Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

The idea that Christmas comes once a year is a common excuse to binge. The thought, “This is my only chance to eat this,” is the precursor to many a broken promise to myself. Not this year. I have finally realized that it’s not true.

I cannot think of one food that is unavailable to me all year. We live in an era where not even produce is seasonal. I can get strawberries whenever I am in the mood for them. I can find mangoes and nectarines and even plantains at my local grocery store all year long. They might be a little more expensive in the winter than they are during the summer, but it’s worth the price.

I cannot think of a recipe that is made during Christmas that I would be unable to make at a different time of the year. One of my favorite holiday foods is a shrimp salad. I’ve never had it at any other time of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Whenever it has been on the table in the past, I have eaten more than my share. Why is that? I have the recipe. I could make it whenever I felt like it. Instead, I have used it as an excuse to binge. Same goes for the stuffing and the pies and the divinity and…

In the end, it’s just an excuse. “Christmas comes once a year” is an excuse that I have told myself in order to give myself permission to overeat. Instead of staying true to my dreams and goals, I have lied to myself for years. I’m just jumping up and down with joy to finally see through the lie.