Strategize To Avoid Overeating At Thanksgiving, Cooper Wellness Experts Advise

Most people eat more at Thanksgiving dinner than they consume in a normal day and then continue overeating at year-end. So it helps to have a plan in place to avoid any holiday gobbling that you might pay for later, Dallas’ Cooper Wellness experts say.

Turkey, yams, mashed potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce are all nutritious as long as lots of salt, sugar and butter haven't been added to them, says Kathleen Duran-Thal, director of nutrition at Cooper Wellness. “It's not so much the food we eat at Thanksgiving that's the problem,” she says “It's how much we consume. We overeat healthy foods in the main course, and then stuff ourselves on desserts and leftovers.”

An earlier study by researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found that Americans usually gain only one pound during the winter holidays, but the weight put on then isn't shed in the new year.

Those findings contradict many peoples' views that they gain five to ten pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Researchers said the effects of weight gain at year-end, however, are worth worrying about because they contribute to increased weight over time.

Keeping weight stable in the fall and winter may help prevent age-related, weight gain and associated diseases, says Dr. Riva Rahl, medical director at Cooper Wellness. In addition to not looking or feeling top-notch, adults with excess weight are at greater risk of  heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain cancers, she warns.

Cooper Wellness experts say to go ahead and enjoy your favorite Thanksgiving foods, but consider making healthy choices at your turkey dinner. They offer some tips for keeping you from fiddling with your belt at the end of the meal.

1. First of all, don't arrive at a Thanksgiving dinner hungry. Eat a good breakfast and maybe even lunch that day.
2. Fill half your plate with vegetables, one quarter of it with lean meat, and one quarter with starches like mashed potatoes and turkey dressing.
3. Choose white-meat turkey and avoid eating the skin.  
4. Void gravy. Turkey doesn’t need to be smothered in gravy to taste good. If you want gravy, just drip a little on your meat and potatoes.
5. Limit yourself to small helpings of heavily sweetened yams and cranberry sauces.
6. Use restraint when dinner rolls are passed around. Buttered rolls may melt in your month, but they're full of calories, so only eat one.
7. Try sampling in moderation the many foods that you have looked forward to. And consider bringing something healthy to the dinner, like a side dish that's low in fat, sugar and salt.
8. Eat slowly. By eating Thanksgiving dinner slowly, your body has time to register when it is full so that you don't consume too much. Don't load your fork with the next bite while still chewing the current one. And instead of hurrying for a second helping, consider taking a short break. Stand up and burn off a few calories by lending a hand in the kitchen. Your hosts will, of course, appreciate the help!
9. At dessert time, try to choose the lightest options. Pick pumpkin over pecan pie, for example, and avoid 200 calories in the process. Or just eat half a piece of pie, and pass on whipped toppings and ice cream. As dinner winds down over coffee, avoid any plates of additional sweets that may be sitting on the table.
10. After Thanksgiving dinner, take a walk with your friends or family. Fifteen minutes of walking will get your blood circulating and can burn off 100 calories, says Susie Kania, exercise physiologist at Cooper Wellness. The fresh air will invigorate you after a long stay at the table.

It's especially important to move around before sinking into a couch to watch football for several hours. And during the football game, pace your beverages. Drinking lots of beer and soft drinks will only add to the day's many calories. One bottle of beer contains about 150 calories and alcohol increases cravings for snacks that are fattening.

“If you do overindulge at Thanksgiving, don't simply give into weeks of holiday binge eating,” advises Todd Whitthorne, executive director of Cooper Wellness. “Don't allow yourself to keep eating everything in sight through Christmas and plan to go on a New Year's diet. That extra weight you put on could be tougher to shed than you thought.”

For more information on Cooper Wellness and their 6-day and 2-day wellness programs go to www.cooperwellness.com or call 972-386-4777.

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For more information or to arrange an interview with Todd Whitthorne, executive director at Cooper Wellness, please contact Jo Trizila, TrizCom, at (972) 247-1369 or (214) 232-0078.

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