BAKERSFIELD, CA. - Trainers at Total Woman Fitness say more gym members are rushing through the doors to work out in anticipation for all the extra food we all eat on Thanksgiving.
"They know they're going to eat, they know they're going to eat big on Thanksgiving who doesn't? So they're just getting a head start on the holiday," said Jessica Birch, Fitness Director at Total Woman.
The average holiday dinner is a whopping 3,000 calories according to the Calorie Control Council. Four slices of roasted turkey with a half a cup of gravy is 368 calories. Three slices of ham is 345 calories and one cup of mashed potatoes is 238 calories. For dessert, a nine inch slice of pumpkin pie is 323 calories and seven ounces of wine is an extra 142 calories.
"I always tell myself I'm going to work out more through the holidays and then the holidays come and that doesn't always happen," said gym member Andi Sanchez.
TO MAKE SURE THAT WORK OUT HAPPENS, trainer Jessica recommends doing wall sits and lunges while watching TV or any downtime on Thanksgiving. A 150 pound person can burn about 5 calories per minute doing wall sits says Health Status, and 15 minutes of lunges can burn about 137 calories says Fitwatch.com.
In addition to exercise during the holiday, there are a couple eating tricks to help you eat less. One, drink lots of water to help you feel full faster without adding calories. Two, use a smaller plate. That way even if you do fill up your plate with all that turkey and gravy, you won't consume as many calories as you would on a bigger plate.