Everyone should eat way too much on Thanksgiving. It is basically a holiday ritual. But once Turkey Day passes, it's hard to find the motivation to incorporate fitness in between bites of Christmas cookies and sips of egg nog. You want to work out, but let's face it, going to your local gym and running off your post-turkey bloat in front of what feels like the whole world makes you the opposite of excited.
Here are Daring & Darling, I love promoting body positivity. All women should feel beautiful, regardless of their size, and no one should be ashamed or afraid of working out. So I've come up with a list of empowering ways to stay fit after the biggest (and most amazing) food holiday of the year:
Here are Daring & Darling, I love promoting body positivity. All women should feel beautiful, regardless of their size, and no one should be ashamed or afraid of working out. So I've come up with a list of empowering ways to stay fit after the biggest (and most amazing) food holiday of the year:
- Don't Think About Fitness On Thanksgiving
Enjoy your meal! It's been a long year and you earned it! You are telling me that you are going to look at a table full of delicious food and think about how you are going to have to work it all off? NO WAY! Enjoy your family, enjoy your food, have seconds, and celebrate all of the kick ass things you did this year! You earned it!
- Look Into At Home Workouts, Like CosmoBody
Nobody wants to drag their butt out to the gym when there is valuable Black Friday shopping to do! Try and find a way to work out at home, either with a machine, dumbbells, or workout videos. Getting an online membership with CosmoBody was, hands down, the best fitness decision I have ever made. I only pay $9.95 a month to get unlimited strength training, cardio, yoga, and dance workouts on my computer. I can just walk into my living room and get down to business, instead of laying in bed and trying to convince myself to get up and drive to the gym (I lost that battle every day, fyi). What I love about CosmoBody it that I actually have fun and look forward to working out. They don't push me too hard or make me feel like I have to be a size zero, which helps me to want to work out more.
- Never Push Yourself Too Hard
You are feeling the pressure to try and slim down for all of the holiday parties on your December schedule. There is no way you are going to get there if you push yourself too hard from the start. What's going to happen is that you are either going to get hurt, feel insecure, or lose your motivation to ever work out again. Try not to think about weight loss or where other people are in terms of how far they can run or how many push ups they can do. Set achievable, short term goals and work yourself up to a level of fitness training you are comfortable with. It will pay off in the long run.
- Make Your Black Friday Meals Smaller
Eat your three meals, but do your best not to over eat. Some people think that the best way to combat turkey day bloat is by skipping meals. That is unsafe, and eventually you could become so hungry that you would binge eat and reverse any working out you did that day. Eat when you are hungry, but keep your meals on the smaller side and make sure to incorporate a fruit or a vegetable. Try getting yourself back on a more regular eating schedule (as opposed to loading up your plate with stuffing and potatoes, because unfortunately, Thanksgiving comes but once a year).
- Drink Water All Day Long
Drinking enough water is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. It flushes toxins out of your body and keeps you energized throughout the day, especially for filling you Black Friday with intense workouts and even more intense shopping. If you find it hard to drink water over other sugary drinks because of the taste, try throwing some frozen fruit in your glass instead of ice. It keeps your drink cold, and is a healthy yet tasty alternative to sodas and sugar-flavored waters.
- Don't Regret That Second Slice of Pie You Had Last Night
It was delicious and it was worth it! Eating a second slice of pie or spoonful of stuffing won't kill you. Seconds are an important part of celebrating Thanksgiving, so make sure that when you wake up the next day, you aren't beating yourself up about what you ate the night before. Don't even think about it at all. Because, admit it, that second slice was pretty damn delicious!