Thanksgiving dinner is hours away, and so is a calorie-rich feast. While we always advise our patients to cook healthier foods for themselves, we understand you don’t always have that option at family meals, and you may be wondering if it’s possible to stay on your diet and still enjoy all of your favorite traditional foods. Don’t worry, there are ways that you can enjoy yourself tomorrow and still limit your calories. Here are the Blue Sky MD Thanksgiving Survival Tips:

• Survey the entire table before you take any food. Decide what goods are worth eating and what can be ignored, and then stick to that decision. Why waste calories on foods that don’t bring you pleasure?
• Eat a snack before you leave home or begin cooking. If you arrive to the meal starving, you’ll be more likely to overindulge.
• Eat your calories instead of drinking them. Stick to lower calorie or calorie-free drinks (diet sodas, water, light beer, or wine spritzer) instead of punches, eggnogs, and mixed drinks that can have up to 500 calories per cup.
• When you are the host or hostess, include nutritious and lower calorie foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats on the menu. When you are a guest, bring along a lower-calore dish to share.
• Try not to hang out near the food. Find a comfortable spot across the room and focus on people instead of eating.
• Drop out of the “clean plate club.” Leave a few bites behind every time you eat, especially if you are eating something you don’t really care for. (Remember that it takes 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your body to send signals to your brain for the fullness factor)

With these tips, you should be ready to enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday without blowing your diet. From everyone at Blue Sky MD, we wish you a happy & healthy Thanksgiving!