Estimating Weight Impact of Thanksgiving Dinner
This is in a bit of a different vein than most of what is written in estimating here but it may be (and should be) on people’s minds in the US and other countries where thanksgiving is celebrated next week.
Looking at calories (which after all is the most correct measure of weight gain / loss):
The average 200 pound man burns about 2000 calories per day just living
A typical thanksgiving is at least 3500 calories to 5,000+ calories
The after dinner half hour stroll (1 – 2 miles per hour) for that 200 pound man can burn about 115 calories
Then, because of the walk, one might consume a leftover turkey sandwich about 500 calories
A pound of fat takes about 3500 calories…
Bottom line… You can gain over a pound of fat without thinking on just Thanksgiving Day.
A moderate 3500 calorie Thanksgiving dinner might look like:
8 ounces of white and dark meat turkey………480 calories
1 cup mashed potatoes with butter……………….300 calories
1 cup stuffing…………………………………… ………….600 calories
3 to 4 ladles of gravy…………………………………..300 calories
3/4 cup candied sweet potatoes……………………300 calories
1/2 cup cranberries………………………………… …..200 calories
1 roll with butter…………………………………….. …..180 calories
1 piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream…150 calories
1 glass of wine or cider………………………………..150 calories
Total: 3,550 calories (As i have thought about this.. I think they have the quantities set for a woman. I am pretty sure most guys eat more than a cup of mashed potatoes and a cup of stuffing.. a cup as about the size of a tennis ball.
What can be done…
For me:
- 750 calorie serious hike up and down the hill I live on (early morning)
- Eat a normal breakfast (trying not to eat to balance calories out generally doesn’t have the net effect desired… since being over hungry can cause additional overeating
- Eat a normal (read 500ish calorie lunch)
- Pushups and situps mid afternoon
For dinner…
- White meat turkey only
- Fill up on veges (not the ones drenched in butter)
- Skip the crust on the pumpkin pie
- Fat free gravy from a can rather than the grease laden gravy
- Log my calories so I can see the consequences of that 2nd piece of pie and decide if it is worth it
- The UCLA Doctors who taught me would say do weight work, weight work, weight work… That means think about the consequences and make the decisions that are in your best interests. It doesn’t mean to just not overeat at all and be a martyr about it.
And a poem from our VP of Business Development:
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
Better do some lunges to keep that turkey off your thighs.
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Two additional items:
Exercise: Before watching that game of football, play one. Here in the frigid northeast we do a nice round of touch football with the boys and the men virtually sweating in the 30 degree weather.
Serving: Having food in front of you makes matter worse. Fix your portion and if you are sated, resist the urge to go back for more. Make leftovers an integral part of the TG meal, so people don’t plan on eating too much at one sitting.
Ingredients: TG meals don’t have to be over the top. After all, turkey is a lean meat!