Thanksgiving Dinner and Weight Loss Over 40

Build your plate around protein first, add your vegetables, then take the sides you really want in smaller portions. Have the pie if you want it. In our experience, one holiday dinner doesn't change your body. What matters is skipping the guilt and getting back to your normal routine at the very next meal.

You don't have to sit out the holidays.

You don't have to white-knuckle them either.

Let's make a plan you can actually enjoy.

Can one holiday dinner really undo my progress?

In our experience, no.

We tell women this all the time: your body learns to trust you. When you consistently feed it, move it and let it sleep, it starts to trust you. And when it does, a holiday meal doesn't change your body.

Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.

Fat loss happens over weeks. One dinner is one dinner.

If the scale is up the morning after, that's usually salt and water from a big meal. It tends to settle within a few days of being back in your routine.

Here's the thing. In our experience, the spiral after the dinner does more damage than the dinner. "I already blew it" turns into a long weekend, then a whole month, then "I'll start in January."

That's the part we coach.

How do I build my holiday plate?

Here's the order we coach:

Protein first. Turkey, ham, whatever is on the table. Your hand is your guide: a palm-sized portion is a good starting point, and your coach sets the right amount for you.
Then your vegetables. Fill a good part of the plate. Roasted, mashed, a little butter on top. It's a holiday, and butter isn't the enemy.
Then the sides you really want. Stuffing, potatoes, the casserole your aunt makes once a year. If it feeds your soul, have some, and make it the smallest portion on the plate.
Then dessert, with intention. Pick the one you actually want. Enjoy every bite. Skip the ones you'd only eat because they're there.

No food scale at your mother-in-law's? You don't need one. Your hand comes with you.

You eat the same holiday dinner as your family. Just in a different order.

What if I'm the one hosting?

Hosting gives you something guests don't get.

You choose the menu.

Build the meal around the protein. It's already the centre of most holiday tables.
Make one big vegetable dish you look forward to. Something you'd happily have seconds of.
Eat a real breakfast and lunch. Cooking all day on coffee and taste tests is how you end up starving at 6 p.m.
Let people bring things. You don't have to cook for a crowd all by yourself.

The host usually tastes everything and sits down last. A proper lunch before guests arrive makes the tasting a lot quieter.

What if I'm a guest at someone else's table?

Less control. Same plan.

Eat normally that day. Breakfast and lunch, with protein. In our experience, saving up for dinner usually backfires.
Bring a dish. A protein-packed salad or a big vegetable side means there's always something on the table that works for you.
Plan your drinks. One glass you enjoy slowly, soda water with lime in between, and your last drink finished at least 3 hours before bed.
Have a friendly no ready. "I'm good for now, thanks" handles most second helpings.

If your family is the type to keep refilling your plate, here's how to handle comments and food pushers.

More on drinks in can I drink wine and still lose fat.

What about the rest of the season?

Thanksgiving is one dinner. The holidays are a whole stretch.

Office treats. Cookie exchanges. Parties, birthdays, a long weekend away.

There's always going to be something. That's why our plans were never built for perfect weeks.

Keep your workouts, even short ones. You have seven days to fit five workouts. A shorter workout or a walk on a busy day still counts.
Talk to your coach before the big weeks. At your check-in, you plan the parties and dinners together, before they happen.
Keep your anchors. Protein at breakfast, water, a reasonable bedtime. The boring stuff does the heavy lifting.
Restart at the next meal. One off dinner is one off dinner. Don't wait for January.

We don't expect you to be perfect. Nobody is in December.

We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks, with birthdays, long weekends and holiday dinners right in the middle of it.

What do I do the day after?

Nothing special.

That's the point.

Eat a normal breakfast, with protein. No skipped meals to make up for last night.
Do the next workout on your plan. No punishment workout.
Drink your water and get to bed on time.
Tell your coach how it went. She's looking for patterns. Nobody is grading the pie.

Same idea as any big weekend. Here's how to stop starting over every Monday.

And if the holidays are the reason you've been putting off coaching, read should I start now or wait until after the holidays.

Ready to enjoy the holidays and keep your progress?

This year, you can have the dinner and keep your progress.

Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.

If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.

He reads every application himself. On the call, he'll look at what your holidays and your calendar really look like, and tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.

Enjoy the turkey.

Enjoy the pie.

Then just keep going.

Frequently asked questions

Will one Thanksgiving dinner make me gain weight?

In our experience, one holiday meal doesn't change your body. A jump on the scale the next morning is usually salt and water, and it tends to settle within a few days of being back in your routine.

How do I eat at Thanksgiving and still lose weight?

Protein first, then vegetables, then smaller portions of the sides you really want, and dessert with intention. Then get back to your normal routine at the next meal.

Should I skip meals before a big holiday dinner?

No. Eat breakfast and lunch with protein. In our experience, showing up starving makes the big meal harder.

Should I work out extra after a holiday meal?

No. Do the next workout on your plan, eat a normal breakfast and drink your water. There's nothing to make up for.

How do I get through the holiday season without losing my progress?

Keep your workouts, even short ones, keep protein at breakfast, and plan the big weeks with your coach before they happen. Restart at your next meal instead of waiting for January.

How do I get through Thanksgiving dinner (and the holidays) without undoing my progress?