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Enjoy Thanksgiving Without Gaining Weight
by Wendy Hearn
What is the secret of getting through Thanksgiving without gaining lots
of weight?
For most people who want to lose weight, the thought of Thanksgiving
fills them with dread. Yet this should be a time of great enjoyment and
fun. It’s a time to offer thanks, to hold family gatherings and to eat -
turkey, stuffing, cranberries and pumpkin pie. You may be busy
organizing and cooking family meals. Undoubtedly, there will be an
abundance of food available and the temptation to overeat will be high.
Although Thanksgiving is only one day in the year, you probably find
yourself thinking, planning and preparing for it well in advance. I’ve
found that this is when most people’s dread of possible weight gain
starts and the pressure is on. It’s also the start of the whole holiday
season leading up to Christmas and New Year, which stretches across
almost two months.
There’s enough pressure from others telling us we should lose weight
without putting even more pressure on ourselves. You’ve probably heard
many different rules and ways to stop overeating at this time of year.
Many experts seem to say "Only eat when you’re hungry," "Just walk away
from the food," or "Stick to eating low calorie foods." I’m sure we
would all have followed this advice, no problem. If only it were that
easy! When we try to restrict ourselves, it’s difficult to maintain and
when we don’t manage it, we often end up with low self-esteem.
Most diet plans are restrictive and difficult to fit into your life. You
are also expected to make so many changes at once, which for most of us
isn’t achievable and this sets us up to fail. When you feel that
something is achievable, you will have much more success. The permanent
route to weight loss is to make changes to your attitudes, behavior,
habits and lifestyle. These changes won’t happen overnight and can only
be gradually incorporated into your life. Take it one step at a time.
Thanksgiving is a very special time of year and I want you to be able to
really enjoy yourself. Spend time with family, socializing, relaxing -
whatever feels good for you. I suggest removing the dietary shackles
from yourself. There can be so much pressure, it’s overwhelming. You end
up feeling stressed and not good about yourself. Give yourself
permission to suspend your diet and eat what you want. I’ve found that
when I allow myself to eat what I want, I don’t overeat anywhere near as
much.
Yet tell me that I can’t eat something and I crave it all the more. When
I succumb to that craving, inevitably I overeat by a huge amount. Don’t
expect yourself to have willpower because it just doesn’t work. Relax
and enjoy yourself. Ask yourself "What’s most important to me during
this holiday?" Spending time with family? Catching up with friends? Let
these important things be your focus for Thanksgiving.
Now I know it’s all very well for you to read this but you’re probably
thinking you still want to do something to control your weight. Great!
I’m not suggesting you forget your weight loss entirely. What I’m
suggesting is easing the pressure and then making a step forward which
feels easy for you to achieve.
Okay, let’s take a look at what you can do. I suggest you select one
habit to change or adopt and leave the rest for now. Which single habit
are you willing to change or add this Thanksgiving? Choose what feels
right for you and one you feel you can persevere with. I encourage you
to add the habit of walking for 20 minutes each day. The benefits of
walking are huge and it’s one habit that leaves you feeling good about
yourself. Perhaps walk alone for some peace and quiet or with family and
friends. Encourage others to take up the habit. Commit to walking each
day and, at the end of your Thanksgiving celebrations, you can
congratulate yourself on following it through, rather than giving
yourself a hard time because of the extra food you may have eaten.
What I want for you is a Thanksgiving full of fun, enjoyment and a
healthy attitude to your weight.
Copyright 2000 by Wendy Hearn. All Rights Reserved.
Wendy Hearn is a Weight Loss Success Coach and Author of
The Top 10 Things That Stop
YOU From Losing Weight. She offers
individual and group coaching,
via the telephone or email, including a
free
telephone discussion and Weight Loss group coaching to support you
through the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as a
Weight
Loss Success Newsletter.
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