Nutrition by Dawn - Blog

The holidays are in full swing, and Thanksgiving will be here in just two short days! I love this time of year because time with my fam and great food are a couple of my favorite things. 

There is plenty of food to go around this time of year. We could easily snack all day, every day until January rolls around. I know I’m going to be enjoying plenty of delicious treats in the next month, and I am also trying to approach this coming month with my future self in mind. 

The truth is that time has flown between last holiday season and this holiday season, and January 1st will be here just as soon. When you’re deciding what you think your holidays should look like, consider this: if you eat with wild abandon through the holiday season, how will you feel on January 2nd? How do you want to feel on January 2nd?

If we eat our way through the holidays, odds are that we’ll wake up January 2nd and feel pretty bloated and blah. Our energy may be low, and we might feel a tad regretful that we didn’t make the best choices for ourselves. 

If we approach this season with an outlook of enjoying our food without overeating, chances are that our January 2nd will feel a lot different. My goal is to wake up that day, remember all the fun I had during the holidays, and feel ready to get 2022 started on the right foot. 

If you want to wake up January 2nd ready to take on the world, these are my tips for finding that balance between feast and famine during the holidays. 

1. Buy as Much as You’ll Enjoy That Day

I was recently talking to my friend about the holidays, and he told me that Thanksgiving just isn’t fun without pie. I think pie is great, and I want him to be able to enjoy his pie if that’s his Thanksgiving tradition! Instead of leaving pie out of his Thanksgiving feast, he decided to buy only a few pies for the people who will be at dinner rather than buying more than he really needs and having leftovers for days. 

Leftovers can be great if they align with your goals. The ease of not having to cook because you can just warm up leftovers is strong, but letting your full feast go on for days and days could leave you waking up January 2nd with a yucky feeling inside. Instead, you can make a delicious feast for Thanksgiving day, send your guests home with all the leftovers they desire, and get back to your usual routine the next day. 

2. Plan Your Meal in Advance

There’s always a ton of food at Thanksgiving dinner, and that can be a little intimidating if you’ve got a goal you’re working towards. But the reality is that Thanksgiving dinner can be fun, healthy and nutritious! There are plenty of delicious vegetable dishes and lean meats to go around, so plan to fill your plate with all the dishes that add up to a balanced meal. 

Don’t worry, you can definitely still have your favorite dessert, too. :)
 

3. Stick to Your Plans Until It’s Time to Feast

One trick that I always follow when I know I’m going to be feasting is to stay on track until it’s actually time for dinner. Sure, there’s plenty to snack on on Thanksgiving day, but I find that eating what I would usually eat before I eat a huge dinner helps me feel better than if I just snack on whatever is around all day long. This way, I still get the healthy food my body needs to keep my energy up, and I get to eat whatever my heart desires at dinnertime. And, when you’ve not starved yourself all day in preparation for dinner, you’re less likely to go way overboard. Eating my regular balanced meals of protein, fat and carbs all day long keeps me happy and not over-hungry when dinner rolls around.

Thanksgiving is such a fun holiday, and I hope you’ll enjoy a wonderful feast with your family to celebrate. Happy Thanksgiving! 

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving? Let me know in the comments!
 

Today starts our Perfect Pairings Black Friday Special! Now through November 29th, we’re offering 50% off any 2022 Perfect Pairings event. Click here to join us for 2022 Perfect Pairings!

If you need some inspiration for healthy living, please join me in my Facebook group Never Diet Again for a great community filled with great discussion!