Enjoy the Holidays
Last week I took a much needed break. It wasn't that I needed to take a break from writing or this page, I just needed a break in general. A day to just basically do nothing. Work is still pretty busy right now and I have been pretty much working, going to the gym, shower, dinner then sleeping and repeat every day for the past few months. The holidays are a big deal in our family so even on the weekends there has been a lot going on since September. Now that I mention the holidays, if you are American you'll know one of the biggest holidays that can hurt our healthy lifestyles is coming up. It doesn't really need to be this way, though. I figured just before thanksgiving would be a good time to revisit the topic of food and relationships with food on my page.
Overall I think food is the downfall of so many people's lifestyles if you are in a high weight range or just overall not meeting your goals. I am by no means saying food is the enemy. I think looking at food as an enemy is an incredibly toxic way to look at things that can potentially lead to bigger problems. I know for me though that if I had better eating habits I would be so much closer to my goals. Overall my lifestyle is pretty healthy with the exercising and meal prepping I do, but on the weekends a lot of the time are my downfall. I was just talking to my mom this morning actually about the fact that I would have a killer body at this point with all the weight training I do if I simply had a bit cleaner of a diet right now. Now, I am not saying I just go crazy and eat a whole cake in one sitting, or something, but I could make better choices especially on weekends. With all that being said, if you have a similar struggle as me I still don't want you to look at food as an enemy. The only enemy in that struggle is yourself. Only you are holding yourself back from your goals this way.
So let's fast-forward a bit here. If you are someone like me that is still working toward a better relationship with food I want you to picture yourself at the Thanksgiving table. What is your first thought? I think most people would say that they go into panic mode. How many calories are in this? Oh my gosh how much weight is this going to make me gain? Is there any low-calorie options here? I want you to forget all that. I have said it multiple times (probably every year right around this time) but it is one day. Whatever you do, do not deprive yourself. It is a holiday and you should enjoy yourself! You've worked pretty hard all year whether you are a parent taking care of little ones, working extra hard at work or have more than usual going on like me at work, if you are a writer and have been working on a novel or poetry, anything really. We are all working hard and deserve to spend the holidays with no responsibilities attached.
Sure you may gain a little weight, but chances are that's a lot of water weight and bloating due to the sodium you consume. One day sure can cause a little bump in the road but its a small one. Step over it and keep going. Maybe wake up early and go to the gym the Friday after. Maybe just make more conscious choices the next day. Instead of taking leftovers and going crazy again take the turkey and veggies and skip the carbs and gravy. Maybe just have a small sliver of pumpkin pie for dessert instead of the large one you had on the holiday and maybe skip the mountain of whipped cream we all know you put on it! 😉
I know I kind of sound like a broken record here. Encouraging you all to enjoy yourselves for special occasions and holidays is something as I mentioned before, is something I always say. That is because I truly just stand by that. Sure maybe you go into the new year with a few extra pounds on you. Is that really a huge crisis? If you have been doing everything you should be routinely as much as possible then you will recover from this. You need to look at the bigger picture. I am betting if you look at a beautiful hand sewn quilt it looks flawless on the outside. If you look a lot closer, you may find a stitch that is less than perfect or even missed. Do you see that stitch when admiring the quilt as a whole? No. These small battles are only small stops along the way. So enjoy that thanksgiving dinner and more importantly enjoy the time with your loved ones. Focus on the conversations and stories at the dinner table, not the calories. Focus on the love around you. I promise you'll get right back to where you need to be afterwards.
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