3 Things you don’t need to do to have a healthy Thanksgiving Day

Normally, I like to keep things positive around here. I like to give busy mamas helpful tips for leading a healthy life, but today, I want to switch things up. Today, I want to show you some of the most ridiculous pieces of advice for a healthy Thanksgiving that I’ve seen on the Internet. I found three things you absolutely don’t need to do to have a healthy Thanksgiving Dinner!

I will help you rework this straight-up bad advice into actual healthy advice so that you can have a healthy and fun Thanksgiving that doesn’t feel restrictive!

But, one quick note for you before we dive into the bad advice. It’s OK if you don’t want to have the healthiest Thanksgiving! It’s OK to enjoy holidays - that doesn’t make you unhealthy. It’s just one day. Just like eating salad for one day won’t make you healthy. Enjoying Thanksgiving won’t make you unhealthy.

You can enjoy all the food on Thanksgiving and still be a happy, healthy person! In fact, that’s what I do! I don’t track my food on Thanskgiving because I’ve spent so much time learning how to eat well every other day of the year! And that knowledge helps me enjoy Thanksgiving without gaining weight.

Do you remember in high school when your English teacher would teach you a grammar rule but then show you how you could break that rule in certain cases? But when you asked her why you had to do it the “right” way, she would say, “You have to understand the rules before you can break them.”

That’s exactly what it’s like to live a healthy life! You can’t just go around eating whatever you want any day of the week. You have to learn what the “rules” are before you can break them. Once you understand how to nourish your body, how food and alcohol affect your body and how to get the scale to do what you want it to, then you can have fun with your food!

Now let’s get back to the bad advice - and what I recommend doing instead!

Bad Advice #1: Serve mashed cauliflower or swap out unhealthy food for healthier ones

Mama, let’s get one thing straight, you never have to eat a food you don’t like in the name of health! And this applies double on Thanksgiving!

I love a good Thanksgiving dinner swap (I have lots of great ideas if you need them) but if you don’t like mashed cauliflower, don’t serve it! And that goes for any “healthy” swaps.

Instead of forcing yourself to eat food you don’t like, I always recommend picking your non-negotiables and then swapping or not having food that you’re not as excited about. 

For example, if your favorite food is mashed potatoes, then have them! But if you’re not a fan of green bean casserole, swap that out for plain green beans or a different veggie that you like! You don’t have to waste calories on foods you don’t like, just because it’s a tradition! 

Just because a swap is “healthier” it doesn’t mean you have to use it! Instead, prioritize the foods that are important to you and swap or leave out the foods you don’t care about!

Bad Advice #2: Spend hours in the gym working off what you ate

I am a huge fan of working out! I was a two-sport college athlete and still love going to the gym every day, but I don’t do it to “work off” what I ate. I do it because it makes me feel good to move my body.

The same idea applies on a holiday. You don’t need to restrict your food before a holiday meal and you don’t need to workout crazy hard to “afford” to eat Thanksgiving dinner!

You can eat Thanksgiving dinner with or without working out on Thanskgiving day. That doesn’t make you good or bad.

Now, is it a good idea to move your body when you know that you’re going to be eating more than normal? Of course! Movement is amazing for your health. But I don’t want you using movement as a form of punishment or to “undo” what you’re eating. Move to be healthy, not because you were “bad!”

I like to find ways to move that are fun on a holiday. It could be going for a family walk or bike ride. It could be playing touch football with friends. Or signing your family up for the local Turkey Trot (or creating your own!)

However, you choose to move your body, make sure it’s fun for you! That’s the best way to ensure you’re enjoying movement instead of punishing yourself for what you’re eating.

Bad Advice #3: Wear restrictive clothes so you don’t overeat

Mama, I’ve saved the best for last. I absolutely hate this piece of advice: wear restrictive clothes so you can’t overeat. Cue the biggest eye roll. If you want to make yourself feel bad about anything you eat, then do this, but if you want to feel good in your skin and your clothes, then toss this piece of advice in the trash where it belongs!

I never want you to feel guilt, shame or regret about your food choices. Because guilt, shame and regret don’t get you to your goals! If they did, we’d all be skinny, fit, supermodels because we know how to feel bad about ourselves. Instead, I want you to freaking love who you are.

So, Mama, please wear clothes that make you comfortable. If that means dressing up in a cute dress and putting on your favorite boots, then do it! If you prefer to wear joggers and a Thanksgiving t-shirt so you’re comfortable no matter how much you eat, that’s cool too!

Instead of relying on how your clothes feel to not overeat, I want you to pay attention to your full and hunger cues. This can be difficult because most of us have trained ourselves to ignore our full and hungry cues. So I want you to start practicing this leading up to Thanksgiving. 

Grab a piece of paper and put a zero in the middle, then on either side of the zero, write each number from -10 to 10. 

You’re going to assign each number a feeling or trigger of your hunger. 

Zero is going to be your neutral zone. You’re not hungry, you’re not full, you’re just perfectly content. 

Positive 10 is going to be you’re beyond stuffed. You can’t even think about food or you’ll burst at the seams. 

Negative 10 is going to be you’re starving and you can’t wait another second or you’re going to eat your own arm. 

The goal is to live between two and negative two. Typically, I think of positive two as I’m satisfied and content. I’ve eaten enough to not be hungry but I’m not crazy full either. Negative two is where I’ve noticed I’m getting fairly hungry and I need to start making food.

If I go beyond negative two, I know that I’m going to be too hungry to make smart food choices. And if I go beyond positive two I’m going to need to unbutton my pants so I don’t pop. The 2 to -2 is the perfect range to enjoy my food without going overboard either way.

When you start to feel full, you can take your plate to the sink, cover it with a napkin or just get up from the table so that you don’t keep munching.

If you apply this idea to your Thanksgiving eating you’re able to enjoy your food without going too crazy and you can be comfortable in whatever you choose to wear.

Mama, I want you to have a wonderful Thanskgiving! I hope that using some of these tips will help you focus on family and memories instead of food. Because at the end of the day, that’s what Thanskgiving is about!

If holidays like Thanksgiving get you overly focused on food or stress you out, then let’s talk. I’m helping mamas learn how to be in control of their food so that they can enjoy the holidays. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, schedule a free Healthy Mama Blueprint Call with me! 

If my program is a good fit for you we can get you started this week and you’ll lose weight over the holidays instead of gaining - all without feeling restricted!

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