Buy Walking VideosFavorite Thanksgiving Food
What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? Is it the pumpkin pie? The turkey? The stuffing? The mashed potatoes? That weird green bean casserole with the french fried onions on top?
Whatever it is, start eating it NOW.
If your mouth is watering at the thought of turkey and stuffing, make a turkey with stuffing this week. The fact that you even have a favorite Thanksgiving food may be the reason that you end up going overboard on Thanksgiving. The idea that food is scarce has caused some of my worst binges. Food that you can only have once a year is the definition of scarcity.
So, give yourself permission to have Thanksgiving food now, in April and even in July. Cooking a turkey several times a year will prevent the gorging that is typical on Thanksgiving. Suddenly, it’s just another meal instead of a once a year event.
Whatever your favorite Thanksgiving food is, your homework assignment this week is to have it now.
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November 3rd, 2006 at 7:09 am
Such a good idea!
I still struggle with overeating things that I feel are scarce. It only rarely borders on binging, but it’s often definitely more than I need.
Thanks for looking at the psychological angle and bringing it to our attention.
November 3rd, 2006 at 8:39 am
I try as hard as possible to minimize my family’s Thanksgiving food (mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing, pies, pies & more pies) throughout the year. I don’t believe in eating these foods throughout the year b/c if I did, I would for sure gain weight. Instead, I wait for one indulgence a year, Thanksgiving, and go to town with all of the food. I would rather stuff my face ONCE a year and really enjoy it, than eat the food throughout the year. Thanksgiving has sentemental value in my family, and I would be totally letting my grandma down if I didn’t get second servings and eat her apple and pumpkin pie I would let her down.
To minimize the excess calories on the fourth Thursday of November, I make sure to wake early and go for a run and go for a walk with the family after dinner.
November 3rd, 2006 at 9:19 am
I love the stuffing!
But I’m not getting myself used to it in the next few weeks. Thanksgiving stuffing is like Christmas snow. I will indulge, but not over-indulge, because I know I’m having it then, it’s part of my eating plan for that day, and I’m sticking to my plan.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to put it in writing — one more help to make it real!
November 3rd, 2006 at 12:51 pm
I plan to save calories so I can have extra on thanks giving. I also plan to do more salads and eat much smaller portions. A mini muffin worth of stuffing is still stuffing just smaller.