One week from today, Ryan will continue our 5 mile pre-Thanksgiving feast run for the third year in a row! We're both MAJOR foodies, and on Thanksgiving, the eating really goes down. It makes sense that going for a long run might help help take care of some of those excess calories.
The reality is it does... to a certain extent.
** Upated with our pictures from our 2015 3rd annual run! **
The typical Thanksgiving meal with Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, rolls, butter, green beans, cranberry sauce, and stuffing (not to mention dessert or other side dishes that may be present) is well over 1000 calories... potentially closer to the 1200-1500 range. Between pre-snacks, the real meal, and dessert, the day could EASILY equal close to 3000 calories. Unless you're a super active person training for some sort of physical endeavor... this is going to hit your body hard.
A 5 mile run will take care of roughly 500 calories. To me, calories are important to a certain extent, primarily with regard to portion control. The key to losing weight or being healthy isn't how many calories you take in or burn. It has everything to do with WHAT you eat.
With that said, though, Thanksgiving is a special meal. So I have four recommentations to enjoy your holiday meal without the usual reprocussions.
Do something active in the morning!
Get your metabolism going.
Don't fast before you eat!
If you're not normally fasting in beneficial ways, you can slow down your metabolism and increase the chances of messing up your blood sugar levels and digestion by waiting until the big feast to eat on Thursday.
Don't start with sugar.
There will be all kinds of opportunities to snack on sugar as you eagerly await the big meal. Try not to give in! When you start with sugar, you can end up eating 2-3 times as much because your brain will become convinced it needs more food, namely sugar!
Eat smaller portions, and go for more on the things you LOVE. Unless it's raw vegetables, why put it in your system?
With that said, the most wonderful of Thanksgivings to you!
No good do we have apart from the Lord. In Him we are most grateful!