Thanksgiving has arrived and so has the decision you have to make every year.

You are trying to either A) lose fat over the holidays or B) at least not gain it.

It’s funny because Thanksgiving and Christmas are just two days. Their destruction of eats however haunts and temps us for weeks! What do we do? How do we best navigate through this sea of gravy temptation? I am going to cover all these things and more for you right now but broken down into two categories.

The visitors and the home team!

The Visitors Team

Every year you will find yourself either being the visitor or the host. This is what to do if you visit.

Bring your food with you.

My mama always said “bring a gift.” No, I am not talking about being preachy and handing over the low carb/low fat/ dry organic free range stuffing. I said bring a gift! There are some foods that on their own are healthy and taste quite good. Bring safe items with you that you can fill up own so that you won’t have as much room for the bad and that also goes nicely with the spread. If you can’t cook or don’t care too then these ideas work for that as well.

• Veggie or Fruit Plates-Fill up on fruit and veg, lower calories.
• Hummus for dipping-Most is only 30-50 calories a serving. Goes great with those veggies too.
• Tea Biscuits and Coffee (you can find these in most grocery store in the kosher/specialty section. 2 yummy biscuits for 32 calories!)

Don’t be a boring lump.

The majority of thanksgiving visitors sit like a lump waiting for instructions on how to best stuff their face. CHANGE IT UP! Since you don’t have to prepare the food do a favor by helping entertain. Spend time with your family, it is why you are there.

Have another plate.

I know right, I am nuts! Here are the rules though, the first plate I want to be all the good stuff, (lean meat, veggies, fruit,) basically low calories. Next grab another plate, but this time load up on the items you have been salivating over since you have arrived. The catch is because you already filled up on the good stuff you will be more moderate with the bad. This will limit the actual amount of the bad you can take in and save you some calories right there alone, PLUS you don’t look the “dieter.” Dieters don’t have another plate.

Help clean up.

Not only does it help out the stressed out mom/dad, you burn a few extra calories. Remember the majority of your daily calories are burned in small activities, not large training.

The Home Team

Cook!

Look you have the home field advantage; you get to do the cooking!! That doesn’t mean to serve tasteless guck either, just make smart choices. Get a bigger turkey and serve the white meat only. Where you find the space try and substitute some items with lower calories. For example, you can use skim milk and light butter in your potatoes. This makes very little difference in taste but saves loads on calories.

Pick Your Battles.

Look you can’t make a low calorie pecan pie, it is what it is. You can however make a healthy and low calorie pumpkin pie or better yet, a pumpkin cheesecake that is to die for.

If you have to go to town on the calories then at least make them more nutritious calories. For example, instead of a “canned cranberry sauce” you could whip up cranberry nut bread.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the cranberries and walnuts, and stir to coat with flour. Mix together the egg, oil, orange juice, and orange zest. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until just blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack, and cool completely.

Nutrition Facts  Calories 163  Fat 3g   Carbohydrate 31g  Protein 3g

Want deviled eggs? Great but stuff them with something different like some roasted garlic hummus and turkey meat. Have all the flavor you want, just choose good things to make your flavor form. Remember healthy items are apart of some of the best tasting foods.

Have activities.

Don’t just make the visit to your house all about the food, be a good example. Have sack races for the kids, or spoon races. Play sports, or even have a Turkey Bootcamp (see below). I assure you the less awkward the visit, the more fun that is being had just hanging out, the less food becomes the star! Don’t let the TV rule the house anymore of Turkey Day.

Cook for only those you need to.

Don’t get carried away. This isn’t the last meal and this isn’t the send off to fight the British War. You don’t need 2 turkeys, 1 chicken, 3 pies, and 10 sides. Less is more. Pick solid dishes and let their flavors be the star. This will also lower the stress and you will be less likely to eat more because of being upset.

Now that you have those few tips down it is time to take your holiday to the next level with…

Turkey BootCamp!

Want a fun fitness game to play with the young ones? Welcome to the Ultimate Turkey BootCamp.

Objective: Complete all challenges in teams of two. Whoever wins gets the ultimate prize of “Turkey Bootcamp Champion” and prize of your choice (trophy, jersey, make it fun, even for friends).

Items Need: Good Attitude, stuff to use as course markers, lemons, bean bag/ball (something small you can toss) and stopwatch or clock.

Rules: Best of 5-No cheating-Keep it fun, and keep it clean.

Challenge 1- Wheel Barrow Race

Challenge 2-Plank Wars

The two of you try to hold a plank for as long as you can. Whichever team has the longest time wins!

Challenge 3-Wall Sits

The two of you try to hold wall sits for as long as you can. Whichever team has the longest time wins!

Challenge 4-Lemon Roll Relay

Each team has to relay from one marker to the other pushing the lemon only using their nose. First team done wins!

Challenge 5-Bulls Eye

Setup a target with points, stand 2-3 yards away depending on the challenge you want and toss into the target area. Best team points win!

Last but not least let me leave you with one of my favorite Thanksgiving leftover recipes.

INGREDIENTS

1 Pound turkey breast, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 Medium red bell pepper, seeded & cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 Medium yellow bell pepper, seeded & cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 Pound Swiss chard, stalks removed & coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, toss turkey strips with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 2-teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Sauté turkey in hot oil for 4 to 5 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink in the center. Do not over cook. Remove turkey from the pan and set aside.
3. Add remaining 1-teaspoon oil to pan and sauté peppers for 2 minutes. Gently fold in Swiss chard.
4. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and sugar; stir into vegetable mixture. Reduce heat to medium and stir-fry mixture 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5. Return turkey to pan and heat well. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts  Calories 220  Fat 4g  Total Carbohydrate 15g  Protein 31g

Good luck this holiday! No matter what the goal is remember that this is a time to celebrate love and give thanks no matter who and how many you are with.