I feel bloated like a pig after Thanksgiving meal how do I cure it?

Question of the Week:
Coach, I feel like a bloated pig after stuffing my face all Thanksgiving weekend.

I think I ate over 5,000 calories not counting the three desserts. Also a few beers and nachos later at the pub. What do I do to get back on track? Jimmy C.

Great question brother, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend.

Check out these tips to help you feel better by the end of the day.

WALK

Go out on a simple 30 minute walk or add a few pounds for a ruck hike.

Get some sunshine from the outside and you will automatically feel better.

This will not only help you clear your head and get your blood flowing – but also you will want to drink more water.  Which is something that you need right now.

Plus you know you want to try out that new that you just bought early for your own Christmas present.

COLD WATER

After the hot water session step into the cold water shower. This will recharge your immune system and reduce inflammation. Stay in the cold shower for 2 to 3 minutes. You can sit back in the hot tub for another session if you feel like it.

If you have an outdoor shower or pool to jump in – even better.

DRINK WATER

After a day of over eating and excess salt it is time to detox. Drink as much water as you can. I try to drink a half gallon or more a day. But this depends on how hot it is and how much I sweat. I may add a small amount of electrolyte or a squeeze of lemon. You will need to drink more water after the hot tub so drink and cleanse.

GREEN TEA

Green tea is like a mission-ready teammate after your Thanksgiving binge. Packed with antioxidants called catechins, it fires up your metabolism and helps your body burn off the extra calories you packed in. It also kicks digestion into gear by triggering digestive enzymes to break down all those heavy, rich foods you crushed at the table.

On top of that, green tea works as a natural diuretic, flushing out excess sodium and cutting down on bloating so you can feel lighter and more mobile. Plus, it’s got L-theanine, an amino acid that keeps your mind calm and focused, helping you manage post-feast stress and avoid emotional eating. A hot cup of green tea is a simple, effective way to recover and get your body mission-ready again.

SAUNA

After indulging in a Thanksgiving weekend feast, stepping into a sauna can be a great way to reset your body and mind. The intense heat causes you to sweat, helping your body flush out excess sodium and toxins from those salty and sugary dishes. This can reduce bloating and leave you feeling lighter.

The increased circulation from the sauna’s heat also promotes better digestion, helping your body process the large meal more efficiently. While it’s not a calorie burner, the raised heart rate you experience in the sauna mimics light exercise, giving your metabolism a gentle boost.

Beyond the physical benefits, a sauna can also help you mentally recover from the holiday chaos. Thanksgiving often comes with stress from cooking, hosting, and overeating, which can leave you feeling sluggish or overwhelmed. The sauna’s relaxing environment helps lower cortisol levels, reducing stress and balancing your mood.

As you sit in the heat, your body releases endorphins—those feel-good hormones—helping you unwind and refocus. Pairing a sauna session with proper hydration and light activity, like a short walk, can help you feel back on track after a weekend of indulgence.

If you dont have access to a sauna use your bathtub at home. If you dont have a bathtub then substitute a hot shower followed by cold.

NUTRITION

If you went a little too far on Thanksgiving and holidays – it is not too late to get control back and work hard to stay healthy.

The easiest way to burn away toxins and excess fat is to fast for the remainder of the day. Don’t eat a meal that afternoon – just drink water and go to bed. When you wake up the next morning you can have your normal healthy breakfast.

The second thing you can do is to eliminate excess processed sugar intake. Cut out the soda and beer and replace it with water or green tea.  Get rid of the sugar loaded cereal and replace it with granola and yogurt.  Lowering your daily intake of excess sugar will help you lose excess fat and reduce inflammation.  You cant go wrong by staying away from processed sugar.

The third thing that you can do is to eat something with loaded with probiotics (live cultures). Eat yogurt and mixed fruits. Drink a kombucha later in the day. Load your stomach back up with live cultures. If your gut is happy then you will feel better.

INTERMITTENT FASTING

Intermittent fasting is one of the fastest ways to calm down that “Thanksgiving Day bloat.” When you stop eating for a set window of time, you give your gut a real break — something it rarely gets during the holidays. Your digestive system has been working overtime processing heavy carbs, sugar, fat, and salt. Fasting hits the pause button, lowers digestive stress, and lets your body shift from processing mode to repair mode. This quiet window helps reduce inflammation, settle your stomach, and get rid of that tight, swollen feeling in your midsection.

Another big win of intermittent fasting is how it resets your blood sugar. Huge holiday meals send your glucose levels sky-high, which leads to energy crashes, cravings, and more eating. When you fast, your insulin levels drop back down to baseline. This helps your body tap stored fat for energy instead of begging you for more food. That’s why many athletes feel lighter, clearer, and more energized after even one day of intermittent fasting — your system gets a chance to stabilize instead of riding the sugar rollercoaster.

Fasting also has a powerful impact on your gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria that help you digest food, absorb nutrients, and fight inflammation. When you stop eating for a while, those gut microbes shift into a healthier balance. Harmful bacteria that thrive on sugar and processed foods start to die down, while the beneficial ones begin to rebuild. This leads to better digestion, improved immune function, and a cleaner, more efficient gut. After a heavy Thanksgiving meal, this reset is exactly what your system needs.

But intermittent fasting isn’t just physical — it’s a mental edge-builder. When you choose to go without food, especially when everyone around you is still eating leftovers, you’re training your brain to obey you, not your cravings. You’re practicing discipline, control, and delayed gratification. This is the same mental muscle we train in BUD/S and in every tough SGPT workout: do the hard thing on purpose. Fasting is a simple but powerful way to build that inner steel.

Most people go into the holiday slump — sluggish, stuffed, and thrown off their routine. But the SGPT athlete goes the other way. Intermittent fasting helps you clean out the system, sharpen your mind, and regain momentum when others are slowing down. It’s not punishment; it’s a reset. A tactical move. A small dose of discomfort that gives you a big return in how you look, feel, and perform.

Come join us in the SGPT Facebook Accountability group and see how we can improve your life today.

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