Even the word holidays fills anyone on a diet with some new kind of dread. I always think about all of the desserts and fatty foods I’m going to miss out on. Worse yet, I think about the guilt I’ll have when I make bad food choices.
You don’t have to be filled with that guilt, though.
This year, I’ve gone gluten-free. Doctors and I decided it was best for my overall mental and physical health, so I’ve mostly cut it out. A few weeks ago, though, I decided that I’d allow myself to eat my mom’s famous cornbread and not stress out about it.
Thanksgiving comes once a year. I have one chance to consume this delicious gluten-filled food. I’m going to take it. Do I already know that my stomach will be very upset after? Yes. After a few months of eating rice-pasta and healthy things, I accept this.
I know that Thanksgiving Day will not be a very healthy one for me. That’s okay. With my family all around me, I won’t be too worried about my calorie consumption. There’s a way to be healthy about it.
I don’t know about your house, but mine is filled with desserts. I choose one to eat. I can taste others, but I get a normal serving of one and not more than that. I usually volunteer myself to bake a pie, which means this year my family gets subjected to an odd gluten-free pie. (More pie for me.)
When it comes to the big meal at the table, I have to limit myself. My mom goes all out for our meal for the small amount of people at the table, but everyone is absolutely okay with it. We have leftovers for days. She cooks a whole lot of vegetables. I always pick one or two that I want to eat right then and choose to save the others for leftovers.
Thanksgiving is a special day. I choose to forgive myself. I’ll go easy on the amount of rolls I attempt to eat and cut down on total cookies consumed.
One day isn’t going to set your whole diet back. Keep health in mind, but do it for yourself and not for anyone else.