Most of the traditional Thanksgiving Day foods are high in fat and carbohydrates. If you are not used to eating a lot of carbohydrates (bread, potatoes, stuffing, sweets, dairy, and fruit), you could retain extra fluids and feel bloated because of eating this. The solution to this would be to cut back on your intake of starches and sweets and replace them with vegetables and fresh fruits. That will help with the bloating and cut back on calories to help with weight loss. There is also a chance that you could be retaining fluids if there was a lot of salt in the foods that you ate. Stay away from salty foods and keep your intake of water up to help with this. The final thing that would help when you are in a situation like this would be to increase your physical activity. If you consumed additional calories, there is no better way to get rid of them than to be physically active, especially with aerobic activities.

It’s easy to go from one extreme to the other, but the last thing that you want to do is starve yourself and/or workout for five hours after overeating. Take a deep breath and know that some of the four pounds is water weight and that you will feel better in a day or two once you make the changes to your food and activity. You may want to consider planning ahead for the next holiday or social event so that you will not have to work so hard to make up for it afterward. Try to enjoy the holiday, have some good food and drink, and hopefully these tips will help you to feel good about it when it’s over!

Skip the packaging.

While your body can get back on track on its own, putting great stuff into your body a few days after your Thanksgiving meal will help speed up the detox process. Skipping anything packaged that’s full of “toxins” (like sodium and preservatives) and going straight for the good stuff. Think whole foods and tons of veggies. Focus on whole, raw, fresh foods — especially fruits and vegetables. Foods like raw baby carrots, bell peppers and salads can flush the body with micronutrients and make a delicious snack. Try to have at least one fruit a day and one source of greens (a good place to get greens is by throwing them in your smoothie). That doesn’t sound too hard, right?

Hydrate.

Ah, the power of water. Drinking tons of it will get the bad stuff out of your body fast, so get going on that one ASAP. Hydration cannot be stressed enough during this time. While your liver and kidneys are working hard to filter the blood, consuming enough water is essential for keeping things moving quickly and fluidly. Begin your day with at least 16 ounces of water, preferably warm, and focus on consuming all day long. Warm water too bland for you? Health coach Emily Littlefield recommends green tea, as it will keep you warm, hydrated and energized.

Eat small meals.

Although you may be tempted to eat as little as possible after treating your body like crap for a few days, it’s best to eat several small, nutritious meals throughout the day to get your metabolism back on track. Think roughly 200-250 calories, five to six times throughout the day. Focus on foods packed with nutrition such as fruits, veggies, lean proteins and healthy fats that will help restore vitamins and minerals, which are the tools your body needs to run. Eating six times a day doesn’t sound too shabby if you ask us.

Focus on healthy fats.

In case you haven’t heard, fat will not make you fat. Healthy fats give you energy and keep you full for longer, helping you maintain a healthy body weight. And when you’re coming off a day (or four) of filling your body with too much alcohol and high-calorie food with little nutritional value, you’ll need to incorporate these healthy fats into your diet. Blum explains that healthy fats like nuts, flax seed oil and avocado help reduce inflammation, which will help get your body back on track a whole lot faster. Avocado toast, anyone?

Exercise

Exercise is great for lifting your mood, burning calories and busting stress. It’s also key in coming off that “toxic” Thanksgiving meal (or meals) of yours. Although a long run might be a little too intense at first, try going for a brisk walk to get your body back on its exercise track. Then find a way to sweat. Another way our body detoxifies is through sweat. In this winter months, it’s not always easy to work up a sweat. Try a hot yoga practice or a steam room, and remember to hydrate afterward! We’re not sure about hot yoga, but that steam room sounds pretty awesome. Don’t get us wrong, eating everything in sight on Thanksgiving is awesome. Just make sure you take care of your body after.