72 Hours Post Thanksgiving

Turkey basted in rosemary butter. Whipped sweet potatoes with the crispy marshmallows on top. Pearl onions in a creamy roux. Pie.

Today, we eat all of the things. Tonight, we drape ourselves about the furniture and descend into the longest food coma of the year. Tomorrow, let’s collectively right the ship.

It takes months to get fit — but less than 24 hours to backslide into holiday paunch mode. So we dialed up TMAC, producer of Fitness Routines for the Busy Individual, for a weekend regimen of 20-minute workouts and dietary tips to help a man stay svelte.

Friday

Start Your Day: Challenge your cousin to the “Frogs” workout, a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) exercise. Only takes 20 minutes, but it’ll rev up your metabolism so that you start burning calories immediately.

FrogsGet your heart pumping with TMAC’s Frogs22:44

Meals: If you’re tackling leftovers for lunch, use a smaller plate and focus more on veggies. For dinner, stick to vegetarian options or lean proteins like fish. Skip the bread and the dairy if you can.

Afternoon Activity: F**ck Black Friday. TMAC suggests organizing some family sports: Touch football, kickball, dodgeball, basketball — anything that’s going to get your heartrate up, make you sweat and let you settle old sibling rivalries.

Saturday

Start Your Day: Challenge a family member to a sit-up/push-up challenge. Now that you’re both warmed up, try this TMAC Cardio workout together.

TMAC’s CardioA HIIT workout to start the day.24:23

Meals: You know the drill: salads for lunch, lean proteins for dinner. Low on carbs and dairy, lots of greens. Learn to love this. Rinse, repeat.

Afternoon activity: Go for a walk with your parents. If there are woods nearby, consider a hike. Combine family time with getting-off-your-ass time.

Sunday

Start your day: If there’s time before you hit the road, do this 20-minute TMAC “Rock-n-Roll” HIIT workout to get your blood flowing before you buckle in for the long haul. If your flight is too early, do this one once you get home. Just don’t skip it.

TMAC’s Rock and RollA HIIT workout23:36

Meals: Airport food is no good, but try to find a salad with a protein. If sandwiches are all you find, remove one slice of bread. This is called an open-face sandwich and most places not called America celebrate them. Small bites and thorough chewing will fill you up faster. Snacks: skip the plane pretzels and carry on some nuts and fruit. Above all, stay hydrated.

While traveling: You’ll be forgiven for not wanting to break a sweat at the airport, but here a few ideas to keep you moving:

Choose the stairs and carry your bag up on your way to the gate (legs and arms: check)
Avoid sitting before you board. Skip the bar and take a tour of the airport.
Once you land home after a long drive or flight, head out for a 20-minute walk or jog to get your heart rate up.

Once home: Be sure to stretch and relax before a solid night’s rest.