I throw all the rules out the window.

I stay in control. This is a lifestyle for me not a diet.

a little bit of both? I don't see calories as an enemy. but I also don't think Thanksgiving is about food... its about appreciation and reverence and making time for things that matter. I'll enjoy the foods I like and won't eat the ones I don't (i.e. pecan pie, yuck, looks like roaches on jelly) and the next day continue with my life

Eh. I always stuffed myself every Thanksgiving as a (almost freakishly thin) kid. I kind of associate that ridiculously bloated, must-change-into-elastic-waist-sweatpants-and-take-a-nap feeling with the holiday. However, we always did Thanksgiving pretty healthy - no casseroles, nothing with marshmallows on top, no heavy cream or sticks of butter, so when I filled up, it was on healthy stuff.

As an adult (and someone who has to watch her weight now), I still do a healthy Thanksgiving but won't stuff myself to the gills with it. However, the bottom line is that it's just one meal - if you want to splurge, go ahead and splurge. Sometimes we need to give ourselves a little leeway and just enjoy. A slice of pecan pie or a scoop of mashed potatoes isn't going to ruin you (especially if you're not chowing down on the leftovers for the next week too).

Thanksgiving & Christmas is pretty much the only time I have mashed potatoes, yummm.
My lifestyle is healthy all year round and I think it is healthy to include a splurge!

I have small portions of everything so I don't go overboard. I always feel really bad when I indulge too much.

Being at the gym practically every day for the past 5 years & eating healthy makes me feel like I deserve a trip to the dessert table on Thanksgiving (and Christmas for that matter)!

I don't deal well with the "stuffed" feeling that comes from eating too much so I try to watch my portions, but eat anything I want. I maintain a very healthy lifestyle and think indulging in less healthy, but delicious versions, of foods you'd normally eat is part of the balance. (Underneath those marshmallows and the brown sugar ARE yams!)

I try to make a smaller plate (about half the size of my brothers' "first round" plate) with a little bit of everything I want, breath, and when people get seconds I go back for some more of my favorite things if I'm still hungry. I love desert, so I always have some with a cup of coffee. I only like to indulge in sweets that I LOVE, so this year I'm brining my favorite cupcakes for portion control and so I don't end up eating some cake or pie that isn't that great.

yeah, I'm with Mamasitamali on this one....calories are not the enemy. Seeing this as a choice between "staying in control" or "splurging" implies that it's impossible to truly enjoy a good meal without eating 4 pieces of pie. I'll probably eat more tomorrow than I normally do, but then again, there are tons of days during the year when I eat more than "normal", and tons of days when I eat less than "normal".

isabelle said it exactly -- i'll probably eat a little more tomorrow than i usually do, and i'll definitely have something sugary and buttery and fantastic for dessert as opposed to fruit on most days, but i won't stuff myself until my stomach explodes.

I definitely indulge more than I would on any other day, but I still try to eat smaller portions and to not overstuff myself. Even though I don't feel bad about eating the foods I like on Thanksgiving, I think the healthy recipe tips are nice. A lot of times, you can make healthy substitutions and the final product will taste just as good.

Not a big Thanksgiving food type of person... so I just don't eat a whole lot bc I just don't like it.

Anyone else think Pizza should be the traditional holiday meal!?

I just don't think about it. If I eat a lot I eat a lot. If I don't I don't. I feel like if I go into it telling myself to watch what I eat and Oh no don't eat that I will just be miserable. Plus I will most likely overeat if I restrict myself. The only thing I'm planning on doing is going for a run in the morning. Mostly to clear my mind and have a little time to myself before the chaos begins.

I have a large stock of weird feelings about ANY food related holiday/event because of my already bad gut situation. If I eat any of the wrong food I'll get 'sick' and my intestines will be at war with my body. I just can't...no amount of prescription drugs can help me with certain foods.

It sucks sometimes, but if I can only eat a snack plate in order to not get sick for several months, I'll do that.

I also think it is healthy to splurge sometimes!

I don't feel that calories are the devil to begin with. I figure if I'm good the rest of the year, which I pretty much am, one day where I eat a little more won't hurt me. Plus, that full feeling isn't my favorite anyway, so I sort of naturally regulate myself. I don't see the big deal though. It's one day.

you can splurge and still stay in control, which is what I meant by my post. Like I said, my fitness and nutrition is a lifestyle, it's not a punishment or a diet, I enjoy it. I will splurge on Holidays but I will stay in control even with my splurging.

Who the heck watches what they eat on Thanksgiving? It's one day! The only thing I do on Thanksgiving, besides eat, it make sure to do something physical. Play a game of volleyball with the family, take the kids to a nearby school to play in the playground, nothing that screams "exercise" but something fun!

You know, as long as your average daily life style is chock full of healthy food and lots of exercise, the occasion eat-how-you-please it totally acceptable. Life is bland and sad without some indulgence!

I agree with a lot of people here that as long as your overall lifestyle is healthy, the holiday won't affect you. Where people really gain the weight is from extending the holiday. You can't get a huge pumpkin muffin from Dunkin Donuts for breakfast every morning from November 1st through Thanksgiving because it's seasonal, or a grande Gingerbread Latte from Starbucks five times a week for all of December.

I enjoy my Thanksgiving on the one day in November, where I feast with family and have a good time. I don't worry about perfect portions or not going back for seconds. I eat what I want, I stop when I'm done, and the next meal is not a holiday.

Life is meant to be enjoyed, a day of indulging is not going to wreck your figure, and sometimes it's healthy to let loose a bit. I usually just got for a long walk with my family after dinner or a morning run the next day.

I don't go all-out and eat a ton of food on Thanksgiving like I did when I was a kid/teenager. I do eat a little more than I do on a typical day...I love my mom's mashed potatoes and the turkey, but I also eat a big green salad and I work out before eating dinner.

I have to enjoy my Thanksgiving. On holidays I don't like to think about dieting. I like to indulge on Christmas, Thanksgiving and New years. Those three days are the only time of year where I allowed my self to indulge without feeling guilty . The reason why people gain so much weight during the holidays is because they eat all through December and November. If you just stick to those three days you will be fine.

I plan on eating whatever I feel like and working out extra next week to make up for it. Life is about balance.

I'm with laura220 on this one and I don't think of it as deprivation. Really don't want to spend the holiday with stomach issues, so I eat what I always eat and enjoy other things about Thanksgiving.

I made sure to have plenty of dishes that are good for me on the menu so I don't have to hold back.

I eat a balanced meal that's probably higher in calories than normal, and have a dessert that I'll enjoy.