Thanksgiving Calories: How Much Exercise It Takes To Burn Off That Feast

Turkey with gravy, stuffing, buttery mashed potatoes, pecan pie with vanilla ice cream -- if you're not careful, your Thanksgiving favorites can mean trouble for your waistline.

In fact, the average Thanksgiving meal clocks in around 3,000 calories, more than the estimated 1,600 to 2,400 that women need and 2,000 to 3,000 that men need in an entire day, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Yes, Thanksgiving is a once-a-year celebration; we trust you're not stuffing yourself with green bean casserole on a regular basis. But we also know that the average person gains about a pound during the holiday season -- and doesn't lose it over the course of the rest of the year.

There are a couple of things you can do to combat the holiday-season bulge. Keep portion sizes in check (this handy visual guide can help) and try some healthy Thanksgiving substitutions, like eating white turkey meat instead of dark, or pumpkin pie instead of pecan, suggests the American Council on Exercise. Stick to your regular exercise routine as much as possible during these hectic holiday weeks, or maybe even try signing up for a local Turkey Trot to make sure you fit in some exercise on the busy day.

In the meantime, let's put that 3,000 number in perspective: In the slideshow below, you'll find 12 ways a 150-pound person could burn off that Thanksgiving feast, like 13 hours of walking or 17 of yoga. Keep in mind your personal calorie burn will vary with intensity, body composition and weight -- and please don't try these at home!

• Take A Walk

  A brisk walk is a great way to get some low-impact exercise. But it'll take more than 13 hours to burn 3,000 calories this way, <a href="http://www.acefitness.org/calculators/physical-activity-calorie-calculator.aspx">according to the American Council on Exercise</a>.

• Hit The Slopes

  Have a trip to the slopes planned this holiday season? You can burn off your Thanksgiving feast with nearly nine hours of casual downhill skiing.

• Do A Little Dancing

  Hitting the dance floor during the holiday season is a fun way to burn calories, but it would take you nearly 15 hours to burn 3,000 calories.

• Go For A Jog

  A respectable six-miles-per-hour pace -- a 10-minute mile -- will burn 3,000 calories in just over four hours.

• Train On The Elliptical

  Sweating at a moderate intensity on the elliptical will only take you, oh, six and a half hours, according to <a href="http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/caloriesburned/elliptical_trainer/result?weightPounds=150&duration=390&activity=&met=6.5&submit=" target="_hplink">Self.com</a>.

• Practice Pilates

  This core-focused workout strengthens muscles and burns calories, but you'd need to take eight and a half hours worth of an intermediate class to drop those Thanksgiving cals, according to <a href="http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/caloriesburned/Pilates/result?weightPounds=150&duration=515&activity=&submit=" target="_hplink">Self.com</a>.

• Squeeze In Some Squash

  Take a break from the festivities for a round at your gym and you'll burn 3,000 calories in about three hours and 40 minutes. Convince <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/meredith-melnick/mothers-day-activity_b_1453712.html">a family member to join you</a>!

• Get Wet

  Some casual lap swimming will burn serious calories, but it will still take more than six hours to break even with that Thanksgiving meal.

• Lift Weights

  Strength training burns fat, <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strength-training/HQ01710">builds stronger bones</a> and may even improve your mental focus, according to the Mayo Clinic. About 15 hours of lifting weights will knock out those 3,000 Thanksgiving calories.

• Go For A Spin

  Moderate cycling, indoors or out, can knock out 3,000 calories in about five and a half hours.

• Try Snow Shoes

  This fun and festive way to to enjoy the outdoors will squash 3,000 calories in about five and a half hours.

• Hit The (Yoga) Mat

  It will take more than 17 hours of Hatha Yoga or stretching to shave off 3,000 calories.

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/22/thanksgiving-calories-burned-exercise_n_2122463.html

apple stock pilar sanders andrew young real life barbie zipper armenian genocide asteroid mining