3 Radical Things to Do If You Eat Too Much on Thanksgiving

Karly Randolph Pitman

When we eat too much on Thanksgiving, many of us indulge in a post-Thanksgiving workout to burn off all those extra calories - a workout that involves a lot of pain, sweat, and grimacing. We do this because we think it'll keep us from gaining weight this holiday season.

It doesn't work that way. In fact, when we punish ourselves for "being bad," (read: eating lots of turkey and potatoes and gravy), we don't change - we keep the "bad" behavior going.

I'm speaking from experience. For nearly 20 years, I was a binge eater. Whenever I overate, I'd punish myself the next day by overexercising, skipping meals, or fasting. In effect, I'd say to myself, "No kindness for you, missy, until you make up for all the bad things you did yesterday." It was cruel and mean and felt horrible.

So when my yoga studio invited me to a "burn the bird" class this week, I declined. When I hear about how we need to work out really hard on Friday to "make up" for our Thanksgiving indulgence, I say, "No thanks." It's also why I say no to boot camp programs. (When an instructor yells at me, I don't work out harder. I just feel mad.)

Punishment doesn't change our behavior, doesn't help us grow, and it certainly doesn't promote weight loss. On the other hand, self compassion - being kind to yourself when you make a mistake - does. It's how we learn, grow and do better next time.

So if you overdo it on Thanksgiving, I have 3 radical suggestions for you:

1. Don't beat yourself up. Please don't feel like you have to "burn the bird," run 10 miles, starve, fast, exercise for 3 hours, or skip meals as punishment for enjoying your Thanksgiving. Instead, I invite you to eat 3 healthy, normal meals on Friday, do your normal exercise routine if you're someone who likes to exercise, and let the guilt go.

2. Practice self compassion. Remind yourself that it's easy to overdo it on Thanksgiving, that we all make mistakes, and that you can do better next time. Don't let your mind go crazy with stories about how you always do this and how you'll gain 20 zillion pounds this holiday season. Tell your mind, "Sh, sh, it's okay. I'm alright." Forgive yourself. Be gentle with yourself. And move on.

3. Be kind to yourself. Use your holiday weekend to do something that makes you feel deliciously happy - like taking a long walk in the woods, playing with your children, or calling the 5 people you love the most and catching up.

If you can break the cycle of overdoing it and then beating yourself up about it afterwards, you'll have a much better chance of avoiding the holiday weight gain that's typical for this time of year. And by being kind to yourself, you may find that your holidays are full of greater joy, peace and goodwill.