The first official eating orgy day is nearly upon us and I am stepping back, thinking seriously about it and planning both my meal and my day.  I need to plan my meal because I have at least 12 folks around my dinner table on Thanksgiving Day, and I eat protein first, some are gluten free and others just want to gorge.  Hmm, a bit of a dilemma here….How am I to keep everyone happy, including ME?  I start by planning my meal and this is how it will go:

• Appetizers will be an olive tray and veggies with Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt dip
• Salad will be served with dressing on the side
• Pumpkin soup will be made with light coconut milk in lieu of full fat coconut milk
• The turkey is easy.  I will roast it in the oven as per usual
• The dressing is a challenge because of my gluten free relatives needs.  I have a traditional chestnut dressing that I will alter by making my seasoned bread crumb base using gluten free bread that I let get stale, spray with olive oil spray and season and bake until crunchy.  Then I will brown my onions and celery in just a little bit of olive oil and use chicken broth in lieu of all of the butter/oil that I have used in prior years. 
• Now the yams….A long time ago they were candied yams with toasted marshmallows on top.  This segued to yams whipped with butter, vanilla and seasons topped with a pecan crunch topping.  That is what we’ll have but I will whip the yams up with 1-2 tablespoons of butter in lieu of the ¼ pound I previously used, add an egg, a bit more vanilla and a bit more cinnamon for flavor.  We’ll still have a pecan crunch topping made with rice flour in lieu of wheat flour.
• We need some green so I will make green beans for 12, add 1 tablespoon of butter and slivered almonds.  By using the green beans called Haricot Vert (the small, thin French ones), the little bit of butter tossed in will be more than sufficient.
• On to dessert and coffee/tea/hot chocolate.  I let others handle the pies so there will be pumpkin, pecan and possibly even a flourless chocolate cake.  For me however, there will be protein pumpkin bars that come in at about 50 calories each.

I believe I have successfully lightened up the meal, covered the gluten free needs and still have a dinner that those who wish to gorge can enjoy.

I need to plan my day so that I can optimize the entire experience.  Here’s my plan:

• Make the dressing and the yams the night before and refrigerate so they just need to be heated/cooked On Thursday
• Wake up same time Thursday morning and get the turkey stuffed and in the oven with the timer set to come on as appropriate.
• Have my coffee, have my protein shake, and off to the gym for a workout so I feel good. 
• Come home and shower, set the table, prep the appetizers, keep a full glass of water by my side all day and evening.(except during meal times and 30 minutes after of course).  Hydration is important both for my health and for maintaining my satiety after my breakfast and lunch which I will have at the normal times.
• Since everything is done and ready, if the day is sunny I will take five outside, with a tall glass of water and enjoy the sun and greet my guests as they arrive.
• At the table I plan to take a nice slice of turkey and a small taste of everything else on my salad size plate.  Fortunately for me, this is my 10^th Thanksgiving dinner at my house so folks don’t push food on me.  Earlier in my journey I had to remind people that this was all I could eat and still be comfortable.
• I am more interested in visiting with everyone and seeing what they’ve been up to and what’s next for them and enjoying the three generations at the table, our varied interests and the love and camaraderie that we share than eating until I throw up.
• After dinner I plan to bundle up and have as many as will join me take a walk down to the beach, unless water is falling from the sky which is not typical for Thanksgiving in Southern California.  We’ll finish our meal on a healthy note and then come back to the house and play games or watch a movie.

Now I feel like I have this under control.  How do you plan your Thanksgiving Day to optimize your journey to good health?