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Your Thanksgiving Feast Doesn't Have to be a Diet Breaker

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The last thing you want to do at a Thanksgiving feast when surrounded by your loved ones is to deal with diet stress. One of the best strategies for enjoying this special day is to make a conscious declaration that this will not be like all other diet days. This will be a day for enjoying the company of your friends and family while making some minor adjustments in eating choices.

Making Food Choices on Thanksgiving

Among the challenges during a Thanksgiving feast are situations where it is difficult to control your food choices. When you are hosting a small Thanksgiving meal in your own home, you can choose to cook with less oil, put less butter in your mashed potatoes and make low-calorie desserts. However, if you are an invited guest at a relative's home, it is not always possible to control the menu. You can, however, choose white turkey meat without the skin or bring along a lower calorie dessert, if appropriate. Eating larger portions of salads and veggies to fill you up are also good options.

Moderate Portion Sizes

Typical of Thanksgiving feasts is the urge to eat endlessly. The food tastes good. Everyone has time off from work. The warm and relaxed environment devoid of normal routine makes it easier to eat twice or three times the amount of food you would usually eat. One of the adjustments you can make during a Thanksgiving feast is to make it a point to eat slowly and really enjoy your food. Try everything on the table that appeals to you, but do so in very small portions. Savor the various tastes. Avoid going back for seconds. This also applies to alcohol. Try to limit your alcohol intake to avoid the excess calories that can quickly add up.

The Day after Thanksgiving Feast

Once your Thanksgiving feast is over, having gone off of your diet to some extent might throw you off and decrease your motivation to continue on your diet. For this reason, it's important to think through this issue ahead of time. Know that eating more or differently on Thanksgiving was part of the plan and now it's time to resume your dieting routine.

If you hosted the Thanksgiving meal and have leftovers, enjoy them the next day but in moderate amounts. You can make a healthy soup using turkey or cut it up and eat it on top of a salad with healthy dressing. Let your guests take slices of pie and other desserts home so that you don't have the temptation to eat them. Be sure to get back to your exercise routine as soon as possible.

Thanksgiving can still be an enjoyable time when you're on a diet. It just requires making the healthiest food choices possible and eating moderate portions. Knowing that you will resume your regular dieting habits immediately after Thanksgiving Day will also allow you to enjoy the holiday.

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