Tips for Thanksgiving portion control, what to do if you overeat

HOUSTON – Diet experts want you to go into holiday feasts with a plan. The plan starts today!

Portion Control

Eat a little healthier, lighter and do a few more intense workouts before Thanksgiving dinner and don’t overdo the portions.

Use the size of your palm to gauge protein portions, double that for veggies and just a small hole is left on the plate for sides.

“The idea behind that is that you get to fill up on high fiber foods,” dietitian, Nicole Cornelious from Herbivore RD, said. “For every 14 grams of fiber consumed, you actually decrease your caloric intake by 10 percent.”  

How many carbs is too much?

In order to keep from depriving yourself and indulge in creamy carbs and casseroles, Cornelious said to limit yourself to half a cup of them.

If  you really want to try everything, Cornelious said to use a tablespoon to serve your sides.

“What you're doing is you're tasting it and you’re not feeling deprived,” she said.

How to feel better if you overeat

If you overdo it and feel too full, bloated and achy, here are her tips to improve fast:

“What you can do, once your food has digested then go for a walk after. Or the next meal, avoid calories by eating less sugar and added oil,” Cornelious said.

Limit rich foods to one day

She encourages people not to feel too guilty. She said that one-day splurge is not going to destroy your weight loss goals.

However, if you repeat that meal with days of leftovers then you'll pack on pounds. She said to limit rich foods to the one day if you're concerned about your diet.