Many people I coach as either patients or as the Enforcer on the Dr. Oz show ask how to make it from Thanksgiving to New Year's day without gaining weight or waist. Here are some of my best tips and dishes to keep you light. For dishes for the big days, like stuffing and turkey, I have help from my partner in Smart Foods, Mollie Katzen.
You can guess this is important to jobs in America (if we don't face the obesity issue as one of medical costs and thus national security, we won't be free in 20 years -- because the average North American gains one to three pounds a year, the same as he or she gains from Thanksgiving through New Year's. That's right: On average, from age 20 to 60, we gain 40 pounds in North America.
So how easy is it to avoid? Just some modifications to dishes and then a few easy rules. For example, a great tasting stuffing with 30 percent less calories and virtually no saturated fat just requires only a click or two, and some fun in the kitchen. Here are 11 tips (in short form) and a couple recipes to keep your clothes fitting as comfortably on January 2nd as on November 24th.
Follow Michael Roizen, M.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@YoungDrMike
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Just survived a Thanksgiving full of temptation without gaining weight! Used many of the ideas listed above. My favorites:
1) Eat your normal healthy breakfast... for me this is either a 6 oz yogurt with cut-up frozen fruit and a bit of granola or steel cut oats and some fruit and/or a bit of maple syrup for taste. Both can get me through the mid-morning temptations.
2) Eat a whole grain sandwich and an apple for lunch... or equivalent, again filling and tastes pretty good too.
3) Eat a healthy snack before going to a party. It might seem wrong to not save yourself for the tasty treats, but I find I can still sample my top choices to enjoy their taste without overeating because I am hungry when I get there.
4) If you are going to drink wine or beer try alternating a glass of water inbetween refills. Or better yet as the author suggested old a glass of water.
I believe there are really two mechanisms that we need to manage every day to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. The first is hunger. The food we eat needs to be filling and leave us relatively satisfied for a significant period of time. This means foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, proteins or which least contain these. The other factor is environment. Good options need to be close at hand.
- "Hey everybody, I brought you a pumpkin pie. There's only one slice missing."
Watch this short video and find out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQjb_-5L_mg
Jean Fain, author of "The Self-Compassion Diet"
I do enjoy cooking a turkey and have become quite expert at creating wonderful side dishes that are low in carbohydrates and quite tasty. This Thanksgiving I'm stuffing three small pumpkins with different fillings, including one with wild rice that will suit those in my family (although there are few) that are OK with some starch. I will make a green bean casserole with a home-made mushroom sauce (I don't buy canned soup, so I must make my own) and have already fixed a sugar-free pumpkin cheesecake. Can't wait!
Seems to me that there's a short-term and longer-term set of possible stuff-your-face mitigation tactics.
By "short-term" I mean right in the moment, and for that the idea of keeping a cup of water in your hand seems like a good idea to stop the impulse noshing. Other ideas are chewing gum and brushing your teeth right after eating the amount of food you intended. In either case, you mouth will now have a strong mint (or other) flavor that may not be amenable to food.
By "longer-term" I mean planning ahead of before you're in front of all the delectables. What I often do in this situation is to temper my appetite before I'm around tempting but unhealthy food. I'll drink a protein drink, or take a cleansing drink consisting of psyllium husk powder which expands in your stomach. This has two benefits: it is filling and it helps produce a fine bowl movement, particularly when eating a bunch of stuff that isn't easily passed.
Yep.
Also, I have to have the occasional egg nog drink...but some things are worth it.
Yeah, simple and not very insightful, but rarely thought of in the heat of the moment when the bad stuff is whispering in your ear.
I'm not a fan of the tips on eating baked goods. It's just like the smoker saying "I'll just have one." And then it turns into another one and another one and another one. If you're the type of person who truly can remained disciplined and only have one piece of pie on a special occasion like Thanksgiving then my hats off to you. But this is usually challenging for most people.
Dustin Rudolph
www.PursueAHealthyYou.com
I never skip the gym during the Holidays. I will be going to the gym on Turkey Day.
When it's time for the feast, I try to stick with protein and veggies. I skip the mashed taters, the stuffing and the rolls.
Different people have different body types, I guess.
I don't get the justification AT ALL.
You know how to stay fit during the Holidays? DON'T EAT SO D@MN MUCH... duh!