It looks like we will not be joining my family for Thanksgiving this year. In my 50 years of life, this has only happened once I believe, and the idea feels very odd.That is the bad news. Good news is I can create a dinner for the three of us that is points friendly and a lot less temptation. We were discussing this and some possible options last night.The choice of one sort of normal dessert with a healthy meal , or even the possibility of going out for dinner came up. I don't think going out will happen, as it just feels too weird.
So this morning I am asking myself what do I really want to eat on that day ? Not how many points whatever anyone brings may be, but what is it that I choose to consume for a celebratory treat ?. I have been reading a book called Chef MD Big Book of Culinary Medicine by John La Pulma MD, and in it he recommends taking four times a year to celebrate. By celebrating he means just enjoying the day and the spread, and not "dieting" during the event. To me it makes sense. Celebrations are a part of human life, and celebrations will come in the future, long after we have succeeded on our journeys or given them up. Having the "Celery Only" Thanksgiving or "Tossed Salad "Christmas can lead to binges later on because "I deserve this because I was so good at ( fill in the blank). Better for your emotional health to just join in the celebration and move on the next day.
The question here becomes what kind of a desert do we want ? What kind of treat says holiday - and the fall holiday that steps back and allows us to express thanks in specific ? I think it is going to be pumpkin pie. Can one legitimately celebrate Thanksgiving without at least the appearance and smell of pumpkin pie ? It seems unlikely. So I will buy one small pie, the three of us will eat it, and then we will most likely spend the afternoon watching tv. If I play my cards right and the weather cooperates, I may talk the guys into heading out to the woods for a walk in the afternoon.
5 comments:
Thank you for your ecouragement. :) I agree about having a few celebrations a year. An turkey day should be one of them. Pumpkin pie is an excelent choice, I made yesterday as a test run a pumpkin/cheesecake type pie with the neufatl cheese and used reduced fat graham cracker crust. It tasted great, so I'm not going to feel deprived on Turkey Day :)
I also wanted to say it is so inspirational to see a family getting healthy in real life, and not the drama on the Biggest Loser. I wish you and yours all the best!
Sadly my oven is no0t working properly, so I will have to buy a ready made treat. Turkey is not a problem in a crock pot, but pies can be a trick. So I will just buy a small one with a real crust , enjoy it for that day and then burn off the calories on Black Friday, wandering around the woods and deserted grocery stores ( it is the best day of the year to go grocery shopping !)
Doing this as a family has been a great adventure. We have all learned a lot about ourselves in the process , and I think it has made us a little bit closer through sharing a definite goal that we can all archive.We watch The Biggest Loser ( and all wanted to throw things at the screen last night) and pick up some inspiration from them. Each week we all weigh in on Saturday Morning, and the biggest loser of the week gets to pick a board game for us to play. I look at the challenges they have on the show each week and i toy with the idea of adding something like that to our lives. On Fridays my son reminds me that it is our last chance work out, so we need to push harder .
Thanksgiving I'm having my dinner at home, then going to by bf's mother's house for her dinner.
My Thanksgiving I'm sticking to classics with a twist this year... cranberry sauce made with splenda, green beans sauted in garlic and seasoning, not sure about the salad, greens, turkey. Might try califlower (sp?) smashed up to replace potatos... heard blended well it works. Oh and crustless sweet potatos/pumpkin pie. That's at my house...
I can't control what my bf's mother serves...
Mashed cauliflower is really good !
Good for you!
And congratulations on your excellent progress and weight loss. You are doing it right, thoughtfully, and for the long term.
I'm glad the advice about a "Fiesta Day" was helpful: keep up the great work!
Warmly,
John La Puma, MD
www.drjohnlapuma.com
www.ChefMD.com
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