It happens to all of us: squeezing and squirming to buckle your jeans you fit into last week as your food baby belly hangs. Thanksgiving meals are a carb overload binge filled with greasy gravy, creamy casseroles, pumpkin pie, stuffing and of course- turkey. After gobbling down this meal, the last thing you want is the Thanksgiving rolls you ate to actually turn into rolls. Here are a few tips to help your road from recovery to get your diet back on track.

1. Cut yourself some slack

It’s inevitable. Don’t try to refrain from staring at the turkey, eat it. It’s impossible to avoid the fatty foods your body craves on Thanksgiving. Don’t whine, cry or feel guilty about it afterwards. This is the one holiday where is socially acceptable to eat as much as your heart desires, take advantage of it. You have 364 days out of the year to eat healthy, Thanksgiving is not one of them.

2. Eat normally

Sure you ate a 190 calorie piece of turkey with a 340 calorie piece of pumpkin pie, but that doesn’t mean you should eat zero calories today. The feast or famine diet can be an unhealthy road for your diet. Focus on smaller portion sizes, your stomach will feel lighter and rejuvenated, not uncomfortable and bloated. After your carb loaded meal your blood sugar raises, which makes you get hungry quicker than you thought. Replacing these sugary foods thanksgiving foods, with foods that are high in protein will maintain your blood sugar.

3. Drink water, lots of it

If you’re dealing with post-thanksgiving digestive distress, water will be your best friend. Chances are a lot  of the food on your plate had loads of sodium in it. Water will help flush out the sodium in your body naturally, it not only helps with your digestive system, but also decrease your chances of becoming dehydrated.

4. Get moving

The last thing you want to do is squeeze into your lululemon leggings or gym shorts, but exercise is the best thing you can do post bingeing. A quick 20-minute sweat session can easily ease all your tummy troubles.

Note: Don’t forget, the day after the Thanksgiving is Black Friday. Speed walking to buy that $900 plasma screen TV on sale at Best Buy counts as burning calories, not to the food court.

5. Treat yourself

Of course you shouldn’t be rewarding yourself with 500 calorie red velvet cupcake, but replace comfort food with something that will benefit your body. Treat yourself to a relaxing bath, a nice cup of tea, or even a massage. Rejuvenate yourself by not only eating healthy, but feeling good about yourself physically.

So after this Thanksgiving buckle those pants, tighten your zipper, and kill that food baby.