Thanksgiving is a fun holiday where you can celebrate what you’re thankful for and enjoy a delicious meal with people you care about. However, Thanksgivings can also be a time where it can be easy to overindulge and to lose track of your health and fitness goals. Here are some tips to help you have a healthy Thanksgiving.
Remember Your Goals
Before Thanksgiving dinner, sit down and think about your fitness goals. Remember what you are working for and why. Having clear goals in mind will help you to make healthier decisions.
Learn about different fitness apps that you can use to plan your goals.
Be Active
A great way to start your Thanksgiving is with a morning workout. You can burn extra calories by going on a morning run, doing an exercise routine, or hitting the gym. You could even make a family hike part of your holiday tradition. Then after you eat, don’t lay around and watch tv, go for walk.
Check out this Thanksgiving workout idea.
Eat Breakfast
You might be tempted to skip breakfast in order to save room for more turkey. However, if you are trying to lose weight, this might not be the best idea. Skipping meals can make you extra hungry later. As a result, you are more likely to overeat unhealthy foods at dinner. According to Live Science, you will consume more calories on average if you skip breakfast and lunch and go to dinner hungry. Instead of depriving your body of nutrients, try to start your day with a healthy breakfast.
Find some healthy breakfast ideas.
Make Healthy Snacks and Sides
Thanksgiving dinner is usually full of delicious high calorie foods. However, not all of the dishes have to be unhealthy. Plan some healthy side dishes that you can serve with your meal or substitute high calorie ingredients with healthier options.
Here are some healthier Thanksgiving recipe ideas.
Plan Ahead
Eating healthy does not mean that you cannot enjoy any of your Thanksgiving favorites. However, instead of eating everything offered, make a plan. Pick three high calorie foods that you want to indulge in. That way you can still enjoy eating your favorite holiday foods but you can also put a limit on how much unhealthy food you are eating.
When you sit down to dinner, start with healthier low calorie foods. For example, grab a salad or a healthy side dish before you move on to Turkey and pie. If you fill up on lower calorie foods first, you will have less room for unhealthy foods and will likely consume fewer calories than if you go for the pie first. Eat slowly and listen to your body. Stop eating when you’re full.
Think About Where You Sit
If you are sitting next to the snack bowl while you are waiting for dinner or next to the pies during dinner, you’re more likely to eat those foods. Think about where you are sitting so you can avoid temptation. Select a seat where it is inconvenient to eat foods you are trying to avoid.
Get Back into Your Regular Routine After Thanksgiving
Don’t let Thanksgiving derail your fitness goals. Even if you overeat during Thanksgiving, don’t give up. Restart your diet and get back into your regular fitness routine so you can have a healthy holiday season.
To discover more fitness tips visit the Alpine Fitness blog.
Sources
Kathleen M Zelman. 10 Tips for a Thinner Thanksgiving. Nourish by WebMD.
Rachael Rettner. Should You Eat Breakfast on Thanksgiving?. Live Science. Nov 26, 2013.
9 Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving. Medical West.
By: Kathryn Sanders
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