Thanksgiving marks the start of the Holiday Season. Our usual fitness and eating routines can easily go way off track with all of the commotion. Before you start stressing over the extra calories and a missed workout or two, remember that ONE DAY won’t make or break you. If one day of super high calories made you fat, then one day of perfect, healthy eating should produce your goal body. Sounds ridiculous, right? For some reason, people seem to forget this logic. What should you do? This is the tip I share with all of my clients for enjoying Thanksgiving Day: EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT AND GET RIGHT BACK ON TRACK THE NEXT DAY. Yep, that’s it. That’s THE TIP. One day of stuffing your face will not derail your health and fitness. Weight gain doesn’t happen overnight. It takes consistent over consumption of calories to gain weight. There is no reason to feel guilt or shame for enjoying this day. Notice I said ‘Thanksgiving DAY’? That’s because it doesn’t need to be 4 straight days of over-eating indulgent foods. Enjoy your favorite things on the actual day-whatever it may be. Even if you eat rolls and butter, seconds at dinner, and half of a pecan pie, you’re going to be just fine. You might feel stuffed and bloated, but you won’t destroy your body. If you want to work out on Thanksgiving Day, go for it! You don’t have to kill yourself though. Eating the next day Don’t starve yourself. Eat what you normally eat. You don’t need to eat less to balance out the “damage” from yesterday. Pick nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruit, lean meats, fish, dairy, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and limit highly processed foods. Exercising the next day Of course, traveling can make the fitness part a bit more challenging, but there is usually a way to sneak it in. A walk is perfect. Why not bring some people with you? It’s a great way to get some steps and family time. Do you want a 30-minute, full body strength training workout? Here is a full body routine you can do anywhere. You can use soup cans like I did, but definitely go for dumbbells if you have them. Maybe you want something that brings the heart rate up a little more? Try this bodyweight HIIT routine. If you can’t exercise for a few days, it’s ok. Use these days off for recovery and you’ll be ready for a killer session on Monday.
Final thoughts Let go of the guilt. Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful. Treasure your moments with family and friends. Life will get back to normal on Monday. ![]()
2 Comments
Leslie Johnson
11/25/2022 09:19:53 am
Great info & presentation! This thanksgiving I’m thankful for your thoughtful tips & blog! Love you!!
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April
11/27/2022 11:49:03 am
Thank you so much, Leslie! Love you too!
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AuthorOver 15 years of experience working with clients to optimize health and fitness. Archives
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