Okay, I'll start off by admitting that no one has less of a challenge on Thanksgiving Day than I do. Now that's not because I'm an immigrant and don't celebrate the day - heck almost all of us are imigrants and that's what the whole day is about.
This year, as for a number of years, we are spending Thanksgiving with some good friends in Florida and that's what makes the challenges of turkey day far more tolerable.
For a start, there's a beautiful four miles run from our friends' home to a causeway and then along it, with sand and sea on both sides of me. So starting the day with exercise is no problem.
Dinner isn't too much of a challenge as we go to a country club where they have a Thanksgiving Day buffet. That means we do all our eating there. There are no chips, dips, hot wings, etc., etc., etc., in the house - and no leftovers either! Nothing to snack on in the evening when the stomach has shrunk from extremely overloaded to moderately bloated and you're really only eating because it looks good and it's there.
Planning ahead is the key to survival on big days, deciding ahead of time what you're going to do. I've decided to observe the "one plate rule" and to ensure that salad occupies half of that space. I'm also going to skip dessert. Pumpkin pie is not my all-time favorite, so that won't be a big miss. Of course if there's some fresh fruit, I'll go that route.
Thanksgiving is about being with friends, pausing to count our blessings and watching the Colts win, so I don't have to abandon the healthier lifestyle I've adopted in order to enjoy it.
Plan ahead. Make your decisions today too!
