Always good to have the “gravy police” around!

It always looks good on paper.

I found this out on Thanksgiving Day, when I decided to put my own holiday eating survival tips to the test (see my previous blog post,“Eat, Fit, and Be Merry”). I gave a lot of thought to my tips this year. I was aiming for practical, doable strategies. My goal was to drop the guilt trip, and make you feel like enjoying Thanksgiving without overindulging could be as “easy as pumpkin pie!” Well, making a pumpkin pie is NOT that easy–which I discovered when I began to roll out my very uncooperative homemade crust–and neither is taking a lighter approach to the Thanksgiving Day buffet!

On a positive note, I was not a complete failure and managed to hit the pillow at the end of the day with a clear conscience and a few ideas to share with you as we move forward into the holiday season. So, here’s how I scored on my top 5 tips for surviving the holiday eating frenzy:

Tip #1: Eat Food!    Score: Yeah! 5 out of 5

This one was the easiest for me, so it was sort of cheating to put it on the list. I’m not a top chef, but I do enjoy cooking from scratch and making my own food. I know that not everyone feels this way. So, I planned a simple menu that I could cook by myself, since it would only be my small family of four for dinner. I did have one “edible food like substance” on the buffet, Ocean Spray whole cranberry sauce out of a can, because it is a long-standing tradition in my family, and you don’t mess with family traditions at Thanksgiving!

Tip #2: Use a smaller plate.    Score: Eeekk! 0 out of 5

“What could be more simple,” I wrote. Ha! This turned out to be particularly hard for me to do. When I arranged all my beautiful serving platters on the buffet, filled with delicious food I had slaved over for half the day, putting a salad plate out instead of a full-sized dinner plate would have been like serving the mashed potatoes without the gravy. I just couldn’t do it. I wanted everything to look perfect, and salad plates would have been a deal breaker for me. I even thought about lying to you, and saying that I did. The good news? I didn’t go back for seconds. I ate slowly, a tip I forgot to mention, and when my plate was clean, I felt satisfied.

“Bless me Father, for I have sinned.” lol!

Tip #3: ADD to your diet.   Score: Just okay. 3 out of 5

I could only do so much cooking all by myself, so I contemplated not having a salad. But I remembered my tip and decided to make the effort to put something leafy and colorful on the plate. It turned out to be a good decision due to my failure in the smaller plate department. I added a few pomegranate seeds to make the salad more festive, and placed it at the beginning of the buffet where it would find its way onto my plate before the killer carbs.

Tip #4: Get some exercise in.   Score: Not great. 3 out of 5

My day was so full with hockey and then cooking, that I almost failed on this one too! Just poor planning in the end. But after an early dinner, I pushed myself away from the table and asked my son if he wanted to head to the park for a short 15 minute walk. We ended up bringing the basketball and playing for 45 minutes! Not only was it the best part of my day, it reminded me that I have to play with my son more often. He still loves to play–and I know that will not last for long–and I get a fun workout in at the same time.

Tip #5: Watch your alcohol intake carefully.   Score: Just lucky! 5 of 5

Avoiding alcohol is not a big deal for me at any time of year, so don’t congratulate me on this one. I’m not a big drinker, so one glass of champagne with dinner was plenty, which left lots of room for dessert afterwards. And believe me, I took advantage!

Final score: 16 our of 25. Okay, so I still have room for improvement, and a few things to think about for the weeks ahead.

If this exercise did anything, it reminded me of two important wellness messages we all can benefit from hearing again:

First, wellness does not just happen on its own. You have to be aware and engaged 24/7 with every choice you make. Having a plan is always a good thing. If you leave things to chance, like I did with my exercise, there’s a good chance you will be left wondering where the day went. Next time, I’m scheduling my walk for first thing in the morning.

Second, wellness is a process not an end product. You set out on the journey and learn what works for YOU (notice the “you” is in big capital letters!), and what doesn’t. For me, size matters when it comes to dinner plates! Just take note, and adjust for the next opportunity. Gradually over time, you will notice that you make positive choices that bring you closer to wellness on a more consistent and permanent basis.

Now, on to the next holiday!

Write about it . . . 

How did your Thanksgiving plan go this year? What worked, what didn’t. What was your favorite part of the day? Do you have any good ideas to share for the next round of holiday eating? 

I look forward to hearing from you!

Meg