Surviving the fatest holiday in America

The amount of calories consumed in a typical thanksgiving dinner is astronomical. If you sit down and think about what you put into your body between the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, appetizers, and desserts, it is very easy to consume well over 10,000 calories. That is all in a matter of 8 hours!!! The worst part is, on that day you do nothing but sit around, shoot the shit, and watch football. It back tracks even more to the whole week. I commonly hear people say, "Oh, its the week of Thanksgiving, I'll just get back on track next week." That next week turns into next month and that next month turns into a new years resolution to lose those 20 pounds that you put on since the week in late November when this all began.

Thanksgiving meals are not all that bad if you do it right. Here are a few tips that will be helpful in keeping those pounds off on turkey day.

Most gyms are open a few hours on Thursday so try and sneak in a workout.The best time would be about an hour before you consume all that glorious food. That way, when you return home, shower and begin to stuff your face your metabolism is screaming and at its peak for digestion.

I know as you are reclined back watching the Detroit Lions lose, you will probably have a ice cold beer in your hand. I'm not going to say don't have it, because although that would be the best decision, for most it is not realistic. However, try to avoid excess alcohol and avoid sugary drink such as soda. Stick with water.

Avoid, high carbohydrate foods. You all should know by now that unused carbohydrates are stored as cutaneous fat. That means, limit your carbohydrates. Try to fill up on foods like turkey, nuts, and vegetables. These foods are relatively low in carbohydrates and will keep the pounds off.


Enjoy your dinner and eat it slowly. It takes a good twenty minutes or more for your body to realize that you are eating. So take it slow, enjoy the company, and eat the food slowly. You won't eat as much and will become full quicker.

I'm not even going to mention dessert. Everyone knows it is not good for you. Whether or not you eat it is up to you. Just think before you eat it. Summer is only 6 months away. Is that brownie sundae really worth it? Really? I think not

I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving and stay safe. I will be down in South Carolina soaking up the sun.

Any questions? Shoot me an e-mail at dspurling@une.edu

Best,

Doug Spurling