The week leading up to Thanksgiving you should try to be as active as possible. You want your muscles working hard and your metabolism amped up leading up to Thanksgiving. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday should be your most active days to make the most of the extra calories you will be consuming.

 

Thanksgiving: Here are a few tips to help minimize the gluttony and burn some calories.

 

1) Workout as close to eating as possible. I know this is difficult with food prep, family, etc., but the closer your workout is to your meal the more calories will be used for muscle recovery rather than fat storage.

2) Eat your Vegetables because they are nutrient dense and calorie light foods that fill you up faster than calorie dense foods like potatoes, bread, and desserts. Prepare a vegetable tray as the appetizer for your meal so you can fill up without taking in a lot of calories.

3) Turkey! Fill your plate with turkey and add a little bit of each of the other things you like (try to watch the gravy- LOTS of empty calories there). Turkey is a great source of protein, the building block of muscles.

4) Walk after eating instead of lying down on the couch and taking a nap. It will help with digestion and will also burn some of the extra calories.

 

Limit Yourself On:

 

Dessert and Alcohol. I will not tell you that you have to skip dessert or completely abstain from alcohol (provided you are off age, of course). After all, it’s a holiday and these are part of the festivities, just be smart about it. If there are 4 different kinds of pie, have a quarter slice of each instead of a whole slice of each. Eat enough to enjoy the taste but not so much that you feel sick afterwards. The same goes for alcoholic drinks. Choose red wine or light beer rather than full calorie beer, mixed drinks, or after-dinner drinks. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and it's a depressant, meaning it slows your body's functions. That means 1) it takes you longer to realize you're full and 2) it slows your metabolism. Pretty much, MODERATION is the key.

 

These are just a few quick tips on how to get the most out of the holiday with the least negative impact. For custom diet or training plans reply to this blog or email me at got-dickie@hotmail.com. And remember, ven on Thanksgiving, strength is a matter of a mind made up.