Women store a lot of fat in their butt and thighs.  We’ve all seen those unsightly stretch marks on the back of legs.  You don’t have to cover it up with your plus size leggings forever, try these four exercises to tone those quadriceps. 

Thanksgiving is coming up and we all know what that means.  Time to put on those comfy plus size leggings you got for your birthday.  With the stretchy and supportive material get ready to eat up a storm.  Only this year don’t feel guilty about it.  Use this recipe to make a low fat Thanksgiving dinner that is still super scrumptious.

Turkey:  Turkey is already very low in fat and is full of protein.  Take the skin off the turkey and only use the white meat.  The skin and dark meat of a turkey hold twice as much fat as the white skinless meat.  Prepare to your liking.   

Stuffing:  Turkey without the stuffing?  Without the butter and meat you don’t have to worry about how many calories are in one serving of stuffing.  Instead use mushrooms, vegetable, and fat free broth for this year’s stuffing. 

Sweet Potatoes:  Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber and potassium.  Instead of using butter and sugar to cook the potatoes use natural orange juice and sprinkles of brown sugar.    

Gravy: You can’t go without gravy.  Use a fat separator to strain the fat drippings.  Instead of butter, use cornstarch and sprinkles of flour to thicken the gravy. 

Pumpkin Pie:  Pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving favorite that cannot be left out.  The crust on any pie is the best part.  Use phyllo dough to make the crust.  Phyllo dough is made with flour, water, oil and white vinegar.  Use egg whites and fat- free evaporated milk instead, and enjoy a great tasting fiber filled pumpkin pie.  Avoid using whip cream.

You’re still going to need to wear your plus size leggings because the material is stretchy.  With this low fat Thanksgiving dinner, you get the same great taste without all the extra calories.

During this holiday season don’t ruin your diet with sugar filled sweets.   Instead pair your hot cocoa with healthy organic snacks.  Substitute your original ingredients with organic ingredients.  For example, if you are making chocolate chip cookies use these ingredients. 

2 ¼ cups of organic white whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ¾ cup of salt, 1 cup of unsalted organic butter, ¾ cup of powdered sugar, 2 large organic egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of organic half and half, and organic dark chocolate.

Once you are in comfortable in your plus size sports tops and leggings follow these instructions to a warm healthy batch of organic chocolate chip cookies. 

• Preheat your oven to 320 degrees

• Line cookie sheet with parchment paper

• In a separate bowl mix together the melted butter and sugar, slowly blend in the egg yolk and half and half until it is creamy

• Whip flour, baking powder and salt together, pour into the separate bowl mixing both products together

• Break up the chocolate into tiny pieces and mix into the final product

• Separate the dough into small circles and place on the cookie sheet

Bake for 25 minutes in your preheated oven or until the crust is brown.  Enjoy these freshly baked cookies with your family during the cold holiday.   

Being at work all day leaves no time or energy to hit the gym.  A huge problem for me was that I needed to lose weight and not working out wasn’t going to help.  Since I have my own office at work I take ten minutes out of each hour to do small exercise. I always wear my plus size cami bra underneath my work blouse to stay supported.  Try some of these exercises in the comfort of your office

• Run in place for 1-2 minutes, bringing your knees up high.

• Jump in place for 1-2 minutes, as if you were jumping rope.  With an imaginary jump rope in hand execute the arm motion for a better result. 

• Do walking lunges, lunging from one side of the room to the other.  Repeat for 1-2 minutes.

• Standing on your tip toes, elevate yourself up and down for 1-2 minutes.

• While sitting in your desk chair, bring both arms behind your head, hands together and pump up and down for about 1-2 minutes.

• Avoid the elevator and take the stairs

With these easy steps, not having time to get to the gym is no longer an excuse.  Also, taking a ten minute break each hour has helped me stay energized throughout the day.   

Every Thanksgiving we play our annual touch football otherwise known as the turkey bowl game.  This year I’m really excited to play in my new plus size leggings and jersey.  All of my cousins and family friends play a game of football while we are waiting to eat.  The game gets pretty intense but always brings us closer together.  I have to say that my team usually wins; the winner gets to eat first and most importantly bragging rights until next year. 

My grandparents enjoy watching us play because it is the only time they get to see all of their grandchildren play together. My grandmother is always the referee because my grandpa can’t help but be mutual.  With our parents cheering us on and younger cousins eager for their chance to play it’s a great family tradition that will go on for years.  Creating bonds between cousins that will last a lifetime.