Tuesday, November 12, 2013

'Tis the Season

Christmas is in full swing in all the stores (at least here in America). It puts me in the Christmas spirit and makes me want to start decorating now. Unfortunately, by the time Christmas actually gets here I’m totally over it. Being pumped up for Christmas for a solid two months is exhausting. I really wish they would put the holiday back where it belongs in December. Give Thanksgiving a chance, man.

Thinking Christmas makes me think about Christmas food -- chocolate boxes, cheese platters, fudge, pies, chocolate-covered-everything, cookies, and cakes. Starting a diet life style change just before the holidays is probably crazy.

I know everyone from my mom to my friends to diet experts say that you shouldn’t deprive yourself, that minor cheats in moderation are good. There’s a very simple problem here. If I could eat in moderation, I wouldn’t be fat.

I’m a binge eater. One single piece of chocolate can send me into an eating frenzy for days. Then I feel bad about myself. Then I give up on eating healthy. Then I gain 20 pounds. It’s like telling a recovering coke addict, “One line won’t hurt you.” Oh, it hurts. It hurts bad.

No, having cheat days really aren’t an option for me, at least not yet. I would love to get to a point where I can have some naughty, tasty, little treat every now and then, but I’m not remotely close to the point where I could do it responsibly. I know my trigger foods and I know to avoid them.

I’m debating how to approach the holiday situation now. I want to be prepared. I want a plan.

Thanksgiving dinner I can handle well enough. We usually keep it small. I eat homemade tofurkey, anyway. I’ll just have to hold back on the mashed potatoes (I can eat piles of them). I’ll find a healthy alternative to pumpkin pie. I got this.

It’s Christmas that could kick my butt. Luckily, my family does Christmas at my house, so I have a lot of control over what’s served. We don’t have a big Christmas dinner. We do plates and plates of appetizers (appetizers are my favorite kind of food). At least it’s easier to healthify appetizers than it is a full-on traditional meal. Fruit and veggie platters are always nice, and I can find recipes to whip up some other healthy bites. I could make a small cheese platter that way those who want it can have it and hopefully it will get wiped out fast. Dessert platters are a must. I can’t deprive my family of their favorite treats because I’m unable to control myself. What I can do is leave those platters in the kitchen out of my sight and send any leftovers out the door.

I think that’s doable. I can and will make it through the holidays without losing my grip.

6 comments:

  1. Yes...the holidays...it use to be the same way for me....its taken me 2.5 yrs to get to the point of not depriving and not binge eating. I can actually have 2 or 3 cookies now and move on....it just takes time....you will make it through....

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    1. It's awesome that you've made it to that point. It gives me hope.

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  2. I am the exact same way - today in a CVS ad I saw a listing for peppermint Doves and I immediately started thinking about how delicious they sounded. I've almost forced myself into "holiday food sobriety" by starting a three week aggressively low carb meal plan. Traditionally low-carb helps me "Reset" myself to get rid of cravings, so here's hoping it helps. Good luck... many of us are in the same boat!

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  3. Thank you for sharing this aspect of your life...you're absolutely right it must be hard to cheat when it sets off a chain reaction of bad habits. I wonder class myself as a binge eater, but sometimes I do worry that I have binge-like tendencies. Such as being awesome for a while and then one bad day sets off another bad day/week/month/year. I've been in a weight loss rut for the last year, so perhaps I should take a leaf out of your book and be strict on myself.

    Christmas is a horrible time of year for EVERYONE. More for some than others, however. I always roll my eyes that gyms and fitness magazines will advertise on the T.V in January. I'm going to my parents this year, it's always a feast but I actually don't eat that much of the Christmas dinner, it's the chocolate that I get as presents that I gorge. Your Christmas dinner sounds so interesting! You should take pictures this year so we can see what you cook =).

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    1. Being in a rut sucks. But you have come a long way. You'll get to where you want to be.

      I know what you mean about gyms and fitness magazines advertising after the holidays. They're like vultures.

      That's a good idea. I will post pictures of Christmas dinner.

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