The holiday season is upon us! For many people, Thanksgiving kicks off this special time of year where we all go a little food crazy. Pie, stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, hot dish, rolls, cranberry sauce, snickers salad, and… are you hungry yet? So am I!
The holidays are all about family and friends, food and fun times. Here are a few tips I encourage you to think about before you enjoy any said items from the list above.
A little leftovers never killed nobody.
A smart stop on Black Friday could be to get piles and piles of Tupperware. Those helpful little containers disappear like matching sets of socks for me. Encourage your family not to stuff themselves because guess which broke college student gets to bring leftovers back to school? YOU do (in your fancy new Tupperware)!
Take it easy, man.
For me, being comfortably full, not stuffed, makes me feel better in the long run. Several of my favorite dishes are forever ruined due to overeating them. Yes, food babies are funny to joke about, but the feeling that goes along with the bloated “baby” is not. To avoid the barfy and tired feeling, I start with small portion sizes and get more if I’m still hungry. Not wanting to get up to get more food is a good indicator you maybe shouldn’t get another helping.
Make a fitness game.
Every time someone comments on “how much you’ve grown” since you were a baby, do a push-up. When anyone asks your major, or what your life-plan is, do 5 jumping jacks. The opportunities of annoying questions are endless. If your family watches football or other programming on Thanksgiving, encourage one another to move around a bit. Perhaps try a new yoga pose for each of the commercial breaks?
The Integrated Wellness Complex will be there for you when you get back from break in case you wanted to try out a fitness class, or get back into working out after a long weekend of some less healthy choices. The IWC is open from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm Monday through Friday, Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
As the Kardashians would say “at the end of the day” it’s all about spending quality time with the people you care about. Enjoy these tips but don’t stress about counting calories when you could be counting your blessings instead.
It’s important to stay healthy and practice mindful eating, but one day or even weekend of eating, won’t be the end of the world. You want to be able to look back and remember all the wonderful memories you created, not that you were hungry!
