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Thanksgiving and Diets
You've been hitting the gym, eating all the right foods, drinking all the water; living your best life. But November rolls around and the start of the holiday season. What should you do? Should you stick with your diet and plan around the foods or allow yourself to indulge? The answer to this question all depends on you, your goals, and what's best for your mental health.
As stated above, whether or not to bask in the Thanksgiving foods all depends on your goals. For some, this may mean planning around the foods and sticking to your diet. For others, some may fast until the meal and allow themselves to indulge. Then, there are those who set the diets aside and just enjoy eating with their families; eating for enjoyment and pleasure all day.
Regardless of what you choose, think of approaching the holidays this way- the holidays only occur once per year. Out of 365 days, these upcoming holidays only take up around 10 days. This is a tiny percentage of days, and I wouldn't sweat worrying about what you shouldn't eat. You don't need any more stress during the holidays; especially these holidays. This year has been stressful. Take these moments to enjoy the memories made with family. If you're eating whole, nutritious foods on a regular basis and staying consistent- a few days off won't kill your progress.
HOWEVER- if indulging will cause you more stress, here are a few tips on how to tackle the holidays (taken from WorkingAgainstGravity):
Staying consistent is something we preach all year long, and the holidays are a time to put everything you’ve learned to the test. Make a plan with your coach before the holidays so you can approach each meal with that plan in mind. Making the plan in advance of the meal is key, as you be deciding at a time when you are less likely to be influenced by others or the tempting environment.
Avoid skipping breakfast or lunch just so you can splurge at the holiday meal. Have a lean and protein-rich breakfast and lunch, to help manage your hunger before the meal. You are more likely to meet your fat and carb goals but fall short on protein during holiday meals. Plus, if you go into the meal on an empty stomach, it will be hard to avoid being ravenous.
That’s what parties during the holidays are all about anyway, right? Enjoy the time you have with your family and friends, the conversations, and the time of year. The holidays are about quality time with the people you love – not stuffing your face.
If busting out the pocket scale at the dinner table is not your cup of tea, familiarize yourself with the estimations using your hand, palm, and fingertips. Estimating is always better than the “screw it, I might as well go overboard” attitude. You’d be surprised how precise you can be by estimating.
Prioritize foods that you know easily fit your macros. Fill your plate with non-starchy veggies and meat FIRST, then if you go for seconds you will be less likely to indulge in the high fat and high carb options. High volume foods should still be a priority.
Alcohol is its own macronutrient – it has 7 calories per gram. When we know the total calories of a drink, we can “pretend” that those calories are coming from carbs or fats – but it is more damage control than anything and we use the calculation to limit overall calories in an attempt to balance things out. That’s the long-winded way of saying if you choose to drink alcohol, drink slowly and try to limit yourself to 1 or 2 drinks at most.
Don’t waste your macros on the things you don’t really love, same them for the things you DO! The holidays come around once a year, and we encourage you to have one of grandma’s famous holiday cookies, but avoid mindlessly snacking on high fat or high carb treats that aren’t special to this time of year. Love egg-nog? Have a small serving and treat it as a dessert
No matter how you approach these upcoming holidays, keep it stress-free. If you feel like indulging and eating that extra piece of pie and adding another spoonful of stuffing-do it. But, if eating more causes stress-don't do it. It's your choice. Just know that a few days off will not hinder progress, especially if you hop back into your normal routine as soon as possible.
Happy Thanksgiving from the Machine Shed.
Link to WorkingAgainstGravity: https://www.workingagainstgravity.com/articles/staying-on-track-during-the-holidays
~Coach Karina, BS-Kinesiology, CF L1 Trainer, USAW Sports Performance Coach