THANKSGIVING DO'S & DON'TS:
How to Indulge Without the Bulge
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* DON'T skip meals! Skipping breakfast does NOT mean that you can eat twice as much at your next meal - it is important to eat a balanced meal every 4 hours to keep your metabolism level high.
* DO gobble up white meat turkey instead of ham. Everybody's favorite holiday bird is a great source of lean protein that you can enjoy without the extra calories and fats of other Thanksgiving options such as ham.
* DO use portion control! PROTEIN: serving size should be about one deck of playing cards. CARBS: the size of your fist (if you have large hands) or the size of your fist with your other hand wrapped around it (for small hands). FATS: aim for about 10 grams per meal.
* DO swap mashed potatoes for a simple baked sweet potato. This will not only save you about 280 calories, but also reduce fat, add fiber, and they taste great!
* DON'T snack on hors d'oeuvres! Avoiding finger foods will help lower those
extra hidden calories and fats. A good tip is to avoid anything that doesn't need a fork and knife to eat unless it's fresh vegetables.
* DO pass on adding additional butter to your plate. Holding the butter on your roll or veggies can save you about 185 calories - that's nearly 400 calories by skipping butter on both (not to mention lots of unwanted fats).
* DON'T use exercise as an excuse to indulge. Remember that it is a lot easier to eat fewer calories than it is to burn them off. (Running one mile only burns about 80-100 calories, while 1 slice of pumpkin pie has about 360 calories, and that not counting the additional 200 calories the whipped cream can add on - that's a five and a half mile run just to break even!).
