Tis the Season to be eating
I am sure there is a lot of of anxiety, or maybe anticipation, for the upcoming food centered holiday approaching us here in the States, Thanksgiving. Some of you are probably worried about what will happen with your diets and your resolve to lose weight. Others may be looking forward to a “good” excuse to break their diets. I just want to give a word of caution and then I won’t say anymore about it.
We go through this same thing every year, and every year I will have customers that had been doing great with their diets who decide to go off for the day to celebrate, only to find out too late that they can’t seem to get it together again and they then spend months trying to get back on track.
Please consider all sides of this before making your decision as to what you will do for Thanksgiving and then the coming month leading right through Christmas and on to New Years. There will be lots of opportunities to eat foods that you have no business eating. Holiday foods are calorie rich and nutrient poor. For some reason we feel entitled to overindulge, but if you really think about it…why? They are really just like any other day on the calendar except for the celebrations we have attached to them. We are free to choose not to cave in to the hype and commercialism of any of the next few holidays rolling in.
I think there is nothing wrong with putting your own needs ahead of anyone else’s right now. The worst thing you could do is make a decision that could cause you to lose your way and fall back in to old habits. We all have family expectations to consider, but just this once don’t forget to put yourself on the list, and I don’t mean at the end! Base your decisions on what is best for you and make that priority #1 this year. By Jan 2nd life will return to normal and you can either be flying high with the success of having lost weight or you can be feeling regrets like you probably have many times before.
So what should you do?
That is not a question anyone can answer for you, not even me. You know your options and you know their outcomes. Just don’t talk yourself in to believing that you are immune to falling off the wagon. No one is immune. We are addicts in many respects of the word and like addicts we have a strong tendency to revert back to old behaviors regardless of how destructive they may be to our health. Just consider the possibility that you can chose to not observe the holidays this year, at least as far as the eating goes, or you can make the decision to not abuse yourself with food and only make good choices. The world will not end and no one will disown you. You are your own best advocate and you need to step up for yourself. You need to take care of yourself.
If you owned a business with several employees you would never expect any of them to have as much invested in your success as you do. It is the same with your diet and your health. Oh sure, people love you, but they are not walking around in your skin feeling your pain. Don’t put any of them in charge of making any decisions or choices where your diet is concerned.This is truly something that you have complete control over…if you chose to…and I hope you will chose to nurture yourself in to 2008 a stronger healthier person in body, heart, and mind. Happy and healthy holidays everyone!
