3 challenges to win thanksgiving
Thanksgiving wasn’t always but has become my favorite holiday. I love the crisp autumn weather, the football, the family time and the food. I have even grown to love the retail madness and customer expectations. Last year I helped man our chat and phone lines and this year I am excited as I will be at two of our retail stores in NYC working on Black Friday to help handle the volume.
This year, I have a Thanksgiving challenge for those willing to try and a potential reward for those who put in the effort. See below for more details.
1. MOVE
Before the absolute gluttony of the day hits, wake up and take 20-30 minutes to do this bodyweight routine. Since I know many will be traveling, away from the creature comforts of home and your go-to gym, I have programmed this to be easy enough to do in grandma’s basement but hard enough that you will at least kickstart that metabolism.
WARM-UP: 100 Jumping Jacks, 20 air squats
For each round, do 30 seconds of exercise followed by 30 seconds of rest 4x (four times). Meaning you will have 4 reps of 30 seconds worth of each exercise. After each round, take a 2-minute break (and trust me, even though you start strong, you will be glad you took the break).
ROUND 1: Sumo Squat Jumps (4x 30 seconds)
2-Minute Rest
ROUND 2: Split Jumps (4x 30 seconds)
2-Minute Rest
ROUND 3: Commandos (4x 30 seconds)
2-Minute Rest
ROUND 4: Push-ups (4x 30 seconds)
2-Minute Rest
ROUND 5: Burpees (for the hardcore) or V-ups (4x 30 seconds)
2-Minute Rest
If you want a finisher, then end with a 90 second+ Plank hold.
2. THANK
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.” – Cicero
I once heard someone say that gratitude is humility in action. No matter where you find yourself amidst life’s ups and downs, you will only better yourself and those around you by expressing thanks. So this Thanksgiving, write five sincere notes of gratitude. While I know the power of a perfectly crafted handwritten note, don’t let that get in the way. Text, email, Snapchat if you have to—just write five sincere notes of gratitude to those who you think could use a lift or who you want to thank.
3. EAT
I can’t tell you how to make the perfect turkey (though I did entirely bacon lattice ours last year and then smoked it in a Traeger). No, my specialty is the midnight post-Thanksgiving meal Turkey Sandwich. Now I know you shouldn’t eat at midnight based on the best rules of gut health, and I am sure post watching the documentary Gamechangers many of us might be reconsidering our animal protein intake. However, if you are throwing nutrition best practices out the window for a day, this might be the day to do it. Here is my ultra-secret, never-before-shared recipe for the perfect post-Thanksgiving meal Turkey Sandwich.
Start with a Thanksgiving roll (if you didn’t have any rolls, then you may first want to reconsider your meal company, but you can substitute with all of the typical alternatives, including non-bread options such as lettuce). Put the roll in the oven for 2.5 minutes on BROIL. Alternatively, you can put in the microwave, if you must, or a toaster.
Next, take a plate and stack the following in roll-sized portions:
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Turkey (salt and pepper liberally)
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Stuffing
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Sweet potatoes
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Creamed Corn (or any other favorite Thanksgiving side)
Put the plate in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, depending on portion size and microwave.
Take the now hot ingredients and place gingerly onto the roll. Then add the following:
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Cranberry sauce
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Ranch dressing (secret ingredient)
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Avocado (more salt and pepper
Now, feast.
Thanks for following along, and if you can complete all three challenges and send me a DM on Instagram, and I will pick one person to win a new product we are launching in December.
Happy Thanksgiving!