Post-Thanksgiving, you might still be recovering from a holiday eating binge with turkey day leftovers galore. This can be a tough time of year for keeping up with good health habits, especially since the holidays are far from being over.
However, it’s important to get back to your normal routine so overeating doesn’t continue and lead to unexpected holiday weight gain. Check out the suggestions below for getting back on a healthy track through the end of the year.
How to Get Back on Track Post-Thanksgiving
Balance Your Thanksgiving Leftovers
Don’t want to waste your leftovers? Just be mindful of your portion sizes and balance what’s on your plate. Instead of a lunch plate filled to the brim, consider a white meat turkey sandwich on whole-grain bread with lettuce and tomato. Leftover vegetables like baby carrots, Brussels sprouts, and green beans make a great side dish because they are high in filling fiber. If you’re craving the stuffing and pumpkin pie, just go with modest portions. You can also make trade-offs so you can enjoy the indulgences you love most and save the rest for others.
Get Some Fresh Air
Try not to spend the days after Thanksgiving being sedentary on the couch. Get some fresh air and move your body to stay active and motivated. Take a nature walk at a nearby park or join the kids outside for a bike ride. The added activity will help you digest your food, burn more calories, and keep up with a healthy routine that includes exercise.
Keep Drinking Water
Try to get at least 80 oz. of water each day and more if you can. Opt for water over wine and spirits, coffee, eggnog, fruit juice, and other beverages that are high in calories and sugar.
Get Some Sleep
The holidays can be exhausting between all the cooking, socializing, and traveling. Remember to get some sleep and rest when you need to. Catching up on sleep can help you stay active, fight the urge to keep eating, and help your body reset.
Get Back to Your Normal Eating Schedule
On Thanksgiving, we tend to eat…and eat…and eat. Rather than continue grazing on leftovers post-Thanksgiving, get back to your normal eating schedule. Steady, healthy meals throughout the day can regulate your hunger, blood sugar and insulin levels, and your metabolism. You might be tempted to skip meals altogether to counteract what you ate on Thanksgiving, but you’ll be ravenous later on and more likely to binge on unhealthy food.
Keep it up through the End of the Year
Thanksgiving may be over, but the holidays are still upon us. Once you get back to a healthy routine, make it a priority to keep it up through the New Year so you stay on track. It’s okay to indulge and enjoy all the food and fun that comes with the holidays; just keep in mind portion sizes, moderation, balance, and the importance of physical activity.
