The Holiday Pig Out
Thanksgiving dinner, alone, can easily include 2000-4000 calories. If you’re able to prepare the meal, you may be able to substitute skim milk and low-fat butter and cut down on the calories a tad. My downfall is all of the ‘picky’ foods that I inhale before the actual meal…the peanuts…the chips…the pretzels…the soda…the beer. These junk foods can really send the bathroom scale spinning…and that’s even before you get to the ‘good stuff’! Personally, I’ve found that spontaneity is a great quality…except when it comes to eating! Sometimes a little planning ahead can save a pound or two…it’s well worth the time. Take a few minutes to see what types of food are worth the girth and which ones are not. Try to burn off some calories before the party…squeeze in an early morning workout before the feast…skip breakfast or lunch…try anything that can help the cause without ‘cramping your style’. To help you plan, here’s a breakdown of some of the typical foods you might consume next week:
So what can we do? Save yourself for the good stuff. Don’t cut out your favorites, but you may want to be conscious of the ‘fillers’. I can easily consume 2,000+ calories of filler-type snacks during the Thanksgiving football games without even realizing it. If stuffing or potatoes are your favorite, have a second helping…but try to pass on that second buttered roll. By cutting back on the fillers and non-favorites you'll help reduce the holiday belly! I know there are some folks out there saying things like, “C’mon…live a little!” or ”have some fun!”…and I whole-heartedly agree. But why must we associate over-eating as fun? The difference between deprivation and gorging oneself can be measured in the thousands of calories and there’s plenty of fun to be had without partaking in the holiday pig out. You can find Holiday Pig Out and other motivational fitness information in the November 2006 article of The Bullhorn. You can sign up for this free monthly e-zine below.
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