HAVE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 2,100 AND 7,100 CALORIES. Thanksgiving Day is one marked by gratitude, family togetherness and food. For some people, the latter may come first in terms of what Thanksgiving means to them.

The traditional meal conjures childhood memories and familial customs. It means eating too much, watching football or taking a nap after dinner. It can also mean a second round for a later “snack” of leftovers.

So just how many calories are in a traditional Thanksgiving meal? It depends on what gets eaten and by whom, but generally Thanksgiving dinner

equals between 2,100 and 7,100 calories. The recommended amount of calories for an adult in a full day is between 2,000 and 2,500. There is no doubt that the Thursday feast can have an impact on weight.

Experts have all kinds of ways to reduce the number of calories consumed in the traditional meal. One of the first rules of thumb is to not show up to Thanksgiving hungry. A good breakfast or lunch is essential to keeping hunger at bay and helping to avoid overeating.

Thanksgiving dinner should be considered an “all you can eat buffet.” Health educators recommend filling the plate half full with vegetables, one quarter with lean meat and the rest with the starch of choice. Eating slowly and stopping when full will also help.

Moderation is the key, as is good decision making. People should try to limit high-fat items like cream and cheese. “You can easily get 500 to 1,000 calories just by snacking on the sweets and desserts,” said Nutritionist David Dade.

If rich foods can’t be avoided, smaller portion size is a good way to keep the calorie count down.

“Just being aware of your portions and eating the foods that are important to you if they have a family tradition or importance to you,” he said. “Consume those rather than eating just because it’s there,” Dade said.

Water consumption helps keep the body feeling full and keeps it hydrated. Enough water can combat the dehydrating effects of coffee and alcohol, too.

Most Americans gain an average of one pound between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, which marks more than half of the total weight gain of the average American for the entire year. The average person consumes 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving day.

There are plenty of ways to reduce the calorie cost of a Thanksgiving dinner without giving up the celebration. Portion control is key. Using smaller plates and not going back for seconds are helpful, as is eating very slowly.

Substitutions for high fat ingredients can slice calories drastically. Low fat milk instead of cream in mashed potatoes, whole wheat bread in stuffing and lots of vegetables are good ways to keep the tradition without gaining extra calories.

Chef Bruce Miller recommends filling up on salad with low calorie dressing, choosing white meat turkey and steaming vegetables as further ways to cut the fat. Thinking about what is being consumed is another good idea. “You want to learn to think before you eat,” said Madelyn Fernstrom, director of the University of Pittsburgh’s weight management center. “It doesn’t mean you don’t eat. It means make a better choice.”

For example, choosing pumpkin pie instead of apple or pecan can save up to 200 calories from the meal. Skinless turkey is an excellent source of protein without a lot of fat and calories. Choose wine instead of other alcoholic beverages, as it has fewer calories and some nutritional benefit.

But Thanksgiving dinner is quite a draw, and it is hard to cut back on something that happens just once a year. Dade says it can take a 175-pound person five hours and 25 minutes of walking to burn off the meal.

Using a calorie calculator, GAZETTE staff figured out just how far each person would have to walk to burn off his or her planned dinner. The results were shocking.

The average for all employees was 20.4 miles to burn off Thanksgiving dinner. Actual miles ranged from 16.26 to over 25, depending on the person.

Rather than waiting until the day after to walk to and from work from the outer areas of the County, Dade recommends getting up and getting moving on Thanksgiving. Walking and playing football with the family are good ways to start burning off those extra calories before they have a chance to move to the waistline.