Happy Thanksgiving Eve to all of you over here in America! As all the festivities are fast approaching us, I really wanted to pop on here quickly to talk about something that's been on my mind.
I feel like in today's society, holidays that involve a lot of food are "feared" in a way. In years prior I never really paid attention to the so-called "advice" that fitness gurus would give about how to deal with these situations, but as I've grown more aware of it, I've really come to notice how disordered some of it is. I've even seen posts on instagram of people recommending calorie restriction on the days leading up to Halloween and Thanksgiving in order to make up for what you're going to be consuming, or comparisons of how many burpees, jump squats, etc that you'd have to do to burn off a slice of pumpkin pie. Like, what?!?! It angers me so much to see everyone put so much emphasis on making sure you don't "lose progress" because 1) you won't lose progress in one day and 2) life is about SO MUCH more than how much you weigh or how much muscle you have!
I really don't mean to shame anyone for how they go about the holidays. These next few weeks will most likely be filled with holiday parties, family gatherings, and other fun events, and I don't want any of you to waste this precious time worrying so much about how much or what you're eating that you can't enjoy the fun times ahead. I'm not saying that you need to eat everything in sight (although I think it's fine if that's what you want to do--I know most would disagree) or stuff yourself to an uncomfortable point, but allowing yourself to truly taste, savor, and appreciate the delicious food that'll most likely be available to you is so important.
As someone who's personally struggling with some fairly disordered behaviors surrounding food and exercise, I know tomorrow's probably going to be a bit anxiety-inducing. But I refuse to feel guilty. I refuse to feel guilty about eating my favorite mashed potatoes, squash, green bean casserole, stuffing, peas, and anything else that sounds good. I refuse to limit myself to only eating the veggies we bought for appetizers instead of allowing myself to enjoy some chips if I'm craving them. I refuse to skip breakfast to "save" calories. I refuse to feel guilty if I decide to take the day off of exercise (still not sure about that yet) whether it's because I don't have time or if it's just because I don't feel like it.
You don't have to workout tomorrow to "earn" or "deserve" your food. If you really want to workout, great! But if you're only doing it to compensate for what you will or won't eat, then it might be wise to refrain from doing so--having a healthy relationship with food and exercise is so underrated yet so important!
You can say yes or no to eating any kind of food you do or don't want. You don't have to have another slice of pie just because someone offered it, but you certainly can have it if it's something you want or know you'll enjoy.
You don't have to skip breakfast, limit the amount of food you consume on the days before/after, or otherwise try to compensate for what food you eat tomorrow. Food is just food, and eating x amount of this or y amount of that doesn't make you good or bad. The more power you give food, the more it'll start to control you.
On a last note, I'd just like to point out that it may be wise to refrain from using phrases that pertain to earning food, burning it off, being "good" or "bad" in relation to your food choices, or dieting, especially around other people. This can be extremely triggering for those dealing with an eating disorder or similar issues, and could also give impressionable people the wrong idea. I know that everyone has the freedom to say what they'd like, but being mindful of how your words might impact someone is important. The mentioning of someone's weight loss or gain, even if meant in a positive/encouraging way, can also be harmful, and I think that it might be a good idea to instead focus on catching up with family/friends on other things besides how their body looks.
Once again, I want to reiterate that I'm not trying to judge any of you for how you may deal with the holidays. I don't want this post to come across as me trying to say that one way is wrong and the other is right, or that I think my ideas are the end-all and be-all of everything. I just really want to encourage you to spend the holidays in whatever way is going to serve you most, and maybe refrain from saying something that'll (unintentionally, of course) harm someone else.
So, what do you all think about the holidays? If you're American, what are your plans for tomorrow, and what's your favorite Thanksgiving dish? I hope you all have a lovely day tomorrow whether you're celebrating or not!
A healthy relationship with the holidays
Happy Thanksgiving Eve to all of you over here in America! As all the festivities are fast approaching us, I really wanted to pop on here quickly to talk about something that's been on my mind.
I feel like in today's society, holidays that involve a lot of food are "feared" in a way. In years prior I never really paid attention to the so-called "advice" that fitness gurus would give about how to deal with these situations, but as I've grown more aware of it, I've really come to notice how disordered some of it is. I've even seen posts on instagram of people recommending calorie restriction on the days leading up to Halloween and Thanksgiving in order to make up for what you're going to be consuming, or comparisons of how many burpees, jump squats, etc that you'd have to do to burn off a slice of pumpkin pie. Like, what?!?! It angers me so much to see everyone put so much emphasis on making sure you don't "lose progress" because 1) you won't lose progress in one day and 2) life is about SO MUCH more than how much you weigh or how much muscle you have!
I really don't mean to shame anyone for how they go about the holidays. These next few weeks will most likely be filled with holiday parties, family gatherings, and other fun events, and I don't want any of you to waste this precious time worrying so much about how much or what you're eating that you can't enjoy the fun times ahead. I'm not saying that you need to eat everything in sight (although I think it's fine if that's what you want to do--I know most would disagree) or stuff yourself to an uncomfortable point, but allowing yourself to truly taste, savor, and appreciate the delicious food that'll most likely be available to you is so important.
As someone who's personally struggling with some fairly disordered behaviors surrounding food and exercise, I know tomorrow's probably going to be a bit anxiety-inducing. But I refuse to feel guilty. I refuse to feel guilty about eating my favorite mashed potatoes, squash, green bean casserole, stuffing, peas, and anything else that sounds good. I refuse to limit myself to only eating the veggies we bought for appetizers instead of allowing myself to enjoy some chips if I'm craving them. I refuse to skip breakfast to "save" calories. I refuse to feel guilty if I decide to take the day off of exercise (still not sure about that yet) whether it's because I don't have time or if it's just because I don't feel like it.
You don't have to workout tomorrow to "earn" or "deserve" your food. If you really want to workout, great! But if you're only doing it to compensate for what you will or won't eat, then it might be wise to refrain from doing so--having a healthy relationship with food and exercise is so underrated yet so important!
You can say yes or no to eating any kind of food you do or don't want. You don't have to have another slice of pie just because someone offered it, but you certainly can have it if it's something you want or know you'll enjoy.
You don't have to skip breakfast, limit the amount of food you consume on the days before/after, or otherwise try to compensate for what food you eat tomorrow. Food is just food, and eating x amount of this or y amount of that doesn't make you good or bad. The more power you give food, the more it'll start to control you.
On a last note, I'd just like to point out that it may be wise to refrain from using phrases that pertain to earning food, burning it off, being "good" or "bad" in relation to your food choices, or dieting, especially around other people. This can be extremely triggering for those dealing with an eating disorder or similar issues, and could also give impressionable people the wrong idea. I know that everyone has the freedom to say what they'd like, but being mindful of how your words might impact someone is important. The mentioning of someone's weight loss or gain, even if meant in a positive/encouraging way, can also be harmful, and I think that it might be a good idea to instead focus on catching up with family/friends on other things besides how their body looks.
Once again, I want to reiterate that I'm not trying to judge any of you for how you may deal with the holidays. I don't want this post to come across as me trying to say that one way is wrong and the other is right, or that I think my ideas are the end-all and be-all of everything. I just really want to encourage you to spend the holidays in whatever way is going to serve you most, and maybe refrain from saying something that'll (unintentionally, of course) harm someone else.
So, what do you all think about the holidays? If you're American, what are your plans for tomorrow, and what's your favorite Thanksgiving dish? I hope you all have a lovely day tomorrow whether you're celebrating or not!