I don’t want to hear about how many calories there are in a typical Thanksgiving dinner. Ditto for how long I have to run to work off a scoop of mashed potatoes. It seems like every time I turn on the TV someone wants to make me feel guilty about enjoying a holiday dinner—but I’m not going to let them. I exercise regularly and eat healthfully most of the time, and that means that it’s okay to indulge and skip a workout some of the time. It’s easy to enjoy the holiday without overdoing it, too. My three favorite ways:

1. Go outside. I walk around the neighborhood for a half-hour before dinner. It shakes me out of my football-on-the-couch fog and keeps my hands out of the cheese plate.
2. Approach the spread like a tapas bar. I take small servings of everything, which makes me less likely to fill my plate exclusively with stuffing and mashed potatoes.
3. Splurge on the special stuff. I can have a chocolate-chip cookie any day, but my mother-in-law’s sweet and spicy cashews? Those little bites of heaven only come around once a year. Skip the ordinary treats and make a beeline for the holiday-only offerings.

I hope you have a wonderful, guilt-free Thanksgiving!

Going to a new gym always fills me with that new-school-year excitement, and my first day at the Equinox in West Hollywood was no different. I hit the treadmill, and while I walked I scanned the weight room, mapping out my next workout. I noticed my favorite Freemotion machine (I love doing chest flies on it) and I spotted a sunny corner with mats where I can do all my foam-roller stretches. I've got a way to go before this club feels as homey as my old one, but it felt good to be back in a gym again.

On my way out the door, I picked up a class schedule and then spent some time at home circling the ones I want to try. I can't wait to check out Cardio Quickie, a half-hour class that "incorporates simple, fun, athletic moves that are easy to follow." (I always loved taking cardio classes, but I often feel like I spend most of the time trying to figure out what the teacher is doing—so this class's description sounds perfect to me.) There's also Totally Hip Yoga, a flowing yoga class combined with "an eclectic soundtrack"—I don't know about you, but I find it so much easier to get into the groove of moving if there's music playing. And I'm also going to try Buff Ballet Barre, a one-hour sculpting class based on ballet moves. (You can actually try a workout like this one at home—just check out "The Fast Way to a Sleek, Sexy Shape" in our December issue!)

What's your favorite new (or old standby) fitness class? Confession: I still love step aerobics.

It’s been a while since I’ve written, but I have a pretty good excuse: I moved! My husband and I have been living on opposite coasts for nearly two years, and last week I finally relocated to Los Angeles. For the past few days I’ve been lifting (and tripping over) boxes, organizing cabinets, and negotiating for more closet space in our one-bedroom apartment. I haven’t been to the gym, but my quads, back, and arms are so sore it hurts to move. Unpacking is one tough workout!

Moving has been stressful, but I’m trying not to let the little things (I literally wiped out when I tripped over a box last night) get me down. Instead I’m focusing on all the surprising perks of my new apartment: I can still walk home from work, just like I did in New York; Dave loves to cook so I’m eating healthful meals instead of living on take-out; and I have a balcony where I can drink my morning coffee with a view of the Hollywood Hills (if I crane my neck just the right way.) It all makes the mountain of clothes and shoes waiting for me in the living room seem like no big deal.