20 November 2007

Not Thankful for Thanksgiving Buzzkill

This article made me irrationally angry this morning. Today show nutritionist and diet editor Joy Bauer wants us to know that we fat slobs could consume up to 5,000 calories this Thanksgiving. If that's not bad enough, she provides a detailed gastrointestinal analysis of what consuming this many calories in one day does to your body. Wait, it gets worse, there’s a sidebar: Advice and recipes on how to cook an entire turkey dinner under 1,000 calories and a comprehensive calorie listing of typical Thanksgiving dishes. Did you know that there are 500 calories in two tiny mini quiches? I didn’t. Needless to say, I want all of this information about as much as I want to know what they put in hot dogs. It’s beyond buzzkill, it’s straight up mean. So, screw you, Joy. I’ve been good all year with the damn leafy greens and whole grain everything and multi-vitamin supplements. I plan to live a little.

That said, the following is the PU’s official response to Joy’s list of "helpful" suggestions:

1. Eat sensibly and lightly throughout the earlier part of the day.
Mini-quiches, proscuitto, shrimp cocktail, calzone. These are just the appetizers. According to your malevolent calorie counter, Joy, I might as well stuff a canned ham down the back of my pants right now and get it over with.

2. Hit the gym in the morning.
Right on, Joy. Then we’ll fly off to my parents’ house for dinner on the back of Pegasus.

3. Wear something fitted and fabulous. You’ll be less apt to overeat when there’s no room to expand.
This is just bad advice. You’re assuming snug clothing gives you willpower. In the face of chorizo stuffing and butternut squash and apple pie and turkey gravy, a ruched blouse will not save the day any more than good intentions. When the wine is flowing, you’re not thinking about the hangover. In turn, people will not be thinking about splitting their ill-fitting pants as they gorge themselves on pie. I’m busting out my old maternity jeans with the expandable waist band.

4. Splurge selectively.
That’s borderline oxymoronic. Sort of like your byline on this article, Joy. You seem hellbent on sucking the joy out of the entire holiday.

5. Send leftovers home with your guests (and if you’re a guest, resist taking leftovers from gracious hosts!)
We will not only be taking some leftovers home, we’re actually cooking our own turkey dinner with all the fixings here purely for the sandwiches! What do you think of that, you hag?

BTW, all in the Pointy Universe are invited to stop by Sat or Sun for a 2,500 calorie post-Thanksgiving sandwich!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess someone always has to offer their opposing (and extreme) opinion during a holiday like this. I too have some responses to what Miss Skinny has to say (she is pretty hot though).

1. Eat sensibly and lightly throughout the earlier part of the day. I actually try to follow this myself each year, but typically fail. Shrimp, little quiche pies, chips/dip and cheese are good. But I’d rather save room for a full turkey dinner that I only get twice a year. Not to mention the pie, M&Ms in candy dishes sporadically placed throughout the house, homemade cookies and boozed up coffee drinks.

2. Hit the gym in the morning.
Take a big crap in the morning (Hey Rosie! I just had to take a big crap!”). Hit it up again midday if your colon agrees.

3. Wear something fitted and fabulous. You’ll be less apt to overeat when there’s no room to expand.
The waste band on my pants is already folded over. I prepare my body year round for this holiday.

4. Splurge selectively.
I agree. Only eat 1 plate of dinner so you can splurge on 10 jumbo shrimp before, stuff 3 pieces of pie after, 3 Barb Brown homemade choc chip cookies with ice cream, etc etc. Proceed with step #2 now.

5. Send leftovers home with your guests (and if you’re a guest, resist taking leftovers from gracious hosts!)
I take it a step further. I bring my own set of Glad plastic tupperware containers with me to my parents. I mean, my mom/dad supplied all the food and did all the cooking… it would be ungracious of me to take their kitchen supplies too.

KJ said...

BG-Caroline and I are making some Barb Brown pepperoni bread for an appetizer.

Anonymous said...

Who is this Barb Brown and how do I get her recipes???

KJ said...

JAL-BG's Mom. And the P bread will be at the Christmas party.

Anonymous said...

"On the back of Pegasus" LOL bwahahhaa. Love it, sister. KB

Anonymous said...

KJ - I'm honored that you and Little C will be making the Pepperoni Bread. People see it and they say "oh, it's calzone". But we know it's a whole different ball of wax.

KJ said...

P Bread is in a class by itself. I may even make an extra and freeze it. I'm turning into an elderly italian woman.