Kill it this Thanksgiving with Smart Indulgences, a Little Extra HIIT and Mom’s Famous Cheesecake

Thanksgiving…filled with family, food and football, just a few of our favorite things…is all about comfort and indulgence. And hey, we deserve to treat ourselves to an extra slice of pie and some guilt-free couch time for the hard work we put into staying fit and eating healthy all year. But, we also know how easy it is for a cheat day to turn into 5 or a month long free-for-all, because that’s what New Year’s resolutions are for, right? 

That’s why, over the next four weeks, in conjunction with our Fall Corporate Fitness Challenge in both New York and San Francisco, we’ll be sharing fitness tips, healthy-ish recipes and words of wisdom from participating partners including Pure Barre, Orangetheory Fitness, Row House, Flywheel for balancing festive holiday cheer with maintaining overall wellbeing through the season. 

To get us started, we spoke with Lindsay Stiegler of Orangetheory Fitness San Francisco about spending the holidays with her Orangetheory tribe, cheesecake and how indulging on Thanksgiving can actually be great for your body. 

Lindsay Stiegler, Orangetheory Fitness SF:

Thanksgiving plans:

I am going to do my favorite thing and the thing I am most thankful for – coaching our three classes at OTF Fidi on Thanksgiving morning. This will be my 4th year coaching on Thanksgiving and I wouldn’t have it any other way! After work I will spend the afternoon and evening with my mom, sister, and brother and their families in the East Bay.

How do you prepare for the disruption to your normal workout + nutrition routine?

I see life as 80/20 – we strive for 80% excellence and the other 20% we enjoy what comes our way. I think holidays 100% fall into the 20% category. Enjoy every moment of the day! You spend the rest of the week/month doing the best you can to stick to your routine and then you can enjoy the day and the indulgences without any guilt. The important thing is to make sure that the holiday only lasts one or two days, not the whole week or month! One day of splurging will not rock your boat, your body will actually kick into overdrive to make up for the excess calorie intake (think of it as a re-feed day, where you just replenish any food stores that may be depleted) you probably won’t even notice the extra calorie intake! If you find yourself at holiday parties all week or month long – always only splurge on your favorite things and treats, not on EVERYTHING at the party. And throughout the month, never skip a workout day where you actually have time to workout – make those your best workout days! That way, on the days that you just can’t fit it in – again, no guilt!

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish to make?

I grew up preparing Thanksgiving dinner with my mom and sister so it is my favorite holiday. The night before, we always make desserts and pies with my mom’s homemade pie dough. Her cheesecake is the best cheesecake I have ever had and by far my favorite thing EVER to eat. I am also a huge fan of sweet potatoes, so I have a sweet potato casserole that I love to make.

How do you change up your fitness routine to accommodate for all of the extra treats, glasses of wine and late nights celebrating with friends and family?

I don’t necessarily change anything, I just try to stay as consistent as possible with my routine leading up to the holidays. However, OTF will always be my go-to workout when I need an extra calorie burn. Doing an OTF class is my favorite way to prepare for a party day because I know that the afterburn from our workouts will always keep me burning calories for the next 24-48 hours. In turn, if I did a lot of celebrating, I can always count on a few good OTF workouts to get my body back on track. If I feel like I need an extra boost, I will make sure that I start my workout on the floor so I can really focus on lifting heavier weights in the weight room, which is my favorite part of our workout and where I see my body change the most!

What is your favorite part about the holiday?

I really love spending the morning with our members in classes. Everyone is in such a beautiful spirit of giving thanks. I love being able to remind them to be thankful for their bodies and what they are able to accomplish on a daily basis, as well as getting to show them how thankful we are to have them as part of our OTF Family.

Any tips on how to maintain a healthy routine during this time?

Pre-book those classes!! That way there is no excuse not to come. It’s in your calendar and you can plan everything else around your already scheduled workouts. Remember that that one hour of your day will make the other 23 so much more rewarding!

Meet Lindsay, and burn off those holiday treats with class at Orangetheory FiDi and Mission Bay in San Francisco during the HealthKick Corporate Challenge from Nov 27 – Dec 10. Details HERE.

Follow Lindsay on Instagram at @LindsayJoy16