How to Undo Thanksgiving Damage

That magical holiday and the accompanying feast have come and gone—and if you stayed on track, you are one of the few. The good news is, whether you’ve been working with a nutrition coach or following your own program, you can get back on track and minimize the damage without missing a beat. Here are three awesome ways to get back on track and undo some of that Thanksgiving damage.

1. Check and Restock Your Kitchen

This means get rid of the leftovers. If you didn’t give them away at your dinner, donate them to a local shelter as soon as possible (no, we’re not kidding). Then do a clean sweep of your pantry and refrigerator. Get rid of all the processed foods and simple carbs that you may have stocked up on for your holiday preparations. Then hit the supermarket and reload on healthy, low carb snacks and foods.

2. Work it Out

While it may seem harder than ever to motivate, it’s essential that you jump right back into your fitness routine. Go to the gym, hit your favorite yoga class or head out for a heart-pumping run or bike ride. You know how you’re supposed to increase the duration and the intensity of your workout over time? Now is the best time ever to do that, especially if you overdid it on calories over the weekend. Over the next few weeks, make sure to stay on track with your exercise regimen, no matter how busy you are. Schedule workouts like a meeting or important appointment; literally put them in your calendar!

3. Return to Your Normal Eating Schedule

Get back to your regular meal plan that includes a metabolism-revving breakfast, plenty of lean protein and healthy snacks throughout the day. Our systems like consistency, so after disturbing its normalcy, getting back to regular meals goes a long way in helping you balance back out. If you intermittent fast, get back on the plan. But if that’s not your program, don’t just  start skipping meals as a method of recovering from your Thanksgiving indulgences—it’s actually the worst thing you can do. Skipping meals like that can cause your body shift into conservation mode and slow down your metabolism so that you burning less calories overall. It may also cause your body to store fat!

Consider working with a nutrition coach like me for more tips, strategies and mindset techniques that create a healthier, optimized you.