Episode 17: Thanksgiving Special – Fun Facts, Fat Guy Files & 10 Turkey Day Health Tips

Posted on by Wes Wise.

In Episode 17, we’re dishing up some fun facts/history about Thanksgiving, diving into the Fat Guy Files for Thanksgiving 2009, and offering some tips to keep your health on track over the holiday! In this episode:

  • Fun Facts about Thanksgiving
  • The Fat Guy Files: Thanksgiving 2009
  • Tips to Stay on Track This Holiday Season
  • And much more!

It’s a GOBBLE GOBBLE edition of Wise Eats! Enjoy and make wise choices.

Episode Timestamps

  • Greens, Beans, Potatoes, Tomatoes Song Blurb (0:10)
  • Welcome to a special GOBBLE GOBBLE edition of Wise Eats! (00:30)
  • Stand-Up Comedy Blurb (00:50)
  • What Thanksgiving means to me (1:00)
  • How America ranks Thanksgiving among other holidays (1:20)
  • A time to be thankful for all the wonderful things we have in life (1:30)
  • Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving Skit Blurb DA BEARS (2:00)
  • History and fun facts about Thanksgiving (2:00)
  • The original Thanksgiving celebration (2:10)
  • How many Americans will eat turkey this Thanksgiving? (2:30)
  • Thanksgiving Dish Rankings! (2:40)
  • How many pumpkin pies will be eaten this Thanksgiving? (3:00)
  • Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has a special type of pie! (3:10)
  • YOU NAME IT! Video Clip (3:25)
  • Abraham Lincoln declares Thanksgiving a National Holiday (3:30)
  • George Washington (3:40)
  • Thomas Jefferson hated Thanksgiving! (3:50)
  • Franklin Roosevelt Changes the Date of Thanksgiving! (4:05)
  • Canada also celebrates Thanksgiving! (4:30)
  • Mr. Bean Video Clip (4:40)
  • The White House pardons a turkey every Thanksgiving! (4:50)
  • The staggering number of turkeys that will be consumed on Thanksgiving and Christmas this year (5:00)
  • Funny note about the gobble sound a turkey makes (5:15)
  • Turkey Gobble Video Clip (5:30)
  • Thanksgiving Football! It’s history and the only two teams that play every Thanksgiving (5:35)
  • Will the Detroit Lions EVER be a good football team? (5:50)
  • Bill Swerski’s Thanksgiving Heritage SNL Clip (6:25)
  • Christmas Music: My Confession (6:30)
  • The history of the Jingle Bells Christmas song(7:15)
  • The Fat Guy Files – Thanksgiving 2009 (7:30)
  • My exact diet journal entry from 10 years ago, with every meal in its gory detail (7:40)
  • Cheerios, Chicken Alfredo, Apple Pie, Fruit Loops, Total Cereal, Smart Ones Dessert (8:00)
  • Lemon Chicken, McDonald’s, Crab Rangoons, Chicago Style Pizza, Double Cheeseburger, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Angus Burger, Taco Bell, Chinese Food, Alcohol Binge, Egg Rolls, No Bake Cheesecake (9:00)
  • He’s Just Having a Heart Attack! Video Clip (10:20)
  • How I went from being the worst of the worst health-wise to today: A comparison (10:45)
  • Smackdown WWE Thanksgiving The New Day Video Clip (11:50)
  • 10 Tips to help you stay on track this Thanksgiving! (12:00)
  • Tip# 1: Benefits of Walking (12:10)
  • Tip# 2: Lifting Weights (12:50)
  • Tip# 3: Get Good Sleep (13:10)
  • Psycho Kid Ruins Thanksgiving Video Clip (13:15)
  • Tip# 4: Reduce Stress (13:20)
  • Danny Villalpando Thanksgiving Joke (13:50)
  • Tip# 5: Don’t Skip Breakfast
  • Tip# 6: Bring a healthy dish to pass (14:30)
  • Recipe of the Week: Bastard Biker Banana Bread (14:40)
  • Tip# 7: Pick protein/veggies over fats and avoid snacking (15:35)
  • Tip# 8: Eat slowly and thoughtfully (16:10)
  • SNL Video Clip Remember to chew those pork chops! (16:40)
  • Tip# 9: Stay Hydrated (16:45)
  • Will Ferrell SNL Video Clip: Share something we’re thankful for (17:15)
  • Tip# 10: Avoid liquid calories + holiday drinking statistics (17:20)
  • Another Thanksgiving stand-up comedy clip (18:10)
  • Bonus Tip: Enjoy the Holiday! Don’t obsess like I used to (18:15)
  • Wise-Eats.com/Episode17 for the show notes, YouTube video, recipes, pictures, and more (19:215)
  • The Following Announcement YouTube Show – Season Finale 7: Tombstoned (19:25)
  • Tombstone Movie Parody starring yours truly (19:40)
  • Don’t miss the next episode where I’ll be conducting my first ever interview! (20:00)
  • Please like, subscribe, comment (20:20)
  • WiseChoiceNation.com for my free newsletter and Wise Eats Approved Foods List (20:30)
  • Jingle Bells BLOOPER REEL (20:40)

Recipes Mentioned in This Episode:

Articles/Brands/Products Mentioned in This Episode:

Movie Clips

Website Design Thank You: DoeringDesign.com
Logo Design Thank You’s: @this_show, MGSignsDesign.com
Editing Animations Thank You: Darin Roberts aka Misteredit1 on YouTube

The Wise Eats Podcast is written, filmed, edited, and produced by Wesley Wise, and hopefully shared by YOU. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Submit questions, comments, feedback to WiseEatsPodcast@gmail.com or to @weswisefitness on Instagram. Thanks for watching, listening, reviewing, liking, subscribing, and sharing. Be good to yourself, be good to others, and make wise choices!

Thanksgiving Special!

Happy Turkey Day, wise guys and gals, and welcome to a special GOBBLE GOBBLE edition of the Wise Eats Podcast. Got another fun-filled, holiday edition of the show where we’ll celebrate the occasion in style by diving into some fun facts about Thanksgiving and offer some tips to keep your health on track on the big day. Thanksgiving has always been a very special time for me to share with my close family and friends, and America agrees. Thanksgiving ranks as the #2 holiday in America behind Christmas (#1) and ahead of Halloween (#3). A couple other interesting notes:

  • 96% of Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving this year.
  • Americans are going to spend an estimated $552 million dollars on turkey this Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Fun Facts

This is always a special time of year where we get to celebrate with friends and family and be thankful for all the great gifts we have in our lives. What better way to honor Thanksgiving than by sharing some interesting tidbits about the holiday. I’ll put links to all of my sources for these over at Wise-Eats.com/Episode17

  • The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 and lasted for 3 days, and it’s unknown whether Turkey was on the menu. Instead, venison, duck, goose, lobster, and other items were served. There wasn’t even any pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce!
  • It’s a much different story today, as 88% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving, and 9% of eat their Thanksgiving meal at a restaurant. Here’s the ranking of America’s favorite dishes ranked, in order:
  • Turkey 39%
  • Stuffing 23%
  • Pumpkin Pie 12%
  • Mashed Potatoes 9%
  • Sweet Potatoes 6%
  • Cranberry Sauce 3%

It is estimated that 50 million pumpkin pies are eaten on Thanksgiving. According to the American Pie Council, most American prefer Apple pie over pumpkin pie.

  • There’s a long history of presidential influence with Thanksgiving. George Washington was the first to declare Thanksgiving a holiday, but it was on a year-to-year basis, so presidents had to re-declare it every year, which did not sit well with president Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson refused to declare Thanksgiving a holiday because he believed in the separation of church and state, and since Thanksgiving involved prayer and reflection, he thought making it a national holiday would violate the first amendment.
Apparently, Thomas Jefferson didn’t care for the idea of Thanksgiving
  • That was all changed on October 3, 1863, when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday.
Abraham Lincoln declares Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863
  • In 1939, Franklin Roosevelt tried to screw everything up by changing the date of Thanksgiving, which caused a whole bunch of problems, and the decision was eventually overturned.
  • Canada also celebrates Thanksgiving, but they do it on the second Monday of October. In America, Thanksgiving commemorates a feast between the pilgrims and the Native Americans, whereas Canadian Thanksgiving celebrates the meal of English explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew after they successfully sailed from England to Canada in 1578.
  • If you’re an animal lover like me, you’ll enjoy this next tidbit, because the White House has a tradition of sparing the life of one lucky turkey each year. While the origins of this ritual are still debated, the tradition was finalized by George H.W. Bush in 1989.  
  • Unfortunately, that one turkey is just a drop in the bucket, because about 46 million Turkeys will be cooked this Thanksgiving, and then another 22 million on Christmas. That’s a lot of turkeys that won’t be gobbling this year! And speaking of that, only male turkeys actually make a gobble sound. Female turkeys cackle instead.
  • For those of us, including myself, who love watching football on Turkey day, the first Thanksgiving pro football game took place in 1876, and the first Thanksgiving NFL games were played in 1920.
  • Only two NFL teams play on Thanksgiving every year: The Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys. The Lions have played on every Thanksgiving since 1934 except for when the team was called away to serve during World War II. The Dallas Cowboys also play on every Thanksgiving, a tradition that started in 1966. I’m a faithful Lions fan, being from Detroit, although the team hasn’t given us much to cheer for in our lifetime. Hopefully, they’ll turn it around some day.
  • Roto-Rooter reports that Black Friday is the busiest day of the year for plumbers.
  • Lastly, one of the best things about Thanksgiving is that Christmas is right around the corner, and I have a confession to make: I LOVE CHRISTMAS MUSIC. It’s always so upbeat, positive, fun, romantic, what’s not to like about it? I used to always find it kind of annoying, but it’s grown on me over the years, thanks to my wife, so we play it on the radio all season long. And wouldn’t you know it, the Christmas classic “Jingle Bells” was originally a Thanksgiving Day song entitled “One Horse Open Sleigh”. The song became so popular around Christmas time that it was changed to Jingle Bells in 1859.

The Fat Guy Files – Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving 2009 was an epicly bad week for me, where I averaged 5,100 each day for the week. I was already down 70lbs and ready to celebrate in a big way, and celebrate I did. Here is the actual physical, written journal entry from back then:

The average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is somewhere between 3,000-4,500, and I blew it out of the water this week! If this sounds like your diet right now, it’s time to wise up!

Protein powder for 2-4 meals per day is TOO MUCH

Protein Challenge Update

Still haven’t had any protein powder in the month of November, and it’s been amazing! Whole food is the way to go to get your protein, although I do miss my tasty protein shakes. December 1st! All in all, the challenge has been fairly easy and haven’t missed the processed protein powders much at all.

15lbs Down Challenge Update

Must admit that the 15lbs down challenge before Thanksgiving is not going as well as I’d hoped. Still only down the 5lbs I originally lost in week 1. Based on my body composition, I need to have about 3,000 cals/day to lose weight, but have been indulging in about 3,500/day, so I’ve lacked some discipline admittedly. Still happy with the shape I’m in and have been absolutely crushing it at the gym, so happy with where I’m at headed into Thanksgiving!

I’m also happy to report that my dermatologist stitches are all healed up and I got the go ahead to start lifting heavy again (not that I ever stopped in the first place, lol).

Tips to Stay on Track over the Holidays

Now that I’ve illustrated exactly what not to do this Thanksgiving, here are some tips to help you stay on track with your fitness over the holidays. And in case any of you are wondering, I’ll be doing every single one of these tips this Thanksgiving. Not just whistling Dixie over here!

  1. Go for Walks – First thing in the morning and after meals. This is one of the easiest ways to combat overeating and put those extra calories to good use! Walking offers so many health benefits like promoting digestion and helping send a signal to your body that you’re done eating. It also gives you the opportunity to connect with loved ones and get some exercise in the process.
  2. Lift Weights – A good weight training session will ensure that your Thanksgiving calories are put to good use by increasing your strength and boosting your metabolism! I’ll be lifting intensely in the days and minutes leading up to Thanksgiving for sure! Before you decide to do a bunch of cardio to make up for your Thanksgiving celebration, I recommend that you lift some weights instead, which will put those calories to much better use!
  3. Get Good Sleep – Sleeping well the night before can help reduce cravings and keep your metabolism firing on all cylinders.
  4. Reduce Stress – Hopefully, the holidays are a time for fun and relaxation for you, but if they just leave you feeling stressed, I get it! Do some journaling, deep breathing, meditation to keep your emotions controlled and set your intentions for the day by focusing on gratitude and all the positive things about the holiday experience.
  5. Eat Breakfast – Starving yourself leading up to the big meal can lead to binging. Keep your energy levels stable by having a healthy breakfast and then portioning your Thanksgiving meal appropriately.
  6. Bring a Health Dish to Pass – This guarantees you will have healthy options at the dinner table to choose from.
  7. Pick Protein over Fats – Eat more lean meat and veggies and have less gravies, casseroles, snacks, and desserts.
  8. Eat Slowly & Thoughtfully – Enjoy your food, don’t just gobble it down. Take time to enjoy the people around you. Avoid the area where the food is after you’ve eaten so you’re less likely to overeat. Watch your portions and try to avoid going for seconds – I know, easier said than done! 8 in 10 Americans agree that they enjoy leftovers more than the actual meal itself.
  9. Stay Hydrated – One of the best tactics you can use to avoid overeating. I drink water with every meal to help bring on the feeling of fullness.
  10. Avoid Liquid Calories – Alcohol used to be a staple of every holiday for me, and I’m not alone. A survey of Americans found that 63% plan to drink wine with their Thanksgiving dinner, 19% plan to drink beer, and 10% plan to have mixed drinks. That means 92% of Americans will consume alcohol on Thanksgiving! I find that stat hard to believe, but maybe I’m living in a fantasy world. Alcohol, Egg Nog, Soda should be off limits! Stick with water and coffee! You’re far more likely to retain your calories as body fat when you’re throwing in alcohol on top of the food.

Here’s a bonus tip: Enjoy the holiday! – Don’t get too worked up about your fitness goals. It’s a special time, so enjoy it! Keep your goals in mind, but don’t obsess over them. Let loose and enjoy yourself.

Recipe of the Week: Bastard Biker Banana Bread

The banana bread is made with almond butter, coconut flour, and a few other simple ingredients. It’s always a hit and so delicious! Wise-Eats.com/BananaBread

Another recipe I make constantly, not just at Thanksgiving, is the Slammin’ Sweet Potato. You just cut 3 large sweet potatoes into small pieces, load them into a pan coated in coconut oil or grass fed butter, top with cinnamon, and bake for about an hour. And the longer you cook them, the crispier and more caramelized they become. So simple, healthy, and delicious! Wise-Eats.com/SweetPotato

Happy Thanksgiving!

Access the full article, show notes, pictures, and more over at Wise-Eats.com/Episode17

The Following Announcement Season 7 Finale drops this Saturday, November 30, and features yours truly as part of the cast, so definitely check that out. TFAShow.com and once the episode is live, Wise-Eats.com/Tombstoned

Coming up next on Wise Eats!!

On the next episode, I’ll be conducting my first ever podcast interview with none other than my wife Giovannina. She’s lost 39lbs this year and we’re going to dive into exactly how she did it, so don’t miss it! Until then, thanks for watching, have a happy Thanksgiving, and remember: be good to yourself, be good to others, and make wise choices!

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