Strategies to Stay Fit on Thanksgiving

Hi FitFeat friends! Happy “short-week” Monday! Now that Thanksgiving is almost here, I think I’m finally officially in the holiday spirit! People in our neighborhood started putting up holiday lights this week since it was a nice weather weekend.

I know this week is going to start getting busy so I wanted to cover some “Stay Fit” strategies today, so that you can be thinking it over before the holiday arrives and before you are so busy that reading blogs moves down the list of things to do!

I saw a news segment this weekend that the average Thanksgiving meal is 2500 calories! In ONE MEAL! They were discussing lower-calorie recipe alternatives to bring the meal down to 1200. My friends that is STILL too much to consume in one sitting.

Here are a few of the strategies I’ve put to good use over the years. I’ve been successful at keeping off the 35 lbs I lost 9 years ago – hopefully you’ll pick a few tips (or all of them) to use yourself in your own journey to get (or STAY) fit.

Get in a good workout the morning of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one day you DON’T want to take off from exercise. Chances are you will be taking in many more calories than usual, so you can at least mitigate some of the damage by burning some calories and depleting your glycogen stores. That way when you do eat, some of it will first go toward replenishing those stores. Turkey Trot 5K/10K races are a great way to get the day started with some fitness. If you can’t get out for a run or hike, aim for a full body workout focusing on the larger muscle groups of the body.

Stay hydrated (and feeling full) with water and no- to low-calorie beverages
Make sure you keep your water intake high so that your body doesn’t send you thirst signals that you may mistake for hunger.

Fill up on veggies first
Before you dig in to the high calorie, richer items focus on getting in your healthy items first. This way you’ll be increasing your fiber and nutrient intake as well.

Stop eating as soon as you start to feel full
There is no reason to eat until you are stuffed. It causes great stress on your body and makes you feel sluggish. Eat until you begin to feel satisfied. Then put the fork down. When food tastes amazing, it’s too easy to keep eating simply because “it’s too good to stop”. And don’t let friends/family pressure you into joining the “clean plate club”. You are an adult – you get to decide when you are done. Let the turkey be the only thing STUFFED that day.

Truly savor what you do choose to eat
Don’t scarf down your food. Eat slowly and enjoy all the time, flavors, and LOVE that went into each bite of what you are eating. Read an earlier FitFeat Post about chewing and digestion. Put your fork down between every bite.

Keep your goals in mind
If you are working toward a weight-loss goal, please keep that in mind. You know you need a 3500 calorie deficit just to lose ONE POUND in a week – so when you hear that the average holiday meal may be upwards of 2500 calories it’s easy to see how quickly you can undo some of your hard work. The average female only burns 80 to 100 calories per mile walked or jogged – think about that when you are eating a 600-calorie piece of pie. Ask yourself if it’s worth the 6+ miles it may take to work it back off. It might make you want to cut that piece of pie in half.

Stephen Gullo, Ph.D., writes about strategy being stronger than willpower in The Thin Commandments and urges you to tell yourself, “There’s not a single food that I’ll see today that I haven’t seen or tasted before. I have seen it all, I have tasted it all, and it hasn’t made me happy; it’s only made me heavy.” That has always resonated with me and helped me step away from foods that I know I might not want to stop eating once I take a taste. If you have foods that trigger you to overdo it, don’t even start.

Above all, have a HAPPY Thanksgiving
Enjoy the holiday for its meaning of giving thanks. Enjoy your time with friends and family. And be proud of the things you do to keep your body fit and healthy!

I will definitely be giving thanks for all of the wonderful friends I’ve made through the FitFeat blog. Thank you all for following along with my daily feats and eats, and FitFeat tips!

If you have HEALTHY HOLIDAY tips of your own that you’d like to share with the FitFeat readers, please drop a comment! We’d love to hear from you! Or if you have any questions, drop those in the comments too! Let’s chat!

Have a BEAUTIFUL Monday!

– Shari B. =)