Thanksgiving, and the month-long peak of Eating Season, is only two days away. No doubt (at least in the US) the turkey is thawing in the fridge, taking up a lot of space and pushing out other food items. Is that displaced chow — be it leftovers, or stuff you hadn’t gotten around to preparing get — getting eaten “just to get it out of the way” or “so it doesn’t go to waste”?
What do holiday dinners mean to you? Stress? Fun? A day to forget about the diet? When I was a kid, it was Grandma’s Parker House Rolls (for which I got the recipe), ham, and a big ol’ after-dinner game of tackle football with my many cousins while the dads watched the Lions on TV and the moms talked (and incidentally cleaned up). Ah, to be a kid again… well, not really.
“Football is 80% physical and 40% mental.” (Little Giants) Yeah, and so is dieting. Combinations can complement each other, in both football and dieting, adding up to 120%. The stress of preparing for a holiday get-together is the perfect opportunity for old, destructive habits to reassert themselves. Calories are only part of the equation; keeping your mental focus during this time of year can truly make you a 120% performer. I lost weight during last year’s Eating Season — I’m not doing so hot so far this year, but I know I can get back on track and get the trend going in the right direction. I just have to get both my dinner plate and my head in the right places.
So… Just4Today, I’m going to drink my water (2l) and remember my fiber supplement. I’ll limit my fat intake by limiting myself to one serving of meat. Finally, I’ll get 20 minutes on the Evil Exerbike.
What are you going to do today? It doesn’t have to be food- or diet-related!
{{{Farfetched}}} Wow! Thank you for this.
We DO have a turkey thawing in the fridge — that’s true!! But, we don’t have orphaned leftovers – ever. Mister does the cooking and he always cooks ahead. So this or that element that he cooked on Sunday isn’t meant to be eaten on Sunday – it’s meant to be a piece of the dinner Tuesday or Thursday. This has been possible the last year or so because it’s just the two of us now. AND we’re both very careful to watch portions. So THAT’s affecting how he cooks in the first place. (me? I just watch)
My brother and his family are in town until Thursday morning so we’re having our family feast tonight. We’re going to make Lasagna at my parent’s house (It’s a surprise to them – they think we’re going out) And some Gluten-free sides for the special-needs folks.
JUST 4 today – I’m going to wear my E4T charm bracelet to remind me not to eat while we cook…..
xxoo
katie
Happy Thanksgiving! And I didn’t grow up in a “football family” so for us it’s about getting together with family and friends. And turkey. As an exercise instructor, I remind myself to only eat what I truly want and to skip the regulars (the rolls, potatoes, etc.) plus skip what I don’t like (mincemeat pie). That helps.
Hi ladies!
Nice to not have to deal with leftovers, KB. I find myself humming the theme to “Weird Science” as I clean out the fridge sometimes.
Conda, I never have trouble skipping what I don’t like.
My strategy is to load up on the veggies, because they don’t stick with me so much.
See y’all tomorrow, Lord permitting…
We are going to still have our own dinner tomorrow – so they’ll be plenty of left overs!!