Thanksgiving is one day

I am posting a picture taken in the kitchen this morning. If you have or ever had a dog, you will understand it. Now a few thoughts on Thanksgiving.

If you want to enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday and stay on track with you wight loss efforts you are facing an impossible task. 

Many traditional Thanksgiving dishes, like turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and other veggie side dishes are pretty healthy choices so theoretically you can have a balanced meal at Thanksgiving. 

However, if you worry about your food intake because of your body image struggles and/or try to avoid added calories like deserts and alcohol you may become frustrated, less happy and miserable.

You don’t want to dampen the celebration by focusing too much on calories or avoiding certain foods when you are with friends and family for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s just one day!  

Yes, Thanksgiving is one day. Don't let the big meal become a big month or more of eating and drinking too much. Instead, splurge for the holiday, but get back to your healthy eating plan on Friday.

I know it is a radical departure from the thoughts that I used to share with you at Thanksgiving.

I just think that Thanksgiving Day is not the best time to keep thinking about nutrition and your weight loss efforts. Losing weight is different for everyone and on this blog, I share what works for me.

Understand that no one is perfect

While holding yourself and others to a high standard is important, it is also important to understand that nobody is perfect – whether it be your friends, your family, your co-workers, or yourself.

No one is perfect, even if we believe that we do things for the right reasons. We look at situations from our biased viewpoint, and we want to believe we are right, even when we may not be.

Life is not black and white, and people will have different opinions and react differently to situations.

There are no people that are one hundred percent good or one hundred percent bad – instead, we are a mixture of the two.

See the good in people – if someone is opinionated, they are passionate, if they are stubborn, they have strength.

If people around you make bad decisions, then try to look at this objectively by understanding the context and what made them do this.

Also, remember that you may be far from perfect and realize that you have many traits that people can view differently. 

No one is perfect, and this includes the ones that we love.

Always look on the bright side, and appreciate what you have – your situation in life is better than many others, and it is important to appreciate this.

Action changes things

There’s no single best way to lose weight, but what all weight loss plans have in common is that they produce a calorie deficit.

A calorie deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than your body expends, so you either eat fewer calories than you previously ate, or boost the number of calories you burn through exercise.

While physical activity is important for many aspects of health, it is much so much easier and more sustainable to create a calorie deficit through diet rather than exercise.

You should know that exercise doesn’t burn as many calories.

If you walk briskly for 30 minutes, you will burn just 200 calories. Since 3,500 calories is a pound of fat, you will need 17.5 days to lose one single pound.

To lose one pound of fat you will have to run 35 miles. If you were to run 7 days a week, you would need to run 5 miles each day in order to lose one pound of fat in a week.

So, what to do?

Eliminating sugar-sweetened beverages and consuming non-processed or minimally processed foods can help you reach a calorie deficit without calorie counting. 

Do not drink liquid calories. Replace sugar-sweetened beverages and replace them with water. Eat fresh, non-starchy vegetable and fresh fruits. Eating lots of vegetables every day will help you lose weight quicker.

Changing what you eat will bring about a large-enough caloric deficit to allow for a satisfactory rate of weight loss.

Take advantage of the motivation you are feeling today and start now. Everything that you need in is your hands.

Doing what works

Now, when you know that you need to do something about your weight, it is time to figure out what you are currently doing and what you want to change. 

This information will help you begin selecting your behaviors that you want to change.

You will then make changes that are designed to help you reach your goal. Of course, there will be challenges along the way. 

One potential roadblock might be finding the motivation or energy to keep going. And you will most likely experience things that make you stop. 

Buy as you move forward, you will begin to adopt techniques, strategies and daily routines to manage any initial discomfort and stress.

Expect some bumps on the road. If it were easy to lose weight, you probably would not need to read blogs like this one. But remember, as long as you keep implementing the changes and don’t give up, you are succeeding.

As your daily routines become less challenging and more satisfying, the process will become a bit easier and may even begin to feel a sense of mastery.

Seeing results will bring a healthy sense of accomplishment, keep you motivated and increase your chance of success.

The key to weight loss is to feel full by consuming healthy natural, non-processed foods and sugar free drinks without artificial sweeteners, with enough protein and nutrients to keep you satisfied and not tempted to overeat on the not-so-healthy stuff. 

Better understanding of ourselves

Human nature is a fascinating concept. 

I was always interested in all aspects of personality and social interaction, exploring the influence of interpersonal and group relationships on human behavior. 

I thought that learning that will make me a more effective person. 

Once we realize why we and others behave in certain ways - whether alone or in group settings - it becomes much easier to avoid stressful situations, reduce anxiety, make better decisions, and live a more fulfilled life. 

The way we perceive ourselves in relation to the rest of the world influences our behaviors and our beliefs. The opinions of others also affect our behavior and how we view ourselves. That is why our behaviors and decision-making tend to be different when we are in a group versus when we are alone. 

From the way we think to the way we behave; the mind is a powerful yet delicate tool. It must be nurtured in the same way we take care of our bodies. 

Gaining a greater understanding of human behavior and mental process will ultimately lead to better understanding of ourselves

Lose that lockdown weight

Has your waistline expanded since the pandemic began? You’re not alone. 

Sixty-one percent of U.S. adults report undesired weight changes since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

Routines have been disrupted, stress has increased, and with the emergence of new variants of the virus at regular intervals. It is unclear when things will get back to normal. 

Emotional stress and improper sleep routines over the course of the pandemic have compounded the problem. It is ironic and even dangerous that people are gaining weight at this particular time. It has been shown that being overweight or obese makes it more difficult to fight the virus. 

Regardless how long the pandemic is going to last, the rest of your life is still ahead of you. We talk a great deal about safety measures—social distancing, face masks, and the sanitizing of hands. Maybe we also need to talk about the selection of the foods we eat. 

Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is important for well-being and quality of life. You want to keep your weight from getting too far out of control. 

Whatever your weight goals may be, now is a good time to assess your lifestyle and focus on all the things that keep you healthy. 

Lessons Re-Learned

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of things: schedules, the amount of time spent at home, stress levels, and eating habits. For me, the last one has not been for the better.

We’re only human and most of us are not perfect at everything. It is normal to get sidetracked when trying to eat healthy. However, eating processed food has consequences. Sometimes small consequences, and sometimes big ones.

It happened. I accepted it and I am doing something about it. I knew that the best thing I could do is leave the past behind and focus on moving forward. The rest of my life is still ahead of me, so I don’t look back, I look forward.

I revisited what motivates me and I am getting back on track. My best motivator - fear works very effectively.  Since the doctor told me that I am a good candidate for Type 2 Diabetes I immediately resumed better compliance with eating for health and weight loss. One huge plus to my method is that I see weight-loss results quickly.

A good friend of mine, who always tells the truth unless battery runs out of juice, is very supportive by delivering results with a 0. 2 lb. / 3 oz. accuracy displayed on LCD screen daily.

Another thing I re-learned is that staying on track is crucial to my success, but it’s not always about perfection as much as it is about consistency. I don’t have to be perfect to experience real change and improvements in my health. I am amazed again that so much can change in a short span of time.

Falling off the wagon doesn't mean having to stay off. Life happens. Lesson learned.