You ate it. Get over it. Move on.

A good rule of thumb for holiday eating

I worked so hard to get the weight off, and this weekend I ruined everything.

I shouldn't have sat around watching football for that long without working out.

Did I really drink the entire bottle?

I can't believe I ate that much!

If any of these phrases sound familiar, you're not alone. For those of us who are actively working on staying healthy and losing weight, Thanksgiving can be a deathtrap. Many of us feel that we've worked hard all year, counting calories, portioning out foods, killing ourselves at the gym, only to have our efforts squashed by one day (or, perhaps one weekend) of eating. For some, this weekend is enough to completely give up on losing weight until the new year rolls around. For those of you who are struggling to rebound from what you did (or didn't do) this weekend...here are a few tips to keep you moving forward.

• Get over it: Sounds harsh I know, but at the end of the day we can't change our past behavior. I love the phrase on the coffee cup above because it sums up what we should do to keep ourselves on the right track. Whatever we ate has been eaten, and there's not anything we can do about it. At this point, all we can do is face it, own it and move on. Remember, Thanksgiving was just one day, and I don't care how horribly you ate, one holiday will not be the death of you. Be encouraged =)
• Toss the leftovers: As hard as it might be to get rid of Aunt Sally's pumpkin pie, can you really withstand that temptation? If you're serious about getting back on track, then getting rid of everything that tempts you might be the way to go. If trashing food is too painful, then consider freezing or storing it in someone else's fridge. This might sound a bit extreme, but for those of us who can't say no to a caramel glazed poundcake (oops, did I just say that) this tip can be a lifesaver.
• Don't beat yourself up: Whatever you did, please don't beat yourself up for anything you ate. Thanksgiving is a holiday that is all about enjoying good food, with good friends and family. Hopefully you enjoyed yourself and created memories that will last a lifetime.

Tomorrow is a new day, so don't ruin it by letting any Thanksgiving guilt hold you hostage. Have a great Monday!