Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And, the reality is that you are going to be surrounded by food. Lot’s of it. And, just about all of it, except the turkey and maybe the ham, high in carbs. So, what are you going to do?
You will probably eat. That’s kind of a no-brainer. But, how you eat is important. Just about every site has provided information on the calories and carbs in a Thanksgiving meal. Just in case you missed those, a full meal with full portions of just about everything will run to 3,000+ calories and 350+ carbs. An astronomical amount, in other words.
Have a battle plan. (War On Diabetes. Battle Plan. Kind of go together, right?)
Reconnaissance. Look around at the food. You are going to do it anyway. Instead of just admiring it, start thinking about what you can eat. Think about how much you will have. Begin to make a plan. One tip: avoid most of the snacks. They can kill any plan before the battle even really starts. Did you know that food chemists worked on potato chips to insure you can’t eat just one; that you body literally says, “Give me more. More. Give me more.” The best way for me to deal with chips, is to not have any.
Intelligence. Every battle plan has intelligence. For this Battle Plan, you need to know the carb or calorie count of the various foods. Look here for a guide. Use the intelligence you gather to make your Battle Plan.
Battle Plan. This is what you have decided to eat. Have the main course protein; aka Turkey or Ham. A very small portion of the dressing (I love dressing, but don’t eat it any longer.) Maybe a small portion – very small – of the mashed potatoes. Go big on the vegetables, if they are plain. I know folks like to put all kinds of sauces on vegetables, but they add carbs and calories like you would not believe. Have salad. Maybe a Small roll. If you can say no to dessert, do it. Otherwise, think about a VERY SMALL portion – just a taste. Even being careful, it will be very easy to eat over 100 carbs and well over 1,000 calories in the one meal. Avoid the candied yams or sweet potatoes and marshmallows – huge amounts of calories and carbs there. Remember, your hunger will be satisfied before it’s communicated to your brain…there is that delay. Stop before you have that full feeling.
Look, we both know you are going to eat tomorrow. Please, do it wisely. If you are working to lose weight, the one day can wreck a lot of the progress you have made. If you are controlling glucose, all I can say is to be very careful. Use your common sense – not a bad guide.
What am I going to eat? First, I will make sure I eat lunch. Yep, I start my plan way ahead of the meal. Then, I will start by making sure I drink a bottle of water as I talk with people. I will not eat any snacks. I will have ham or turkey, salad, a roll, and a small portion of mashed potatoes – about a table spoon full. For dessert I will relish two teaspoons of pumpkin pie. I will drink another bottle of water with dinner. And, I will be very happy to be with Family and Friends. It does not get any better than that.
And, be grateful for your Family and Friends. Isn’t that what the day is about?
You can win your War On Diabetes…even tomorrow.
As always, thank you for reading.
I am not a doctor or health professional. I am just a guy who is working everyday to control Type 2 Diabetes. My goal is to offer hope, help and solutions for day-to-day living for the diabetic. The disease can be controlled. It can be managed. And, you can do it!
War On Diabetes 
Tomorrow here is just Thursday, no Thanksgiving in England, so we don’t have to worry until 25th December!
Regards as always, Pete.
Christmas…now there is a wonderful Holiday. Honestly, ever since I read Dickens (and, not just A Christmas Carol), I have wondered what Christmas was like in England.
I hope you and Julie are doing well.
Phil
Love love love this post. For the past couple Thanksgivings, I’ve gone in and pretty much scavenged, your plan is well laid, and I will be implementing your battle strategies on the morrow!! Have a great Thanksgiving Phil 🙂
Thank you so much.
I had gone to bed after writing a post and just did not feel right about it – did not think it was the right post. Seems I may have been right to get my little rear up.
I really want you to both enjoy the day and be successful in fighting the War; they do not have to me mutually exclusive.
Please let me know how the day goes for you. Oh, and please give Sir Hots A Lot my best. Remind him how lucky he is to have you in his life.
Phil