The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the most anticipated days of the calendar year. It’s a time of family, reflection and of course delicious food! But is there a way to enjoy the holiday without making it completely derail our fitness goals? Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Eat Breakfast-
One of the biggest mistakes people can make is going to Thanksgiving dinner starving. This is a great way to ensure you overeat and end up feeling sick. Instead, eat a high protein, manageable breakfast and come to dinner ready to eat a normal sized meal. You’ll feel better, enjoy yourself more and stay healthy.
Try to be Active-
While we don’t want to be a buzzkill it can be helpful to think about the calories we are eating and how they can fit into our overall healthy living. Many people find it helpful to try and do something active the day of Thanksgiving so we hopefully don’t eat as much and keep a healthy mindset.
A great option is to play in a family football game or enter a local turkey trot 5k to help causes like your area food bank. This is fun, active and a nice way to give back.
Portion Control-
Another great tip for the big meal is to implement portion control. It can be tempting to take a portion of everything at the buffet instead of thinking ‘Do I really like this item?’. For example, if you are meh on sweet potatoes don’t eat them and save the calories for something you actually love.
Also if we have a small helping we can try more items and moderate our calories more easily. Another tip is to have a smaller plate which can mentally trick our brain we are eating more than we really are.
Savor the Food and Family-
It’s always a good tip to remember the food is just a vehicle to spend time with our family and friends. So try to slow down, have conversation and really enjoy both your food and family.
In the end, remember moderation is the key to any healthy life and that includes the holidays. If we do our best to be active and make simple changes we can still have a blessed holiday and not derail all our hard work.
And don’t forget to do that black Friday run before hitting the stores the next day!
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