It just keeps growing and growing and growing....

The size of my belly, that is. Or at least, it will grow if I continue eating this way.
Y'all, Thanksgiving is already ridiculous in terms of calories, carbs and fat grams. But you make that feast Southern-style and it's insane in the membrane.
Case in point: Since I wasn't able to make it home to Chicago, I joined about 20 other friends for a Turkey Day dinner in Atlanta. From about 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., we noshed on sausage balls, gourmet cheese and crackers, rosemary almonds, beverages and a tasty little appetizer made with fillo dough, brie, walnuts and fig preserves. Let's not even get started on the beer, wine and bloodies.
Then, after gorging ourselves on apps half the day, we finally ate dinner, which consisted of three birds - two deep-fried and one roasted - along with squash casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato souffle, cheesy hashbrown casserole, collard greens, blue cheese macaroni & cheese, pasta and so much more.
I tried, gang. I mean, I worked out in the morning and I ate a healthy, balanced breakfast. I also attempted to cut down on the snacking and stick to fruits and veggies as appetizers. But there was too much temptation around.
And have I told you yet about the desserts? Good gravy! There was pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple spice cake, banana pudding (with the yummy layers of nilla wafers), chocolate clusters and more...And four words: Krispy Kreme bread pudding.
I watched my buddy chop up two dozen glazed doughnuts, then add sweetened condensed milk, canned (undrained) peaches, salt, cinnamon and eggs. It gets better. Before popping it into the oven, he topped it off with a stick of butter, about a pound of confectioners' sugar and some rum. It was fabulous but after only a few bites of overwhelming sweetness, I literally had to stick a fork in it. I don't event want to know how many calories and carbs were in that delectable dish. By the time I left that night, I felt like Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - after she ballooned into a giant blueberry and had to be rolled out the door.
Of course, the rest of the weekend was a bit of a food bust as well, between the various holiday parties, college football tailgates and leftovers.
Oh well. Today is a new day and the start of a new week. And in an effort to stay as trim as possible heading into Christmas and New Years, I'll be exercising regularly and eating lots of salads, veggies, fruits and lean meats. And when I do partake in a dessert, it will be the sugar-free version.
On that note, I found a low-cal bread pudding recipe! Of course, it doesn't involve Krispy Kremes...but it still sounds absolutely divine.

Check it out!

Sugar-Free Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

The ingredients include French bread, milk, eggs, sucralose, vanilla, margarine, raisins and whisky. The recipe is a modified version of one found at the popular Bon Ton Cafe in New Orleans. And that's certainly a city that knows how to make a fabulous meal. Beignet, po' boy or muffaletta, anyone? I'm getting hungry just thinking about the food in that town.

For a little Monday fun, (and the blue feeling that often accompanies the start of the work week) check out this video all about little Violet's blueberry inflation - along with the fabulousness that is Gene Wilder and the Oompa-Loompas.

Tips for Turkey Day

Are the rest of you as excited about turkey and football as I am? Or maybe it's just the short work week that's putting a big smile on my face. Either way, I can't wait for Thursday. I say 'bring it!'

As most of you know, it's pretty much impossible to get through Thanksgiving without getting that fabulous bloated feeling by the end of the day. In addition to going the sugar-free route, here are a few more tips to help control your food intake during the holiday.

* Don't show up hungry. Take time to eat a light, healthy snack before chowing down.
* When fixing your plate, make sure the bulk of it is fruits and veggies, such as salad, green beans, potatoes, carrots, squash or cranberries. That way you can fill up your belly faster with healthier items.
* Eating smaller portions is key. Yes, you can indulge in some cheesy mashed potatoes. But don't pile a mountain of it on your plate, along with moats of gravy.
* If you're eating dinner at a friend or relative's house, bring some low-calorie snack options such as a fruit salad or raw veggies and hummus.
* Avoid adding lots of butter, salt, gravy and fatty dressings.
* Try not to get seconds until a few hours after you've eaten the first plate.
* Always eat dessert last.
* Eat lots of cranberries. They're loaded with antioxidants.
* For a less-fattening stuffing, use a low-salt broth base along with whole wheat bread. Also go easy on the butter and oil while adding more celery, onion, nuts and fruit.
* For healthier mashed potatoes, use skim milk and fat-free sour cream.
* Drink lots of water. It will help fill you up.

Here are two more low-cal recipes to add to the Thanksgiving menu.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Corn Pudding

Time to bust out the elastic waistband!

No, no. I jest. I'm certainly not condoning over-eating this holiday season. However, Thanksgiving is just around the corner and you know what that means...food, food and more food. In the past week alone, I've been subjected to a massive office Thanksgiving meal spread, a holiday business dinner and another turkey meal hosted by buddies. And now I'm heading off to a friend's going-away party, where I guarantee there will lots of junky appetizers making the rounds. Sigh. All the heavy food is literally making me feel too big for my britches.

Ever seen Charlotte's Web? Remember Templeton, the gluttonous rat, after he binge eats at the fair? I'm hoping to avoid feeling - or looking - like that, come Thanksgiving.




Between the appetizers, main course and dessert, it's estimated Americans will scarf down 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving. Ain't that a shame!
But there are some ways to curb the potential holiday weight gain: for starters, cut down on the sugar. If you're open to cutting down on the calories, here are some sucralose-based recipes perfect for the big day. I'll be back next week with even more Thanksgiving Day food tips.

Have a great weekend!

The Great Pumpkin Pumpkin Pie

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Sweet Southern Pecan Pie