Thanksgiving Week!

by Susan on November 21, 2011

I LOVE this week out of the year!!!! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! But it’s also a time where it’s easy to throw away all your efforts of the past months in health and fitness! Just a reminder: it DOESN’T have to be that way! Make a plan and stick with it this week! Yes, you WILL indulge and you CAN without feeling guilty. But there are some ways you can counteract the effects of the extra calories you’ll be consuming this week:

Work out!!! By sticking with your workout routine, you are one step ahead of the game. The calories you burn working out will help to compensate for the extra calories on Turkey Day (and the leftovers later!). So don’t take the week off!
Plan some sort of physical activity Thanksgiving Day. I plan to do my workout as usual. You can also add in some outdoor games with the family such as flag football or if you have younger kids, hide-and-seek or tag. Find out if there is a local 5k run/walk nearby. The last time we were in the States for Thanksgiving was 2008 and we participated in the local Turkey Run. It was the most memorable Thanksgiving our family has had! A LOT of fun, not to mention starting the day with a serious calorie burn. We took the whole family – little ones in strollers and older ones running along! We didn’t feel nearly as guilty later as we enjoyed Grandma’s pies!
Try planning a healthier Thanksgiving Dinner! I know this doesn’t always work out if you are visiting relatives, but if you are in control of the menu, make a few adjustments. Make it fun by planning it out with your family! Click here for some ideas.
Enjoy the holiday! Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t do things exactly how you planned/hoped! It’s ok to indulge once in awhile. The key is to get back on the wagon once the holiday has passed. If you decide to over-indulge from now till New Year’s, well, that’s another story. Email me if you need an extra little push come Monday morning and I’ll be glad to help you get back on track!