Heading into Thanksgiving Eve, I wanted to put out a little PSA for you:

Don’t “diet” away your holidays!!

I know, that is totally counterintuitive to everything else you hear.  But I’m really being serious here. Our society is brainwashed by the diet industry into believing that to enjoy eating on a holiday is like committing a cardinal sin.  They do this because the diet industry makes a fortune off of it.

The two most common themes you will come across about thanksgiving dinner is the image of people sitting on a couch with their pants unbuttoned and people vowing to avoid all the deliciousness of the holiday so they can maintain their diet.

But, what if there were another way?

Oh wait… there is!

Just enjoy the day, including the food that is part of it, and then move on with your life!

If you follow me long enough, you will come to find out that I am an enormous promoter of balanced living.  I try to keep our family’s food pretty clean, organic, and unprocessed because I don’t love the idea of consuming chemicals.  In general though, I don’t believe in complete abstinence of food groups unless you have a legitimate medical reason to do so.  That means I don’t believe in a whole lot of diets and the data would back up my opinion on this.

UCLA researchers note, “we concluded most of them (people) would have been better off not going on a diet at all.  Their weight would be pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the wear and tear from losing weight and gaining it back.” Their meta-analysis suggested that after losing 5-10% of body weight in their first six months, up to 2/3 of those people regained more weight than they lost in the subsequent 4-5 years.  (Click here for more info)

So since we know dieting doesn’t work.  Let’s talk a little more about the holiday meal:

You need to consume 3500 calories to gain one pound.

I did some real basic research and found multiple sources that suggested Americans typically consume anywhere from 2500 – 4500 calories on Thanksgiving.  Here is a Shape.com article that breaks that calorie count down.  That means if you really went all out… you’d gain, give or take, about a pound.  I know, a pound is still a pound, but…

Reality check moment: For the vast majority of people, that won’t even be a blip on the radar within a week or so.  Especially if this one day of enjoying yourself is just that… one day (and maybe leftovers in reasonable portions the next day).  You’ll revert back to normalized eating and activities after that and your body will revert as well.

Before you freak out on me… Let me give you a few additional points to consider:

1. If you go into a holiday restricting food and denying yourself the things you love, your chances of bingeing on high calorie, low nutrient food sky-rocket.  And THAT, my friends, is where the real weight gain comes in.  One slice of your favorite pie on Thanksgiving and maybe one the night after is very different from no pie on Thanksgiving, but then consuming a whole gallon of ice cream and a whole pie the next night because you are now craving sweets so badly.
2. When you allow yourself to really enjoy the food you love, you will find you don’t have to overeat.  I used to have trouble understanding this concept.  I would purposely try to avoid desserts because I knew I loved them and thought they were “bad.”  Until I got married to a man with a sweet tooth.  Once sweets were in my house all the time and I could have them whenever, they sort of lost their luster.  I still like them, but the desire to overeat them is kind of gone. The psychological idea that certain foods are “off-limits” is what is behind that.  It’s the age-old “you always want what you can’t have” concept.  Once you can challenge that idea, often your desire to overconsume certain foods will reduce significantly.
3. I’m not suggesting you should eat with reckless abandon on Thanksgiving.  I’m not talking about binge eating until you feel sick.  That would probably cause you to go well past the 4000 calorie mark and also be not good for your body.  I am talking about reasonable portions of ALL of your favorite foods.  I am talking about being mindful while you are eating so that you enjoy every bite.  I am talking about leaving Thanksgiving dinner feeling satisfied rather than deprived or overstuffed.
4. I am also not talking to anyone with an eating disorder.  Your goal on Thanksgiving should be decided by you and your therapist/nutritionist.  Your goals for Thanksgiving may not fit with those I outlined above and that’s ok, because they should be based on your own personal journey of recovery.

A couple of things you can do instead of focusing on a diet:

1. Go for a walk after dinner.  Stepping away from the table can be a great way to slow down, think about what your eating, and allow your body time to digest.  In fact, research has shown a brief post-meal walk can improve your digestion and aid in blood sugar control.
2. Stay Hydrated.  Sometimes we are more thirsty than hungry.  Being well-hydrated can help you curb cravings and leave you less likely to overeat.
3. Give yourself a little break before going back for a second round.  It takes your body between 10-20 minutes to register fullness.  So before you run back to get a second helping… chat with someone at the table, drink a glass of water, and then check-in with yourself to see if you really do want another round or if you’re good where you are.
4. Easy on the alcohol.  Yes, I know, I hate this one too (I mean, I’m making Apple Cider Mimosas tomorrow!) but, alcohol does increase the appetite and decrease our ability to exert self-control.  Alternate your alcohol with glasses of water or just abstain completely if that works better for you!  (For the record, apple cider is good with or without the champagne!)

So as you go into the Thanksgiving holiday, please enjoy.  Remember to count your blessings.  Focus on all the things you have to be grateful for.  Sit down for your meal, be thankful to have food in front of you, and enjoy every single bite of the foods you love.  Please reconsider the cultural norm of restricting and dieting and move towards healthy moderation of all your favorites.

And, as always, stay Healthy as Heck and Happy Thanksgiving! KH