Healthy Thanksgiving - How Not to Wreck Your Fitness During the Holidays
Are you ready??!!??? Thanksgiving is almost here! You know what that means....
Not so fast Dumbledore. In this here space we prefer to be thoughtful about our feasts, lest we end up like that girl from Willy Wonka. Around this time every year, plenty of folks (especially me) begin the process of slowly eroding the healthy habits that they picked up over the past 300 days or so. Usually that means that at the beginning of the year we rush back to our local gym or group ex class and start the process all over again.
In an effort to maintain what we've worked so hard for, here are a couple of tips for the Thanksgiving holiday (and beyond) that will help you avoid total fitness armageddon.
Pictured: NOT YOU!!!
WORKOUT BEFORE THE FEAST
I know, I know.... Thanksgiving is a day OFF! That's what makes it the perfect day to get an early workout. You can take your time and do an in-home workout, go for a run, or maybe just stretch. Keep it simple, but find a way to get the heart rate up and get the blood flowing. Working out starts your day off right and encourages you to maintain a reasonable diet later in the day when the festivities begin.
STUFF YOUR PLATE
But not like that. When the feast begins, grab your plate and load up... on vegetables and lean meats. Avoid super high calorie sides in large portions. Keep those to a minimum. You can also start with a salad and/or soup to that will help curb the cravings for the other options. Also, just because it's Thanksgiving doesn't mean you should wait to eat until later in the day. Some people essentially fast earlier in the day to 'make room' for the stuffing. Try to avoid that and you won't want to overdo it at dinner time.
MINIMIZE THE ALCOHOL
Listen, I am not advocating that you have 'dry' day, per se. In fact you might need some libations to help you deal with some of your more 'interesting' family members. Still, getting sauced probably isn't the way to go.
Pictured: Again, not you
Have a glass or two of wine, maybe some beer, but try not to that guy or gal who says the inappropriate thing to Granny because you've have 2 too many.
Lastly, if you are the one cooking on Turkey day, remember that YOU are in control. Try to put some healthier options on the table with your world famous pie. Give your guests a good time, but don't give them heart disease. They'll thank you later.
Now go eat, drink, and be merry!!
Pictured: Ok, this time it's you kween