Food For Thought

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and boy do I have a lot to be thankful for!  I have gained so much this year, and by that I mean I've gained some really great new friends, some exciting experiences and plenty of loving memories.  I'm even thankful for certain painful situations that I had to endure to make me stronger than last year.  It ain't sweet without the sour.

Can you think of some things that you have gained?  Even if it's gaining some weight, that's still something to be positive about!  Why?  Because it's not too late to start turning 2011 around. Use Thanksgiving as a wake up call and be thankful for being alive.  If you have any kids, parents, friends, goals or dreams to be thankful for then take this as your opportune time to extend your life and good times.  If you love the holidays then stick around for more!

It is said that the average American consumes about 5000 calories, if not more, on Thanksgiving day.  In case you don't realize the gravity of that statistic, it means that the average American eats about 2 to 3 whole days worth of food in just 1 day, depending on your size and daily caloric intake.

Dude.  That's gross.

Fat Bastard from the movie Austin Powers

Despite the fact that we are officially in holiday-mode there are things that we can do to stay true to our goals.  For one, if you've been preparing your body for some big time eating then you're already ahead of the game.  The best way to do so is to gear up your metabolism by pushing harder and longer in your workouts, or you could get crazy and do some double-workouts.  Of course by now you only have a day to work your butt off but it is better than nothing.  Be brave and workout tomorrow morning before the cooking and feasting begins and mentally prepare yourself to workout really hard on Friday.  Don't stop your healthy routines just because it's the holidays.  Now is the time to test your goals and wishes.  How badly do you really want it??

Some pointers that may help you get by tomorrow without feeling too guilty ::
- Workout first thing in the morning
- Set your mentality right by eating a healthy breakfast
- Eat several small portioned meals throughout the day and night
- Drink plenty of water
- Limit your alcohol consumption
- Take it easy on the gravy, fried foods and whipped cream
- Don't be sluggish and sit around all day, stand up and keep moving

My dear friend and success buddy, Jon Ces, was saying just yesterday that it is important to remember that Thanksgiving is about spending quality time with family, not spending quality time eating.  The feasting is a privilege or a bonus, if you will, so treat it as such.  BE IN THE MOMENT and enjoy your time with your friends and family because it's all about them.