It’s Thanksgiving morning. Is anybody else watching the Macy’s parade while refreshing their Twitter feed? It’s the behind-the-scenes of today’s generation. The real behind the scenes was the “Inflation Celebration” at the Museum of Natural History last night:
While noshing on some Thanksgiving classics (All hail the pigs-in-a-blanket) we joked about the efforts being taken to ‘clean’ up the Thanksgiving menus on the Upper West Side, San Francisco, and Paleo pockets in between.
If you look, you’ll find fitness blogs talking about how to have a ‘clean’ Thanksgiving, how to hit your macros with 3 1/2 easy steps, how to avoid all of the treats and sweets.
The strategies to avoid eating pumpkin pie aren’t likely to work. Considering your carbs will drive you crazy. It’s Thanksgiving, team, and it’s not the time to worry about what you’re eating. Last week was the time to tweak your favorite recipe. Last month was the time to start your autumn workout plan. Last season was the time to buckle down on “pre-holiday” nutrition. Now it’s time for giving thanks.
Also, feasting on food:
On this Turkey essential holiday, I have some beef with the mentality of following a diet on the first of holiday feasts.
Willpower is a limited resource, and not one that you want to run out of. There’s no AAA to bring you more willpower fuel on the side of the emotional highway. Sure, there are some concessions that can be made, but staying in your caloric deficit today is likely an effort in futility.
Counting calories, hitting macros, or limiting portion size is well-intentioned and possible… but it’s just not practical. There are 360 other days to practice dietary restraint. (We’ll talk about this again on Christmas, New Years Eve, Memorial Day, and the 4th of July.)
Attempts to nail that ‘perfect diet’ today is like planning a to stop at the next rest stop even if it means you’re going to run out of fuel. You may roll in running on fumes, but odds are you’re going to feel silly about it. Let’s save ourselves the guilt trip.
Perhaps a workout may help you feel a bit better, and I know it’s on my docket today. Some heavy deadlifts, chin-ups, and bench presses have always felt like a bolster to keep the feast a little bit more balanced.
It may be psychology, but some heavy lifting, cardio with weights, or a simple may be enough to keep you feeling as grateful as the Pilgrims through your Thanksgiving weekend.
But enough of that. There are more important things than depleting glycogen with your training, than doing some extra burpees, or eating those Paleo® mashed potatoes. (Just butter and garlic…weird.)
It’s time to eat your fill of Tom the Turkey, then indulge in Grandpa’s apple pie. It’s time to eat, drink*, and be merry.
*Kombucha.
Harold Gibbons 