Surviving the fatest holiday in America

The amount of calories consumed in a typical thanksgiving dinner is astronomical. If you sit down and think about what you put into your body between the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, appetizers, and desserts, it is very easy to consume well over 10,000 calories. That is all in a matter of 8 hours!!! The worst part is, on that day you do nothing but sit around, shoot the shit, and watch football. It back tracks even more to the whole week. I commonly hear people say, "Oh, its the week of Thanksgiving, I'll just get back on track next week." That next week turns into next month and that next month turns into a new years resolution to lose those 20 pounds that you put on since the week in late November when this all began.

Thanksgiving meals are not all that bad if you do it right. Here are a few tips that will be helpful in keeping those pounds off on turkey day.

Most gyms are open a few hours on Thursday so try and sneak in a workout.The best time would be about an hour before you consume all that glorious food. That way, when you return home, shower and begin to stuff your face your metabolism is screaming and at its peak for digestion.

I know as you are reclined back watching the Detroit Lions lose, you will probably have a ice cold beer in your hand. I'm not going to say don't have it, because although that would be the best decision, for most it is not realistic. However, try to avoid excess alcohol and avoid sugary drink such as soda. Stick with water.

Avoid, high carbohydrate foods. You all should know by now that unused carbohydrates are stored as cutaneous fat. That means, limit your carbohydrates. Try to fill up on foods like turkey, nuts, and vegetables. These foods are relatively low in carbohydrates and will keep the pounds off.


Enjoy your dinner and eat it slowly. It takes a good twenty minutes or more for your body to realize that you are eating. So take it slow, enjoy the company, and eat the food slowly. You won't eat as much and will become full quicker.

I'm not even going to mention dessert. Everyone knows it is not good for you. Whether or not you eat it is up to you. Just think before you eat it. Summer is only 6 months away. Is that brownie sundae really worth it? Really? I think not

I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving and stay safe. I will be down in South Carolina soaking up the sun.

Any questions? Shoot me an e-mail at dspurling@une.edu

Best,

Doug Spurling

Truth about Gatorade and sports drinks

Gatorade has its place in an exercise program. However, it is not meant for everyone. Drinks like Gatorade and other sports drinks are full of electrolytes. These electrolytes, specifically sodium and potassium, are what we loose when we sweat. So, it makes sense that during long, high intensity, and hot workouts we loose a lot of these important electrolytes. Gatorade is amazing at replenishing those sources.

The problem comes in when you don't work hard enough and still consume a sports drink such as Gatorade. If you are in the middle of Texas running a triathlon, Gatorade is going to be beneficial. If you are completing the Boston Marathon and its 90 degrees out, a sports drink is going to be beneficial. However, how many people do that on a daily basis? Yet, companies such as Gatorade and Powerade are making thousands and even millions of dollars a day on the sales of these sports drinks.

The bottom line is, unless you are working at a HIGH intensity for a LONG period of time, sports drinks are not necessary. You simply do not loose that many electrolytes. For what you do loose, they can simply be replaced with good post workout nutrition. For the average person and most gym goers, water is the best option for rehydration. Drinking Gatorade when not loosing all those electrolytes is just like putting a candy bar in your mouth. It is pure sugar and will be stored as fat.

So, don't listen to the commercials and spend your whole paycheck on these fancy sports drinks. If you are running a marathon or about to go bike cross-country, yeah you can have a sports drink during that time. Every other time stick with good ol' H20.

Do you have questions or ideas for future topics? Please send me an e-mail.

Best,

Doug Spurling
dspurling@une.edu

Always trying to learn more

I mentioned a week or so ago that as a professional in the exercise science field it is important to constantly keep yourself updated with the latest in research and news in the field. So, for the next few days I am making the trip down to Providence, RI to attend the New England American College of Sports Medicine(NEACSM) annual fall conference. I will keep you posted as to what interesting things I came back with.

Here is the link if you want more info: NEACSM

Best,

Doug Spurling
dspurling@une.edu