Don't forget... unlimited veg includes fresh crunchy raw mushrooms, and juicy crisp cukes. Plain old lettuce can be kind of boring and not as filling either.
:carrot::carrot::carrot:

I've never been a huge fan of mushrooms :barf:

The ideal protein recipe thread that Lisa posted has some really good ideas for Thanksgiving. After looking at that, I have my own personal menu planned out! :D

I will definitely have my normal IP breakfast because it is my experience that I have WAY less willpower when I am starving than I do when I am not starving. Depending on when I have my thanksgiving meal, I may also have lunch and or a salad before it as well.

We are going to my parents for Thanksgiving. They haven't seen me since I first started IP, they were here the week I started, so they are in for a big (or smaller?lol) surprise! lol I'm not really worried about Thanksgiving. I plan on eating turkey and fresh veggies. I absolutely love my mom's dressing (stuffing) but I don't plan on eating any!! I've come too far to throw it away for bread!! I am thinking that having family members that haven't seen me since I've lost weight compliment me (presumptuous?) will be enough encouragement to keep me on the straight and narrow!! That and the fact that I am absolutely terrified of eating OP (carbs mainly) because I do not want all that comes with it!! Bloat, weight gain, and having to go through he!! to get back into ketosis!! Plus it helps that I like turkey and am satisfied eating meat. Now the alcohol is another story.......being around my family without drinking is hard...

Since Turkey Day is just two weeks away, I thought it would be a good idea to resurrect this thread and have folks post their game plan for the holiday! Things always work better with a plan :)

On the first page of this thread, Lisa posted links to some past T-Day threads, for those who need ideas and recipes.

What's your meal plan for the big day? How will you stay OP?

I've really been hesitant to post anything about my Thanksgiving plans. I didn't want to see the posts reminding me about the harms of cheating or anything of the like. I know and understand what can happen. I also know myself. . . if I worry about it, I will stress about it; and, if I stress about it, I will end up with a big o migraine. Been there, done that.

We eat our meal at lunch time. So I will be OP at breakfast and, IF I'm hungry, at supper.

Here's our menu::hun:
Turkey Breast
Betty's (a/k/a Grandma's) Dressing (my wonderful MIL who passed away 3 years ago - Feb 23 [it's good old southern made from scratch cornbread dressing] -- not stuffing -- there's a difference)
Brussels Sprouts
Gravy
Green Beans (of some sort)
Kale Salad
Multi-grain Bread
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Cherry Pie
Whip Topping
Iced Tea (unsweetened)
Coffee

Now, please understand, I don't intend to eat everything.:nono: I will, however, taste quite a few things.:D

After talking it over with DH, DD, and my sisters, I am not making or asking anyone to make anything "fake." This menu is very different from what we've had in the past, and I DID EAT EVERYTHING.:yikes:

It is not my intention to come off as condescending or :snooty:. Should you take offense, please accept my apologies.:hug:

On a last note. . . . in addition to hosting family and friends in my home, I'll be very busy with clients. I am a professional pet sitter and am very booked on Thanksgiving Day.:dizzy:

No-judgement zone here Pebbles :) You know the spiel, and you make the decisions you need to with your eyes open. It just means no complaining about the scale the week after ;)

I have to say that I love mushrooms, but I've never had a crunchy one.:D

Thanks for the giggle!:hug:

Thank you, and I have no intention of complaining:D. I'll even update my stats on WI day, which is Friday:yikes:

OK so here's my game plan for Turkey Day:

Regular IP breakfast.

Turkey day feasting:
Turkey (and maybe a little ham)
Crockpot Cauliflower Fried Rice (posted the recipe in the crockpot thread)
Roasted Radishes (my subsititute for red potatoes!)
Roasted cauliflower

Dessert: Going to try making LizRR's "sweet fauxtato pie" and use a QUEST bar as a crust - I saw a few recipes doing this on the QUEST site and I'm pretty sure I can make it work!

I will very likely go over on my veggies for the day, but I'm not too worried about that - better to over-indulge on veggies than on stuff that would totally derail my progress!

My plan:

breakfast: IP packet

Lunch: 8 oz turkey
Mashed cauliflower (or maybe the fried rice...I'll look into it)
Broccoli
LizRRs veggie puree that you can turn into gravy.

Dinner: IP shake or other packet

Dessert/snack: LizRRs sweet fauxtato pie with a cup of celestial seasonings

I will be over on my veggies also but I plan to have a salad with my dinner using mushrooms, cukes, and spinach on the day before and the day after T-giving so I'm hoping it will all balance out in the end. And lower cal/carb veggies for the lunches. Otherwise, like you said, I'd rather overindulge on veggies than a myriad of other things that will be present!

My office hosted a t-day style lunch today. This is what I had mixed like a salad:

3 oz cooked turkey
1 cup steamed broccoli / cauliflower
lots of mixed greens
dijon mustard (there was no olive oil) for dressing

I skipped bread, ham, taters, pie, chutney, salad dressing and wine but did have a quest bar about a 1/2 hour later after a walk. It was helpful that my dining companion ate it all and told me what was wrong with all the stuff I skipped (too sweet, too tart, etc) so I didn't really feel like I missed out on anything.

Cranberry Sauce
 

I just bought Walden Foods Cranberry sauce for thanksgiving . Has anybody tried it ? Opinions ! please !

Unfortunately, not with wine. The liver prioritises processing the alcohol in wine in preference to converting fat to usable glucose from fat stores so, while you will probably stay in ketosis (not that many carbs in wine), your liver will be otherwise occupied and you won't be losing fat. Be careful with losing weight in this time frame or you may end up losing lean tissue rather than fat. Here's a link that you may find interesting:- Carbs in Wines Oh, and don't forget that your state of ketosis may mean you get drunk faster. :)

Pebbles1964 I think there's a big difference between falling off the waggon and consciously choosing to eat off plan. The only person who knows your level of willpower and your ability to jump back on plan the next day is YOU. Who knows, maybe it's a good test at this stage, to see if you can eat a little of what you like and keep it in moderation. Good practice for the future.

scorbett: For the Roasted Radishes, do you mind sharing the method? temp, length, do you cover with olive oil, salt?

I have been eating a lot of radishes which I never did in my life (and enjoying them on salads) but I have never roasted them....

Thanks!