How Do Dodge Those Family "Health Sabotagers" This Holiday Season

Next Thursday is the big day. It's the day Americans everywhere will gather around a large table, with family and friends, to feast on traditional Thankgiving foods.  It's the day some people dread, because perhaps they are getting so close to meeting their weight loss goals and they are afraid that the mass amounts of food will sabotage their efforts.  But let's be honest, we all have control over what and how much we eat, right?  So we have nothing to worry about. Whether we are trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight, or we're simply working on establishing better eating habits, we harvest that control and we control the choice as to whether or not we eat something.  Or.....do we??

Last year's Thanksgiving table at the Casagrande household

This is me last year, with my mom, dad, brother, and their dog Scarlet.  This is post Thanksgiving feast. Not the best photo (everyone looks like they are in a food coma accept for me!  Probably because I new I would be putting this on my blog, muahaha).

This is my plate of food.  I've got some vegetables, grains, and of course protein (and gravy of course).

Decent, right?  I mean, it's plenty of food, and you better believe this was preceded by plenty of pre-meal munching and was followed by plenty of dessert eating.  I was comfortably full and satisfied by late afternoon (ok, maybe comfortable isn't the best way to describe it, but no food comas for me!)



Anyway, at this point in my life I feel pretty great about my body and my nutrition philosophy.  There was a time in my life when certain members of my family would comment on the "unfilled space" on my plate..... "Gina, what the heck?!  It's Thanksgiving, it's time to FEAST!".  Little did they know (or care) that my plate of food was certainly a feast in my eyes.  I mean, I don't normally eat that much food in one sitting (especially not for lunch, and especially not when I know it will be followed by a decadent dessert!).


So what do you do when your fmaily and/or friends try to make you feel this small and comment on the lack of food that you're eating at a specific holiday gathering? Or when they comment on the excess of fruits and/or veggies on your plate?  In other words, what do you do when your family and friends are impressed with your ability to obstain from gorging yourself over the holidays, simply becuase it's a holiday?  Here is what I do:

1)  Laugh it off. Rather than going into some whole long explanation about how I feel so much better when I try to eat healthy and I don't eat GIANT portions, I just smile and nod (or....laugh...whatever).


2)  Lie and tell them it's only my first plate.  Usually by the time I'm finished with my first plate, whoever made the comment has forgotten about me anyway.  A little white lie never heard anybody ;)  Of course, sometimes I do get seconds, but I try to get more veggies.


3)  Just be honest.  I've had times when relatives are relentless and they just don't give up, "Man Gina, you need to eat more than that, come on!! Or at least have a glass of wine or something, GEEEZ!!".  This is when I say "Sorry, I'm much more content eating a smaller meal now, and I'm sure I'll have more room in my stomach later for whatever I missed this time around".  Sometimes honesty really does get people to, well...shut up!


4)  Pile your plate up and give some food to the dog.  haha. Jk.

Would you like more tips?  Check out this article from Fitness Magazine.  And don't forget it's ok to be an individual and have your own goals, despite what people may say and how people may react to the "new you" and your "new food philosophy". Just stay strong, and maybe one day you can get your biggest sabotager on board with you!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

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