Ahh yes, Thanksgiving is upon us. It’s the time of year that we spend with our families giving thanks, and stuffing our faces. Quite honestly though, I’m not looking forward to turkey day.
Thanksgiving is all about the feast, right? Well…technically its supposed to be about expressing our gratitude. But lets be honest, most of us think about food first when hear the word “Thanksgiving”, and that gives me anxiety.
I love my family, but I’ve always been under the impression that those in your family are the people that are supposed to support you the most in everything you do, no matter what. However, as I’ve gotten older I’ve found that family members are typically the ones who tend to judge and comment on our choices the most.
Recently I’ve been battling a lot of digestive issues. Without getting into nasty details, lets just say I was probably the youngest person in the colonoscopy room by at least 40 years. These troubles have caused me to be dairy-free, gluten-free, and quite restrictive in my diet in which I only am able to eat certain foods without feeling like I’m going to blowup like a balloon.
Even without these digestive difficulties though, I’ve always been a health- conscious person and enjoyed eating well and being physically fit. This is what makes me happy! However, sometimes these choices have caused other people (family members included) to feel the need to comment and criticize.
Because of my dietary restrictions and current lifestyle, I am choosing not to participate in most of the Thanksgiving feast delicacies. With this, I usually get a lot of comments such as “You’re no fun”,“Miranda won’t be eating this, she’s the healthy one”, “Can’t you just treat yourself this one time?”, “You’re already so fit, you can eat whatever you want”, and so on.
While these remarks may not be meant to be hurtful, they can be. And they make it a bit harder to be excited about the holiday. Maybe you can relate to my struggle, or maybe you’re thinking, “Girl, I count down the days until I can pig out with my family”. There is no right or wrong way to enjoy the holiday. However, I believe it best enjoyed when you go into it having a plan, and taking part in Thanksgiving on YOUR terms, no one else’s. Here’s how:
- Stick to your guns –People may comment on your choices (whether its from filling up on veggies vs. cornbread, or from stacking all 3 types of desserts on your plate), ultimately you are in control of your decisions. Go in with a plan and stick to it regardless of what others say or feel about it.
- Know your “why” behind your goals -Maybe your goal right now is to lose weight, and you’re really crushing it and making progress, so this year you decide to bring a food scale with you to dinner and still hit those macros. Perhaps your current goal is to maintain your weight or increase slightly, so you’re opting to have some of Aunt Suzie’s pie. Or possibly you are in a competitive space right now and that Thanksgiving meal is actually really going to throw you off your game, so you bring your own food and just enjoy time with family this year.
***Wherever you’re at, be okay and willing to accept the outcomes of your decisions – no guilt, no regrets
- Be polite, but own it – If people at your dinner table comment on your food choices, politely tell them how it makes you feel. Also, don’t feel the need to join the “clean plate club” simply out of politeness. Finish your plate if you WANT to, but leaving food on the plate when you’re full is not rude. You do you!
- Remember that you don’t “HAVE” to do anything – just because it is “normal” or typically what people do/expect of you during this time, doesn’t mean you have to do it. Thanksgiving can be just another day if you want it to be, a full-out savagery pig-out session, or somewhere in the middle, Either way, whatever you decide is OKAY, as long as you’re deciding it for yourself.