Thursday Thanksgiving Thoughts
November 19, 2009
T minus 1 week.. are you KIDDING me? I don’t know about you guys but I’m still wondering what happened to September. Fall is flying by!
We are heading straight into holiday season and you know that that means…
food… food and more FOOD!
Now I know what you’re thinking….
Why bother?
Why bother "being good" with the holidays looming ahead?
Why bother continuing to exercise when it’s getting cold and your diet can’t be "perfect" anyway?
Why bother when the New Year is just around the corner?
I might as well wait till then. Right?
Come on.. Fess up… You’ve considered it. The thought has crossed your mind.
Well let me tell you, there is no "perfect" day, New Year’s or not. There is no better time to "start". There is only the choice that lies in front of us at this very moment.
That choice, for me, right now, is to plan my Thanksgiving dinner! I have one week to get my new house is order. Figure out where to fit 14 people and plan our healthy meal.
First things first, I’ve decided to start a new family tradition. Have you guys heard of a Turkey Trot? It’s a race normally held on Thanksgiving morning and there’s one the YMCA is hosting pretty close to us. This one is a 5k with an optional 2k walk for the non-runners. Mom and the husband are going to take the kids in the 2k and I’m going to run the 5. I hope others will join us but it’s ok if they don’t. I’m not into forcing anyone to run with me I just like the idea of doing something non food intensive on that day. Who knows? Maybe in the next few years I can get the husband and the child to actually run the whole thing with me! (Shhhhh that’s my goal. :)
After the run I’ll be preparing the feast!
On the menu…
- Turkey (of course)
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes (Click for recipe)
- Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes (Click for recipe)
- Roasted Asparagus with Pearl Onions and Bacon Bits (Click for recipe)
- Corn
- Cranberry Sauce (we are a canned family)
- Low Fat Crescent rolls
This year I’m skipping the stuffing (click here to see how I made it last year) and my friend is bringing her famous chestnut stuffing. THANKFULLY! as I find the stuffing the most labor intensive part of the meal.
As for desserts… I pass the responsibility to my guests. Mom is bringing her homemade apple pie and pumpkin roll. And if my Uncles come from brooklyn I may have to ask then to bring some NY deli Italian Cookies. The holidays just aren’t the same with out them. :)
So there you have it. One week today I’ll be running 3 miles, cooking a big meal and enjoying my family. Just thinking about it makes me smile. :)
Notice I’m not focusing on how I’m going to "stay on plan" or "make it thru" the holiday. This is my 5th Thanksgiving (HOLY $HIT) since changing my lifestyle and I’m here to tell you one day, one meal, is not worth freaking out over.
You aren’t freaking out, are you? :~)
Instead of freaking out search for a Turkey Trot in your area. Not a runner? How about a game of catch in the back yard? An after dinner walk? A trip to the park while the bird’s in the oven?
Anyone have any other healthy active Thanksgiving traditions or ideas to share?
Update: After realizing this is my 5th Thanksgiving I traveled back in time and plucked some posts around the Thanksgivings of the past..
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On November 20th, 2009 at 4:02 am Diana said:
Good luck with everything you have to do! :)
I only celebrate Christmas and New Years’ here do I don’t have to deal with all of that!
On November 20th, 2009 at 6:36 am Mandi said:
Awesome menu, Roni! Enjoy your day with your family! I am running a Turkey Trot race on Thanksgiving day as well. The one in our area is a 10k. My husband and daughter will be going with me the cheer me on…but not participating! :( My 17 yr old son…well, he won’t get out of bed that early! LOL Hope you have a great run…I am soooo looking forward to mine!
On November 20th, 2009 at 8:45 am Dr. Kal said:
Great plan for the day! Sounds like fun. The only thing I would add is some football. Watching not playing.
I do have one question though. Why no fried turkey?
On November 20th, 2009 at 8:48 am roni said:
I have nver fried a turkey in my life! lol I just don’t want to bother with all that apparatus. ;~P
On November 20th, 2009 at 8:51 am christina said:
Yup I already signed up for the turkey trot in Havre de Grace, MD. I wish I could have talked others into doing it with me though. Initially some of my playgroup mom friends were going to do it but I think they have all backed out…
On November 20th, 2009 at 8:57 am Andrea@WellnessNotes said:
Sounds like it’s going to be a great Thanksgiving at your house! :) I love that you focus on something else than food. We always make sure to get in a workout. And once the toddler gets a bit older, I can’t wait to find a Turkey Trot. He’ll just have turned 3 next year, so I think next year is going to be the year!
Happy Thanksgiving Week! :)
On November 20th, 2009 at 9:00 am amanda said:
I will also be participating in a 5k Turkey trot on Thanksgiving day. I wish I was able to make Thanksgiving dinner but my hubby and I are traveling to my mom’s house for the week. Ugggh she cooks so unhealthy and I tend to eat way more than I should. I have the plan of exercising as much as I can (bring exercise DVDs and my Garmin forerunner watch for running). I always have the plan to stick to smaller portions and load up on veggies and lean meats.
On November 20th, 2009 at 9:08 am Rebecca @ Durch Dick und Duenn said:
I’m walking the Turkey Trot 5K but hopefully next year will be able to run it again!!
As for food, I’m not stressing about it. I’m treating it as a holiDAY and will only eat what I truly enjoy, which means probably a half plate full of stuffing!
can’t wait!!!!
On November 20th, 2009 at 9:20 am Cynthia (It All Changes) said:
I love turkey trots. I did one two years ago and it was the best way to start my Turkey Day. Last year I was recovering from back surgery but this year I’m running one in the next town over. So excited.
On November 20th, 2009 at 10:12 am Runnerbelle said:
We are traveling Thanksgiving morning to visit family, but I plan to head out on a run as soon as we arrive. Hopefully no one takes it personally when I leave shortly after arriving for a run, but I want to get one in that day PLUS the house we all will be at is where we vacation during the summer. Cannot wait to a run along the Cape Cod seashore during the off season. :-)
On November 20th, 2009 at 11:15 am justrun said:
That whole “one day”, “one meal” thing? SO important to remember! As always, you’re awesome for just coming out and saying so.
Also? Where the heck did the YEAR go? Sheesh.
On November 20th, 2009 at 2:41 pm Elaine said:
Is it ok for a comment to say nothing more than “I love you”?
K, well here it goes anyway….. Love ya, girl! You rock!
On November 20th, 2009 at 3:07 pm Diane said:
I’m with you Roni! I have signed up for my first Turkey Trot and am excited to say that it will be my first “running” 5K. That’s the goal anyway. I plan to do this every year and then I don’t have to worry so much about what I eat that day. And you are right… it is only one meal. It doesn’t have to ruin the rest of the year. BTW, love your posts, you inspire me on a daily basis!!! Have a happy Thanksgiving!
On November 20th, 2009 at 6:55 pm Vanessa said:
Doin’ a local Turkey Trot here in SoCal – my first one and 2nd official 5k. I have an online friend coming from AZ to join me – we’ve never met so this will be a Thanksgiving of firsts and great memories.
My little man will be participating the in the Kids Pier to Pier run after I finish mine. Hope to make this a yearly event.
Burn the calories before The Feast!
On November 20th, 2009 at 8:46 pm Carla said:
I’m doing a Turkey Trot too! We have a 10k, 5k and fun walks in my city. It’s my first year trying something non-food related.
On November 21st, 2009 at 11:39 am Rachel said:
Love the idea of a Turkey Trot – I’m not sure if we have one in town, but there’s no reason we can’t just start a tradition of going on our own little trot :)
On November 21st, 2009 at 11:42 am Mary :: A Merry Life said:
C’mon Roni, add some fried turkey. Haha.
On November 21st, 2009 at 3:46 pm jessica said:
i’m running the turkey trot in Bel Air. I was sort of hpoing you were too so I could meet you and thank you for inspiring me to run! I’m training for a half-marathon, and so far it’s been SO MUCH FUN, and I am SOOOOO excited to do my first ever 5K on Thanksgiving day! thanks for helping another “non-runner” find her way to becoming A Runner!
On November 21st, 2009 at 9:59 pm christina said:
Jessica – wow your super local! Im in Aberdeen! And I was also hoping she was doing the 5K I was doing in Havre de grace. I have a few friends doing the one in Belair… if you see any ChesapeakeMommies shirts say hi!
On November 23rd, 2009 at 10:22 am Eline said:
I can sooooo relate to what you’re writing…In September we moved to a temporary place in anticipation of our new home. Untill then I was so incredibly on track. Slowly but surely I am slipping of that healthy track and into “let’s order in, don’t have the energy to exercise” mode. A real “been there done that” kind of feeling…I hate it. And at the same time I can’t seem to find a way to snap out of it. When you wrote: “Why bother?” it was a a wake up call for me. Because that is exactly what I am thinking right now. Why bother when in the new year I can start fresh, in a new home with all of my own stuff around me, in a newly found rythm. But at the same time I know that if I let myself go now all the hard word I have accomplished the past 6 months will be erased and I have to start…again…
On November 23rd, 2009 at 8:23 pm Lisa said:
I’ve emailed you before as back in October was my 1st ever 5K! Thursday I’ll be running my 4th 5K which is in a Turkey Trot in Sherando Park near Winchester. I’m really looking forward to it and the extra exercise that will be needed to burn calories for Thanksgiving. :)
On December 5th, 2009 at 1:37 am Sabrina said:
Well, I kind of showed up late for this thanksgiving post. Maybe I can participate next year in my very own turkey trot.