Lose weight & keep trim over Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to get together, friends and family alike, to celebrate
and express gratitude for all the things they receive at the end of the harvest season. When trying to lose or maintain your weight, large family gatherings can seem very difficult to prepare for.
The foods that are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals are Turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, seasonal vegetables from the fall and pumpkin or pecan pie. Remember that most of these foods are perfectly healthy, but many people cook them in an unhealthy way, use high calorie dressings and do not limit their portions.
Traditionally, a Thanksgiving meal alone can total 2500 calories. On average, people consume up to 4000 calories during the whole day, when you add in breakfast, drinks, snacks and food dressing.
Our customers at Proactol™ asked us to devise ways that you can celebrate Thanksgiving with slimming and dieting in mind, so Proactol.com surveyed successful slimmers from the USA and Canada who have also taken Proactol about how they cope during Thanksgiving and are publishing these tips to help you.
Best ways to reduce fat in your Thanksgiving feast:
- When making your starter, healthy soups are definitely do-able. Consider ways to make this healthier
Make sure that you remove the skin from the Turkey before eating it Turkey is full of protein and is an important source of B vitamins. By removing the skin you can cut down on fat. 3oz skinless turkey is approximately 120 calories.- Still enjoy your mash potato, but try to use less heavy creams and butter, by instead using low fat alternatives such as fat free broth, fat free milk and sour cream. Also, flavor with garlic, herbs and ground pepper.
When making your gravy, remember to skim off the layer of fat at the top. Nutritionists recommend using a fat separator to make this job easier. Also, think about using cornstarch as a thickening agent.- Also think about using less butter in your stuffing based recipes, instead use fat free broth
Vegetables can be steamed or roasted rather than covered in butter or cheesy sauces. You can use cooking spray to sauté the onions to go on top of the green beans. Think about using roasted Parsnips, Squashj and Carrots. Our customers have also tried sautéed Green Beans and Cider Glazed Brussel Spouts.- Cranberries are a good source of vitamin c and can help boost your immune system. Why not add another fruit into your sauce to boost your vitamin intake even more?
If you can’t decide between pecan or pumpkin pie, then we say opt for the pumpkin. A slice of pecan pie is approx 500 calories (with 250 being fat alone), wherea pumpkin pie is 320 calories (with 130 of them being fat!). If you want to get the calorie count even more down, why not try a fruit dessert instead of typical pies.- If you want to make pies, then try using low fat dough as the base. Many people suggest phyllo dough. For the filling, you can use egg whites or egg substitute, and fat free evaporated milk.
For your appetizers, there are plenty of fresh vegetables you can use, with low fat or fat free sour cream or yoghurt for dips. Definitely try to cut down on cream based dips. Also, to cut down on calories, think about nuts and dried fruits also. For chip alternatives, why not slice parsnips up and bake in the oven!
It is really important that you do not save all your calories up just for the Thanksgiving meal. Make sure that you eat during the day, but focus on eating fruit, raw vegetables and whole grain or trans fat free crackers, as well as drink lots of water.
When you sit down at the dinner table, remember to focus on the amount you eat. Portion size might be your biggest weakness today.
After your meal, try and get out for a walk with the family or your guests.
Remember Proactol™ can help you decrease your food cravings, suppress your appetite and reduce calorie intake on all foods consumed.
Healthy Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas
We all know that after Thanksgiving, there are lots of leftovers and thinking of ways to use the food can be unhealthy.
Turkey: Why not try a Turkey salad, served with multigrain bread, lettuce, tomato. The dressing could use low fat sour cream, reduced fat mayo and Dijon mustard. Add in chopped celery, dried cranberries and walnuts could also be a low fat option.
Vegetables: Leftover vegetables can be used for many different recipes. You can make tasty soups by simply pureeing them up or can be made into a delicious egg white omelette.
Crudites: These are traditional French appetizers which are dipped in a vinaigrette or another dipping sauce, such as sliced or whole vegetables. These might include celery sticks, carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus spears. Why not put these in the fridge in an air tight bag. You can make fresh soups, fresh dips like humous or have healthy snacks during the day.
Cranberry Sauce: This sauce is excellent in healthy turkey sandwiches on whole wheat rolls with low fat dressing.
Mashed potato: Re-use the potato on Shepherd’s Pie. Think about using up the turkey rather than the traditional beef option.
One main thing to point out to you though, is that left over food does not need to be consumed by you alone. Untouched leftovers are very welcome in your community – at your local food shelter or at the local food bank. Why not help others in the true spirit of Thanksgiving and save on the calories yourself?
Proactol can help you too; decrease your fat and calorie intake
- Help Reduce Excess Body Weight – Instead of over worrying about your calorie intake, why not try something that is clinically proven to help decrease food cravings and lower blood cholesterol
- Bind Up To 28% of Your Fat Intake – You can eat healthily and by taking Proactol, you can take out up to 28% of the fat from your diet
- Helps Reduce Food Cravings – Proactol can help you to control your cravings and suppress your appetite
For a limited time only, if you order Proactol™ today, you will receive a free box of Proactol™ worth $27.72 as well as amazing weightloss management bonuses* which are designed to work with Proactol™ to help you easily lose weight quickly and effectively. Toning up and losing weight as part of a healthy lifestyle isn't so hard after all!
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