No matter what you’ve been told, you can totally throw down on Thanksgiving. Seriously, eat whatever you want (if you want, of course). You don’t even have to do a “Thanksgiving workout,” again, if you don’t want to. It’s one of those rare days in which you’re entitled to enjoy with your loved ones—by eating, resting, and even eating some more.
Don’t stress: One day of stuffing your face will not derail years’ worth of dedication to your health and fitness. Reading this will either make you jump for joy or fill you will anxiety. If you’re feeling the latter, keep reading.
For some, days like Thanksgiving can cause feelings of stress and pressure to eat “perfectly,” or to not go overboard. Although there’s nothing wrong with keeping it clean on Turkey Day, if you truly want to indulge but struggle to let loose, you’re not alone. Here, Danny Saltos, aka Train with Danny, NASM certified personal trainer and fitness influencer, addresses the pressures that come with Thanksgiving Day and provides simple tips on how to enjoy your plate(s) guilt-free!
Here’s Why You Won’t Gain 10 Pounds Overnight
One reason why the fear of Thanksgiving Day grubbin’ is this: the thought that you’ll gain fat overnight from one single day of delicacy indulgence. While water weight is real, fat weight from Turkey Day, not so much.
“Weight gain doesn’t occur overnight,” Saltos says. “It actually takes consistent effort and overconsumption of calories over long periods of time to gain weight.”
The three to five pounds you fluctuate on the scale every day isn’t fat, it’s water.
No one got themselves into peak in one day and alternatively, you don’t gain weight or become overweight in one day.
“I can completely understand the fear of high food consumption because we have been told repeatedly that we can’t eat this or that,” the Los Angeles-based personal trainer says.
The facts are, high food consumption one day here and one day there won’t going to derail you. It will actually help you stay the course in the long run—#Balance.
And truth be told, “One day of eating more than you normally do can serve to refuel your body,” Saltos adds. Ever notice how the workouts immediately following Thanksgiving are killer? That’s because you have filled up your energy reserves that allow you to perform your best.