Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so I figured I would share my Thanksgiving “rules” as a non-diet dietitian. In our Happy Hour post last week I linked a bunch of blog posts I have written over the years on Thanksgiving and holiday eating if you’re interested. Today I figured I would highlight my simple “rules” for this food focused holiday because it can be a tricky one for many with food anxiety.
#1 EAT BREAKFAST
and lunch depending on when your Thanksgiving meal is. I hear so often how people want to “save up” for Thanksgiving calories and that mind set just leads to a binge and feeling awful. Skipping meals on Thanksgiving is a recipe for disaster, so please make sure to eat a balanced breakfast (and lunch if needed). You will feel so much better physically and be in a better headspace to put together a balanced Thanksgiving plate. And don’t skip breakfast the day after either 😉
#2 WORKOUT IF YOU WANT TO
I’ve taken my fair share of workout classes either right before or on Thanksgiving day and all the instructors can do is talk about burning calories before you eat. Or my favorite, earning your Thanksgiving meal. Ugh. If you enjoy movement on Thanksgiving, then by all means do your thing. But if you’re working out because you feel like you “have to” then I encourage you to reevaluate your motivations. If the idea of being super cozy and relaxed all day speaks to you- then honor that! Move in a way that feels good- not to punish your body or earn food.
#3 HYDRATE
Today is not the day to neglect your Stanley. Drink water right when you wake up and continue to chug all day. I talk about the importance of hydration and the role it plays in food choices all the time, so today is an important day to be properly hydrated, esp. if you plan to enjoy some bevies or had a few too many the night before 😉
#4 GOODBYE GUILT
Thanksgiving is all about the food: enjoying food with loved ones, food traditions, and getting pleasure out of foods we don’t have on a regular basis. Sadly, there is a lot of negative food talk, food shaming, diet talk, etc. that can take some of the enjoyment out of the meal and day. I encourage you to choose the foods you look forward to and love and completely enjoy them. Foods that around year round that you can live without-pass. Also remember you can always have leftovers or take food home with you to have the next day. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing kind of day.
#5 NO COMPENSATION THE NEXT DAY
No matter what happens on Thanksgiving, start the next day as normal. Wake up, drink water, eat breakfast and move on. Beating yourself up and trying to find ways to compensate for the day before is only going to lead you right back to a binge/restrict cycle. One day (or even a few days) off your normal routine is not going to make or break your health goals I promise you!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
xx, A
