If You're Looking For a Fun and Badass Thanksgiving, Here’s Your Roadmap for This Week
And you don’t have to throw all your good habits out the window!
It’s that time of year when we all start to buckle our seatbelt for that downward slide towards the biggest food fest of the annual American calendar. By popular request, I decided to pull together your official roadmap for this week to the ultimate Thanksgiving of badassery. It’s lots of fun, and you’ll come out the other side in as good of shape as you are today. So here goes:
Monday
It’s gonna be a short week, so no excuses not to start the week off with a great workout. I’d recommend a good 30 – 60 minutes of sweaty cardio so you can reassure yourself that you started the week off strong.
Tuesday
Even though it’s tempting to just start blowing off your fitness knowing that you’re two days away from eating enough calories to feed a small country – DON’T DO IT! Commit to setting your alarm early on Tuesday morning and getting in a good dose of strength training to strengthen you up for the big day. Even better, make an appointment with a trainer or sign up to a boutique fitness class so you for SURE know you will show up.
Wednesday
- OK, you are now in the 24-hour countdown, so it’s about the right time to start “pre-hydrating” with your favorite electrolyte drink. Fun fact that I learned from my years in the sports drink business that drinking sports drinks prior to consuming alcohol actually improves the after effects, if you know what I mean. Trust me, it really does work!
- Another sweaty cardio workout will work well today.
Thursday – THE BIG DAY!
- Do NOT... I repeat, do NOT take this as a day of rest. A cardio or HIIT workout on a bike that burns a crap load of calories is the only way to go to prepare you for this monster eating marathon ahead of you.
- Continue pre-hydrating with at least a 20 oz. bottle of Gatorade or similar.
- Eat a light lunch – just enough to stop you being hangry after that morning workout, and then get into full-on Thanksgiving prep mode.
- EAT, DRINK, AND BE SUPER MERRY. And for goodness sake, look around the room with gratitude at the awesome people in your life. No matter how bad things get, it’s the loved ones in your life that make you laugh and who matter the most.
- Watch football – or if the game is boring – I am a big fan of a friendly inter-family lip sync battle post dinner to get everyone off their butt and ready to fire up the kitchen dishwashing dance party!
Friday
- No matter how late you went the night before, start the day with a big ol’ run to get some quiet time to yourself to feel inspired. If you’re looking for extra stimulation, listen to a great podcast. Some faves I can recommend include: Masters of Scale for all the budding entrepreneurs out there, Satellite Sisters for those of you who just want to listen to great women’s hilarious chatter, Desert Island Discs to walk down memory lane with your favorite music while listening to inspiring biographies, or Pod Save America if politics are stressing you out right now.
- On Friday evening when you’re ready to curl up in a ball and light the fire, there is only one thing for it. Tee up the movie “Love Actually” on your DVR. It’s the one and only movie that MUST be watched at this time of year to get ready for the holiday season. Be sure and get up to dance with Hugh Grant when he starts boogying to “Jump” and remember to bet on love and remember that it really is... all around.
Saturday
- Find some time for a toning workout today. Pilates, barre, yoga – something that enables you to sweat a lot and get all of the toxins out of your system from the last few days.
- Be sure and hit a movie tonight. Current fan fave is THOR Ragnarok, if you are looking for some great kiwi humor thrown in the middle of a giant superhero movie.
Sunday
At last! A day of rest and regrouping for the week ahead! YOU GOT THIS!
Only 5 more weeks until 2019. Make them awesome. Make them strong and make them count. #LetsDoThis!