The Consequences of Overeating
Thanksgiving is the one day a year many of us eat, overeat and then eat even more. We splurge on calories and sabotage any weight loss we've already accomplished. Let's look at some of the consequences when you splurge that one day.
- Overeating will cause your stomach to stretch. A larger stomach means more food is needed to make you full.
- Overeating could leave you with nausea, heartburn, gas, belching and acid reflux.
- You'll feel like a slug and probably won't want to exercise or participate in any activities that day.
- If you continue to eat after you are full, it will be converted to fat. In other words... anything past "full" becomes fat.
- You will most likely gain weight.
You can enjoy the holiday without all the guilt...
- Treat this day just like any other day. Eat a healthy breakfast, drink water throughout the day, and eat healthy snacks as scheduled. Be sure to drink "Hot Lemon Water" three times on this day. When it is time for the turkey dinner, think of it as any other meal... not your last meal!
- Consider how many people will be dining with you before planning your menu. If it is just you and your husband, then why are you cooking a full turkey and all the traditional side items? Just make a turkey breast and a couple of healthy vegetables. Or if you feel like you have to have the dressing or sweet potatoes, consider going out for Thanksgiving dinner so that you can have those foods you crave but don't have leftovers for a week.
DONT: Skip breakfast and starve yourself all day in order to "Save up" for the big turkey dinner.
- Squeeze in a some exercise. When you wake up, go ahead and put on your workout clothes. You will be more likely to exercise if you are dressed for it. Tell yourself that you have to "earn" that piece of pumpkin pie.
DONT: Put on elastic pants or loose clothes so that you can eat more.
- Drink a full 16 oz glass of water before the Thanksgiving dinner to help you not to overeat. Drinking a full glass of water before each meal also boosts your metabolism.
- As you put food on your plate, leave space to make sure the foods do not touch. If you struggle with this. Use a smaller plate. If there is a salad on the menu, eat that first. Choose low-fat menu items such as white meat turkey, roasted sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes. Avoid casserole dishes that are loaded with cream sauces and butter.
- Eat slowly. Put your fork down and get a drink between bites. If you struggle with eating bites that are too big, choose a smaller fork. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate to the rest of your body that it is full so take your time. Participate in the table conversation to take your mind off the food.
- When your body sends you the signal that it is full, STOP EATING. There are no more happy plates. If you struggle with this, leave the table. Leave this massive buffet immediately because it is extremely hard to resist going back for seconds. Everyone at the table will understand. Excuse yourself and go take the dogs for a walk while everyone else finishes.
- If dessert is offered, wait at least 20 minutes after the main meal before having dessert. Choose fruit or the healthiest option available. If only pies and cakes are the choices, then select a small portion because desserts pack a huge amount of calories into small slices. For example a slice of pumpkin pie is about 330 calories while apple pie is about 410 calories.
- Don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake, let it go. The goal is to maintain during the holidays and not to necessarily lose weight. If you maintain your weight during this very challenging holiday, then SUCCESS! If you lose weight, then you are AWESOME!