Thanksgiving week is here. This is a time to celebrate our family and friends with an abundant feast. This is a time to be grateful, but anyone who is trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy body may feel uncomfortable or stressed about Turkey Day’s toll on their bodies.

The good news is you can enjoy Thanksgiving without packing on the pounds. Plan ahead, make smart choices at the dinner table, and get back on the fitness train when the holiday is over.

Before The Holiday

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, eat a little lighter than usual to make up for the extra calories that you will be consuming on the holiday. Cutting out a daily snack, creamer in the week’s morning coffee, and other small tweaks will add up to create a meaningful deficit that allows for that sliver of mom’s homemade pie.

On Turkey Day

On Thanksgiving morning, make sure you eat normally before the big meal. Eat a high protein breakfast and have a light healthy snack a couple of hours before dinner. If you show up at a feast of delicious foods on an empty stomach, you will be more likely to binge on all of those high calorie sides and desserts. If you stay on track during the day, it will be easier to dish out reasonable portions at dinner time. Savor a few bites of your favorite foods that you don’t usually eat during the rest of the year. Enjoy them knowing that you aren’t overdoing it with one portion.

Fill up with vegetables and drink a lot of water so you feel satisfied before consuming a large quantity of less-than-healthy foods.

What To Wear

Some might remember a Thanksgiving episode of FRIENDS where Joey walks into Monica’s apartment saying, “Okay, I’m in my sweatpants. Bring on the food.” While this made viewers laugh, it would be wise to do the opposite of Joey on T-Day. Put on some form fitting clothes so that you areaware of your body’s signals that you are full. When your pants are feeling tight, you will think twice about loading up on another serving of stuffing.

Game Time

Instead of settling on the couch to watch football after your meal, take the family outside to play. Start a tradition of working off some of your annual feast with a backyard game of flag football. Not only will the whole family burn off some of the calories, but everyone will have a blast together, creating memories that are not centered around food.

The Day After

Grandma may have sent you home with a week’s worth of leftovers but this doesn’t mean you have to fall off of the fitness wagon. Use leftover turkey and veggies to make a healthy, hearty soup. Freeze the high-calorie sides to serve occasionally, in moderation. You could always host a friendsgiving party and let your friends gobble up the leftovers.

Get back to your normal sleeping, eating, and exercising routines as soon as possible. Your body will recover from the holiday, the sooner that you do.

If you need a little extra motivation, call Repke Fitness for a consultation. Louben Repke and his staff of trainers will get you back on track, so you’re ready to face the rest of the holiday season and a fitter New Year. We’re also a perfect location for clients looking for personal training in Severn.