So what if you eat too much

It's Turkey Day!

So many blogs that I follow are offering tips on how to get through the Thanksgiving holiday without eating too much, gaining weight, or otherwise blowing the diet. It's crazy. "Drink a big protein shake just before you sit down to the table." "Fill up on raw veggies first." One blog I read suggested that we just skip the big meal altogether.

You know what I say? What's the big fuss all about? So what if I have a day or two (or three or four) each year where I stuff myself with thousands of calories worth of great food? What's the problem with that? As an ultrarunner, I also have many days where I burn thousands of calories too. I say, it all works out in the end. Plus some.

But if you still want to fuss about it, the solution is not to avoid dinner or fill up first. The best solution is to make sure that the huge meal does not become a habit. And make sure that you dedicate a good hard workout or two to the memory of that turkey and all those poor green beans and sweet potatoes that made your dinner possible.

For the truly obsessed, About.com has a calorie calculator that lets you pick your Thanksgiving day menu item by item, then it tells you how many miles you need to walk (or run) to work it off. Ridiculous.


Enjoy the day with people you love.
Be thankful for what you have, and forget about what you have not.

Run hard out there.