because they want to “make space for dinner” but that’s exactly what’s causing you to overeat because you’re famished and fatigued by the time you get to Thanksgiving dinner!
Studies have shown that fasting, starving or nibbling can lead to extreme overeating, overindulgence, anxiety, regret, and shame.
But this year can be different!
What to do Instead:
Start your day off with a balanced high protein breakfast. I also encourage you to meal prep & plan the night before for your snacks & other meals outside of the main holiday meal.
This can be as simple as meal prepping some:
overnight oats
or a simple protein shake
a quick breakfast you can make in less than 5 minutes like:
protein waffles
or high-protein breakfast sandwiches.
#2.) DOn’t just “Wing IT”
According to a recent study, the average American consumes over 4,500 calories and 200g of fat on Thanksgiving day between snacks, drinks, and dinner - WOW!
That's a lot of calories in one day.
We have to get into the mindset of believing that we don’t have to eat everything just because it’s there.
Yes, I’m talking about the 5 slices of pumpkin pie you’re looking at!
What to do instead?
Mentally prepare
Reframe your mindset: Remember that thanksgiving dinner (or lunch) is only one meal.
If your goal is to lose weight, maintain it off, and live a healthy lifestyle, I want you to ask yourself a few simple questions before or during overeating:
“What would the healthiest version of me do?”
“What would make my future self proud”
“How can I show up as the best version of me”
Once you’ve paused and asked yourself these questions I want you to follow the next tips:
Be Choosy: Don’t waste your calories on foods that you can have all year long. Indulge in things you usually don’t eat like traditional cultural foods. For me, this is For you that may be mac & cheese, yams, cornbread, and/or sweet potato pie. & if you’re from a Latinx household like me it might be frijoles puercos, champurrado, pernil, and/or lasagna! Enjoy the food without guilt - again, it’s only ONE meal!
Portion Control: During the holidays, it can be easy to overdo your portion sizes because we’re eating with our eyes. So, the best way to manage this is to pay attention to your portions. Remember you don't need to have 7 servings of mac and cheese. Have 1 or 2, enjoy it, and keep it moving. If you really want more but are full, I recommend bringing some containers and taking some to go. You can always have leftovers the next day!
Practice Mindfulness: Several studies show that those who engage in mindful eating practices are less likely to gain weight. One way to eat mindfully is to eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly, which will allow you to better recognize your body's signals of fullness and consume fewer calories. Eat until you're hungry not until you're stuffed. If you're actually hungry, you can go back for seconds.
3.) Don’t Drink Your Calories
Perhaps you don’t overindulge in food but you do go all-in with the alcohol. Perhaps you do both, go all-in with the food, and overindulge with the coquito, eggnog, beer, or wine. If you have a habit of saying “fuck it” after the first 2 drinks I would encourage you to rethink that. Calories from alcohol can add up quickly and also push you to snack more. What to do instead? Track your drinks and go for the low-calorie versions whenever possible.
Some great low-calorie alcoholic options:
Seltzer: Truly’s (100 calories)
Seltzer: White Claws (110 calories)
Wine: 5 oz of Merlot (118 calories)
Wine: 5oz off Moscato (127 calories)
Wine: 5oz of Reisling (120 calories)
Wine: 5 oz of Pinot Grigio (122 calories)
Beer: 12oz Bud Light (110 calories)
Beer: 12oz Corona (148 calories)
Beer: 12oz Corona light (99 Calories)
Champagne: 4oz (90 calories)
4.) Don’t Stop Moving or go hard at the gym the next day to “burn the calories you ate
Going from one extreme to the next is synonymous with the all-or-nothing mentality. Instead: Let’s bring on some balance and modify your regular fitness routine. Just like there are seasons in life (summer, fall, winter, spring) the same applies to your fitness journey.
The fall and winter tend to be the slower season for most women due to daylight savings and the colder weather.
Consider what you’ll have going on that week (or that day) and plan accordingly.
Will you have family visiting?
Will you be traveling?
Will you be somewhere where you’ll have access to a gym?
All of these questions will give you a realistic look at how many workouts and how much activity you can fit into your week.
If you're following a workout program: move your days around so that you can work out on the days you're not surrounded by family/friends
If you're traveling and/or don't have access to a gym: start your day with a Youtube home workout or stretching
If you know there’s no way you can do a workout: commit to hitting a steps goal each day
5.) Don’t only eat what’S OFFERED
Instead of eating everything in sight over the holiday plan to make your own healthy side(s) this year.
You can Google tons of healthier Thanksgiving eats this year and now is the time to start planning for that! One of my favorites is a homemade apple pie. It’s delicious and non-processed and I get to enjoy the sweets without feeling guilty.
There's nothing like feeling proud of yourself for not doing the most when you technically have a pass to do so.
A good nutrition coach can help you navigate the holidays without feeling guilty about food choices. If that’s something you need more help with click here to learn about my coaching.
I’m here to remind you that you can do this.
I hope these tips will help you stay consistent and keep you balanced, feeling good and. proud of yourself.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Obsessed with your success,
Coach Massi