Set Your Mind Tonight!

Tomorrow is the National Day of Eating--my favorite day of the year and a perfectly wonderful holiday. Happy family, no gifts to buy, wine. What could be better?

Do you have your strategy planned for the day? You know, the rough outline that allows you to enjoy everything that's great about Thanksgiving and still keeps you in between the lines so you don't panic, feel guilty or worry.

Having a plan, and getting it set in your mind tonight, will help you stay on track tomorrow. You'll be surprised at how powerful it is to literally make a decision before you go to sleep. When you wake up, think about your decision. When you get to your gathering, think about it again. While it might sound silly, it will change the way you feel about tomorrow ... and the way you behave tomorrow.

Here's the way I choose to think about Thanksgiving:

1. It's just one day of the whole year. If you're eating relatively healthy most of time and you're exercising smart, one day of eating anything you want is really not that big of a deal. 
2. That being said, stuffing your face all day with crap you aren't hungry for or stuff that will make you feel bad later is just not worth it. 
3. Denying yourself a piece of pie or a big plop of mashed potatoes and gravy--if that's what you really love and really want--is equally ridiculous, in my opinion. 

So this is my plan:

1. Eat smart before the big event. Tomorrow is not the day for the Lumberjack Breakfast. I'll save my calories for the fully loaded table later in the day. Dinner tonight was also a bit on the light side. 
2. Work out like normal. Maybe throw a little extra in. I am debating between the 5K in Evansville and just staying home and doing 5 or 6 miles on my treadmill. While I'd like to be outside and part of the fun, I will get better work done at home, so that's probably where I'll be. (Notice that I am NOT debating whether or not to workout, and have already decided that one of those options is mandatory.) I will also throw an additional 30 minutes onto Friday's workout, just to be safe. 
3. Enjoy, as in truly savor, the stuff I love most. You can keep that goofy pumpkin pie; I don't like it. I will likely also skip the French silk variety if one shows up. But if there is an apple on site, you can be sure I'll be in it. Up to my elbows. Corn? I can get that any time. Green bean casserole? It's beans and soup, for heaven's sake. Why spend my calorie dollars on that stuff when there's stuffing! You get the idea. I will do the majority of my noshing on turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberries, because that's what I love most. Oh, and wine! 

I do hope you have a wonderful day. I am thankful for so much in my life ... and knowing you read this silly little blog is one of those things.