If you're worried about devouring a huge Thanksgiving meal and what that will mean to your waistline, have no fear. You can have your cake — I mean pie — and eat it too, you just have to get moving afterward. After the break, check out the calorie amounts for your favorite Thanksgiving foods and find out some ways you can work off those tasty calories.
To see the chart, read more.
| Food | Amount of calories | Activity |
| 6 oz. mulled wine | 156 | Swimming laps moderately for 20 minutes will burn 158 calories. |
| 3.5 oz. white turkey meat | 156 | 20 minutes of football burns 158 calories. |
| 3.5 oz. dark turkey meat | 186 | Sneak away for a 20-minute jog and burn 197 calories. |
| 1/2 cup mashed potatoes | 150 | Burn 158 calories by walking briskly for 40 minutes. |
| 1/2 cup gravy | 150 | 44 minutes of cleaning burns 152 calories. |
| 1 small baked sweet potato | 54 | Stretching for 15 minutes burns 59 calories. |
| 1/2 cup stuffing | 180 | A 23-minute bike ride at a moderate pace will burn 181 calories. |
| 1 slice apple pie with 1/2 cup ice cream | 555 | Hiking for an hour and 35 minutes will burn off 561 dessert calories. |
| 1 slice pumpkin pie | 180 | Take the family bowling for an hour and burn 180 calories. |
Source: Getty
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Last year I made a bunch of alternative recipes like cranberry stuffing and my own healthy apple pie to stay on track...this year, it's all up for grabs as I am house hopping to three different places! This was interesting!
1This Thanksgiving I'm planning on waking up at my usual early hour to make breakfast, then workout! That way my metabolism will be pumping. Good way to sneak in a workout if dinners are more hectic or visiting takes longer than anticipated.
2I totally do that Camarogirl, workout in the day before I go to the celebration. it also helps me calm down for my crazy family gathering!
3Plus working out revs your appetite
hehehe
4I will be in NYC this year - a present from my future in-laws. So I will be walking A LOT, and plan on hitting the gym in our hotel every morning. That should work off an indulgence or two!
5Honestly, I'm getting tired of all the worried-about-Thanksgiving-how-to-cancel-it-all-out stories. If you live an otherwise healthy and active life, it shouldn't be an issue. It's *one* meal, for god's sake. Try to enjoy it without whipping out the calorie counter.
6well said, jdeprima!
7Going to take advantage of the day off on Thursday morning and hit the gym :)Last year i did a 2 hour cycle class that was awesome!!! tho the instructor that did that is no longer at the gym and i live quite a distance from my favorite bikes. Boo.
In any case, I'll be keeping active just by cooking alone and preparing the majority of dishes by hand.
8absolutely, jdeprima !
I will miss Thanksgiving dinner this year
We'll be traveling to Cozumel on turkey day.. but I
would think that an Ironman would be a good way to burn off t-day calories 
9I agree, jdeprima. Also, it's misleading to promote the idea that you need to burn off every single calorie you eat in your Thanksgiving dinner, because you're body needs SOME calories from food on a daily basis.
Runningesq - Good luck! I can't wait to hear about your IM!
10Yeah, I mean it is one day. As long as you don't eat like this all the time, it's fine. I do plan to go to the gym T-giving morning though!
11Well, yeah---didn't mean I plan to be a complete glutton/slug just to be contrary. I'll probably go for a run that day, too, but I *always* run on Thursdays. But I'm not going to freak out and think "OK, I ate this many more calories than usual at this one meal, so I need to work out this much harder to make my body think it never happened."
12Or you could just eat a moderate-sized meal, possibly a lighter breakfast and dinner, and just continue about your daily life, burning calories naturally as you stand, walk, wash dishes. I really don't think there's any need to put yourself through a punishing workout so that you can have a slice of dessert or a spoonful of mashed potatoes. You're hardly going to become obese from one out-of-the-ordinary meal.
13I plan on working out on Thanksgiving, just like normal. But I also don't plan on eating like a pig at the meal; I never usually eat that way so I won't eat that way on Thanksgiving. I usually eat a nice salad, lots of turkey, and a couple of my favorite side dishes and maybe some pie if it's good. It's one meal and yeah, it should be special and you shouldn't freak out that you did/didn't burn off *every* calorie that you ate.
14I will be doing the Turkey Trot on thanksgiving morning...a nice 5K or 10K to wake up the body and get ready for some stuffing and pie. It is all about portion control
15I have no choice but to refrain from pigging out -- my friend is getting married two days after Thanksgiving, and I am maid of honor. If I can't fit into my dress, there might be a cameo by bridezilla!
16Unfortunately my boyfriend will be waking me up at 6am to go running with him. We're staying at my parents' house and I don't think he'll be happy without a "short" 5 mile run. Torture. I want my Thanksgiving to be all about indulging. I'll worry about burning off excess calories another day. I can't wait for the food!
17nice way to put it perspective
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