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Thanksgiving: A different view
usmcmp
Posts: 21,219 Member
Thanksgiving Day is traditionally a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal. The meal often includes a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie, and vegetables. Thanksgiving Day is a time for many people to give thanks for what they have.
In the weight loss world this is a day filled with fear, restriction and frustration. Many people deal with the fear that one day will ruin progress or throw them off track. People elect to isolate themselves from friends and family to avoid eating over their calorie goal. Some people simply fear getting off track and not being able to return to appropriate eating for their weight loss goal. As a binge eater I understand how eating lots of food one day can derail me for weeks.
Thanksgiving is a day Americans are supposed to be thankful for what they have. Currently, estimates put the number of Americans living under the poverty level at more than 47 million. 17% of Americans are homeless. This Thanksgiving, if you still have something to be thankful for on a material level, you should stop worrying about calories for one day and remember Americans with basically nothing left. Before you fear feasting on too much turkey with your family and friends, remember that you are lucky to have a family and food to come home to. By focusing on calories and forgetting it's about being thankful for what we have you are missing the point entirely.
In the weight loss world this is a day filled with fear, restriction and frustration. Many people deal with the fear that one day will ruin progress or throw them off track. People elect to isolate themselves from friends and family to avoid eating over their calorie goal. Some people simply fear getting off track and not being able to return to appropriate eating for their weight loss goal. As a binge eater I understand how eating lots of food one day can derail me for weeks.
Thanksgiving is a day Americans are supposed to be thankful for what they have. Currently, estimates put the number of Americans living under the poverty level at more than 47 million. 17% of Americans are homeless. This Thanksgiving, if you still have something to be thankful for on a material level, you should stop worrying about calories for one day and remember Americans with basically nothing left. Before you fear feasting on too much turkey with your family and friends, remember that you are lucky to have a family and food to come home to. By focusing on calories and forgetting it's about being thankful for what we have you are missing the point entirely.
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Replies
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Thank you for posting this!0
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Beautiful!0 -
People have to get past the point of believing that they have to punish themselves for being fat. Be thankful.0
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hear! hear!!
:drinker:0 -
In a way, it is a shame that we associate holidays with feasts. I'm not a binge eater but it's easy to blow through the daily calorie allotment at a single meal during the holidays. It is frustrating to have portion controls argued or ignored.
Good thread.0 -
:flowerforyou:0
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Lovely post :flowerforyou:0
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Bravo
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Thank you! Very well said!0
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In a way, it is a shame that we associate holidays with feasts. I'm not a binge eater but it's easy to blow through the daily calorie allotment at a single meal during the holidays. It is frustrating to have portion controls argued or ignored.
Good thread.
Being able to eat whatever you want whenever you want it is such a new thing in terms of the history of humanity. Even 50 years ago things would be different and that massive turkey with all the trimmings would have been a real treat. There is nothing wrong with having a 'feast' on a special occasion if you aren't making all the normal days a feast too.0 -
i just want to add one other thing... eating a big meal on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas and/or New Year's never made anybody fat.
it's treating the 2-month long period between Halloween and New Year's as one long smorgasbord that is responsible when people pack on 10-12lbs during this time of year.
THAT'S what people should focus on, not the individual holiday meals. enjoy those days and those meals with family and loved ones. those are the memories you'll still have when your 60 or 70 or 80 years old. stick with your logging during the other days, make time to do your exercise, don't fall into the rut of thinking that just because you had a large meal on Thanksgiving that you should quit logging and that you'll start again on january 1st. that's what i think people should be thinking about this time of year (with respect to weight loss)... not whether or not their stuffing is gluten-free or if having a 2nd piece of pumpkin pie is going to make them fat.
the first step to solving a problem is to correctly define the problem. the problem is not Thanksgiving dinner. the problem is getting complacent on all of the days leading up to it and following it.
my $0.02.0 -
Thank you for the gentle reminder of those less fortunate and those able to give. I'll be volunteering for the morning and hopefully put a smile on someone else's face.0
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I knew I liked you!! :flowerforyou: Great Post!!0
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i just want to add one other thing... eating a big meal on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas and/or New Year's never made anybody fat.
it's treating the 2-month long period between Halloween and New Year's as one long smorgasbord that is responsible when people pack on 10-12lbs during this time of year.
THAT'S what people should focus on, not the individual holiday meals. enjoy those days and those meals with family and loved ones. those are the memories you'll still have when your 60 or 70 or 80 years old. stick with your logging during the other days, make time to do your exercise, don't fall into the rut of thinking that just because you had a large meal on Thanksgiving that you should quit logging and that you'll start again on january 1st. that's what i think people should be thinking about this time of year (with respect to weight loss)... not whether or not their stuffing is gluten-free or if having a 2nd piece of pumpkin pie is going to make them fat.
the first step to solving a problem is to correctly define the problem. the problem is not Thanksgiving dinner. the problem is getting complacent on all of the days leading up to it and following it.
my $0.02.
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i just want to add one other thing... eating a big meal on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas and/or New Year's never made anybody fat.
it's treating the 2-month long period between Halloween and New Year's as one long smorgasbord that is responsible when people pack on 10-12lbs during this time of year.
THAT'S what people should focus on, not the individual holiday meals. enjoy those days and those meals with family and loved ones. those are the memories you'll still have when your 60 or 70 or 80 years old. stick with your logging during the other days, make time to do your exercise, don't fall into the rut of thinking that just because you had a large meal on Thanksgiving that you should quit logging and that you'll start again on january 1st. that's what i think people should be thinking about this time of year (with respect to weight loss)... not whether or not their stuffing is gluten-free or if having a 2nd piece of pumpkin pie is going to make them fat.
the first step to solving a problem is to correctly define the problem. the problem is not Thanksgiving dinner. the problem is getting complacent on all of the days leading up to it and following it.
my $0.02.
This!0 -
Thanks for posting. Too many people lose sight of the Real Meaning of Thanksgiving.. to be Thankful for what you have.0
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Thanks for that great reminder. We do often forget the true reason for celebrations.
If you want to be truly thankful for what you have (and maybe think twice before wasting food on a binge), volunteer to serve a Thanksgiving meal in your community. Find a church, shelter, or soup kitchen and work for one hour serving those who have nothing.
Give thanks - but if you can - always give back.0 -
Great way to think about it! It IS a scary day for us trying to lose lbs.:noway: We can enjoy one day without getting totally side-tracked. For example, this past Fri nite we went to a wonderful buffet with some church friends & I ate without totally pigging out. I did eat a couple sweets, but it didn't destroy my week. I enjoyed my time with friends, had some laughs, some good food, & the next day I got up & spent an hr at the gym doing cardio. If it is only one day, not the whole month, we will be ok! Be thankful that you are blessed to have family & good food & enjoy your day! Pray for those who are less fortunate.
God Bless,
Deb:flowerforyou:0 -
Beautifully written0
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Respect!0
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So well said.0
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Thank you for this! So easy to get caught up in the little things & miss the big picture 0
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:drinker: :flowerforyou:i just want to add one other thing... eating a big meal on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas and/or New Year's never made anybody fat.
it's treating the 2-month long period between Halloween and New Year's as one long smorgasbord that is responsible when people pack on 10-12lbs during this time of year.
THAT'S what people should focus on, not the individual holiday meals. enjoy those days and those meals with family and loved ones. those are the memories you'll still have when your 60 or 70 or 80 years old. stick with your logging during the other days, make time to do your exercise, don't fall into the rut of thinking that just because you had a large meal on Thanksgiving that you should quit logging and that you'll start again on january 1st. that's what i think people should be thinking about this time of year (with respect to weight loss)... not whether or not their stuffing is gluten-free or if having a 2nd piece of pumpkin pie is going to make them fat.
the first step to solving a problem is to correctly define the problem. the problem is not Thanksgiving dinner. the problem is getting complacent on all of the days leading up to it and following it.
my $0.02.0 -
Well said0
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Thanks for the reminder! 0
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Bravo! It's hard to remember sometimes that being surrounded by too much food is a "problem" that many people in the world can only dream of having.0
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This needs to be pushed up to the top as a reminder for the evening crowd.0
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Bumping so more can read your wonderful words!0
This discussion has been closed.
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