Thanksgiving is a very special holiday for me since that was the day I was born. The atmosphere and family time are everything and of course THE FOOD.
The range of sweet and savory is brilliant and just amplifies the conversations(Insert British Baking Show accent). Plus, the leftovers for days taste even better than the main feast.
However, I think many of us can confirm the exhaustion and uncomfortable feeling of being stuffed after a Thanksgiving meal.
Looking back to when I was a college freshman, I had lost the concept of too much food. My portions were 3x more than they needed to be, hence causing the dramatic weight gain within just one semester–(read Freshman 15(+20lbs)).
Being home, I had the desire to lose weight that week but felt conflicted with the stress of all these delicious items. But the problem was, I had unrealistic goals to think I could lose 10lbs in just one week.
I lost the JOY of my favorite holiday because I was too fixated on controlling my portions. For the next 5 Thanksgivings (2014-2019) I was fixated on control, leading me to obsess over my portion size. The years that I did succeed on enjoying the food, I would then overeat on snacking on all the goods while trying to wrap them up in Tupperware containers. (This my friends beware because I realized it was a form of binging when you are stuffing yourself full of food after the main event.)
My emotions were like a rollercoaster, trying to be present with friends and family, but on the inside feeling sick of shame and guilt. I hated the feeling of despising myself and how I looked.
So fast forward to Thanksgiving 2023, I wanted to write a piece of encouragement for those who are stressed about tomorrow’s big event and the rest of the holiday season.
LET GO–not in the sense that you give up and give in to whatever you please to eat. No, what I mean is the more you let go of that urge to control, you will find yourself at peace.
The practical steps I can leave you with:
1. Pray before you attend these big events–This is a way of grounding yourself and aligning your heart with the present. Remind yourself of the big picture, it’s not about you. This is one scripture verse that helped me refocus on Christ. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
2. Slow down, savor the food in front of you-Don’t take for granted those taste buds. If you need to, set a timer on a watch to eat slow(minimum 30 mins) and be intentional with the conversations around us. Plus, remember our bodies our equipped with hormones (leptin and ghrelin) that connect signals from our stomach to our brain to inform when we are filling up.
3. Listen to your body- By eating slower those satiety levels are easier to detect. Plus, the Thanksgiving meal is meant to be savored! Listening to those satiety signals your body is sending will ensure a satisfactory experience and the feeling of freedom.
4. Take a walk-get that body moving to assist your digestive system and stretch after sitting for a while.
5. Journal-I encourage those of you who are on a journey to overcome eating disorders take time to document the process. This is a great way to process the changes you implemented and reflect/evaluate on what is working and perhaps what did not go well. The battle is all in our heads, so the more you can process those thoughts that is a win! I have kept all of my journals and am amazed at how much my mindset has changed towards food. The reality that I had to come to terms with is letting go of the “perfect” image of myself. I had to address the ROOT of my binge eating.
Cheers to substituting shame with joy this Holiday season!
Here for you and praying for you on this journey.
Sierra