Beat the Thanksgiving Regret Blues

Make sure this Thanksgiving holiday is full of gratitude and not regret. It’s easy to get carried away with all of the amazing food that’s offered but we need to remember that Thanksgiving is just one day—we don’t want to spend the rest of the year regretting having eaten half a turkey, a bowl of mashed potatoes, two cups of stuffing and three servings of pumpkin pie. (Although that all sounds tempting!)

So how can we have our pie and eat it too? (Pun intended) Here are some tips to help you avoid those Thanksgiving regret blues.

It’s just one day. Not only that but it’s just one meal. Don’t turn Thanksgiving into a month-long eating feast. Enjoy the food and kindly refuse leftovers. It gets too tempting to nosh, nibble and taste the following days.

Plan ahead. You know the basics of what’s going to be served so figure out what foods you won’t skip on and plan the rest of your day accordingly. If you want dessert at dinner, don’t eat sweets during the day.

Skip seconds. Take what you want—in moderation—the first time and don’t get up for seconds. You’ll enjoy everything much more if you know that’s all you’re getting. And no, getting up and walking to get another serving does not count as exercise.

Spend your food bucks on filling, satisfying foods. Sure nuts are tasty. Yes, chips and dip are great. But too many calories can be spent on tiny servings of those foods. Concentrate on the big-ticket items like the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes instead.

Drink your calories in moderation. I’m not saying skip the alcohol but be aware that you’ll get more satisfaction from eating your calories versus drinking them. And as someone once said, too many glasses of wine will make those nuts and chips look a lot better. In other words, don’t let alcohol blur your otherwise healthy judgement.

Don’t focus on the food. Thanksgiving is a time to connect with family and friends. Enjoy conversations instead of wondering when dinner will be served. Play games with the kiddies. Before you know it, you might ever forget about dinner…or not…

The food isn’t going away forever. One of the most important things to remember is that the food that’s served at Thanksgiving is available all year round. Don’t take on the mentality that this is your one chance to eat it so you need to ingest accordingly. Whatever you didn’t eat, whatever you wished you had more of, you can! Have Thanksgiving in February. It’ll lighten the anticipation of the meal and let you focus on other things.

Overall, the important thing is to remember the meaning of this holiday. Enjoy the company of those around you. Think of all of those things that you are grateful for, big and small. And don’t forget to savor every bite.