151 thanksgiving is a time for family friends football and feasting the average american will consume a hefty 3000 calories on thanksgiving for dinner alone drinks dessert and appetizers can bring the total calorie count to 4500 according to the calorie control council an industry group the most delicious thanksgiving dishes mashed potatoes green bean casserole stuffing and pecan pie are loaded with sugar or fat or both the calorie control council estimates that 1 cup of mashed potatoes contains 238 calories and 8 grams of fat a cup of green bean casserole comes in at 143 calories and 8 grams of fat and a slice of pecan pie adds a whopping 456 calories and 21 grams of fat hunter lewis editor of cooking light magazine concedes that thanksgiving can throw your diet for a loop but he argued that the spirit of thanksgiving matters more than the food be engaged at the table and be grateful and thankful he told abc news enjoy yourself and dont feel guilty about the food lewis however warned against indulging after the holiday dont let one day of feasting turn into five days he said musttry recipes for mostsearched thanksgiving foods thanksgiving dinner etiquette postelection for those who refuse to give up their favorite thanksgiving dishes lewis said there are ways to make them more heart healthy eliminating sausage from stuffing which hunter called a fat bomb cuts down on calories worthy fillers include apples squash and mushrooms he said replacing the butter in mashed potatoes with turkey stock and greek yogurt provides flavor without clogging arteries and forgoing baked brie appetizers and cheese platters with fresh seafood such as shrimp cocktail allows for more calories later he said susan albers a clinical psychologist at the cleveland clinic and the author of eating mindfully and 50 ways to soothe yourself without food notes that eating an additional 3500 calories will lead to a weight gain of 1 pound government guidelines on estimated calorie intake vary based on age gender and physical activity level but for a woman 26 to 50 years old who engages in moderate physical activity the recommend daily calorie count is 2000 for men who engage in moderate exercise and are 26 to 45 the recommended daily caloric intake is 2600 that number drops to 2400 for men 46 to 65 albers suggests focusing on favorites for thanksgiving dinner and eating mindfully mindful eating is the opposite of what we traditionally think of on thanksgiving she said consciously choosing what you want to eat eating it slowly savoring each bite its not about eating as much as you can mindful eating teaches you its perfectly fine to have your favorite slice of pie if you make room for it eating mindfully can also take the pressure off losing the extra pounds according to a cornell university study published in september in the new england journal of medicine half the weight gained around the holidays can stick