Exercising a lot is not an excuse to eat whatever you want. Eating crap does not fuel your best workouts.

When you exercise 13+ hours per week, you are going to need more calories than when you exercise 5 hours per week, but I do not think it is healthy to see it as a pass to eat whatever you want. Some people get away with it, but don’t realize how much better they could feel, and it will likely catch up with them someday.

Enjoying treats can still be part of a balanced way of living, but in their own right, not tied to the workout. On Sunday mornings I often have a bit brunch of eggs and pancakes. Sometimes I even put chocolate chips in my pancakes. It is a lovely indulgence that I look forward to. It is Sunday morning because Saturday’s I usually workout all morning and come home and eat lunch instead of breakfast, but on Sunday it is long run day which means I should get home in time for a nice big brunch. So schedule-wise it is tied to my workouts, but I do it because I really enjoy that brunch, not because I earned it after my workout.

Enjoy your holiday meals in their own right. Don’t feel that you need to get in a workout in order to enjoy them. It goes both ways.