If you’re like me, Thanksgiving makes you very happy. I absolutely love the food, and I look forward to it every year. But I completely understand that it can be a source of stress for many out there, so I want to try to help.
The way I see it, the stress can be broken up into 3 categories: perspective, pressure, and control.
We have a tendency to completely lose our perspective of what the holiday is. Thanksgiving is 0.27% of our year. But let’s round up and say it’s the entire holiday weekend. It’s physically impossible to lose significant weight in a couple days (water weight aside), and just as impossible to GAIN significant weight in that short of time.
After perspective comes pressure. Grandmas are especially prone to this, grilling you on why you aren’t eating their food. I totally understand feeling awkward, but you don’t have to eat it. At all. If you don’t want to hurt Grandma’s feelings, just say you’ll go back for some. Even if she shuns you for the moment, once dinner passes by, it’s going to be a forgotten memory. I promise. Your Grandma will still love you tomorrow.
Third is control- so many people fear losing control with all the delicious food around. For starters, if that’s a concern for you, leave the room where all the snacks or desserts are. You don’t need to hover over the bowl of tortilla chips while talking. Go into the living room and strike up a conversation.
And when it’s time for dinner, this is the perfect opportunity to practice mindful eating. You don’t need to load up 40 pounds of food- fix a small plate and eat slowly, allowing yourself to feel full. If you’re still hungry, go back for more! I know it’s tempting to load everything up onto your plate, but it’s not the last dinner roll you’re ever going to see in your life.
Above all else, remember what this holiday is about. If you’re stressing about eating too much, take a step back and think about how lucky you are to not only have this amazing food, but the luxury of having TOO MUCH of it.
We are truly blessed, and it’s important to remember that.
