T-minus 12 hours 'til T-Day!
Nibble just three Hershey's Kisses a day during the holidays and you'll gain a bazillion pounds!
Dark meat is bad for you!
Pecan pie is sooo fattening - avoid at all costs!
Bah!
I just want to enjoy Thanksgiving...splurge a bit, laugh a lot and be thankful for my friends and family.
A while back, I mentioned an article I wrote for Shape magazine about my own personal struggles with this food-focused holiday. I want to share it with you here - not only because I'm particularly proud of it, but because I know many of us have experienced/are experiencing some similar feelings. It's on the shape.com home page - I'd love for you to check it out.
Comments
Congrats on the article!
I go into tomorrow terribly conflicted; my weight is where I want it (healthy, never fear), but I live in fear of gaining or overeating. Tomorrow is a special kind of public hell. Thanks for sharing your own Thanksgiving demons.
That was a fantastic article, Leslie. You really described how I feel about Thanksgiving. And Heather - "special kind of public hell" is a pefect description! I feel like everyone is watching me eat and, like Leslie said, every bite has to prove something. Sigh. Wish I could go to Mexico and escape all the madness too!
Honestly, I just want the meal to be over with. I'm an occasional closet binge eater, but have been doing well for about a month. Luckily, I'm pretty thin, since I only really overeat on the weekends or at parties and exercise consistently. It's been nice not waking up on Mondays hating myself.
Unfortunately, I have TWO meals to contend with--one on each side of the family--and I dread fending off offers to eat more. Luckily, I don't like stuffing or pumpkin pie, and I don't care about mashed potatoes/bread. My weaknesses are chocolate desserts, so hopefully, there won't be any of those around.
If I sound like I have an ED, I don't, but I did suffer from OCD several years ago. Sadly, you never truly get rid of the tendencies--you just replace them with other (ideally safe) habits. Mine is exercise with a side of calorie fixation when I'm particularly stressed. I just need to focus the people I love without letting drama and project due dates create anxiety. A run or two will also help.
thank you for sharing that excellent article! I also dread the eating holidays and the stares and comments from family members. Maybe I should start my own tradition of going away!
Thank you for sharing the article,Leslie. It hit very close to home for me.
I'm in Canada so our Thanksgiving was a month away and I chose to physically distance myself from the family as well.I actually invited a friend over and had a "regular" dinner and a good chat, and watched a funny movie...and all felt right with the world.
I think it's helpful to think of Thanksgiving as just a meal, with family. Instead of an excuse to turn into a bttomless pit, like I used to do. It's easier to do now, because we celebrate with my husband's family, and they are pretty mellow. When I lived with my parents, it was a tension-fraught meal, with everyone commenting on how much everyone else ate, and how fat or skinny they were. My brother was the skinny one who could eat as much as he wanted. I was the "you're not fat yet, but you have to be careful" one who wasn't allowed seconds. Now, I just take a bit of all the things I like, and enjoy.
This article was fascinating, but for me it is the opposite - i couldn't relate to it at all. I've never gotten stressed around the holidays, i've never been force fed (i love thanksgiving meal, so no one would have to). I love getting together with my family, I eat a lot but don't overdo it, I never beat myself up about what I ate because it's just one of very few days out of the year where you really go all out.... so it was surprising to read about just how stressed people get at Thanksgiving, and how much they actually DREAD it. I wish all of you success in facing your eating issues - and remember everyone's got something, we've all got stuff we have to deal with, just different for each of us.
Amen, Sasa! And thanks for the good wishes! Happy holidays, everyone!
I loved your article leslie, i was thrilled when you posted it on my site cause i know many people that read my site have this sturggle. The holidays more than anything sorta piss me off just because i dont like my dad's girlfrinend and her daughter and i especially begin to miss my mother who died when i was thirteen. When i started college, i hated it even more because thanksgiving was like a little yente party, everyone coming back home and judging one another about what their doing with their lives. It was like "what are you studying???", "where are you working??", "my how you've shrunk/grown (a polite way to say your too thin or have put on a few)". I hope i find a great husband like you leslie, and just forget about my home stresses and escape with him.
everyone - your words mean so much. Thank you for helping me move through the challenging holiday and for supporting me (and each other.) It means a lot :-)
