The morning after Thanksgiving:
A time to rush out and take advantage of sales and markdowns on Black Friday.
A time to relax with family who’s visiting from out of town
A time to travel back home after visiting out of town.
However, for those with a fitness goal, thoughts of delicious food consumed may linger. But Thanksgiving is just one meal. I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to feel guilty about it. One indulgent meal will not irreversibly deter your progress, just as one salad will not exponentially increase it. Progress toward any fitness goal is all about consistency over time.
I hate the infographics that talk about how many burpees it takes to burn off Thanksgiving dinner or how many minutes you’ll have to run to burn the calories eaten. The human body doesn’t exist in a vacuum and it’s not a trade-off system. But for people not familiar with fitness and how the body works, it can be deceptive and it can cause guilt over time spent with family and friends.
Now, we don’t want to let Thanksgiving turn into a weekend or even an entire week. Yesterday was the day to indulge with family, homemade food, and delicious desserts. But none of the food served, when eaten in moderation was inherently bad for you. (Okay, so maybe pumpkin pie isn’t the healthiest, but I digress.) Today, get right back on track. Incorporate the leftovers into your day using appropriate portion sizes, drink plenty of water.
So don’t let Thanksgiving turn into a weekend. Or that weekend into a month. Don’t wait until the New Year. Take a cue from REI, and #OptOutside. If you simply take one small action today, think about the progress that can be made before 2018 if that small action snowballs. Focus on consistency over perfection. Get a head start to crush your 2018 goals. Done.
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