Nov. 21, 2011
How Many Calories Are in That Thanksgiving Meal?!
Thanksgiving is just a few days away… I’m so excited!
Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite holiday. I love the food! 
The only problem, of course, is all those calories…
Did you know the typical Thanksgiving meal has 2375 calories in it?!
I actually consume about 2500 calories on a normal day, and most females (most of my Chanhassen Boot Camp members are females) should be eating around 1500 – 1800 calories per day…
Yikes! 
So, what does that mean for your weight loss and fitness goals?Well, let’s have a little fun first, shall we?
Can you guess how many miles you’d have to walk to burn off that Thanksgiving meal?
Get your good shoes on because you need to walk 23.75 miles, or 47,500 steps, to burn off the typical Thanksgiving meal. I hope you plan on doing a lot of mall walking on Black Friday. 
“But, It’s just one day, right?
Well, yeah, it is, but does it actually start and stop there?
Generally, the poor (or extra poor for some) eating habits start around Halloween with all the candy. Then before you know it, Thanksgiving is here with it’s 2375 calorie meal, not too mention all the munchies we like to eat while watching the football games…
Next, comes Black Friday at the mall (NOT ME) and Thanksgiving leftovers all weekend.
By Monday, you’re so addicted to starchy carbs and sugar that it’s hard to stop. Holiday parties, cookies at the office, shopping trips to the mall, and just about every other “excuse” comes up to keep eating bad all the way until New Year’s… when it’s time to “get back on the wagon and lose all those holiday inches.”
Now, I’m certainly not saying you need to eat plain turkey and plain veggies on Thanksgiving. That’s certainly not my plan! 
However, what I will be doing is banging out a SERIOUS High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout in the morning followed by a good 20 – 30 minute “Stubborn Fat Cardio” session. That will burn up about 1000 calories and get my metabolism roaring for the day.
Then, in the afternoon, before the actual dinner feast I plan to blast out a second session. That will do the same as the first, plus it will prime my muscles to soak up a lot of those carbs that I’ll be chowing down before they have a chance to be stored as fat. Neat little trick, hey?
Of course, I’ll be at my parents house for Thanksgiving so getting in a quick 20-minute workout and a shower before dinner won’t be a problem. If you’re visiting with family and you can’t do the same, try this…
Just before dinner is served, go to the bathroom and hit a superset or two of of body weight squats and push-ups. That shouldn’t get you all sweaty, but it will get your metabolism up and prime your muscles to receive some extra energy (calories).
YES! I’m totally serious!!
Every little bit counts, and this can make a good difference. Tim Ferris actually goes into this quite a bit in his book The 4-Hour Body. Check it out if you want to read the science behind it.
Finally, if you really want to shave off some calories from your Thanksgiving meal you can skip dessert. You’ll save about 500 calories.
Who am I kidding? What fun is that?
Enjoy your Thanksgiving meal and have a great time with your family. Be thankful that you can…
HAVE FAITH & TAKE ACTION!
Justin Yule, BS, CPT
Justin Yule, BS, CPT is the owner of Fitness Revolution in Chanhassen, MN as well as the Director of Franchisee Support for Fitness Revolution International. Justin holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a Concentration in Adult Fitness. Justin is also a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, a Workout Muse Metabolic Training Expert, a Youth Fitness Specialist with the International Youth Conditioning Association, a Kettlebell Coach with Kettlebell Athletics, and a Resistance Band Training Specialist with PerforMax Performance Training. Justin has been helping clients achieve their health and fitness goals since 1997, and became a Best Selling Author in 2011 with his contribution to Total Body Breakthroughs. In addition, he has been nominated as one of the top Rising Stars in the Fitness Industry, and was featured in USA Today as a member of the World Fitness Elite. To contact Justin for training, education or to have him speak at an event please email Justin@justinyule.com.
P.S. – If you enjoyed this post please share it with your friends using the social media buttons below.
P.P.S. – Please ask a question or share a comment with us in the Leave a Comment section at the very bottom of the page. We love your feedback and will use it to develop future blog posts.
PLEASE CLICK THE “LIKE” BUTTON, POST A COMMENT AND SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS…
Powered by Facebook Comments
Posted in Nutrition, Weight Loss by |
