What's your Thanksgiving plan?
 

I plan on going out to dinner (more like a late lunch) so we don't have to cook here. This way there will be no yummy tempting irresistible leftovers ;) Whatever I order will still be in my calorie limit too.

What is your plan to avoid the Thanksgiving temptations?

My sister and I are doing the cooking so we're going to add some healthy options to the not so healthy menu. As for what I am doing personally, I'm just going to stick with the healthy stuff. I am skipping the appetizers and for the main meal I am planning on having turkey, asparagus, salad, a wheat roll, and maybe a couple bites of stuffing (since it's my favorite part.) I'm skipping dessert too...

I will be at my daughters and will help with the cooking. There will be plenty of foods that work within my plan. Turkey works well for me and we are having lots of vegetables. I am taking a dessert that fits within my plan, chocolate sugar-free pudding on a low fat graham cracker topped with light Cool Whip. I love that and it only has 150 calories.

My daughter and I are planning a walk with the grandkids around a little lake in their neighborhood Thanksgiving afternoon. It should be an on-plan day that is really enjoyable.

I would allow myself one treat, but on Friday we are having my grandson's birthday party so I am saving my treat for Friday. However, I may just treat myself with my pudding desert. I will be so busy that food may not be an issue.

My biggest challenge will be a dinner at church the Sunday night before Thanksgiving. I am taking food that works for me, so at least there will be something low calorie. We have some fantastic cooks at our church so there will be lots of temptation!

My plan is to enjoy it without stuffing myself; concentrate on the healthy options without denying myself small portions of the special dishes; try to get the leftovers out of the house as quickly as possible and not neglect my exercise routines.

I don't set the bar all that high but experience tells me to shoot for what I can accomplish on a day like that.

I'm not terribly worried, as I always feel self-concious eating in front of my family. So although the food in general is pretty high cal, I know I'm not going to go crazy.

I mean, it will be a high day, for sure, but I'll eat my fill and stop. And I'll load the plate with veggies and salad, white part of turkey (no skin, of course!), and just a little stuffing and mashed potatos, a hint of gravy for taste (it is a one day a year meal after all!), and no roll.

Cheryl, we have a dinner at church the Sunday before Thanksgiving too and may have something at work that week (we did last year-haven't heard anything yet and am NOT going to suggest anything) WHAT IS IT with all these extra dinners around Thanksgiving? And they all include the usual dishes.......I was sick of Thanksgiving food by the time Thursday got here last year.

DH and I are going out to eat - late lunch. Then we'll come home and have his famous pumpkin pie which he makes with Splenda! Yummy! I will also do a lot of walking on T'Day and I'll be hitting the malls bright and early the day after so I'll be walking and weight lifting (all the shopping packages)! :lol:

That is exactly my plan as well! I love pumpkin pie, but I plan to have only a tiny piece. I also plan to have a little serving of stuffing - it is my favorite part of thanksgiving and since I never, ever make it for myself, I will allow myself a little bit one day out of the year! I plan on filling up, however, on the green beans and turkey (white meat only of course)....

What I'm really worried about is the appetizers... the crackers and cheese, bread and some brie cheese... they're such little bites it's hard to stop from eating just one! Esp. since we usually skip lunch that day, and i'm always starving by the time appetizers are served! I'm thinking I'll make a big salad for lunch so I won't feel as hungry by the time the good stuff is served!

Well since I'd be cooking, nothing would be really 'off plan'. I tend to make on plan meals even if I'm cooking for others.

Having said that, not sure if we'll do anything on Thanksgiving other than a normal day off. We might go to my inlaws although we might go Friday or Saturday after, depending on the weather. I'll make dinner for the 4 of us and we'll have a nice family dinner.

It'll just be another on-plan day for me. I must travel for business every year at this time and my destination is near my parents' home, so that's where I'll spend the holiday. I've been the Thanksgiving Chef forever, but this year, I won't be. My family can make whatever they want for Thanksgiving, and I'll follow my plan within what they serve and by filling in with my own stuff (vegetable dishes, etc.)

My biggest downfall in years past is good wine... but I haven't had a drop since I started my plan, and I'll just continue with that.

I had a terrible experience with my family some years ago, the last time I lost a bunch of weight. I had successfully lost 70 pounds (all I needed to lose at the time) and kept it off for a couple of years. Then I went to my parents' home for Christmas. Out came all the goodies: The wines, the chocolates, the cheeses, the rich appetizers and desserts... I remember feeling appalled and sick at the caloric excess. But did that stop me from stuffing myself to the gills with all these goodies, made just for me? No. No, it didn't. And that was the beginning of the end of my successful weight loss journey.

I won't let it happen ever, ever again.

I'm Canadian, eh, so ours was last month. My plan the last few years worked out great, same with the Christmas plan. I loveeeee my mom's turkey dinner with all the fixins, so I had a plate. One plate. One normal sized plate. It was a freebie. Not a free week, not a free day. A free meal. I enjoyed it beyond all measure and had a clear conscience LOL. I didn't need or want replacement dishes for everything, I had 1 plate and enjoyed thoroughly, no leftovers (just some white turkey meat! and the bones to make stock) and everyone understands when you say no thanks to drinks or appetizers with a simple "I"m saving myself for DINNER" heheheh

It's going to be ONE day with *some* indulgence (maybe 2000 calories instead of 1700) but with all the traditional yummy food. I got all my recipes down pat 2 years ago and it really works for me (healthier versions of the traditionals). In case it would help anyone, here are my recipes:
Thanksgiving recipes

I am thankful I do not have to go to someone else's house and fight myself not to eat a bunch of heavy, fatty, sugary foods. If I did, I think I'd have to be a lot stricter with myself.

I will also eat one plate. I have to eat in two places so I will use a dessert plate at each. I will not eat dessert. I'd rather eat the savory stuff than the sweet so I won't waste my calories on dessert.

Nada, sometimes I get sick of the Thanksgiving food too! We used to have a meal at work but started a new tradition a couple of years ago. We close shop for a couple of hours one day between Thanksgiving and Christmas and go to a restaurant. Everyone can order what they want! No one ever gets traditional holiday food!

Church events have been some of my biggest challenges this past year. I love donuts and they are at church most weeks. The meetings for the various ladies groups always have homemade sweets, a big temptation. Then there are the wedding and baby showers. If I ate the sweets for all of these, weight loss would be impossible. For the meals, I always take something that I can eat. I seldom bring home leftovers. For the events where everyone brings sweets, I always make something from my diabetic cookbook. We have a number of diabetics and they always look for my desserts.

For this Thanksgiving meal, I am taking cabbage, a salad, and a sugar free desert that I make.

This is going to be very difficult because I will be attending several different holiday parties, but I am responsible for bringing some dishes so I will try to make the ones I bring healthy and delicious. I just have to stick to my guns and remind myself that I don't HAVE to try EVERYTHING or have seconds! If I really want seconds, maybe I can take a plate to go and have it for dinner the next night.