Hello People:Whether we like it or not, fall (more specifically, November) is here.  We are officially 2 ½ weeks away from Thanksgiving and the start of Stufffest; when we turkeys stuff ourselves.There is no reason to eat like the world is coming to an end.  It is not the end of 2012!  You still have a few more years before you have to worry about that.It has been well documented that the average American adult can gain 7 to 12 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.  Also, the average number of calories consumed by one person at a typical Thanksgiving dinner is 7,100.  As you all know, 3,500 calories equals a pound.  Do the math!

Therefore, I would like to propose a new idea to you fitness folk.  Instead of gearing up for any new year’s weight loss/health resolutions by eating your way through the next 6 weeks, albeit with the intentions of hitting the ground “running” in January.  Why not start now?  No, not start dieting now.  But start changing your eating habits now.  If you haven’t dieted during these last 10 ½ months, don’t go crazy now.  You’d just be setting yourself up for failure.  However, it is a good time to use these last few weeks like a warm-up before your workout.

Here are a few tips you can use to help you:
If you’re a guest:
Bring a dish that is healthy and everyone can enjoy.
Ideas:  Fresh crudités, steamed vegetables or fruit

Practice saying:
“No thank you; I’ve had enough.”
“Can I have more veggies, please?”
“Oh, I would love to, but I had dessert last night.”

Help with setting the table, serving other guests and cleaning up after the meal.
That way you will limit the “downtime” just sitting around mindlessly turning would be leftovers into Round 2.

If you’re hosting:
Make baked potatoes instead of mashed and served steamed or grilled veggies.
If you’re going to serve soda, choose the no calorie variety.
Bake the stuffing in a casserole dish instead of the turkey where it absorbs the bird’s fat.
Choose a low fat turkey recipe:  Cook Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
1 12-14-pound turkey, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 lemon, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
6 large sprigs rosemary
6 large sprigs sage
6 large sprigs thyme
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
BE SURE TO REMOVE THE SKIN BEFORE YOU EAT THE MEAT!

Lastly, no matter what you’re doing, if the weather continues to be great.  Going for a long family walk or a playing a game of football (instead of watching one) is always better than doing nothing!