Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! I had to work that day at the hospital so I missed turkey day with my family. Thanksgiving is a wonderful day to spend with your family and friends ... enjoying a good meal of course.  A day, or several days, of overeating won't wreak major havoc with your weight. However the act of overeating can cause some people to feel out of control. The key is to get back on track and not gain “eating momentum”. For those of you who “stuffed” yourself on that day – perhaps the entire weekend, it is time to get back in control now - before the holiday season really gets underway. As a nutritionist working with people trying to watch their weight, I've some up with some tips to get you back on track.

Here are some tips to get back on track:
1. Don’t beat yourself up for eating more than you planned! This is the worst thing you can do as it usually leads to a hopeless feeling which will likely contribute to even more eating. Let it go and get back to your usual eating plan.

2. For those people who weigh themselves, it might be a good idea to avoid the scale for a few days. Even one day of overeating can cause a 2-3 pound weight increase on the scale. While part of this gain may be due to fat storage, the majority is fluid retention from the extra carbohydrates and sodium. You need to consume an extra 3500 calories on top of your maintenance calorie level (maintenance calorie level is ~ 1800 calories for the average women and 2100 for the average man).  Even if the scale showed a gain of 2 pounds over Thanksgiving, I would tend to doubt you consumed an extra 7000 calories in addition to your maintenance calories. This would mean 8800 calories for the average women and 9100 calories for the average man!

3. Add in a few extra long sessions of exercise. Not only will this burn off some of the turkey day calories, it will help you feel better physically and psychologically.

4. Keep a food log of everything that you eat and drink. This will definitely help you limit your eating ... and drinking!

5. Try to eat most of your meals at home for the next few days. You'll have more control over the portion sizes and ingredients. Consider bringing your lunch from home if possible.

6. Go booze free for a few days ... a week if possible.

7. For those of you who really overdid it and want a little jump start diet after your Thanksgiving  gorge, try a lower carb low sodium diet for 3-5  days. This will help you shed water weight as well as some fat. While I usually don’t recommend rapid weight loss or really low carb diets, there is no danger in following this type of plan for a few days. It can be motivating to see the scale drop by several pounds. You would then ease into a more realistic eating plan.

Sample meals for 1200 - 1300 calories:
Breakfast: 170-250 calories (pick one)
a. egg whites with veggies
b. one slice of whole grain toast with 1 T. peanut butter
c. 1 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cup fruit

Snack: 80 -100 calories (pick one):
a. 1/2 oz unsalted nuts such as 12 almonds, 20 pistachios., 14 peanuts, 9 cashews
b. a string cheese
c. piece of fruit
d. yogurt (preferably Greek Yogurt)

Lunch: 375 – 450 calories (pick one):
a. 5 oz grilled chicken on a salad, 2 cups assorted veggies, 1 T. oil and unlimited vinegar
b. 5 oz grilled salmon or skinless poultry and steamed veggies
c. 5 egg white omelet with veggies (2 tsp fat), cup of low sodium vegetable soup

Snack: 80- 100 calories (pick one):
a. piece of fruit
b. string cheese
c. yogurt (as above)
d. 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese (low sodium if possible)
e. 1/2 oz. nuts as above

Dinner : 400-500 calories
5 oz lean meat, fish or skinless poultry, grilled or baked plain, no sauce with unlimited veggies, preferably steamed plain, salad, 1 T. oil somewhere in the meal

Other tips:
- If you want an after dinner snack, move the morning or afternoon snack to this time.
- Drink at least 10 cups of water.
- No bread or other starch (except as allowed on meal plan).

Stay tuned for more tips on how to deal with eating during the holiday season!