Planning for a Big Meal

It’s Holiday Season

In honor of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday around the corner, I thought it would be fitting to write an article with suggestions about how to deal with meals and indulgences over the holiday season. I think many of us equate the holidays with big meals and weight gain. With a bit of planning and consciousness though, there’s no reason not to be able to enjoy a great meal and either not lose weight or have a very quick recovery after gaining a few pounds.

Here are some tips that might help. Remember, planning is the key to navigating all of these challenges during your weight loss journey!

1. Have a rough idea (unless you are cooking, in which case you will know) of what food will be served.
In the case of the Thanksgiving meal, we can pretty much bet on the traditional turkey with all the fixins that come along with it. Pumpkin pie is my absolute favorite!

2. Plan to be diligent with your meals the week of the “Big Meal”.
In the case of Thanksgiving for example, I might plan low calorie days Mon-Wed that week. I’ll be sure to drink all my water and most likely big salads will be on the menu for lunches. Mind you, we’re still being healthy here. We’re not starving ourselves on these days, BUT any thoughts of pizza or dessert will be pushed back with the reminder of the Thursday meal ahead.

3. Plan to be diligent with your exercise the week of the “Big Meal”.
Make your exercise plan for the week and stick to it! It may also be a great idea to plan a little extra.  I know last year on Thanksgiving, I enjoyed a wonderful (and long) morning bike ride the day of Thanksgiving. I was able to think about how thankful I was in regards to my health and how far I had come in my weight loss journey.

4. Don’t go “unconscious” while you are eating the “Big Meal”.
Sit at the table with the intention to be present while you are eating. Personally, I think you should eat what you like at special occasions such as this, BUT keep portion control in mind and be conscious of eating to the point of satisfaction and not until you are feeling so stuffed that you can hardly get up from the table. Save room for that piece of pumpkin pie or the dessert that you have your eye on. Enjoy the company.

5. The day and week after, get right back into your routine!
Plan to get right back to it the next day. If you’re the one cooking, give away your left-overs. If not, accept only turkey which would be great in a sandwich or on your nice big salad the next day. Do not use this meal as a complete deviation from your weight loss plan. You can eat this meal on Thursday, be back to routine on Friday and not have gained any weight (maybe even lost lbs) by Monday. Trust me, this can happen AND you can enjoy the meal and indulge just a bit.

I think too often we just equate the holidays with weight gain and accept defeat in this area and there is absolutely no reason to have this mentality. Your weight loss challenge is all about small changes that have big effects in the long run of your life. Planning for the holiday meals is just one of those life events that will keep on coming. And if you do gain 5 lbs, it’s not the end of the world. You know how to lose it, and the key will be losing those 5 lbs right away and not going the other direction, using it as an excuse to gain another 5 lbs.

Let the festivities begin!