Make a plan

“Accounting for appetizers and desserts, the average American consumes a little over 3,000 calories and 150 grams of fat in a Thanksgiving meal, according to the Calorie Control Council. And that's without going back for seconds!” — Jay Cannon, USA Today That’s equivalent to 6 Big Macs or 10 Cesar Salads from Panera. OMG! Not to mention the food coma you’ll get and the brick you might feel in your stomach.

A serving of two latkes with sour cream and apple sauce has 8 g. protein, 23 g. fat, and 350 calories. In just two pancakes! Then you have to add the rest of the meal, usually brisket and veggies. Don’t forget jelly donuts for dessert since they’re fried in oil and remind us of the oil for the lamp. (The Chanukah Story) And I haven’t touched on Christmas, Kwanza, Winter Solstice celebrations, etc. The holidays are filled with food, food, and more food.

During the holidays, I make lots of plans. Plans of what I am buying for gifts to make sure they are within my budget when I will buy the items in person or online. Since the thanksgiving my family goes to is a potluck, I have a cooking plan. The family Chanukah celebration is at my house, so I have a menu plan, and an assignment plan (since it is also a potluck), a grocery shopping and cooking plan too. That’s a lot of plans!

Well, there is one more, my eating plan. You heard me correctly, an eating plan! I have been going to friends for Thanksgiving for years, so I know what will be served, so I make a plan on what I will eat before I go. This way I don’t overdo it and end up with a food coma and/or brick in my stomach. I also make a plan to pace it out, so I don’t gobble it up in mere minutes. When I am going out to dinner and know the restaurant, I check the menu out ahead of time and make an eating plan.

Why do this? To stay on track. Nearly 2 years ago I began a plan to lose 25 lbs. (I am down 20 lbs.) and I don’t want to sabotage my success. Some tips to keep in mind to help you:

1.    Have a high protein breakfast (i.e. oatmeal with peanut butter and fruit, poached egg with spinach on toast, smoked salmon and cream cheese on a bagel with cucumber, etc.)

2.    Drink plenty of water throughout the day (This will also help if you are partial to spiked Eggnog or Coquito with rum)

3.    Manage your stress and emotions (as an emotional eater myself, I resonate with this one)

4.    Limit your intake of sugary foods

5.    Avoid (if you can) high-calorie alcoholic drinks (so no Eggnog or Coquito for us)

6.    Keep up your exercise routine as much as possible

7.    Enlist an accountability partner if needed

—  Emmie Satrazemis, RD, CSSD, Trifecta Nutrition 

So, in conclusion, remember to have a good time, be jolly and skip having seconds.

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