5 easy ways to lose 5 lbs. after Thanksgiving - Michelle Rogers Healthy Living Blog

I love the holidays, especially the opportunity to travel to see family.

I recently returned from four days away, visiting family for Thanksgiving. I arrived home with wonderful memories. But I also brought home a bloated, hurting tummy and an extra five pounds. On the road, there weren’t many healthy food options as it was a mostly rural route. Being off my regular eating schedule, dining at restaurants, a big holiday dinner, and other delicious home cooked meals richer than what I’m used to left me in quite of bit of abdominal discomfort.

This, even though I exercised twice while I was away and skipped desserts and french fries.

Now that I’m home, I’ve spent the past week deflating, and am so glad to be back to a healthy routine. After a couple of days I felt so much better.

I used the following very simple strategies to get myself back on track:

Use the free phone app MyFitnessPal to track all calories consumed and burned.
Drink LOTS of water, throughout the day.
Avoid sweets and trigger foods for five days.
Pre-plan meals as much as possible; no eating out.
Immediately back to daily workout routine. Step up the intensity of workouts, with more fast intervals.

It worked. Within a few days, three of the five pounds was gone and the rest were gone in five. But I’ll be honest, it’s been hard to go back to my regular eating after the trip because it screwed with my appetite. That’s why it’s crucial to track all calories with the app during this time.

One of the most important things I’ve learned on my fitness and health journey is the importance of immediately getting back on track after an indulgence, trip, or anything else that sets me back. Things like the holidays don’t have to derail your weight loss and healthy lifestyle, as long as you are diligent about getting yourself back on track right away.