24 Nov Enjoy Thanksgiving without stuffing yourself like a Turkey

You can have your cake and eat it, too, as the saying goes.
You can have some turkey as well. Just be smart when it comes time to sit down for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday, and the dessert to follow, and snacks throughout the day, and maybe some drinks as well.
Of any holiday, Thanksgiving Day may be the most centered around eating.
If you follow a few simple tips, though, you can avoid going home stuffed like a turkey yourself:
Drink plenty of water
Water is a model’s best friend and it knows how to be a good friend to you, too, if you let it. Water can help control your appetite by letting you feel full faster. If you’re drinking beer, mix in some glasses or bottles of water during the day.
Eat a good pre-turkey meal
Don’t show up at the Thanksgiving feast on an empty stomach. Eat a good breakfast that day, preferably with protein and fiber to help digest the turkey legs to follow. Maybe even eat some fruit, like an apple, an hour or so before Thanksgiving dinner. It’s always better to space out small means instead of one giant one during the day. And it will really help you eat less at the Thanksgiving dinner.
Take your time eating
It takes 20 minutes for your body to know that you’re full. Enjoy your food, lift your head up from the plate to talk during the meal and enjoy each bite. There’s nothing wrong with putting your fork down a few times, too. It doesn’t constantly have to be in motion.
Go for quality, not quantity
Don’t waste your calories by loading up on items you can have year-round, like mashed potatoes, gravy and rolls. Instead, go easy on those high-calorie foods and take small samples of other things, too, that you rarely get to eat, such as sweet potatoes, certain types of vegetable casseroles and a piece of pumpkin pie.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com