Cultivate gratitude and healthy choices this Thanksgiving!

The holiday season has officially begun, which means an influx of celebrations that aren’t always kind to our regularly scheduled wellness routines.

Thanksgiving is no exception — the average Thanksgiving meal can top 3,000 to 4,000 calories — so for those who have goals, the food and drinks can derail even the most dedicated.

While there a number of ways we could tell you how to have a healthier Thanksgiving, the most important thing you can do is to go in with a plan and stick to it. Be consistent in your choices and have built boundaries to help get you through this celebration.

Healthy Choices Beget Healthy Choices

When we decide to make one healthy choice, there is usually a domino effect — you’ll be more inclined to make other choices that support your goals. Thanksgiving certainly provides some temptation, but this is certainly not the time to food shame or send you into an over-exercising spiral — enjoy this holiday, but also make choices that you feel good about.

Thanksgiving is not about working out to “earn” that piece of pie or to “burn off” the extra helping of stuffing — food is not meant to be burned or earned. Stick to a little food consistency and workout because you have bigger goals that go beyond the food you eat.

So, where shall we start?!

The Food

Consider how you normally eat — what does your diet look like? Do focus on protein and fats while minimizing sugar and carbs? Or maybe you’re a distance runner who needs all the calories you can get so while you practice portion control, you don’t limit your macronutrients and enjoy all the carbs, fats, and proteins!

Don’t skip meals before the big feast. Many people can go wrong by not eating anything before Thanksgiving dinner. This is one of the biggest blunders and can cause many to overindulge and do it way too quickly because they’re famished. Slow your roll and eat before the turkey. The best course of action is to eat a good breakfast and snack after that if the dinner is slated for the early afternoon.

It’s no surprise that the snacks can be just as calorie-heavy as Thanksgiving dinner — don’t let this throw you off course! If the snacks typically are a concern, there’s no harm in bringing your own snacks. After all, there are likely others who will find refuge in a healthier option!

Eat like you would any other day, and instead build more of a sampler plate. Load your plate with a good amount of protein and veggies, and sample everything else. This way you don’t overdo anything, and you eat everything you enjoy.

Other food tips:

Stay light and skip the overly heavy dishes.
Save more room and eat more of the good stuff without all the refined carbs — rolls, biscuits, etc.
Choose your absolute favorite and skip the other things. Do you love whipped cream? Skip the extra gravy and load up your pie when the time comes.
Eat a green salad over the other “veggies.” Skip the creamed spinach and corn!

The Workout

Like the food, stick with your regularly scheduled training, and if you can, try to emphasize a little more movement in the day.

CrossFit-style and HIIT workouts are extremely effective for pre- and post-Thanksgiving workouts — the burn continues, with or without all the extra calories! The best thing about these workouts is that you get in a good workout in 30 minutes or less. Don’t forget to fuel your post-Thanksgiving workout with P4 Pre Workout!

Thanksgiving Burn Workout

Three rounds for time.

10 burpees
10 DB snatches
20 air squats
10 DB push presses
15 V-ups

Fit Feast Workout

Three rounds for time.

40 Mountain climbers
15 Russian Twists
10 Push-Ups
10 DB Dead Lifts
Max Plank

Calorie Crush

Three rounds for time.

1 Mile Run
10 Romanian Split Squats (Each Leg)
10 pull-ups

Feel Great This Thanksgiving!

Enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday when you have a plan ready to implement! You don’t have to restrict foods or overtrain to enjoy it — know how you want to approach food and get some movement in for the day, and that is it! Don’t overthink it and relax with your friends and family!

Proven4 wishes you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!