The Day-After Super Bowl Blues: What To Do About All Those Calories
Well, the Super Bowl is over. The kitchen has been cleaned up, food disposed of, the trash taken to the bin, and the beer and soda cans recycled. All that is left is working off those Super Bowl party pounds. After all, if you are like most Super Bowl party-goers, then you ate almost as many calories as you did at Thanksgiving.
Yep, after hours of munching on chips and dip, veggie trays, crackers and cheese, deviled eggs, and so much more, most do not stop there. They enjoy a burger, hot dog, or steak and the ultimate 47-layer dip. As if that weren’t enough, many then stuff their gullet with a piece of cake, slice of pie, some ice cream, or some other dessert. Oh, and let us not forget all the calories that come with the beer or soda.
I can’t even imagine how many calories are in just that sentence; let alone how many calories people really ingested. So now what? How should a Super Bowl party-goer address the calories now that the event is over?
Well, simply, it will take some good old-fashioned restraint and dedication. First of all, those interested in bouncing back from the calorie overload should start with water. Drinking lots and lots of water (upwards of 100 ounces, or 3 liters, a day) will help to rehydrate the body after such a food feast gluttony, as well as clean out some of the toxins that can accompany foods like those at Super Bowl parties.
This also means that it will help the body to stop holding onto the water weight that all those high-salt foods cause. Once our bodies become rehydrated, they no longer hold onto excess water. The human body really is an amazing machine.
We should always drink that much water, but especially after a smorgasbord like many experienced yesterday. Once we take that first step, then we have to get back on the exercise wagon. Daily cardio for at least 30 minutes is necessary to help the body recuperate from all the calories. Really, one should exercise for more like 45 minutes to an hour, but 30 minutes is a solid start. Just like with water, we should exercise daily, but this becomes especially important after eating and drinking so much.
On top of drinking plenty of water and getting exercise, we must get back into the habit of eating right, which means eating healthy, balanced meals. According to WebMD, most adults need between 1800-2400 calories in order to maintain energy balance. This means that if you want to lose weight, you will need to take in less. The Mayo Clinic says that to cut just 500 calories a day would help someone to lose one pound per a week.
Finally, people must commit to drinking more water, exercising daily, and watching their calorie intake. They cannot do it just for a few days; good health requires dedication and consistency. If we are going to gorge ourselves on days like the Super Bowl and Thanksgiving, then we must treat our bodies right the rest of the year.
So let’s hope you had a great Super Bowl party experience. Now, treat your body right.
Image Credit: Photos.com
About Rayshell Clapper
Rayshell E. Clapper is an Associate Professor of English at a rural college in Oklahoma where she teaches Creative Writing, Literature, and Composition classes. She has presented her original fiction and non-fiction at several conferences and events including: Scissortail Creative Writing Festival, Howlers and Yawpers Creativity Symposium, Southwest/Texas Pop Culture Association/American Culture Association Regional Conference, and Pop Culture Association/American Culture Association National Conference. Her publications include Cybersoleil Journal, Sugar Mule Literary Magazine, Red Dirt Anthology, Originals, and Oklahoma English Journal. Beyond her written works, she successfully created a writer's group in rural Oklahoma to support burgeoning writers. The written word is her passion, and all she experiences inspires that passion. She hopes to help inspire others through her words.