Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate family traditions and to be mindful of our deep gratitude for the joys of life. It is not a time to feel guilt or to be rigid with ourselves. Overeating on thanksgiving is a common concern and it usually progresses to overeating on Christmas, over drinking on New Years and over judging ourselves in the New Year. What’s up with all this overdoing?! I’m here to tell you that overdoing is a part of being human in this world of plenty. You’re not alone in having to unbutton the belt buckle on the eve of turkey day and you’re certainly not alone if you criticize yourself or over exercise…and over spend on black Friday. As a doctor, I find that much of the stress around the holidays stems from this terror of the inevitability of overdoing. Wouldn’t it be nice to enter the holiday season, not as a victim but instead as a creator?

I want to emphasize that overeating rarely has anything to do with a lack of self-control. I promise you that the majority of the time, you overeat because you’re just really hungry! Who can resist such a plentiful bounty with such an empty belly?

This thanksgiving, I invite you to leave self-judgment at the door so that you can practice what I call taking control of the holiday spread. With a few strategies to set you up for success, you can approach the turkey and all her delicious fixings with a new found clarity and actually enjoy your meal, your pie AND your leftovers.

Don’t starve before the big meal…Eat a protein rich breakfast (10 grams or more) and do not go longer than 4 hours before the holiday meal without a protein snack:

• Celery or carrots with almond butter or hummus
• Hard boiled eggs
• Protein green smoothie

Eat mindfully:

• Sit with a family member you need to catch up with
• Take three deep abdominal breaths before starting your meal
• Chew, swallow and savor each bite completely before taking your next one

Choose healthy alternatives to reduce the glycemic index and bad fats:

Make more vegetable dishes to cover ½ your plate with colorful vegetables:

• Healthy green bean casserole
• Roasted carrots and fennel
• “Creamed” spinach with greek yogurt or arrowroot thickened gravy
• Roasted brussel sprouts
• Sautéed Kale
• Steamed broccolini
• Green beans with almonds

Build a balanced plate: 

• ¼protein-turkey
• ¼ carbohydrate-stuffing, yam, sweet potato, biscuits, rolls, mashed potato
• ¼ colorful vegetables-squash, salad, mushrooms, roasted onion, carrots, cauliflower and celery root mash
• ¼ green vegetables

Building a balanced plate ensures that you have enough nutrients to help you to feel full faster and stay full longer. It will also keep the glycemic load of the meal down so that your blood sugar doesn’t spike too high, which can result in a rebound low blood sugar and…well, midnight turkey and stuffing sandwiches. Be gentle with yourself this holiday season. Remember, thanksgiving is not just a time to show gratitude to our loved ones, it is an opportunity to show ourselves the kind of love and honor we crave. Honor yourself this season by setting yourself up for success. If overeating drives discomfort for you, these are some strategies to preserve the fun and the tradition but allow you to take control of the spread.