Don't blow your health goals on Thanksgiving day

Are you going to blow your Thanksgiving day nutrition goals? If you are trying to eat healthily and be active, but you're approaching Thanksgiving without a plan, you might be setting yourself up to do just that.

Why not having a plan is a mistake

For most of us, Thanksgiving day is when food and drinks surround you from every direction. Each room has something, from turkey, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, mac 'n cheese, to pie, ice cream, coffee, cookies, and more. And that's not all. The TV is on, the phone is in your hand, the sofa is beside you, and people to talk to are all around you.

It can be so much fun, which is lovely. I love it! But, for a person who wants to be healthy, lose weight, or is working to be more active, these surroundings will "pull" them away from their goals.

Unless you create a strategy to manage what you eat and drink and how you'll incorporate activity, you will undoubtedly find yourself acting in a way you don't want.

How to approach Thanksgiving and succeed

What you need to do to succeed on Thanksgiving is not complicated. Essentially, you plan to reduce your surroundings' "pull" on you and recruit help for necessary things. Here are examples of what I mean:

• Stand away from the food, not beside it.

• Move to a room with no food instead of hanging out in the kitchen or dining room.

• Serve yourself a reasonable portion (you can come back).

• Cover food once you've served yourself.

• Arrange a time to walk with someone attending your Thanksgiving day celebration before you arrive.

• Keep water close.

• Move the condiments away from you when at the dinner table.

This list gives examples of how you can change the "pull" your Thanksgiving day environment will have on you. It's not an exhaustive list. I'm sure you can think of more ideas.

What to do next

Do you want to continue working on your health goals on Thanksgiving day? If your answer is yes, here's my suggestion: set a timer for five minutes and list several ways you might be able to change things up to reduce the "pull" on you. Then commit to applying your ideas.