Five thousand.

No, that’s not how many days I’ve lived (unless I was turning 14). It’s not the amount of hair follicles I disturb waxing my eyebrows (or is it?), nor is it the price we pay per class (though it’s heading in that direction). Five thousand is the amount of calories the average American will consume tomorrow, and 4,000 of those calories come from that delectable turkey dinner (well, tofurky in my case).  

If that’s not enough for you to make a trip to Disability Services for anxiety (you can do that, by the way), read on. It takes 3,500 calories to gain a solid pound of fat. The average woman should intake 1,500 calories, and 500 calories more for men. If my calculations are correct, that’s only 30 percent of what we’ll consume tomorrow (and 40 percent for men).

That’s a lot, and by a lot, I mean disturbingly excessive.

Now, before you start calling me a calorie-counting health nut, hear me out. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and coming from a family that revolves around food, we’re infamous for having leftovers until Christmas Eve (not because we don’t eat, but because we cook too much). I love the food we make, and I’m not mentally calculating how many grams of fat I consumed after inhaling the third slice of pecan pie. I believe this holiday is one of the only days in the year where we can shamelessly gorge ourselves.

But we live in a country where 1 in 3 individuals is obese. That’s not slightly overweight; that’s obese, meaning your weight is at least 20 percent more than what it should be. So, is consuming three times the amount of daily calories you need worth it for one day?

My answer: no. If you’re one of the millions of Americans who’s on a diet, Thanksgiving can be a huge set back. Why dig a hole so deep (yet not wide enough) that you can’t even get out of?

Instead, I propose you try something new this year. Enjoy healthy holiday helpings.

What are some healthier alternatives that will still whet your palette? Nothing’s wrong with a little googling, but it’s easy to get lost in all those options. Try my personal favorite healthy substitute: mashed cauliflower. It may not sound as appetizing as mashed potatoes, but don’t judge a dish by its name. The texture of mashed cauliflower is very similar to mashed potatoes, actually. Add some whole milk and cheese and the taste is, as Robert Palmer would say, simply irresistible.

Substituting mashed potatoes for cauliflower is also a calories saver. One cup of boiled potatoes compared to one cup of boiled cauliflower has almost five times the amount of calories. Convinced yet?

Well, if not, at least put whole milk in your mashed potatoes instead of whipping cream. Whipping cream has 2.4 times the amount of calories compared to whole milk and almost four times the amount of fat (how many times has that ugly three letter word appeared in this column thus far?).

We all know that it’s next to impossible to escape dessert on Thanksgiving Day, and that’s where the bulk of the calories come from. Instead, put your will power to the test and ration your food. Allow yourself to try most of the desserts, but only take a few bites of each. Put all the dessert you want to eat on your plate at once so you’re able to physically see how much you’re about to consume.

But if you’re anything like me, the above proves to be more challenging than it looks. Try this trick to help you eat less dessert (and in general) tomorrow. Drink full glasses of water before dinner to fill your stomach. After everyone goes around the table saying what they’re thankful for (do families still do this? I sure hope so), fill your plate with vegetables. No veggies at the table? Stick to the water. It’s simple, and it works.

And it doesn’t end there. We all know how the morning after is (especially if you downed a few drinks the night before). Start the day right by going on a brisk walk or a light run. Bring a family member or friend with you. It’s not only a time to bond, but a workout incognito.

Feel free to indulge, but keep these suggestions in mind when you’re about to loosen your belt at tomorrow’s dinner. Count your blessings and maybe some calories, too.

Geena Maharaj can be reached at maha8007@stthomas.edu.