It is almost Thanksgiving, which means a lot of people in the United States are preparing to sit down with their families to have a big meal to celebrate the holiday. On holidays such as Thanksgiving, people often stress because there is a lot of food, and sometimes we feel out of control and eat too much. When I was a child, I overstuffed myself on Thanksgiving, but now, as an adult, I don’t struggle with it as much because I don’t love Thanksgiving food so much that I can’t stop myself, and I don’t like the feeling of being overstuffed. As a disabled person, I don’t struggle with overeating as much as a non-disabled person would because I am more prone to gut issues and know that if I eat too much, there will be severe consequences. Overeating is uncomfortable, and you should try not to overstuff yourself because it’s terrible for your digestion, but when we are surrounded by so much food, it sometimes happens. What can you do if you overeat on Thanksgiving? In this post, I am going to talk about what I would do if I overate on Thanksgiving or at any social gathering.
Don’t beat yourself up- People who are on a fitness or weight-loss journey sometimes will beat themselves up when they overeat on a holiday, because sometimes people think that it will ruin fitness progress. It is okay if you ate too much pie on Thanksgiving because it happens, and as long as you aren’t eating feasts every single day, you aren’t going to ruin any progress you have made. Don’t beat yourself up over one day of bad eating or feel the need to punish yourself the next day because it’s one day. If you overeat, remember that uncomfortable feeling and try to do better next time, because beating yourself up is only going to ruin the holiday. You shouldn’t be stressing about how many calories you are eating on Thanksgiving because you don’t lose fitness progress with one bad day of eating, and you lose it when you stop exercising for long periods of time. You will not be able to enjoy yourself if you beat yourself up over one meal, so try not to think about calories and just enjoy the moment.
Do some light movement– People sometimes will do turkey trots on Thanksgiving to earn their meal, which is diet culture and is not something I ever recommend people do if that is the reason you are doing it. After big meals, people sometimes will do a high-impact workout to burn off their meal, but it might not be the best idea to force yourself to go for a run if you are feeling bloated and uncomfortably full. Sometimes I will exercise on a holiday because it makes me feel good, but it’s not usually anything super intense, and most holidays I take a rest day. If I were to choose to exercise, I would typically do it before the big meal because high-impact exercise when you are bloated is not smart and can cause you to get sick. Movement can help relieve bloating, but if you are feeling bloated, I would stick to something low-impact, such as walking or yoga, that is gentle on your body. You need to give your body time to digest your food properly, and you will feel worse if you force yourself to do high-impact workouts.
Eat a light meal the next day- After I have eaten a big meal, I am not usually super hungry the next day, but your body still needs nutrition even if you overate the day before. Some people will fast the day after a big meal, and that is fine if it works for you, but fasting is not safe for everyone, and it can be unsafe for many people with medical conditions. Be kind to yourself and eat in a way that feels good to you, because you don’t need to punish yourself for all the foods you ate the day prior. Big meals can sometimes cause a lot of bloating, and one of the best ways you can get relief from bloating and improve your digestion is to eat less.
Drink some peppermint tea if you are feeling bloated– I get bloated often because when you have endometriosis, frequent bloating is a common daily struggle. When I get bloated, sometimes I will drink some peppermint tea because it relaxes muscles in the digestive tract, which can help relieve gas and any discomfort you may have. Make yourself some peppermint or ginger tea because it can help get rid of your bloating or, at the very least, lessen the pain.
Avoid sparkling beverages- There is nothing wrong with having a sparkling beverage with your meal if you enjoy them, but keep them to a minimum if you are feeling bloated, because it will not help you feel better. Carbonated beverages are one of the worst when you are feeling bloated because the carbon dioxide that creates the fizz in beverages sometimes gets trapped in your digestive system, which can lead to pain and discomfort. Keep the carbonated beverages to a minimum because it is not helping your bloating but may be making it worse.
Over-eating is uncomfortable, and you should try to avoid it if you can, but it sometimes happens on holidays when you’re surrounded by delicious food. Don’t beat yourself up if you overeat, and be kind to yourself because you can’t undo something that’s already done, and stressing about it doesn’t change anything, and all that will do is ruin the holiday. It is okay to over-eat sometimes because one bad meal is not going to ruin everything, because it’s what you do most of the time that is going to make the biggest difference. You should enjoy yourself on Thanksgiving, but you aren’t going to if you are worried about breaking your diet, so save the calorie restriction for after the holiday. I want to wish everyone who is celebrating the holiday a Happy Thanksgiving, and if you do overeat, just remember that it’s normal and happens to everyone at some point. You aren’t a failure because you didn’t listen to your body and made one poor choice. How do you avoid overeating on holidays? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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