A MizFit Thanksgiving.

by

subtitle: Ive had so many emails on this subject I decided to select none and, in essence, use them all.

As one might surmise my Thanksgiving post wont focus upon how to eat less on this special day.

In fact, if you refer back to this post, you’ll see that I believe it’s entirely up to YOU.

Is the Thanksgiving meal one you adore (please to substitute any festive occasion if you’re not a US resident. In my opinion it applies across the board)?

Dig the hell in! is what this MizFit would tell you.

Please to enjoy every single, tasty, buttery morsel as Friday will be here before you know it & there’s time enough to climb back on the clean eating wagon.

Not a fan of the Thanksgiving foods? Stuffing & mashed taters don’t get your drool going like my Bullmastiff when he hears the dogfoodbagcrinkling? Perhaps you might choose to view the meal as ‘business’ more than a vacation.

It’s all up to you.

(Me? I fall somewhere in between. There are few things I enjoy more than sweetSUGARY cranberries slathered on my turkey & few things I like less than stuffing anywhere on my plate.  Nary a health-reason in sight—simply not a fan.)

As a result, I shan’t tell you what to eat but will give you some random tips & thoughts for Turkey Day.

First? Some numbers.

  • Did you know that 46 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving Day? (chime in here, oh veggie readers of mine. What do you eat? Faux turkey or do you skip it all together?)
  • Did you know that one is the number of Tofurkys MizFit has had bestowed upon her by PETA? I won this fabulous prize by entering a poetry competition (yes. via my thumbs on the handheld) & submitting a rhyme about a poor misunderstood turkey named Tessie.
  • Did you know that, on average, we consume an extra 619 calories per day between Thanksgiving and New Years? (MizFit note: holy crap good GOSH!)
  • Im sure you’ve heard the average Thanksgiving meal contains between 3000-7000 calories.  Did you know, however, that Overeaters Anonymous has stated that this meal, even with its high caloric content, does not fall under the definition of binge?    In their words: Thanksgiving dinner falls under the umbrella of careful eating & a binge is food consumption which is completely out of control and mindless. (agree? disagree? please to hit us up in the commentversation—I have many thoughts and will meet you there!)
  • Did you know, if you want more numbers, you can text meals to diet1 & they’ll text you back the calorie count? (this isnt rhetorical, People. did you know? have you done it? Im so gonna try it tomorrow & shall report back!)

Onward.

Past the numbers to what I think many of us struggle with on these highINTENSITYfamily holidays: the stress of the get togethers.

The frazzling familial collision of who we want to be/are now versus who we used to be and whom they still view us as being.

Bottom line: as with all things in life the best preparation is to set ourselves up for success (here’s where you skip to the comments should you come from a family whose Thanksgiving is jampacked with sweetness, joy, love and support. seriously.)!

  • practice a few go-to phrases BEFORE you enter the Thanksgiving experience. Just like with accepting compliments, you may want to plan out some key responses to memorize ahead of time & just *calmly* repeat them when necessary.   Perhaps try:  Thank you for your opinion. I shall definitely keep that in mind. OR Enough about me. You havent filled me in on what you’ve been up to! OR That’s an interesting perspective! OR I think my Toddler is about to wet herself. can all serve to distract well meaning (& not so well meaning) friends/family when they’re inquiring about topics you’d rather not discuss.
  • plan to be the best listener in attendance. Im not known for advocating passivity yet sometimes it is the path of least resistance. If you anticipate fights erupting (on anything from politics to food preferences) plan ahead of time to be a nod & smiler (& internal eyeroller). I know from experience it’s virtually impossible to drag the nod & smiler into the fray.
  • be the event planner. Assign yourself the position of bring the FUN back into the dysfunctional! Bring a white sheet & some sharpies to Thanksgiving dinner & announce that everyone is going to write on the tablecloth things for which they’re thankful.  Fun and a time killer!  Perhaps plan a post-meal scavenger hunt and drag a few family members along with you before dinner to sent the whole thing up! No time for chatting—– there’s a hunt to be planned!  Maybe lead the family on an after dinner walk and take turns sharing what you’re most thankful for from the past year. Gratitude & exercise? Whats not to love?

Now, oh patient skimming members of the Bumbling Band, please to remember that absolutely none of this long-winded post would ever have emerged from my own life experience.

And you?

You got any Not From Your Life Experience (wink) tips you wanna share?

Thoughts on Tofurkys?

Insight into how you plan to avoid the extra 619 calories-a-day food intake over these next few weeks?

Please to hit us all up in the comments.

POSTS BY EMAIL

Never miss a post. Enter your email to get my latest posts delivered to your inbox.

Comments

  1. The FIRST way we’re avoiding the 649 daily extra calories is by ordering Chinese for Thanksgiving. It’s just our little family and no big huge gathering, so instead of cooking the huge meal and having leftovers all weekend, we’re ordering takeout.

    The SECOND way is that I have a little black dress to wear to a dinner dance on December 11th. I want to look especially hot for somebody special. So it hangs on the laundry room door (off the kitchen) to keep me in check. Haven’t fit into it in 7 years. 7 YEARS!! Holy cow.

    Happy ToFurky Day, Carla.

  3. I love the idea of practiced phrases.
    I may have to use: I hear you saying you don’t like my boyfriend, Mom, anything else happening with you?

    over and over.

    I am thankful for YOU and YOUR BLOG!

  4. Should I try tofurkey?? I am going to Whole Foods at lunch for Thanksgiving shopping. Maybe I should try it? I usually eat everything (HA!) else but the turkey. If I try one, I’ll let you know.

  5. I’m all about the turkey! Turkey, turkey and more turkey. With some kind of fruit sauce; this year, I have chipotle pear.

    I don’t give a hoot about the stuffing, mashed potatoes or gravy. Once I’m all turkeyed out, I drag the family out for a walk or a bike ride, then I’m definitely interested in dessert. My family hates pie and anything pumpkin, so it’s Trader Joe’s cookies.

    Tip for the day: Don’t guzzle tons of unappreciated calories in drinks. An ounce or two of sparkling cider mixed with a full glass of flavored seltzer water hits the spot. Where ever you go and no matter what else you’re supposed to bring for the meal, bring a few bottles of calorie-free seltzer water to mix with whatever else they give you. Don’t blame anyone else for your drink consumption!

  7. Thanks for an interesting and thought-provoking post!!!!! Fortunately I am the chef this Thanksgiving, so although many of the traditional foods will be there (stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie) I will be steaming lots of healthy veggies (green beans, brussels sprouts, broccoli) and plan to fill my plate with veggies first, eat those, and then whatever room I have left in my tummy can be filled with the less healthy stuff. In this way I hope to satisfy the societal expectation to stuff myself – without adding a ton of unwanted calories. This is a new strategy for me – usually I just try to control my portions and fail miserably. I’ll report back if it works!

  10. This post made me smile, laugh and frown. I’ll jump in with the OA calling a 3000+ calorie meal a type of careful eating. What?? Perhaps in the most strict definition of the word they are correct as to a binge. But it almost sounds like they are encouraging people to forego restraint anytime there is a holiday as long as they are carefully eating those thousands of calories!!

    Also, I am in shock as to the extra calories per day consumed between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. No wonder the average person gains weight this time of year!

    MizFit – have a great holiday!!

  12. Tofurkey just seems WRONG to me, lol! But then I am not a big fan of tofu, either.

    Thanksgiving is on Thursday. Not Friday, nor Saturday and Sunday. That is my plan – ONE DAY. I will keep repeating it to myself, even as my husband and kids eat pumpkin pie for breakfast on Friday morning. Cross your fingers for me!

    And a very happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Carla!

  13. Loved this Miz!!!! And so true on the family stress stuff. Undoubtedly, something can go crazed & get the family dysfunction going… OH NO!

    I always try to bring it back to fun or get all off the subject so I best start practicing now even though I hope for none of this.

    Also, I know the emotional side of this too since my parents are gone so a good thing for people to prepare for.. the emotions of lost loved ones.

    As for food, I go on about my healthy eating.. turkey & veggies & plan ahead for a fun sweet!!!! YUM! OH, and I do exercise the morn of turkey day so I am prepared!!!!

  14. And WHY don’t you have the winning rhyme posted here, hmmmm? 😀

    Even as a child, I’ve NEVER liked gravy or stuffing. Ew. Nowadays turkey is okay but it’s not the be-all end-all. The things that I fill up on during the holidays are the mashed potatoes and the pie. Those are my favourites. The rest, eehhhhh. I take a tiny bit.

    For some reason I tend to eat BETTER and more controlled when I’m with other people. My binges happen when I’m alone. So maybe I should come up with some sort of rule to only eat when other people are around… heh.

  15. These are some great tips, Miz!

    I love everything about the Thanksgiving meal – including the stuffing (perhaps you should come up here and try mine – it might convert you! hehehehe)

    And would be interested to hear from someone who has eaten tofurkey…..

    Happy Thanksgiving, friend!

  17. I’m not a big fan of some of the Tofurkey’s I’ve had. there is one I’d like to try from Wild Oats, and perhaps if there are any there after the holiday I’ll go pick it up. I do buy a Tofurkey every year because I have vegetarians in the family, including my son-in-law and now my two youngest.

    This year I’m not doing a full turkey because I find it a bit wasteful in this situation. I’m the only one eating turkey this year, and I stick to “white meat” so have gotten a turkey breast that’s already stuffed from Trader Joes. It’s sad in a way for me, because I’m a sucker for the food traditions… and what would be for us a horrific excess.

    As for the tofurkey, there are a number of different kinds, but the one I’ve bought tends to have a very unrealistic texture, and the flavor is less than appealing to me. Quorn (faux) turkey has a better texture I’m told, but most of my vegetarian friends are unhappy with the taste. The Tofurkey I’ve been getting from Trader Joes seems to be a favorite with my youngest daughter and my son-in-law… so after trying the Whole Food Vegitarian Tofurkey Feast, if I don’t like that, I’ll continue to buy the Trader Joes for the family.

    It’s been a family tradition of ours to fill up on Thanksgiving morning with all sorts of sweet coffee cakes, breads, and strudels. This year we’re having a healthier breakfast smorgasbord, although probably not the healthiest.

    I find it difficult at times to reconcile food and eating with tradition. It’s something I feel very strongly shouldn’t be the case: that eating, especially excessive eating, should not be a tradition. None the less I find myself a total sucker for those food traditions. Having acquired multicultural experiences from my churches and my marriage, I’ve also acquired multicultural food traditions, some of which I’m trying desperately to abandon, but love too much to let go of completely.

  18. I’m so bummed as well I don’t have the poem. I thumbtyped it in (had a blackberry then and didn’t think to cc myself) kind of as a joke (shhhh. Don’t tell the PETA peeps. Actually more as a creativity exercise than anything) and have never seen it again.

    Ooh.

    I should see if THEY still have it!

    Hold on….

  20. Not gonna lie, I save my long run days for turkey days. I hate using exercise as an excuse to eat more, but well, there’s no better way to work up a hunger than on the trails! 😛 Even if I don’t exercise that day, I still don’t hold back. Thanksgiving is one of the few times a year I get to have my favourite foods like stuffing and pie. Indulging on that one day makes me a lot happier for the rest of the year 🙂

  21. I still can’t get over the extra 619 calories a day between Thanksgiving and Christmas!! Do people just view it as a monthly free for all? Or just have baking/treats sitting out until then?
    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  22. there’s nothing i loathe more than tofurkey. my roommate once made one, it EXPLODED all over the oven, and she left to be with her family for two weeks. i came home to a rank apartment and had to scrub the tofurkey oven for a few hours. the smell lasted forever!
    i totally agree that you should live it up on thanksgiving. especially on the good stuff you only have once a year!
    have a great day miz <3

  25. Tofurkey? Tofuey!

    I like tofu when it’s tofu and not pretending to be meat like turkey, hamburgers, and hotdogs.

    Tofu is good as pieces in soup or in Budda’s Delight, etc. I appreciate it when it is itself. It shouldn’t be meat. It’s not in the genes.

  26. I had tofurkey one year at a vegan thanksgiving! No amount of gravy could save that meal!! Now I just carve some rubber off the Jeep’s tires, cause it’s a lot easier to eat than that tofurkey 🙂

    Actually, I just enjoy the veg. sides, which I realized I like better than turkey anyway. I stopped eating meat long ago.

  27. Um. *whispers* I like tofurkey. And I’m a dedicated meat-eater!

    Mashed potatoes, no gravy, just butter. I could give a rat’s a$$ about the res of the stuff: pie, green bean casserole, whatever. (And I’m SO GLAD there is another stuffing-hater out there! Stuffing is just soggy bread. It’s gross. Although I did have a bread-free sausage stuffing once, and that was YUMMY.) But I have to have the mashed potatoes. *wistful sigh*

  28. While I am not an “official” voice of Overeaters Anonymous, I am a member and I believe I can state with certainty that Overeaters Anonymous does not, cannot and would not attempt to define what a binge is. As an organization, OA doesn’t take positions on this. Each individual member, working with their sponsor and/or health care professional, define their own plan of eating. For myself, I’ll be having a very sensible Thanksgiving meal. In OA, we have another name for Thanksgiving. We call it, Thursday.

  29. my favorite part is the stuffing and since i only plan to eat stuff i LOVE this year, guess Ill have a plate of stuffing with a side of 4oz. white turkey meat. 😉

    as the others said, an additional 619 calories DAILY!? SERIOUSLY?! wow..

  30. Having been a binger in the past, I can say that for me, eating in excess, slowly and with a lot of family around, is a lot different that what I would do that I considered binging, which was eating massive amounts of food as fast as I could, in complete privacy.

    I like tofurkey, but I love the quorn roasts. I look forward to it all year!

    I like your tips on dealing with family stress. It is something I’m worrying about this year. I’m also going to remember another you’ve mentioned, which is that whatever someone else is saying is about them, not you – so just let them keep it.

  31. 1 – I also hate stuffing. So many good things to eat – why waste time with bread?!

    2 – 619 cals/day? This depresses me.

    3 – I love all your ideas for a fit/fun/food holiday. I’m all about the long walks in the fall leaves to help the food digest (and the kids burn off some sugarenergy)!

  32. I think Thanksgiving CAN be a binge for a lot of people, but for most it is just a case of overindulging.

    My mom is a recovering food addict who lost 150 pounds with OA. I’m sure many a Thanksgiving included a binge, but usually it has nothing to do with the holiday itself. Like you said, it’s a out of control feeling that accompanies the excess calories.

    Now we have plenty of clean options at our meals 🙂 This year we will have turkey, ham, plain baked sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, etc.

  33. Thanks for the advice. Here’s my memorized phrases to get me through Thanksgiving:

    “Sorry, my tapeworm won’t allow me to eat pumpkin pie.”

    “My religion forbids cranberry sauce.”

    “No thanks. I see dead people in gravy.”

    “That stuffing looks delicious but it brings back hurtful memories of that fraternity hazing incident that’s too painful for me to talk about…”

    “No green bean casserole for me; I’m showing my support for the plight of Chillean green bean farmers.”

    “No thanks. I saw Grandma spit into the mashed potatoes while she was making them.”

  34. When we went to the LARGE family get t-day get together (serious 3 generations of cousins up to 60 people. In a corn field. In western Illinois)…

    I found that doing the dishes was a great way to encourage small talk and avoid the BIG nasty conversations.

    Also, there was this tradition of going to the local park and shuffling your feet in the leaves. It was supposed to bring good luck to the new year. What a way to get people (especially the kids) out and moving after a meal.

    When things get really bad- a “bad tummy” can get you out of someone else’s house faster than anything.

  35. I wish the tradition of celebrating with food and booze had never started.
    But then what would people talk about if they didn’t talk about how much weight they gained or lost or didn’t gain or didn’t have to lose? Where would the drama be if no one was in AA or sloppily drunk, dancing on the Thanksgiving table after a bottle of wine consumed by one?
    If we actually celebrated Thanksgiving with the very same foods that the supposed pilgrims ate with the supposed Indians, we’d all gag, politely stuff whatever morsels we had in our mouths into our napkins, and say “forget it, let’s not and say we did.”

    I don’t have to make a thing this year! Talk about changing traditions! I will bring a bottle of Pelligrino as my contribution and give them something to talk about for next year. “Don’t invite her, she only brought Pelligrino.”

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  36. those 619 cals a day? That would be Sees Candy.

    And I have learned to control THAT Monster.

    I plan on just staying consistent with my exercise routine and keep the eats simple, delish and be choosy on which ones I REALLY want and which ones I don’t really care that much about.

    and this year i am dodging the crazy family side…just a simple dinner with dad and a few others.

    SHEW

  37. It is really a binge for Thanksgiving I think. WHen people eat well more than they ever would in multiple quantities how can that not be a binge. There are healthy ways to enjoy thanksgiving without eating 3000-7000 calories. You can have control for the holiday.

  39. My ‘thanksgiving eating’ is mostly over–spent Sunday-Monday with mom and dad, eating out. Will spend tomorrow serving dinner at our church, hopefully with a good workout/swim at the gym beforehand. And will have a bit of turkey w/ cranberry sauce (yay, Miz) and one piece of pie to celebrate. Working the 3 days after, so hopefully will be back on the straight and narrow. Probably will try to avoid the breakroom at work!

  40. Great tips!

    I’m with you on not stressing out about what I eat on Thanksgiving. There’s enough healthy stuff to balance out the junky stuff.

    If I end up eating to the point of feeling overstuffed it’s pretty self-correcting–just makes me want to eat lighter the next day.

    I think it’s a little weird the way we focus so much attention on one meal, when there are 1000+ more meals in a year where we can do better if we’re aiming for some sort of perfection (which is a foolish goal anyway).

    Happy THanksgiving!

  41. I like your thinking, Miz! I’m not too worried about Thanksgiving, because we’re not hosting, so it’s not like I have to avoid plunging face-first into the stuffing leftovers during the holiday. I’m grateful that it’s pumpkin pie and not chocolate gelato as the traditional dessert, too. We’ll be bringing a nice fruit & veggie tray, as well as the rolls and dessert requested, so there will be plenty of healthy stuff to nosh upon.

    Deb Roby, I like the idea of the “leaf shuffling walk” tradition! I’ll have to see if I can get that started this year, although it will more likely be ping-pong and lawn hockey, which will be fun and keep me moving. (Guess that rules out wearing my cute new heeled shoes. 😉

    Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

  42. Awesome post, and I’m glad I’m not the only one who hates stuffing! WooT!

    Texting DIET1 for calorie information sounds awesome, and it would immensley with my calorie tracking, but when I tried it I got a message saying it was an invalid number/short code. Anyone else have that issue?

    Happy Thanksgiving EVERYONE!

    WEIRD! worked for me…will check again!

  43. Yeah…I like stuffing and green bean casserole! I think you can eat 3000 calories and have it not be a binge. A binge, to me, is when you are stuffing your face even though your brain is saying, “STOP you don’t want this.” And you feel unable to stop. It’s a matter of itention, not calories. In my “eating issues” days I used to binge on the dried dates my mom would buy. I mean I probably only ate 200 calories at a time during these espisodes, but I felt out of control, I did it in secret, and I was ashamed.

    So my plan this year is to enjoy myself, eat what I love but leave what I don’t (cranberry sauce, meh) work up an appetite (like Susan) with a long run beforehand, and eat until I’m satified (full, even) but not let myself get that “out of control” feeling. And not drink too much because overeating often comes with drinking, for me.

  44. I still don’t get why people get so freaked out on Thanksgiving. In many families, there are regular get-togethers with more than 30 family members, often 7 to 8 dishes are cooked by one set of parents. Why the crazed terror for Thanksgiving with anywhere from 2 or 4 to 10 guests?

  45. My thoughts? One day out of the year isn’t going to ruin your progress. 600+ calories extra in one day isn’t the end of anything. It’s only the end if you let it be. If you decide to throw in the towl because of one meal.

    Tofurkey? No thanks.

    Happy Thanksgiving Carla!

  46. Can’t wait to hear the poem! 🙂
    We’re not going “home” this year. Actually did some decpetion to not go. How do you avoid the nagging MIL? Not towards me (usually), but get her off of my very stressed hubby’s back? If only I had the toddler excuse. *sigh* Then we could re-direct a little better since she’s jonesing for a g’kid so bad!

    Not quite ready for endulging, but I’ll get there. Mean time? This year I will eat chicken (dislike turkey) in the rotisserie sans skin and will have veggies and a little bit of fake mashed potatos (more flavor for less fat and calories). Yummy still even without the beloved stuffing!
    Happy Thanksgiving!

  47. No stuffing for me either, but just try to get me out of the sweet potatoes! It could get ugly really quick! 🙂

    One good thing about not having a j-o-b to go to: I don’t have to deal with the office parties!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  48. Holy crap is right on the extra calorie consumption! Yikes!! I’m thinking I should maybe run to the grocery store instead of drive…

    Have a super Thanksgiving!!

  49. Great, fun, & informative post! 🙂

    When I gained weight (and then had a hard time losing it again), I told myself that it was okay to eat “a bit more” (overeat) on “special occasions.” Looking back, there are so many events you can classify as “special occasions.” And that was my problem. I think it’s so easy to tell yourself that you “deserve a little something extra because it’s the holidays.” And that “little something” = 619 calories/day.

    I now approach holidays like any other day. I work out in the morning, focus on making the day special with fun activities and laughter, and have some (hopefully) good food.

    Lastly, every year and every occasion I’m working on the “keep my mother-in-law in control plan”… 😉

  50. No wonder people pack it on during the holidays. As you know my stomach hates most food. So I am asking that people leave potatoes and salad free from things I can’t eat. That way people don’t have to go out of their way to make me different food. I feel like I am in control that way. I am going to ‘sample’ everything, but not eat everything in sight. I love the idea of just enjoying that day and remembering the focus after the day. I think (as I blogged about yesterday and you whipped me into shape about) is getting sucked down guilt.

  51. No need to avoid ALL the extra calories, just enjoy them strategically. Eating really well all week but including one (high-carb, high-calorie) cheat meal has been shown to greatly stimulate the release of leptin, a hormone which controls your appetite and the way your body stores fat. Long story short – lots of leptin = a leaner you.

    Eat rubbish all week and you WILL gain weight, but enjoy it strategically and you’ll actually end up leaner after the holidays!

  53. Unfortunately I love it all when it comes to the Thanksgiving table but like you said, it is ONE day. I do have a tip though for controlling how much of everything I eat. Spanx!
    I put on my control top undies and my swished stomach just can’t hold too much food. Plus as a bonus no one can see my muffin top over my jeans 🙂

    Happy T Day MizFit!

  54. We are cooking and looking forward to a relaxing meal with a few friends and my niece. Shouldn’t be too stressful. Happy Thanksgiving Miz!

  55. Happy Thanksgiving, Miz! I’m not a fan of pseudo-foods, so if I were in America and turkey wasn’t an option for me, I would just make a bountiful and extravagant vegetarian meal.

  56. How hilarious would it be for me to pass your tips out to the entire table?

    Especially the BE A GOOD LISTENER ONE 🙂

    Off to print….

    xo xo,

    Leslie

  57. Hello everybody, it’s Thanksgiving Day! I’m enjoying my extra day off, and I am planning to doing something fun that’ll probably involve a car trip and seeing something new in Keller I haven’t seen yet.
    You write something new at Thanksgiving?

  58. I enjoyed the heck out of Thanksgiving! I love your view on it. Getting back on board today as I don’t want those 618 X 35 days worth of calories to plant themselves on my A@@, if you know what I mean?! 🙂

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This