Eat Right for the Holidays
With the Thanksgiving holiday quickly approaching, I'd like to give you 7 quick tips on getting through this
feast without sabotaging your weight loss efforts.
1) Eat as much vegetable and pumpkin as possible...*before* the turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
Pumpkins, onions, celery, sweet potatoes, yams, squash, green beans, and fruits such as cranberries
and apples are high in fiber and tend to make you fuller faster. The presence of these foods in your gut
will also decrease fat absorption from the other more fatty foods, such as the meats and cheeses, so
prioritize consumption of these foods, and get them on your plate before the others.
2) Eat slow. Eating slowly allows you to feel full *before* you've eaten more than you actually need. By
taking smaller bites, enjoying the conversation around you, and focusing on the meal as just a small spart
of the celebration, you'll be more likely to spend 20 minutes on one plate, rather than starting on thirds
inside of 15 minutes (you'll thank me when you don't have the post-meal stomach-ache this year!).
3) Choose your pie wisely. You will literally save hundreds of calories by choosing a fiber-rich, lower
sugar pumpkin pie over rich, buttery apple, or even worse, pecan pie. The pumpkin pie takes up just as
much room in your stomach, which will still satisfy your appetite.
4) Take a walk. The post-meal physical activity will boost your metabolism, and keep those fatty acids
circulating in the bloodstream so that they're less likely to get deposited as fat on the waistline, butt and
thighs (note: save the backyard football for *before* the meal - you don't want to get tackled with a belly
full of turkey).
5) Snack beforehand. Don't fast all day because you know you'll be eating a big meal later on. The last
thing your body needs is to be in starvation, fat-storage mode when the feast arrives. Instead, eat a
healthy, complex breakfast (like a bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit), and snack throughout the day on 100-
250 cal