Ditching the now-or-never mentality
Each year, we approach Thanksgiving as though it is the Last Supper, and wake up the next day with a pumpkin pie hangover. We stuff ourselves silly on the last Thursday in November because we know that we will have to wait another 12 months before we can indulge in the whole turkey feast again. But let’s keep this in perspective. If you want a turkey with stuffing and apple pie a la mode in July, these ingredients are yours for the asking in any supermarket all year. So, in addition to planning a new Thanksgiving-in-July tradition, try these five hacks on Thanksgiving to deliciously enjoy the day without overdoing it.
Carve out an earlier time to eat.
The time of day you eat dinner may have an impact on how your body stores the excess calories from your feast. Emerging research suggests that eating a higher percentage of your daily calories closer to the time you go to sleep may increase your body fat. So, rather than serving your Thanksgiving feast at 6 p.m. or later, move the starting time to 1 p.m. As a bonus, an earlier Thanksgiving meal eliminates the need for high-calorie appetizers that are typically served to hold you over until the bird is carved.
Downside the menu.
Make an executive planning decision to serve less, especially by cutting down on the number of side dishes. Research suggests that increasing the number of food options available at a meal increases the amount of food and calories you’ll likely consume. It’s not mandatory to have both mashed and sweet potatoes, nor do you have to serve both whole cranberry sauce and the gelatinous kind. If there are five different pies available, you’ll be more likely to eat a slice of most — if not all — of them, rather than just being satisfied with one slice of a single dessert. Decrease the options and decrease consumption.
Set the table with grandma’s china.
According to research, the average size of a dinner plate has increased by over 20 percent over the decades. This year, pay homage to grandma and serve your Thanksgiving dinner using her petite china. (It’s likely stored in a family member’s attic, so start the hunt early.) The smaller the plate, the less food you are likely to heap on and eat. Plus, grandma will be grinning from ear to ear at the dinner table.
Take the food out of the limelight.
Research also suggests that staring at platters of food, especially enticingly yummy favorites, can motivate you to unconsciously eat more even if you are not hungry. This is what happens when the meal is the centerpiece of the dinner table. Instead, serve dinner buffet-style and fill the dinner table with flowers and candles. Try carving out the center of a medium pumpkin and a few mini pumpkins, and filling them with fresh flowers or candles. Having the food at a separate table will also force you to get up and move to get seconds.
Couch the couch potato mentality.
Instead of watching football on the couch all afternoon, why don’t you gather up the crew for a family scrimmage in the backyard or take a long group walk? If you implement hack No. 1 (eating earlier in the day), you will have all afternoon to walk off the mound of stuffing you ate. A one-hour trek through the neighborhood could burn off over 200 calories (about the number of calories in that sliver of pumpkin pie).
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5 Hacks to Make Overeating on Thanksgiving Almost Impossible originally appeared on usnews.com
