The number of calories the average American consumes on Thanksgiving day varies, with estimates ranging from 2,500 to 4,500 calories, but according to registered dietician and HuffPost blogger Marisa Moore, the real danger lurks in the days following your annual turkey binge.
"Thanksgiving is one day; it's not four days, that's the first thing," Moore told The Huffington Post. "It takes roughly 3,500 calories to gain a pound, so if you're continuing to eat that way for four days straight, then you can easily gain a couple of pounds over that weekend."
Plus, there's less activity during that time. "Unless you count watching football on TV, everyone is kind of sitting around," she added.
Her advice: Get rid of the leftovers, whatever that means. Perhaps it's freezing remaining dressing or taking the desserts off to someone else's house -- the idea is to resist the urge to continue to binge on high calorie foods, Moore said. "You want to get it out of sight, out of mind, out of mouth," she said. "And then just get back on track."
Sure, you may be replacing your typical tuna sandwich with turkey the next day, but the idea is to eat and exercise as you normally would. "Go ahead and start your workout that next morning and have a regular meal," she suggests.
If you simply can't part with your beloved cornbread stuffing or that turkey you brined for days, Moore says there are a few things you can do to still get your healthy living routine going again.
