This is a response to 7 Post-Thanksgiving Workouts That Aren't Too Painful, No Matter How Much Turkey You Ate.
When you're a kid, Thanksgiving is simple. You can't wait to spend time with friends and family and gorge on delicious foods you don't get to eat any other time of year. From decadent hams to sweet potato casserole topped with fluffy marshmallows to your Aunt's famous pumpkin pie, the options are endless. You pile your plate high on this special day and eat to your heart's content.
Unfortunately, as we get older, this happy anticipation for Thanksgiving may change. With age, we become more aware of our bodies and how well they fit into societal standards of beauty. When you're worried about the pudge around your hips and stomach, that famous pie looks a lot less inviting.
Treats you used to look forward to all year might even become anxiety inducing. You might make a plan to eat a healthy meal just before Thanksgiving dinner, so you aren't too hungry and don't go overboard with heavy- but delicious- foods. You might plan to eat only the "healthier," options at the Thanksgiving table- turkey, green beans, maybe mashed potatoes? Or maybe not, if they contain too much butter or gravy.
Sometimes, those of us watching our health will allow ourselves one day to go all out, as a reward for our hard work up until this point. We try to reassure ourselves that one day of indulgence won't ruin our diet or gym progress. We'll make up for it the day after Thanksgiving with fasting and a brutal sweat session.
No matter what form your food concerns may take, this type of thinking nearly always spells doom. When we feel restricted, we feel anxious. Paradoxically, many of us soothe those anxieties with food. We're so nervous about eating too much that we lose touch with our hunger signals once we actually sit down at the table. We want these special treats so badly and rebel against the "logical" part of us saying that we can't have them.
Often, people preoccupied with food guilt end up bingeing on Thanksgiving. Instead of eating to satisfaction, guilt and shame drives them to eat to the point of discomfort to soothe themselves.
This Thanksgiving, I encourage you to do your best to find peace with food. Don't starve yourself in anticipation of the big meal or eat "healthy," food you don't really want to fill up beforehand. Don't set limits with what foods you can and can't have. And please, do not plan to burn it all off through fasting or exercising extra hard the following day. It's true: one day will not ruin your "progress," in any sense of the word.
As human beings, we don't exist solely to meet arbitrary beauty standards every second of our lives. We're messy, loving, complicated creatures. Food is one of our greatest creations and joys. It brings us pleasure and connection with those around us. This is what we need to focus on going into the holiday season. It allows us to relax, enjoy ourselves, and be present in the moment- all of which leads away from overeating and stress. If you focus on the positives instead of the societal pressure to control the way your body looks, I promise you'll have a great Thanksgiving.
