At Thanksgiving most people will overdo the food, possibly the drink, and avoid working out. I offer a few tips, as my gift to you, to remain healthy and to avoid the post-Thanksgiving regrets.
- Exercise – If you’re going to eat a ton, make sure you workout before the meal so that some of those calories will go to making muscle versus making fat.
- Before you jump in the shower blast off with 50 push ups and 50 squats as fast as you can.
- When in doubt do burpees. If you think you’re going to eat a lot, add 20 burpees to the routine. You don’t need much space and it is a compound movement that burns a ton of calories.
- When waiting in lines shopping do random squats. People may look at you weirdly, but post-Thanksgiving the memory of those looks will be gone and you won’t have the post-Thanksgiving regrets.
- Eating – Follow these tips to avoid overeating:
- Drink a ton of water so it fills you up versus gorging on an empty stomach.
- Drink green tea prior to eating. Green tea is an appetite suppressant.
- Eat slowly over the day so that you don’t overeat. Try to break down that big meal into 6-8 meals (less than 500 cals).
- Play the chewing game. See how many times you can chew your food before you swallow. You will get sick of chewing and not eat as much.
- Avoid peer pressure to overeat. Be your own person and stick to your beliefs.
- Order your food consumption to help avoid overeating. Eat vegetables first, then fiber, then protein, and save the fat dense foods for last.
- Set a goal for yourself of not over-indulging. If you don’t overeat or over-drink, then go buy yourself something.
If you have any other ideas, feel free to share them to help others. If you have questions, please write to me at pat@patsgym.com
