T minus 1 week.. are you KIDDING me? I don’t know about you guys but I’m still wondering what happened to September. Fall is flying by!
We are heading straight into holiday season and you know that that means…
food… food and more FOOD!
Now I know what you’re thinking….
Why bother?
Why bother "being good" with the holidays looming ahead?
Why bother continuing to exercise when it’s getting cold and your diet can’t be "perfect" anyway?
Why bother when the New Year is just around the corner?
I might as well wait till then. Right?
Come on.. Fess up… You’ve considered it. The thought has crossed your mind.
Well let me tell you, there is no "perfect" day, New Year’s or not. There is no better time to "start". There is only the choice that lies in front of us at this very moment.
That choice, for me, right now, is to plan my Thanksgiving dinner! I have one week to get my new house is order. Figure out where to fit 14 people and plan our healthy meal.
First things first, I’ve decided to start a new family tradition. Have you guys heard of a Turkey Trot? It’s a race normally held on Thanksgiving morning and there’s one the YMCA is hosting pretty close to us. This one is a 5k with an optional 2k walk for the non-runners. Mom and the husband are going to take the kids in the 2k and I’m going to run the 5. I hope others will join us but it’s ok if they don’t. I’m not into forcing anyone to run with me I just like the idea of doing something non food intensive on that day. Who knows? Maybe in the next few years I can get the husband and the child to actually run the whole thing with me! (Shhhhh that’s my goal. 
After the run I’ll be preparing the feast!
On the menu…
- Turkey (of course)
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes (Click for recipe)
- Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes (Click for recipe)
- Roasted Asparagus with Pearl Onions and Bacon Bits (Click for recipe)
- Corn
- Cranberry Sauce (we are a canned family)
- Low Fat Crescent rolls
This year I’m skipping the stuffing (click here to see how I made it last year) and my friend is bringing her famous chestnut stuffing. THANKFULLY! as I find the stuffing the most labor intensive part of the meal.
As for desserts… I pass the responsibility to my guests. Mom is bringing her homemade apple pie and pumpkin roll. And if my Uncles come from brooklyn I may have to ask then to bring some NY deli Italian Cookies. The holidays just aren’t the same with out them.
So there you have it. One week today I’ll be running 3 miles, cooking a big meal and enjoying my family. Just thinking about it makes me smile.
Notice I’m not focusing on how I’m going to "stay on plan" or "make it thru" the holiday. This is my 5th Thanksgiving (HOLY $HIT) since changing my lifestyle and I’m here to tell you one day, one meal, is not worth freaking out over.
You aren’t freaking out, are you? :~)
Instead of freaking out search for a Turkey Trot in your area. Not a runner? How about a game of catch in the back yard? An after dinner walk? A trip to the park while the bird’s in the oven?
Anyone have any other healthy active Thanksgiving traditions or ideas to share?
Update: After realizing this is my 5th Thanksgiving I traveled back in time and plucked some posts around the Thanksgivings of the past..
