Weighty Wednesday -- Thanksgiving Prepping

Yeah! One more week until Turkey day!

All that yummy turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauces, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, etc, etc.

And don't forget about the beverages: wine, beer, cocktails

Ooooo and desserts . . . notice the "S"?

Yay . . .

Or not.

Yesterday at Weight Watchers we took a plate and figured out how much a small serving size was for the various items and then calculated out points . . .  OUCH!

Look, I didn't even add more than a couple of tablespoons of each virtual food item and it added up to more than my daily totals.

And the sad thing about this was I hadn't even calculated any desserts. Yeah.

So, the good news -- Most of us tend to be very traditional with Thanksgiving. We know exactly what everyone is bringing to the meal, which means you can PRE-PLAN.

Over this next week, everyone who wants to lose weight during Thanksgiving week should be measuring and weighing your food like nobody's business.

Why?

To develop your eye if you don't want to whip out your measuring cups at Grandma's house.

Don't forget to pre-calculate your points. Decide what amounts you want to eat of each food item and look it up ahead of time. That way you can decide if you really want a quarter cup of something or just a taste.

If you plan on having an adult beverage. Calculate it into the equation first. You might change your mind about that glass, or three, of wine.

Realize that plates tend to be huge compared to their counterparts in the past. In other words, my every day Dansk plates are 10 1/2 inches in diameter, whereas my grandmother's china is about 7 1/2 inches in diameter. You might have your food touching on your grandmother's plate, but if you do that on a larger plate, you will be eating at least 2 meals worth of food, without going back for seconds!

Make islands, not continents out of your food. Don't let the individual items touch.

Drink a glass of water before you sit down to eat.

Don't starve yourself to 'safe' your weekly points for a binge-fest, and then gorge on everything. Plan to use those points, but they will disappear faster than you expect! This is why you need to think about what you want to eat and plan for it!

Savor the foods you choose to eat. Take time to enjoy the nuances of the flavors. Appreciate the time your family member took to make the item or meal. Chew longer, talk more, and when you've tried a little of everything -- STOP EATING! It's okay to leave a little food on your plate. If someone hassles you about it--lie. Tell them you're saving room for dessert.

And if Aunt Gertrude insists that you try some of her Jello experiment, taste a little or simply tell her, "No thanks. I have more than enough to eat."

So, in other words, visualize your response to the questions, prompts and various blackmail family members will use to get you to eat.

Again, everything is about pre-planning. Not just what you want to eat and the portion size, but your response to those who want you to try something you hadn't planned on eating.

Good luck!

Later, Peeps!