Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and once again I cannot understand the big hullabaloo that surrounds the traditional foods served on this holiday. In my 32 years of life, I have never had an American style Turkey Day meal that I would consider above mediocre, especially considering how much time, effort, and expense is invested in preparing the dishes. I highly suspect that the happy glow of being with seldom-seen family members sort of transfers over to the very average eats, lending them a patina of yumminess that they do not actually possess.

(T-day eats in my parents’ Taiwanese household, however, kick ass. They toss all Western holiday tradition out the window and go for Korean bulgogi barbecue on the hibachi, Japanese style seafood Shabu-Shabu hotpot with thinly-sliced beef, shrimp, lobster, shitake mushrooms and veggies, sushi, king crab legs, and the occasional filet mignon.)

Frankly, the only American Thanksgiving staple I enjoy is the sweet potato, and this is often not even present. I find everything else on the usual Thanksgiving menu to be pretty uncreative and boring (Ooh, slabs of dry turkey or ham with salty goop made from fat drippings or a mix packet on top! Scoops of potato with the same salty goop on top! Wow! Corn straight from the can with butter on top!) or downright gross (All casseroles: mushy, congealed green bean casserole — which is usually the ONLY non-starchy vegetable option on the table — equally congealed mac-and-cheese casserole, or cheesy scalloped potato casserole. Is there no end to the things that Westerners can find to chuck into a pan with a block of cheese and a can of cream or soup and bake until semi-solid and unrecognizable?).

Now that I have sufficiently panned traditional Thanksgiving dinner food, here’s what I would make instead:

- Pumpkin crab soup
- Pan-fried pork/veggie dumplings with chili garlic dipping sauce
- Moo Shu Turkey crepe wraps with veggies and plum sauce (WW recipe)
- Stir-fried salt-and-pepper shrimp with grilled onions, peppers, mushrooms, pineapple, and tomatoes on skewers
- Baked seasoned sweet potato fries
- Green beans sauteed in olive oil with garlic
- Broccoli and bok choy in oyster sauce
- Apple, pear, and cranberry oatmeal crisp (WW recipe) with a scoop of Breyers butter pecan ice cream
- Pumpkin/zucchini bread (made with ground oats instead of flour)

(Will put up the rest of the recipes soon.)

What are you all doing for Thanksgiving? Are you cooking for your own family or playing guest? Will it be a traditional Thanksgiving spread for you or something a bit more creative?

Two weeks until Thanksgiving! Who’s ready to step it up TEN notches and really kick butt for the next 14 days?

I am allowing myself just one planned semi-splurge meal until Turkey Day, and that is an early traditional T-day meal with DH’s mom on the 17th. Since my Trash the Dress session is the 18th and given my unshakable opinion that American T-day food is the most over-hyped meal in the world considering how bland and unappealing it always turns out to be, I doubt that I’ll be gorging myself.

Otherwise, it is going to be full on training and eating with a purpose, and that purpose is to see 134 pounds, four abs, and some back muscle definition on Nov. 23.

Extra cardio (on top of my baseline Shapeshift plan) starts today. I got my 45 minutes of YF done this morning along with 60/200 pushups. I plan to either add a 45 minute forza session to my lunch walk or hit the gym after work for some bike time.

Nutrition and cardio will be key in the next few weeks. I’ll be working out more on fewer calories, and I know that I will be hungry and grumpy about it. I have the most trouble with the munchies when I first get home from work each night, so I am establishing a 25 pushup policy in the evenings. As soon as I set my stuff down when I get home, I knock out 25 pushups to remind me that the day isn’t over until I am tucked into bed. If I step into the kitchen for anything other than meal prep, water, or meal 6, I do another 25 pushups. (Hey, I need to get my 200 per day somehow!) I don’t find pushups particularly difficult to do, but just the physical act of performing them before I open the fridge or pantry will give me a few moments to pause and think before I mindlessly reach for a box of cereal or a bag of popcorn.

Actually, I will also start filling up a 1/2 gallon pitcher with water when I get home, too, and keep it on the dining room table so I don’t actually need to step back into the kitchen for refills.

I know I sound a bit nuts, but I know myself well enough to realize that there is NO WAY I can keep out of the crunchy carbs at night with extra cardio unless I set up some major checks and balances for myself. With my work hours back to normal, I no longer have the side benefit of being physically 25 miles away from my pantry when the 8 pm munchies strike me, so I must figure out my own coping strategies.

This is going to be fun!

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WORKOUT
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- YF Upper body/cardio (45 min)
- Walk (15 min)
- Stationary bike (45 min)