Gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie ... as delicious as it all is, the calories can really add up. Martha told us that a typical Thanksgiving feast can add up to 4,000 calories. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a bit more forgiving and estimates that most of us consume about 3,000 calories. But that's no less shocking. ACE also estimates that we take in about 229 grams of fat. Or, to look at it another way, it's the caloric equivalent of 5.5 Big Macs. Wow.

Don't let those scary numbers stop you from enjoying the feast, though. Fitz has some great ideas on how you can enjoy Thanksgiving and not regret it later. To help you decide what foods you want to splurge on, consider this list:

• Egg nog -- two cups have 684 calories and 36 grams of fat
• Dark turkey meat -- a 3.5-ounce serving has 187 calories and 7.2 grams of fat
• Candied sweet potatoes -- one cup has 286 calories and 7.8 grams of fat

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I consider myself a pretty good eater. I mostly consume fruits, veggies, non-red lean meats, some whole grains, and only an occasional basket of bread -- ah, my weakness. I'm sure I eat the appropriate amount of calories in a day -- not too many, not too few -- but one thing that makes me wonder a bit is this: Am I getting enough of the good stuff in my diet -- the protein, the fiber, the calcium, the iron? My mom and I discussed this the other evening while power walking through our neighborhood. Protein was the topic. After our walk, I came home and did some research. Here's what I found.

Apparently, most Americans get more than enough protein in their diets, according to Health Central's MyDietExercise.com. Sometimes, though, our erratic eating habits and tendencies toward fad diets throw our protein intake out of whack, which undermines energy, exercise performance, and overall health.

So how much exactly is enough protein? Well, it depends on a few factors, says Health Central -- like age, gender, and activity level. For me, after plugging my stats into their handy dandy calculator, I learned that I need 81 grams per day. Seems like a lot but check out how these common foods stack up in the protein department -- chicken has 35 grams per four-ounce breast and salmon has 23 grams per three-ounce serving. One six-ounce can of tuna has 40 grams, four ounces of cottage cheese has 14, and one egg has six.

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We've all accepted the fact that we need protein. But do you know specifically how much protein you need to be getting as part of a nutritious diet? If you're anything like me, you might not be getting enough. I'll be honest here--I'm not a protein person. I prefer carbs, veggies and fruits to anything else out there, and seeing as I'm not much of a meat eater, it's sometimes a struggle to get my fair share. But I do ok--or at least I though so.

I recently paid attention to what the recommended daily intake of protein is for people depending on their weight. Here's a quick breakdown (to find out your own, just multiply your weight in lbs by .36:)

• If you weigh 100 lbs, you need 36g
• If you weigh 120 lbs, you need 43.2g
• If you weigh 140 lbs, you need 50.4g
• If you weigh 160 lbs, you need 57.6g
• If you weigh 180 lbs, you need 64.8g

That seems like an awful lot, doesn't it? But there's good news--protein isn't only in meat. You can find it in a variety of dairy products, not to mention nuts, beans, lentils and vegetables.

How do you get your protein?

Kudos to nearly all New York City restaurants who are now complying with phase one of the city's new trans fat regulation. Those still using spreads or fry oils containing the artificial trans fat will be fined by the Health Department.

A whopping 94 percent of 3,300 restaurants inspected between July 1 and September 1 were using zero grams of trans fat. Before the regulation had passed, 50 percent were in compliance. By June, 80 percent were on board. And for the few still not passing with flying colors, it seems margarine use is the hold-up. Fines starting at $200 -- fining began on October 1 -- is the penalty for non-compliance.

"Despite claims to the contrary, New York City restaurants have shown that it's easy to get artificial trans fat out of spreads and fry oils," said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Health Commissioner for New York City. "New Yorkers are now enjoying more healthful foods without any change in taste or price."

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