6 Things to Do Today to Indulge (Guilt-Free) Tomorrow

Marissa Gannon, 34, has been there. The head trainer at Anytime Fitness in Marinette, Wisconsin, has experienced Thanksgivings spent stuffing herself to the brim, only to feel sick, tired and cranky for nearly a week after the feast. She's also been through holidays when she labeled certain dishes "off limits." No surprise: That didn't work either.

Now Gannon takes a more moderate approach, usually filling her plate with proteins and veggies before tasting other goodies such as mashed potatoes and pie. Then, after indulging, she doesn't beat herself up.

"If you're going to eat something that isn't the best for you, enjoy it -- and then you have to let it go," she says. "Because if you put stress on it, it makes it that much worse."

Ain't that the truth.

In recent research out of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, senior lecturer in psychology Roeline Kuijer and colleagues found that people who associate a treat like chocolate cake with guilt are less successful at maintaining their weight over an 18-month period than people who associate that cake with celebration.

"If you are unable to control the behavior that made you feel guilty in the first place, or if you can't undo what you have done wrong, then guilt may have undesirable effects, such as self-criticism, feelings of helplessness and loss of control," Kuijer says. (On the flip side, guilt can motivate positive behavior change, as in Gannon's case.)

Other research suggests there's good reason to embrace regular indulgences. One study showed that people whose weights fluctuated on a weekly basis -- hitting highest after the weekend and then compensating for their splurges during the week -- lost or maintained weight over time.

"Trying to avoid 'forbidden' foods tends to make them more desirable and can lead to cravings, and hence less control," Kuijer says.

Of course, for many, indulging guilt-free is easier said than done. Here's what to do today to banish regret tomorrow:

1. Make some trades.

Most people count their calories on a day-to-day basis, but those numbers are really cumulative, says Kevin B. White, a certified personal trainer and fitness consultant in Bethesda, Maryland. That means tweaking your diet and workout regimen today can buy you some wiggle room tomorrow.

"Prior to Thanksgiving, you should make the adjustments by doing a little bit more exercising and cutting back a little bit on your calories," White says. For example, two extra miles on the treadmill plus ditching the soda and chips at lunch can bank about 500 calories. That's enough for an extra serving of stuffing and half a slice of pumpkin pie, according to the website CalorieKing.

Cutting back, however, doesn't mean starving yourself, says Felicia Stoler, a registered dietitian and exercise physiologist in Red Bank, New Jersey. "Fasting only leads to binging, whether it be a meal or two or the entire day," she says.

2. Sleep tight.

Today is no typical Wednesday. There's food to prepare, guests to entertain and, of course, a pub full of old friends ready to raise a toast. It's enough to say "see ya!" to sleep and hello to the holiday.

But getting your ZZZ's is even more important before a day of culinary temptations, since a lack of it suppresses the hormone that tells you you're full and boosts the one that tells you you're hungry. What's more, people who are sleep-deprived are prone to make more unhealthy food choices, research suggests.

"Try to get a good, adequate amount of rest because sleep is the only place you can truly restore your body," Gannon says. And no, the hours you log on the couch during football tomorrow won't make up for the ones you lost in the sack, she says.

3. Plan on breakfast.

When White wakes up on Thanksgiving morning, he does what a lot of his clients don't: eats a big, healthy breakfast like an egg white omelet with a bowl of oatmeal. That way, he says, he'll enjoy his dinner -- but won't go overboard. If you take White's approach, "you won't be able to take in as much because your brain will signal, 'Hey, I'm full,'" he says.

Stoler recommends eating at breakfast what you won't get at dinner. If the only fruit in your Thanksgiving meal is cranberry sauce, for example, add some berries to your cereal in the morning. If whipped cream is the only dairy on the dinner menu, consider a yogurt in the morning, she says.

The point, White says, is to maintain your routine. "Thanksgiving sometimes causes people to think, 'Family, big meal, OK, I'm going to change my structure,'" he says. "In reality, you can enjoy yourself, have fun, enjoy the meal, cheat -- but you don't have to change your structure."

4. Schedule movement.

Thanksgiving isn't a pass for a day of being sedentary. As White likes to say, "Excuses don't burn calories." What's more, moving on Thanksgiving Day -- perhaps by participating in a local "turkey trot" or taking a walk with your family post-meal -- can maintain the spirit of the holiday as well as your figure.

"You don't feel so crappy, and you don't feel as guilty because you've done something," says White, who always walks around the neighborhood with his family after Thanksgiving dinner. Plus, you're using some of that energy rather than letting it get stored as fat -- "a really good thing," White adds.

Gannon suggests a strength-based workout in the morning, which can maximize your calorie burn throughout the day. As for the multitaskers? Stoler says go for squats in the kitchen or biceps curls with the pumpkin puree. "There's nothing stopping you from exercising in the kitchen while you're waiting for things to cook," she says.

5. Strategize.

Nothing derails good intentions like a grumbling stomach meeting a buffet of its favorite comfort foods. That's why it's key to make a plan detailing how much you'll eat and what you'll do when you're tempted to eat more, Kuijer says. "Be as specific as you can be."

For example, Gannon advises choosing protein and veggies first before indulging in less healthy carbs and desserts. "You're looking for that satisfaction button to go off," she says. "Give your body nutrients first and then see if you have any room left."

Stoler recommends measuring out portion sizes ahead of time and imagining all that food sitting in your stomach. And remember: You are not going to die tomorrow, she says. "It's not your last meal."

6. Expect to enjoy.

Jean Kristeller, a psychologist and co-founder of the Center for Mindful Eating in West Nottingham, New Hampshire, teaches entire 10-week courses on " mindful eating," or eating with greater awareness of food's positive and nourishing properties. First and foremost, she coaches participants to focus on the food's quality -- not quantity -- by taking small portions of everything, savoring each bite and pausing between them.

"Think about it in terms of your taste buds giving you feedback that creates just the right amount of satisfaction, and when that satisfaction starts to disappear, stop eating," says Kristeller, noting that most of the pleasure from our taste buds come in the first three or four bites.

Focusing on quality, too, aligns with the purpose of the holiday, she says. Compliment what the chef makes -- not the amount of it -- and be grateful for the rich tastes in front of you. "You don't have to make the quantity you indulge in the hallmark" of the holiday, she says. "It should be your attitude of openness, appreciation [and] sharing."