It happened again. You overdid it on Thanksgiving just like you do every year, and despite your best self control efforts, the damage is done and now you are left with a fridge full of leftovers and a food hangover that seems to last for days. You have even more motivation to eat healthy now because you feel the effects of your indulgence, but where do you start?

Start With The Leftovers

Start with your fridge. How can you eat healthy when you have tons of leftovers that will go to waste if you don’t eat your Thanksgiving meal over and over?

Freeze It!

Break out the freezer bags! Everything is already cooked, which makes it really easy to freeze. Dishes like turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and extra pie are great for freezing. The idea is to space out your leftover consumption in a way that your body can more easily process it. For example, you could freeze your sweet potato casserole and eat it as a side dish or dessert with a healthier meal down the road. That way, you are still preventing the waste, but you’re not eating calories on top of calories.

Recreate It

No one wants to eat the same plate 14 times just to get rid of all of your extra food, so why not recreate it?! Use your turkey and leftover vegetables to make soup. Bake your stuffing to dry it out and you have homemade croutons. Pan fry your mashed potatoes to make homemade hashbrown patties to eat with eggs and fruit. Reusing your leftovers like this will help you clean out your fridge in no time!

Give It Away

Know anyone who lives alone and maybe missed out on the big family meal? Take them a plate. Not only will they appreciate your kindness, but it wil help you get rid of whatever leftovers are still hanging around.

Cleanse Your Body

Once you clean out your fridge, clean out your body. The reason so many people feel the “food hangover” that happens the day after, is because they eat so many carbs, fat and salt that weigh them down and make them feel lethargic the next day. These are the things you want to avoid the day after to help your body get back to normal.

Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, light meals, and make sure you get a lot of fiber. This will help you work all that heavy food out of your system.

Hydrate!

Drinking plenty of water helps to flush out your system and reduce bloating. Not only will you feel refreshed, but it will energize you and get you ready for the next tip…exercise!

Work It Off

If you read Have a Healthy Thanksgiving Without Missing Out, you know that incorporating exercise is a crucial way to keep you in top shape during the holiday season and help you prevent that extra weight gain that always seems to creep up out of nowhere. And as much as you probably don’t feel like hitting the gym the day after gorging, it really is beneficial to help get your body back to feeling better.

Try these Total Body Workouts to jump start your new fitness routine. Or use Black Friday to save tons on exercise equipment. Not sure what to buy? Read my comparison between treadmills and ellipticals to see what works for you.

Make A New Game Plan Going Forward

So the whole “I will have willpower” mantra didn’t go so well at Thanksgiving. Don’t be despaired! There’s still hope for Christmas. The best thing about eating out of control for Thanksgiving is that you can learn from it and not repeat your mistakes the rest of the season.

Did you snack a lot just because you were standing in the kitchen? GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!

Did you go a little overboard on desserts? Focus on more lean protein and fill up on that. Avoid the dessert table!

Did  you have a second helping and then instantly regret it? Wait a little longer between helpings to let your body catch up and tell you you’re full. Then decide whether you really need a second plate.

Make a list of things you would do differently if you could and save it for Christmas. Then, every time you go to a holiday party, read over your list to make sure you know what to expect at the next holiday meal. Just reviewing these things before you go out will help you avoid the same mistakes and make you feel better in the long run.

Follow these tips and you’ll be over your Thanksgiving Day splurge in no time and ready to tackle your next holiday party!