Aaaaaahhh, it’s that time of year again. Sweet aromas of comfort food fill the house while marching bands in the parades and cheering fans at the football game chime loudly on the TV. Chaos and company add zesty flavor to your recipe of stress while you comb through your Christmas shopping list in your head. Oh, and don’t forget about carving out a sliver of your day to burn off the calories from the pumpkin pie. But HOW?! And WHEN?!

Sound familiar? You might need a mini guide to get you through the gluttony and culinary shenanigans that will take place over the holidays. We make time for whatever is most important to us. Whether it is catching up with the family, football with chips and dips, Black Friday shopping, or a post-Turkey Day workout we all have the ability to create a window to do what we want.

The average American will consume more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving Day alone, according to the Caloric Control Council. YIKES! The majority of these calories actually come from the all-day snacking in front of the TV while the turkey is being morphed into an edible masterpiece. We consume over 675 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving Day! True story.  Most people think that their post-meal sleepiness is from the natural sedative found in turkey called Tryptophan, but that chemical isn’t really what it’s hyped up to be. That "food coma" you experience is the result of your body working overtime to digest all that food!

The good news? Yes, I know you want some. Here it is, anxious readers: (drum roll…) you have options! I have some tips for you that’ll help you to burn calories without swimming upstream during this joyous time of year. I will also give you some weapons of defense to prevent an excessive consumption of the food you’ve been waiting for all year. Enjoy!

Let it burn! 

You can simply add a little more activity to your holiday routine to help "make up" for some of the extra calories you eat. Since it’s a family event ask your relatives to join you in a brisk walk in your ‘hood after dinner and/or before dessert. It’ll get your blood moving, help your body to digest some of that gluten rich stuffing, and maybe even make some room for a few bites of sweet treats.

You can also build lean muscle that’ll boost your metabolism without even going to the gym by adding 20-30 reps of these fabulous exercises:

• Plie Squats—while you prep food on the stovetop
• Lunges—do walking lunges in your driveway or backyard before dinner
• Knee Push-Ups—do these in your living room before the parade starts
• Bicep Curls—get creative with your shopping bags while you power walk to your car
• Crunches and Bicycle Kicks—do these during commercials or right before your company arrives
• Plank—hold for 30 seconds to one minute before dessert

Armor yourself! 

• Our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. If you stack your meal on a salad plate instead of a dinner plate it’ll look like you have plenty of food to enjoy.
• Ghandi said: “Chew your drinks and drink your food.” What a smarty pants. Fully chew each bite of food before you swallow it. Put your fork down in between each bite to help you eat more slowly.
• Water does a body good. Drink a cup of water before you start to dive into your comfort food. You will feel fuller and not have the desire to overstuff yourself.
• Variety is the spice of life. More than likely, you will be confronted by a plethora of dishes. A smorgasbord of yumminess! Serve yourself a small portion of each item so you can “taste” everything.
• Let your stomach and brain meet in the middle. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to tell you how full you actually are. After you finish your first plate of food wait a little bit to see if you really need seconds. Your stomach will appreciate your patience.

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