Top 10 ways to avoid overstuffing yourself on Thanksgiving

As a follow up to my earlier post, I want to share the rest of my favorite tips for surviving Thanksgiving without putting on a pound--something we can all be thankful for come next Friday morning!

1. During Thanksgiving dinner, choose white turkey meat versus dark turkey meat, which is lower in calories and fat.

2. Maintain your normal exercise routines. Make sure you continue to exercise during the Thanksgiving holiday, which will help burn any extra calories you may consume.
   

3. Try not to skip meals. Skipping meals can make you hungrier, which causes you to overeat later.

4. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. Water helps you feel full and can combat the bloating and water weight gain caused by salty foods offered at many parties.

5. Position yourself away from the food table. Staying in another room may prevent you from mindlessly picking at appetizers and finger foods all night.

6. Don’t try to diet. Your goal should be to maintain weight, not lose it.

7. Don’t try to cut out high-calorie Thanksgiving favorites like candied sweet potatoes or pumpkin pie. Instead, choose small portions on the high-fat favorites and fill your plate with additional low calorie choices, such as baked squash, pumpkin, breads, and pastas.

8. Eat something before going to an event with alcohol. The effects of alcohol are felt much more quickly on an empty stomach. Also, try to drink one glass of water before each glass of an alcoholic beverage.

9. Offer to bring a favorite low-calorie dish to holiday parties, so you know there will be at least one “safe” item available. Arrive fashionably late and stand far away from buffets so you’re not tempted to nibble constantly. Instead, indulge in conversation.

10. Center entertainment around non-food events such as ice skating, or renting a holiday movie.