How to Handle the Holidays

Did you know the average caloric consumption for a Thanksgiving Day meal is 3500 calories? If you eat breakfast and lunch as well, you're looking at roughly 4000 to 4500 calories. In one day!


As a food addict in recovery, this holiday, one that focuses heavily on eating starchy, carb heavy foods, is probably one of the hardest to deal with.

Yet I'm not worried. I've been cooking up a storm so I know how high the caloric and carb counts are in my dishes. And I certainly don't plan on eating Atkins bars all day while my husband and friends eat the really yummy stuff. No, this year, for Thanksgiving, I have a plan.

It's a basic plan. I intend to taste everything I've prepared for this feast. The difference is, I will quite literally "taste" everything. This means I will partake in very small portions. After all, the first bite is usually the best. It's not like any of the food will taste better the more of it I eat, right? So, I will take tiny portions of everything, eat only until I am satisfied, not full, and I will drink lots of water before, during and after the meal. If possible, I will even go for a bike ride or a brisk walk/run. Anything to burn some calories.

For me, the most important thing to remember, the thing that will help me handle the holidays, is to keep reminding myself that nothing I put in my mouth will taste as good as being fit and healthy... nothing.

Will someone please remind me of that after I take the first bite of one of these lovelies?

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you and your families!