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Anyone else having a healthy Thanksgiving?


Posted: Nov 24, 2014

All these recipes sound great - but I can't eat them. I have to (want to) get my weight down - haven't baked anything since July, food diary, all that jazz. So now the holidays are rolling around - I went and got a small turkey, brussel sprouts (I love brussel sprouts), one sweet potato, an avocado, celery, I already have kale in the house. Also nonfat yogurt (yes, I took the plunge from lowfat to nonfat yogurt and skim milk from 2%). Organic "only peanuts" peanut butter. Olive oil. I notice at work, other people notice I'm eating something healthy, so they give me candy and other junk food. Well okay I'm not going to eat it but I take it. (There's always someone to pass a candy bar on to). I must say nothing is more delicious than my oatmeal in the morning with RAISINS (pure sugar practically! yes I have a sweet tooth), so raisins are the new junk food for me. Also cinammon. Cinammon and pepper, what would I do without you. I also crave fish like crazy. Anyway, it's "healthy holidays" for me. Not trying to be the food police AT ALL to anybody else - I'd love to eat those cheesy casseroles!!! - but it's like, you have to eat A LOT of vegetables to start craving them. Plain old vegetables. Well anyway that is my story. I enjoy (highly) being able to go up and down stairs much more easily - I said to my mom, "have you noticed I'm not complaining about my feet hurting or my legs hurting?" I mean I was surprised to find that actually my feet and legs don't hurt after work like they used to. It's tough. I'd like to work more for more money, but I'm concerned about the stress level (and depression), and there goes the healthy habits out the window. Frick it. Save your own life, nobody else will. ;

I stopped doing - Thanksgiving

[ In Reply To ..]
and all holidays years ago, much better for my physical and mental health.

As far as food goes though, I think a lot is not so much what you eat as how much of it. I don't think eating a spoon full of someone's lovingly made cheesy casserole or scrumptious dessert will throw you too much off your healthy eating game, unless maybe you are diabetic or something.

Prunes, raisins and cherry tomatoes are "candy" for me also.

Saying portion control is all well and good but - there are some who have issues with that

[ In Reply To ..]
I have huge issues with portion control - always have. It's a mental thing and it's one I struggle with every day. It's very simplistic to say that one spoonful of something won't hurt you, but if that one spoonful then triggers a binge, yes it absolutely will hurt you.

For some of us, elimination is the ONLY way to be able to eat healthy. For me, that means no wheat or grain. Period. When I backslide and eat crackers or bread or something, then I just want more and more and more and then I start working out in my brain how I can do it and still be healthy. Um, no.

OP - good for you and congratulations. It sounds like you've come up with a plan that works for you and you are reaping the benefits of it. Well done.

I agree... - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I sadly am one of those "one bite is too much and a thousand is never enough," and I would give anything to change it (have to "manage" it instead).

Mmmmm....prunes, raisins and cherry tomatoes - wheres_my_job

[ In Reply To ..]
I love the IDEA of a "spoonful" of cheesy casserole or scrumptious dessert. However, if you eat as a way to deal with stress or pain, that spoonful thing doesn't work for the long-term. Believe me, I have tried. Maybe at some point, it'll work, but right now, retraining the tastebuds to enjoy a different kind of eating seems to be working.

It's hard at night, not so much during the day, but at night - visions of fried chicken, pizza, etc dance through my mind. (I go to bed pretty late due to my schedule).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Most people do not think healthy at the holidays - most are just thinking the usual

[ In Reply To ..]
Good for you that you want to make a change, nothing wrong with that. What I do not do myself is change something about myself and then try to change others. Remember my father who was a bad chain smoker, never saw him without a cigarette and nonfiltered at that, gave it up and then wanted to shame his sister because she still smoked. Most people around this time of year are not even thinking about healthy holidays and probably going to just pig out on Thanksgiving. I care less about what others do myself. Their lives, their actions. My motto is live and let live.

No trying to change anybody else... - wheres_my_job

[ In Reply To ..]
...just asked if anybody else is trying to have a healthy holidays. I know I'm not the only one!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well I'm going to keep it simple this Thanksgiving since - I have to work and...

[ In Reply To ..]
Hubby and kids (which are all grown up w/kids of their own) will be going to mother-in-laws. So being as though I have to work and will probably end up getting a plate brought to me, I will just make neck bones and green beans with banana pudding to suit my taste.

I do like the idea of healthy though since I can stand to lose a few pounds, but I also agree with the person above that you can limit your portion sizes at least so that you're allowed to indulge on the holidays. In my case, that would be what I would have to do at times when I have special requests to cook certain dishes, as I don't like to cook it and then not be able to have at least a small amount of it.

My biggest problem with staying on track with healthy eating is stress, it's the pits and when I'm nervous I have a tendency to eat more. I did good for 3 weeks and then fell off the wagon.

Somewhat, at least--sm - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
We will have slightly more decadent versions of some of the things we eat. Everything will be made from scratch, to watch the sodium (we are not big fans of the canned soups). I used to love the onions on green bean casserole but now they taste a bit rancid to me. If I have a hankering, I may do Barefoot Contessa's crispy shallots. I will stir fry slivered Brussel Sprouts with a bit of lemon juice and garlic. The whipped cream will be fresh. Most of the time I make pumpkin pie crustless but it will have crust at Thanksgiving. I had hoped to make dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon but not enough money for that. There will be so much good food, that the only cheese I see the need for is the cream cheese layer on the pumpkin pie. I am confident I will be satisfied by the end of the day.

Good luck with your healthy habits for the day.

I'm eliminating the homemade baked macaroni and cheese and homemade cornbread - dressing but....sm

[ In Reply To ..]
that's only because Thanksgiving is not at my house this year. Normally I would make all the goodies anyway like candied sweet potatoes and various desserts just because it's Thanksgiving whether it was at my house or not.

I learned the hard way, that when it's hear, I will eat and eat because I hate for things to go to waste and hubby doesn't eat that much. Even when I send some with the kids, we still have food here. So from now on, if Thanksgiving is not at my house, I won't cook as much and only make what I volunteered to bring.

So that's a huge healthy start for me.

I will do the homemade cornbread dressing but have left off--sm - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
the rolls and mashed potatoes. One reason is it saves me some work as I will also be typing that day anyway and I figure one starch is enough. I prefer my sweet potatoes mashed with orange juice and for Thanksgiving really like serving them in orange cups. I adore marshmallows, just not on my sweet potatoes. With 4 kids in my house, one of those being a 16 year old boy, I do not stand a chance at getting too much food.

FrozenTurkeyIs - ABargain

[ In Reply To ..]
Bought an enormous frozen turkey at Walmart (48 cents/lb). I think I paid $7 for it. Even if you are not having people over, it's a shame not to just get one or 2 and eat well on the cheap for awhile. It's high in protein and relatively low in fat, so very healthy.
Very true, you can do a lot with turkey. If you ge on sale - go for it.
[ In Reply To ..]

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