Thanksgiving weekend is a time when we indulge and is totally fine as long as you stay healthy before and after your feast.

Spending time with family and friends is really important, and being able to enjoy yourself with them without feeling restricted is also important. Thanksgiving and delicious meals go hand-in-hand, so it is unavoidable to enjoy some good food.

It happens each year: The dishes you’ve been craving all season long are finally passed around the table, and before you know it your plate is piled up to your head with turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes — all smothered with a heaping portion of gravy. It’s a masterpiece, yes. But it’s also a single meal that can total anywhere from 2,500 to 4,500 calories, nearly twice the calories recommended daily.

Just a couple of indulgent days isn’t going to hurt, too much at least.

So, it’s time to drag yourself out of bed, put on your gym clothes, and get yourself ready for your workout.

Step 1: Start Slow

No matter who you are, your body is going to feel it after a night of heavy eating and drinking. You’re not going to be overflowing with energy, as your body will have spent most of the night digesting all of the food and drink you consumed.

Get into your workout slowly, starting out with a walk around the block a few times. Don’t zip out to the gym for a “quick” workout, and certainly don’t jog your normal route. It’s a day to take it slow–you can get back into the hectic pace of full-intensity workouts tomorrow!

Step 2: Get in Your LISS

Low-impact steady state (LISS) aerobics will help to get your body working, your blood pumping and your digestive system rolling. Start out with a bit of cycling–stationary bike or regular bike both work–as jogging or running will probably set your stomach bouncing–definitely not what you want the morning after a heavy meal.

Start your LISS slowly, at a leisurely pace. You’re probably going to be pretty low on energy, so let your body catch up with the workout you’re doing. After about five minutes, you’ll start to feel better, and it’s time to up the speed and difficulty on the bike. Within 10 minutes, you can probably be cycling at full speed–which you should then sustain for the next 15 to 20 minutes for the proper aerobic workout.

Step 3: Time to Train

Once you’ve gotten in your aerobics, it’s time to hit the weights for your muscle-building routine. You aren’t going to have enough energy for a HIIT workout, or for a full-on bodybuilding workout that leaves your muscles shaking and drained. It’s time to go for a circuit training routine that will hit all of the muscles in your body and burn away all those food calories.

Your circuit workout should include (in the following order):

Bench presses
Standing rows
Lunges

Military presses
Barbell curls
Squats

Tricep extensions
Cable pull-downs
Leg presses

Do this circuit routine twice, and your body will feel so much better!

Step 4: Digest Well

Your digestion is going to be a bit iffy the morning after a heavy Thanksgiving meal, so it’s important that you drink a lot of water, use the bathroom as your body directs, and find a way to detox all that alcohol, turkey and pumpkin pie.

The best post-Thanksgiving breakfast: oatmeal. The soluble fiber in the oats will help to absorb a lot of the toxins, and the insoluble fiber will scrub out your intestines. By the time workout rolls around, you’ll feel much better

Don’t forget to drink a lot of water the morning after! Both heavy eating and heavy drinking can leave your body dehydrated, so tank up on water to avoid problems when it’s time to work out.

For women, losing weight and getting fit has always been difficult. There are a lot of life changes that occur along and lose weight naturally. Menopause, pregnancy, hormones, and post-menopause play a role. It is tough for women to drop weight as you get older the complete amount of muscle starts to go down and the amount of body fat raises so calories get burned.

Eating more fruits and vegetables.

In a recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics which looked at eating habits in women, those that increased their intake of fruits and vegetables could drop weight and keep it off than girls that had not made a change in their eating habits. Those who ate meat or cheese and were able to forego some of the beverages and those sugary desserts lost even more weight.

What we should take away from this study is that even if you continue to have poor eating habits in regards to some foods, if you include extra food and make it fruits and veggies you may have the ability to maintain your weight or lose a little. This is probably due to the fact because you’re not as hungry that if you’re eating more veggies and fruits, you are probably not consuming as much of the heavy items. Get some more veggies and fruits in the house.

Good carbohydrates

The results of studies suggest that a low carbohydrate-high protein diet can lead to weight loss and help prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A diet of carbohydrates is also quite tricky to do. To get the best of both worlds attempt to restrict the number of items that you eat and eat good carbs. Carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates including rice, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, and high fiber bread.

Eat good quality protein.

Eating protein should be an important part of any women’s fitness and healthy diet program. Proteins make you feel fuller so that you don’t overeat and they are a source of amino acids that are essential. Protein includes eggs, nuts, meats, fish, soy, legumes, wheat germ, beans, and dairy products. If you’re worried about the fat in foods with protein stick to lean meats and low-fat cheeses. Proteins function in the body is to repair cells and create new cells.

Exercise

Exercise must be part of any fitness for girls plan. You don’t have to exercise all the time to reap the benefit of exercise. Doing some aerobic exercise three times a week is all you will need to do to get fit. Add in some resistance work such as free weights and between exercising you’ll be on your way and eating more healthy.

Have a hard time losing weight? Do you eat healthy and train hard but nothing works? If so, give your diet a makeover! Healthy eating isn’t the same as eating for fat loss.

Common mistakes, such as skimping on protein and avoiding fats, can stall your progress. Don’t freak out – everyone makes these mistakes. It took me years to realize what clean eating really looks like. Even pro athletes have these issues.

Ready to make a change? For the start, avoid these diet mistakes that hamper your progress:

Too Much Dieting

Extreme or prolonged dieting raises the stress hormone cortisol levels. This causes your body to store fat and use less energy for fuel. It slows down your metabolism, drains your energy, and makes weight loss difficult.

For this reason, fitness models and bodybuilders practice the so-called “reverse dieting” after restricting calories for months. Basically, they consume more calories so their hormones can get back to normal.

If you’ve been dieting for too long, take a break. Otherwise, your metabolic rate will drop.

Skimping on Protein

Protein is the most important nutrient for weight loss. It not only builds muscle and strength but also revs up your metabolism. At the same time, it lowers the hunger hormone ghrelin levels, which helps suppress appetite and curbs sugar cravings.

A high-protein diet will help you get leaner, stronger, and fitter. Your exercise performance will improve too! For best results, consume at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight.

Eating Too Much Healthy Food

Just because you’re eating healthy, it doesn’t mean you’ll lose fat. Many healthy foods, such as honey, walnuts, and olive oil, are high in calories. If you eat too much, you’ll gain weight.

For instance, walnuts boast over 523 calories per cup. That’s about one-quarter of the daily recommended calorie intake. The same goes for almonds, peanut butter, coconut oil, trail mixes, and other high-calorie foods.

To get lean, watch your portions. Plan your meals ahead and keep healthy snacks at hand. If you’re always hungry, eat low-calorie high-volume foods, such as kale, lettuce, spinach, and berries.

These are just a few of the many diet mistakes you could be making. Remember that weight loss requires a calorie deficit. The whole point is to take in fewer calories than you’re burning. Stick to whole, minimally processed foods, track your macros, and eat mindfully.