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here’s no reason to feel like a slug after enjoying a holiday meal. With Turkey Trots in most cities and nutrition tips galore, you should be able to feel your best and stay active through the holidays! Guest blogger and Kona Ironman nutritionist Lindsay Langford offers these tried and true tips to prevent overeating during Thanksgiving dinner (or anytime).
1. Before entering that holiday feast, be sure you’re hydrated. Often times, a feeling of hunger is really disguised by dehydration. Try drinking 12-16oz. of water thirty minutes prior to eating.
2. With so many dishes to choose from, be careful that your plate doesn’t begin to look like Pikes Peak. Try taking small (1/2 cup) portions of each dish. You can also serve yourself with a smaller plate. The larger the plate, the more real-estate to fill.
3. Make the rainbow on that plate! Generally, the more color, the more nutrients. Try to mimic rainbow colors on your plate. If you follow this one, I bet you’ll be adding a lot of fruits and vegetables! Go ahead and try it…
4. Fill up on fiber! The more fiber you eat, the more full you will become. Fiber is similar to small sponges that swell when you eat them. Go for the whole wheat rolls, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
5. Lastly, slow down! The turkey is dead. I promise the food won’t run away! If you slow down and allow hunger signals to register you will consume fewer calories. If you want a challenge for this one, here you go: Don’t start collecting that next bite until you have swallowed the current bite. Ready, set, slow!
Oh, and Women’s Adventure editors suggest playing outside on turkey day too. That’ll ensure all those nutrients are put to good use.
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Lindsay Langford is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and a board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. Lindsay received her Bachelor’s degree from University of Alabama where she was a nationally ranked collegiate cyclist. After spending time coaching endurance athletes at Carmichael Training System in Colorado Springs, Lindsay returned to her native state and received her Master’s degree from Louisiana Tech University. Lindsay has experience in clinical nutrition, endurance coaching, and nutrition coaching for athletes and teams in the NFL, NHL, NBA, IRL, and elite level endurance athletes. Lindsay is provides nutrition services for athletes of all calibers through St. Vincent Sports Performance. She focuses on performance-based nutrition to help an athlete feel, train, and perform at a higher caliber.
