What I Ate

THANKSGIVING EDITION

Thanksgiving is coming! Are you ready?

This is the first BIG holiday I'll be celebrating since I've joined WW. I need a plan of attack.

I'm determined to stay within my daily points and I'm hoping not to dip into my weekly points. I do realize, however, that this is a special occasion and if I use a few of my weekly points, it will be ok. It's good to treat yourself once in awhile - as long as you don't go overboard and give yourself permission to overindulge.

I think my plan is going to be to eat a light breakfast with some fruit and vegetable snacks in order to save the majority of my points for the big meal. In our family, we typically eat one big meal about 3:00 pm, so that will work out great.

For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving more than once in the same day, God bless you. That will be a challenging day.

My biggest piece of advice is to have a plan.

If you can, try to find out what they will be serving ahead of time. If you are bringing a dish, bring something that is points-friendly. For example, a vegetable dish or a lightened up dessert. Make sure it is something you like, so that you'll know there will be one thing there you can eat with little guilt.

Plan out your meals ahead of time. I use to do this everyday when I first started WW. Every morning I would plan out what I would eat for the day. Then I stuck to it. When you are constantly making food decisions all day, your resolve can wane and temptation can hit. If it's already mapped out, you don't even have to think about it. Dish yourself up and ENJOY every bite.

Don't try to make your plan too strict. If Aunt Bernice makes a to-die-for dessert every year, incorporate it into your plan. Try to figure out the points or guesstimate if you have to. Realize your portion may not be what it was in years past. Then make it work. Skip the mashed potatoes. Omit the gravy. Do what you can to still enjoy your meal and end with your heavenly dessert.

Lastly, realize that the progress you've made so far, is going to feel so much better than a full-to-bursting stomach. It's worth it. It's worth giving up the stuffing to fit into those pants you haven't worn for a year or ten. It's worth feeling good about yourself because you made wise decisions and didn't let the turkey talk. You are worth it! Don't forget that. You are worth the sacrifice, the hard work.

A couple of miscellaneous tips:
Chew gum. When you aren't eating your meal or as soon as you're done, pop a piece of gum in your mouth.
Find someone to talk to - away from the food, preferably.
Go for a walk. Grab cousin Mary and take a walk. You'll get your exercise in, you'll get away from the food, and you'll catch up with your beloved relative.

Here is a list of Thanksgiving foods and the points WW has assigned for them (figuring out your own points plus value is best but if you truly don't know, use these values to plan your meal):

*Stuffing - 1/2 cup = 5
*Gravy:
cream - 1/4 cup = 4
canned turkey - 1 cup = 1
brown - 1/4 cup = 3
*Roast turkey - 4 oz = 4
*Mashed potatoes - 1/2 cup = 3
*Candied sweet potatoes - 1/2 cup = 5
*Green bean casserole - 1 cup = 6
*Cranberry sauce - 1/4 cup canned = 3
*Pie
pumpkin - 1 slice = 8
apple - 1 slice = 11
pecan - 1 slice = 14

Here are some yummy recipes I've posted previously on my blog if you are looking to make a lighter dessert:

*Pumpkiny Pie
*Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins
*Pumpkin Bars
*Caramel Apple Tart


Happy Thanksgiving!!