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Easy Tips for Thanksgiving Dieters

If you're trying to lose weight and the holidays are swiftly approaching - don't give up now! You must finish what you started and lose the unwanted weight - because if you don't you know that at some point you're going to be very disappointed in yourself - and you sure don't need that.

Dieting amid the holiday season requires a great deal of willpower. Everywhere we turn we see some goody that is tempting us to follow it and leave our savvy diet plan behind. Pecan pie, apple pie, roasted turkey, fruitcake....welll, maybe not fruitcake but you get my drift. So how can you get through the holiday and resist?

Here are a few tips to help you make it through the season - celebrating without gaining weight.

Thanksgiving Day, Easy Dieting Tips

1. Odds are, there will be a roasted turkey sitting atop the Thanksgiving table. This is a very good place to start digging in as roasted turkey is low in calories. Just avoid the skin and any visible fat. The white meat contains less calories than the dark meat. On the other hand, if Uncle Fred decided to fry the turkey this year - then bring some lean deli turkey to the meal. Frying only adds fat grams that will blast your diet to who knows where.

2. Cranberry sauce; unless it's a light reduced sugar version either skip OR enjoy a minimal amount. A small can of cranberry sauce contains about 6 servings for 100 calories each. It's ultra pricey when it comes to calories but the good thing is that a little goes a long way.

3. Mashed potatoes; as long as Aunt Edna doesn't add 10 sticks of butter then a small serving should be okay. Just don't add extra margarine or butter. Although gravy is a monster when it comes to calories - if serving size is kept to 1/4 cup, calories are reasonable. Packaged gravy tends to contain about 50 calories per 1/4 cup.

4. Stuffing or dressing; it's best not to 'dress' your plate with dressing or 'stuff yourself' with stuffing as it's very high in caloric content. Some recipes that I've seen contain 600 calories and upwards per cup. So if you decide to dig-in, go shallow.

5. Appetizers and desserts tend to be the biggest temptations. By the time the appetizers arrive - we're feeling hungry. They take the edge off of our hunger so we may eat less. If you enjoy an appetizer, stick to one or two. As to desserts the ones containing nuts and frosting tend to contain more calories. Fresh fruit salad makes an excellent choice. You can even top it with real whipped cream - the low fat version in a can for 15 calories per serving.

If you must have a slice of pie go for the pumpkin, apple, pear or fruit pie over the cream pies or nut pies like pecan. Exceptions: mincemeat, raisin or current pies.

One of my favorite apple pie recipes is actually an apple tart recipe. I boil freshly sliced apples until tender they arrange them in tart dish that contains a thin pie crust that has been baked. Top the tart with brown sugar and ground cinnamon and a few strips of pie dough. Bake until bubbly - just about 10 to 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Delicious! If you fan the apple slices in a circular motion in the dish, the tart is so pretty.

If you enjoy cakes try to remove at least some of the frosting. For cookies - just enjoy a couple. As to drinks, leave the alcohol alone and reach for diet friendly drinks. If you enjoy egg nog, reach for the light varieties.

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