I’m not going to do this again! That’s what I tell myself each year as I slowly and groaningly raise myself from the dinner table, along with the feast that uncomfortably sits in my stomach. Sound familiar? I’ll bet that you, too, make the same proclamation because you, too, feel the same bloat when you finish Thanksgiving dinner.

Now is the time for you to join me in making a resolution to no longer feel like a stuffed turkey on Thanksgiving. Now, before this special day, is when we need to plan our strategy to save or diets and our stomachs. Thanksgiving Day will be too late.

A good plan leads to success in any venture we undertake. Just like a seamstress needs a pattern to make a garment and a builder needs blueprints to construct a house, we need the “TD Plan” (the “To Do Plan”) to make it through “TD” (Thanksgiving Dinner)!

A TD Plan for Turkey Day

Okay, let’s look at the Thanksgiving meal components. There’s turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, green bean casserole, rolls, butter, yams/sweet potatoes, some kind of salad and, usually an assortment of pies for dessert with pumpkin taking the lead. With a few changes here and there, this is what constitutes the traditional American Thanksgiving meal. (I’m already salivating!) Now let’s plan what would be the most healthy and least filling choices.

Turkey, especially the white meat, is a good protein source and a must for Thanksgiving. But, come on now! Do we need a portion that would feed a family of four, followed by a second helping that would feed a least two people? A couple of medium sized (about eight ounces) slices are all that we need.

Now for the side dishes. Cranberries go with turkey, so have some of that cranberry dish! Think of the other dishes. There’s a whole lot of starch in potatoes, rolls, stuffing and corn. Let’s limit our choices to the foods that we don’t have the opportunity to eat every day. For me, it’s the stuffing and, most likely, this would be the same for you. A serving of stuffing—no more than one cup (think tennis ball)—is a good choice. (Again, no second helping.) I even put gravy on my stuffing. This is no big deal and will not result in a massive amount of calories.

Sweet potatoes or yams is another good choice if this dish in not laden down with brown sugar and marshmallows! And forget the green bean casserole. Creamed soup and French fried onions make this an off-limits vegetable. Go for and fill up on the salad. (I found that I don’t have to worry about taking too much salad. This dish seems to be the least popular.)

Finally, it’s dessert time. When given a choice, go for the pumpkin pie and, yes, add the whipped topping. BUT, and this is a good way of saving your diet, eat, like I do when I’m being good, only the pumpkin filling and topping. Leave the crust. (Don’t worry about hurting the baker’s feelings. Chances are the crust isn’t homemade anyway!)

Before and After

Whew! We made it through Thanksgiving dinner and our stomachs are full but not busting at the seams. Of course, if you, like I sometimes do, eat an abundance of hors d’oeuvres for two hours before the meal, your plan is useless. Eat something healthy—like a bowl of vegetable soup—before arriving at the celebration. This, I discovered, makes me feel full and keeps me away from all those appetizers!

I want to make it through this holiday season without adding weight. I can do this—I have in the past—and you can, too! Good planning is the answer!