Thanksgiving is just one day away! Family and friends will be gathered together, some having traveled across country, and some from right next door! I love this time of year; we are able to give thanks for everything we are blessed with, and eat until we, literally, cannot move! That being said, I have formed a few great guidelines for myself on Thanksgiving. No need to stress and fret over every calorie on a day that is meant for celebration! Here are my simple ways to keep your metabolism going all day, eat a ton, and still feel good on Friday.
Work Out Before Eating
Ok,
this may sound silly, and you may want to slap me for asking you to
work out on a holiday, but just stay with me for a minute... Getting
your heart and metabolism jump started a few minutes before eating can
do wonders for calorie burning. Luckily, we are not talking about an
hour of kick boxing before every bite of pumpkin pie. Working out for
just three minutes before you eat is enough. Sure, it is not going to
burn 600 calories, but it will jump start your metabolism so your body
can burn more. Try doing a few minutes of wall or traditional squats.
You can do these in the secret of a bathroom without changing into
exercise gear!
Drink, A Lot
Drinking water is vital on a day that your are going to be eating, and eating, and eating some more. People often mistake hunger for thirst, keeping yourself hydrated throughout the whole holiday season will help curb the snacking bug that can add on so many unwanted calories. Water is the best thing to drink any day of the week. The average American gets almost 50% of their sugar intake from carbonated and sweet beverages. Cut out all of this over the holidays and your waist may come out on top, even with all the extra cookies.
Choose Smaller Portions
Do not confuse this tip for eating less. Just eat less the first time around. I like to view the first course as my test course. Get a little bit of everything offered, try it all, then only go back for your favorites. This will not only leave more of what you hate for the person who loves it, but you won't have to feel guilty for not eating all of that weird jell-o mold. Keep the calories you eat for the food you want!
Eat A Good Breakfast
Yep, the tip for staying fit over Thanksgiving is to eat more! Your welcome :) Eating a protein rich breakfast on a day that we are going overboard can help curb some of those calories away from our thighs. Make sure that the first thing you eat in the morning is protein rich and carb and fat low. Something like eggs or low fat, plain greek yogurt is a great option and will kick start your metabolism for the rest of the day. If you are off and running early in the morning, grab a protein bar instead, just read the label first. There are quite a few protein bars on the market that have more carbs and fat than protein... We are going for protein rich, not breakfast candy bar!
Relax and Enjoy
Stress can create major issues in the human body over the long haul. When people are stressed, they tend to eat more and their body's will try to hold on to those calories. Staying relaxed and happy can be one of our best defense to staying fit! Sometimes we all need a little break on the holidays. If you feel stressed, just sit down and relax. Family would rather we be late than be a big ball of annoyed. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of year and their is so much to be thankful for, relax and enjoy it... Our dieting can start back up tomorrow!!