There are 2 Thanksgiving Day side dishes that make Thanksgiving official for me: mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole (the kind with the roasted marshmallows on top). I don’t know when, how or why my family decided that we needed 2 potato dishes for Thanksgiving, but my mom has been making them both for as long as I can remember. Add that to the mounds of green bean casserole, rolls, loads of dessert and the infamous turkey, and this is carb-loading at its finest.

We’ve all seen the health magazine articles and fitness tips out there for how to have a healthier Thanksgiving. Use a smaller plate to trick your brain into thinking you’ve loaded up. Only take a half serving of everything and then go back and get the other half serving so you feel satisfied by getting seconds. Choose the foods that you don’t normally have any other time of year and pass on things you could make anytime.

Well, I say Fu*!@ that!

Chances are high that you probably did some kind of Turkey Trot or run this morning. And if you didn’t, you’ve probably gone running at least once this week, right? We all need to indulge every now and then (if not for anything else – our sanity). To help reduce any guilt you might now be feeling from gorging yourself yesterday, here’s a post-Thanksgiving workout to help you torch the calories from all that turkey, ahem sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie …

I actually had a delectable 4 course meal in Sin City, as I spent Thanksgiving in Las Vegas yesterday. That was definitely a first for Mr. rUnladylike and me. There were no mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes involved but it was certainly a Thanksgiving to remember (more on that soon!).

A few notes:

• Before doing this workout, be sure to go for a short jog (e.g. 400 to 800 meters) and do some dynamic stretching (like arm swings, hip rotations, leg swings, etc.)
• Complete the workout in the order it is shown.
• To see the correct form for squats, push-ups, sit-ups, etc., check out the pictures and descriptions here. For the push-ups, do as many on your toes as you can before dropping down to your knees. Break up each exercise into smaller sets as needed to get through the entire workout.
• Optional: If you’re doing (or planning to do) regular strength training, time yourself to see how long this takes you to complete. Then, in one month, do it again and see if you notice any improvements.
• Before you do any kind of strength training workout, please make sure you have checked with your doctor to ensure it is ok for you to do so. If you haven’t done any strength training in a while, you will likely be sore after completing this.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving Day indulgence? Did you run in a Turkey Trot or Thanksgiving race? If so, how did it go? If not, do you typically do something active on Thanksgiving or take the day off?