Gratitude not Guilt

Thanksgiving is a time to count your blessings, spend time with friends & family and of course, eat.
As a fitness professional I have uttered the usual cautionary tales of overindulgence. The banal statistics of holiday weight gain, (7-10 pounds) calories ingested on Thanksgiving (4500+) and the so-called tips & tricks (reduced fat & calorie variations of favorite foods and of course, exercise) to avoid the pitfalls of excess.

Every year it is the same. We are inundated with the above, we discuss it at the various gatherings we attend, nervous jokes are made and an occasional contest sparks short-term interest in the prevention of weight gain. In a world where 2/3 of the adult population, another often touted stat, is considered overweight or obese (epidemic status) there is an obvious disconnect.

One of my favorite sayings is and I am not sure where it came from is, "it's not what you eat between Thanksgiving and New Year's, it's what you eat between New Year's and Thanksgiving." I believe this is true and it's something I teach in my health classes using the 80/20 rule. I am not suggesting a free for all but some perspective. If you are practicing moderation, eating nutrient-dense healthy foods, exercising, managing stress and getting enough sleep then your body and mind can handle the excess of the season.

The problem is we don't practice moderation. More often it's all or nothing, go big or go home, I'll do it tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, desperation sets in causing a perfectly intelligent person to set unrealistic goals, buy the 8 pack DVD set guaranteed to give you the body of your dreams, eat the prepackaged meals full of sodium & preservatives and allow promises of quick weight loss to dull your common sense and have hormones, vitamins and whatever else might work injected into your body.

This is pure craziness but it has become normal. Lack of time is the reason most people cite for not taking better care of themselves. Ironically, there is always time for Facebook, television and gaming among other technological time-sucks. I am guilty too as I love nothing better than a cute puppy video!

After we waste time we try to make up for it by accelerating through every thing else we do. We yell at and rush our children through the various activities we think will make them better, more well-rounded individuals. We eat out, stopping at the drive-thru because we are too tired to plan & prepare meals. When we finally get to bed, we can't sleep. Wired and tired we reach for technology, thinking a little TV, social media or even reading will relax us. We end up losing sleep, wake up exhausted and start the process again.

At the risk of shooting myself in the foot, New Year's is a very lucrative time for a person in my profession, we need to take it slow. Start with walking for ten minutes, it's free and easy and you can build from there. If you have dogs or kids, take them, it's a great time to bond and is good for every one. Stop thinking in black or white and think in color. Add a fruit or a vegetable to every meal instead of thinking about what you can't eat. Remind yourself that you can record your favorite TV show, access almost anything on demand and that the text will still be there in the morning.

If you practice moderation more often than not, Thanksgiving can and will be a time of gratitude and not guilt. You can enjoy those delicious dishes you only eat on special occasions, take a pre or post dinner stroll with the family and truly count your blessings, greatest among them is good health!