HTOD: Healthy on Thanksgiving?! (Day 2)

Hello again!!

Yesterday I wrote about bringing a healthy dish to Thanksgiving so you can ensure at least some (and hopefully a large portion) of what you eat is good for you and won't break your calorie bank.  Today's tip is about exercise.  Yep, I said it.  I know, groan and complain, boo and hiss -- that's how I feel too -- (and believe me no matter how fit I get or how much weight I lose I STILL hate to work out). Just keeping it real in here.  But alas,

TIP 2: EXERCISE!  Get your workout in on Thanksgiving morning.  I'd recommend choosing one that has some significant focus on ab-work, and some cardio.  Trust me on this one. Here's why:

- Your abs WILL remind you.  When you're reaching over the table for that second helping and your abs feel sore - that's a reminder to you about what you're trying to accomplish and at least a second's pause to think about whether or not you're gonna actually put that on your plate.  I always take this moment to think whether I'm actually still hungry or if I'm mindlessly (slash-emotionally) eating.  Sometimes I'm doing it because everyone else is.  Sometimes I'm just not paying attention because I'm used to decades of family gatherings centered around food and I'm just falling back into my old comfortable patterns.  And sometimes I feel that I deserve it because I work out hard and earned a cheat meal (and if that's the case -- go ahead and enjoy that slice of pie!) But the important thing is to stop and consider before you plow through all those empty calories.

- You will feel those endorphins all day.   Studies have shown that low endorphin levels make you crave fatty foods, and high endorphin levels make you less hungry.  See the articles on Altered States and Natural Legacy for more information about this.   The most commonly cited way to get endorphins is from cardiovascular exercise - so make sure your Thanksgiving morning workout has a cardio component -- this will help you from craving fatty foods and also help curb your hunger.

Now I AM always saying that you can't out-train a bad diet.  That is still true!  But burning some extra calories can't hurt.  And just like one healthy meal won't magically make you lose weight and reach your goals, one bad meal won't completely derail you from your progress either.  Don't beat yourself up if you slip up!  Brush the crumbs off, and get back in the game on Friday (I know I'm planning a 3 day refresh challenge for myself to reverse any damage I plan on doing ;)