Just so you know: You won't go to Hell if you decide to enjoy Thanksgiving.

I have to tell you that I am ANNOYED and IRRITATED.  It seems like all the Fitness Pages I follow are promoting fear, paranoia, and stress surrounding food and dieting during the Thanksgiving Holiday.  

I think it's stupid.

Yes, the truth is that many Americans gain weight during this time of year and they never lose that weight so it accumulates and leads to the yearly weight gain.  I will not dispute those facts but how does promoting fear, self loathing if you eat the cake Anna Mae, and language about punishing yourself help?

There's a saying: "Thoughts become things" and the thoughts that many in the Fitness Industry are promoting are that you're bad for enjoying the food this holiday and you need to be punished, be paranoid about Thanksgiving food, and it's wrong and sinful to enjoy this festive time of year.

I think that is stupid too

Re-evaluate  Priorities and Regain Perspective

There is more to life than diets and workouts.  Earlier this year it was brought to my attention that Fitness had become a distraction.  It had become a distraction because I had allowed it to take up way too much space in my life.  I enjoy working out and being active but I had taken it to a level bordering on self obsession.  I was very uncomfortable with some of my behaviors.  I was participating in conversations sometimes that sounded like an Eating Disorder support group and I was heading into the territory of being self loathing.  It wasn't until I took a step back, re-evaluated my priorities, and regained my perspective about what was REALLY important that I put fitness back into its proper place.

With this Thanksgiving Holiday, I would encourage you to re-evaluate your priorities.  This time of year should be spent reflecting and giving Thanks for your life.  A lot of people will have empty chairs at their tables this year because they have lost family members due to death or because life happened.  While you're freaking out about the calorie count of  Pumpkin Pie this year, some family will wish they had some canned pumpkin to pass around.  Is food really your biggest priority?  If it is, then I encourage you to re-evaluate your priorities and I would also encourage you to get help.  

While I am on the topic, being obsessed with food is not a joking matter.  It's not something to laugh off.  I see fitness people who are constantly posting about food, junk food they are going to eat, posts about hoarding food, and food food food posts all day long.  This is not healthy and it is not something to encourage.  If the thought of food is giving you anxiety, then please consider getting help.

Regain your perspective by pouring your energy into your relationships, friendships, hobbies, passions, and your life goals.  The more I have focused on what TRULY matters this year, the less priority I have given to worrying about food and exercise.

Stop The Insanity and Start the Gratitude

This time of year is where we need to start being THANKFUL for what we have.  If you're reading this, then you have computer access and many people in the world don't even have clean water.  

Be grateful for even being ALIVE. You have breath in your body and that is MORE THAN ENOUGH to be grateful for.

From Dec. 21 to Dec 31 every year, I do a Top 10  moments of the year in no particular order and I start thinking about it during Thanksgiving.  What are your Top Moments of 2015?  What are you most thankful for?

Stop this Insanity of Thanksgiving is a sin and you're going to Hell for eating Pecan Pie.  The more you focus on restricting yourself and trying to atone for your Thanksgiving meal, the more likely you are to binge and to start sneaking food later.  The healthy mindset approach is to say: "I'm going to enjoy some of everything and not feel bad about it."  If you go into it with that mindset instead of white knuckling and punishing yourself, then I guarantee you will be a lot less likely to over eat.

Stop the Insanity and Start being Grateful if you even have a family or friends that you can celebrate the Holidays with.  This time of year is so hard for many people because they are isolated

Stop listening and following these Fitness Pages that are promoting self Loathing and Fear Mongering.  Point Blank and The Period.

Inspiring Pages

I was really touched to see the Page Ripped Goddess start a positivity chain for women.  She recognized that this is a rough time for many people and wanted there to be a space for women to live each other up.  I was so moved that I PM'd her to thank her for digging deeper and encouraging people to lift each other up instead of encouraging them to come up with more ways to declare war on themselves.

Scott Abel is another that I am thankful to see spreading this type of message.  The page Go Kaleo as well

These pages are run by people who actually understand that there is more to life than food, exercise, and obsessing about your body.  This is the type of healthy mindset that we need to encourage.

In case you missed it:  Here are my Keys to Avoiding Excessive Holiday Weight Gain.

So can We Stop The Insanity and Start the Gratitude?  You won't go to Hell if you decide to enjoy Thanksgiving.  Enjoy and move on.



  Pass the Sweet Potato Pie y'all!!!