The Caloric Holidays are Upon Us!

No, that's not some new, recently discovered religion. It's just a reminder that this time of the year, most of us participate in gatherings with friends and/or family that involve lots of calories.

So you think I'm going to suggest that you either avoid those gatherings entirely, or just sit in a corner sipping on a paper cup of luke warm water, right? Wrong!

Indulge! Pig out! Stuff yourself!

That's not what you expected to read from me, is it? Here's an important point: If you regularly focus on reasonably healthy eating and if you exercise consistently (which you should be doing), it won't ruin your life to have one or two or three days over the next couple of months in which you eat whatever you want. If you've worked hard to lose ten pounds over the past two or three months, do you really think that you'll gain it all back in one day?

When people start thinking about changing their lifestyle from eating a lot of unhealthy food to eating healthier food, and from not exercising to exercising, the common myth is that you have to give up everything you like, completely. This is simply not true. In general, as long as you cut back on unhealthy food and do some exercise, those changes will have a positive impact on your life. If you can cut unhealthy food completely, and if you can exercise a lot, that's great, but any step in that direction is good. This whole line of thinking could take up many, many blog posts, so let's just look at one event: Thanksgiving.

Let's say you are that person who has already decided to make a change in your lifestyle, so you have focused your diet on more healthy choices, and now you walk or jog four or five times a week. You've lost ten pounds - congrats! What should you do around Thanksgiving?

Here's what I recommend: Go ahead and enjoy the holiday. Eat turkey. Eat mashed potatoes and gravy. Eat stuffing. Eat pie. Eat more pie. Eat whatever you feel like eating. After you're done eating, grab a few people and go for a walk around the block, or around a few blocks. I know on the street where I live, the leaves are changing right now, and the whole scene is beautiful. Even if it's dark outside by the time your dinner ends, go for that walk. If it's raining, put on a jacket and go anyway. It will be enjoyable to get out and get some fresh air, and you will actually kick-start your body into burning off some of those excess calories you just ate.

On Friday, if you usually walk or jog for 30 minutes, just do it for 35 instead. Same story on Saturday and Sunday. Maybe even 40 if you feel like it. Don't weigh yourself until Monday. Then, weigh yourself every day that week, and calculate the average. Chances are, you will find that you didn't actually gain any weight, or maybe you gained a pound. In the meantime, go back to your healthy food choices, which might even include some of the leftovers from Thanksgiving.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? And what do you like to do after dinner?


Marty Beene, Owner of Be The Runner, holds certifications from USA Track & Field (Level 2 Endurance Coach) and from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (Personal Trainer, Fitness Nutrition and Senior Fitness Specialist). He will definitely be eating pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.