light exercise before the big meal decreases your triglyceride levels the fat in your blood by 25 percent he said shes going to be annoyed if you dont eat the dressing or the turkey hunger cues and your hydration cues can become confused bryant said instead remind yourself to eat slowly and stay aware of what youre eating if youre hosting thanksgiving serving steamed green beans instead of green bean casserole will also save guests about 100 calories bryant said adults gain about a pound between thanksgiving and christmas and they dont lose it in january according to experts were here to help you strategize so you can enjoy thanksgiving without overdoing it how many calories youll eat this thanksgiving americas thanksgiving dinner 151 intro thanksgiving is every dieters nightmare turkey slathered in gravy candied sweet potatoes with marshmallows green bean casserole cranberry sauce and buttery calorieladen pecan pie and serving sweet potatoes with just sugar and spices is better than serving it candied and loaded with marshmallowsmedia27200920 quicklist 4category 3category thanksgiving strategytitle make a few thanksgiving swapsurltext a few simple substitutions can go a long way on thanksgiving bryant said this can lead to a feeling of malaise give you brain an opportunity to catch up with your appetite he said that means that of the pound or two a year that adults gain as they age half of it happens over the holidays said cedric bryant chief science officer of the nonprofit american council on exercise thanksgiving strategytitle dont worry about disappointing the hosturltext research at the cornell university food and brand lab showed that people often overeat at dinners because theyre afraid of offending or disappointing the host or hostess said the labs director brian wansink who authored the book slim by design mindless eating solutions for everyday life hosts in wansinks research never remembered how much guests ate but remembered whether they went back for second helpings he said your plate by weight 5 thanksgiving health hazards to avoid quicklist 1category the white with no skin is going to be about half the calories and probably 16 to 17 the fat of dark meat with skin so start the meal with extrasmall portions wansink suggested the exercise will also help peripheral tissues such as muscles respond to insulin which controls blood sugar bryant saidmedia27199583 quicklist 2category thanksgiving is one of the greatest american holidays of the year wansink said media27194072 its probably not the best time to start your diet to save calories start near the salad and vegetables wansink said to help eat a little bit less but still enjoy the holiday when you eat the calorie and fatladen meal your triglyceride levels become elevated and you blood sugar spikes exercising after dinner will decrease triglycerides by 70 percent choose white meat over dark meat he said that way when you go back for seconds youre not overeatingmedia27200970 quicklist the hostess isnt going to be offended if you dont eat