What it Takes to Burn Off Your Thanksgiving Meal

DivineCaroline

It's said that everything is healthy in moderation, but Thanksgiving is no time for restraint. The creamy mashed potatoes, succulent turkey meat, decadent pumpkin pie with whipped cream-it's a once-a-year occasion, so if there's any time to splurge, it's Thanksgiving. But how does one burn off all of those delicious gravy-soaked calories? To put the decadent meal into perspective, we found the activities that a 130 pound woman would have to do to work off a Thanksgiving feast. Surprisingly, working off some Thanksgiving favorites is as easy as apple pie. Feel good about your caloric indulgence, knowing that you just need to follow the meal with some physical activity.

Six Thanksgiving Shortcuts That Will Save Your Sanity

Mashed potatoes from scratch with whole milk and butter, (1 cup)
Calories: 237
To burn it off: General yard work, 1 hour

Roasted turkey (1/2 cup light meat without skin, 1/2 cup dark meat with skin, 1/2 cup homemade gravy)
Calories: 372
To burn it off: window shopping, 1.5 hours
General housework and cleaning, 40 minutes
Playing with children, 30 minutes

The Price of Pigging Out: Can You Stop a Food Coma?

Cranberry sauce, sweetened, canned, plus homemade whipped cream
Calories: 470
To burn it off: Cross-country skiing at a 4-4.9 mph pace for 1 hour

Cornbread stuffing from the package (1 cup)
Calories: 358
To burn it off: Jogging for 40 minutes
Stretching, 20 minutes

Thanksgiving Menu Makeover

Sparkling Cider (2 glasses)
Calories: 280
To burn it off: General aerobic dancing, 45 minutes

One piece of pumpkin pie
Calories: 323
To burn it off: Jumping rope at a moderate pace for 10 minutes
Running up stairs for 15 minutes

The Surprising Health Perks of Pumpkins

Gruyere cheese (2 cubes)
Calories: 124
To burn it off: leisurely bicycling, 20 minutes

Red wine (1 glass)
Calories: 200
To burn it off: Hatha yoga, ninety minutes

Is White Wine Just as Healthy as Red?

Assorted chocolates (2 pieces)
Calories: 160
To burn it off: Tennis, doubles, 30 minutes

More from DivineCaroline:
How the Holidays Can Wreak Havoc on Your Relationship
What Your Favorite Holiday Movie Says About You
6 New Drinking Games for the Holidays
Hot Party Shoes You Won't Hate in the Morning
Snappy Comebacks to Ten Inappropriate Questions

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