5 ways to have a fit Thanksgiving

Why did the turkey cross the road? No one will ever know because he’s stuffed and glistening on a table, along with every other holiday treat that’s guaranteed to expand a waistline. But, it doesn’t have to play out this way! With a little planning and preparation, you can have your turkey, and eat it too. Here are your 5 steps to surviving Thanksgiving with your health and fitness in tact.

1. Get a jump start: Start sweating well before Thanksgiving day actually arrives. If you go into the holiday season with an established workout regimen and healthy habits already in place, it’ll be much easier to naturally make the decisions that will promote your health and fitness, rather than discourage it.
2. Have a big healthy breakfast: I’m not sure why, but the inclination is to save yourself, and all your calories now, for the big, tasty meal later. This is not a good strategy, unless you want to overeat and feel like you’ve been stuffed in a sausage casing for the rest of the evening. Eat as your normally would during the day, and when it comes time to feast with your family, you’ll be reasonably hungry, and be able to exercise the willpower necessary to resist huge servings,and only distribute healthy portions of food on your plate.
3. Hit the gym: One fabulous advantage of being a part of the Fit1 family, is that you don’t have to take a vacation from the gym…ever! Just because it’s a holiday, doesn’t mean you should brush off your body for the day. If anything, plan to give yourself an extra fifteen minutes of strength training to fire up your metabolism and keep you burning more calories all day long.
4. Bring a dish: Don’t rely on aunt Sally to have a healthy veggie option for you at the dinner table. There are a ba-zillion healthy versions of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes on the internet. Just do a search for “healthy green bean casserole,” “low-fat gravy,” or “clean apple pie.” You’ll find a plethora of great recipes that you and your family can enjoy, sans guilt.
5. Have a plan for the day after: A day of indulgence is just that…a day. Enjoy the day, and the amazing food and family, then get right back on track. Don’t let guilty feelings about that pumpkin pie ruin the rest of your weekend. One day of sweets and treats isn’t going to derail an entire fitness plan, unless one day turns into several. Plan your workout for the next few days, and make sure you have plenty of your regular healthy staple foods in the fridge to fill up on just incase that leftover pecan pie is calling your name.