I'm so glad you have chosen to begin this hectic day by dedicating a this time to thinking about your own needs. Let's take a few deep breaths and review the game plan. You can absolutely pull off this celebration-all you need is confidence, and I have plenty for all of you!

 

Remember that today is only one day. You will face only one challenging meal. You do not have to throw in the towel. You can get through it with pride. Therefore, allow yourself to feel confidant, right now, that at the end of this day you will be able to look back and say, "I ate moderately, and I enjoyed every bite, and I did not have one moment of panic."  

 

Okay, have you planned properly for the day? If so, good for you!  You're on your way! If not, here is the short version:  make sure you take things slowly. Always have some kind of a drink on hand: water, tea, and later on, perhaps a white wine spritzer ( Recipe here: white wine spritzer).  Make sure you have plenty of fresh veggies to crunch on during the day. Keep yourself busy, even if it means playing outside with the kids!  If you find yourself waffling, take a moment to click and read "Breathe," and then do it as necessary, especially when dessert time rolls around! 

 

One thing that I want everyone to know and understand is that Thanksgiving is only ONE day.  No matter what happens, even if that worse case scenario happens and you end up pigging out all day long, it is not the end of this story or your journey!  Understand that this journey to take control of your life and your body and what you put into it will never end because you are too wise to ever again say that it is okay not to be healthy and happy in your own skin!  

 

My point here is that you must not listen to any voice today that says pigging out is inevitable, that it doesn't matter because everyone is doing it and that it's "only one day." This "only one day" is far different from what I am talking about. My "only one day" is a solitary day when you might have feelings of deprivation. The other "only one day" is the first day of giving up on yourself, of giving in to the illusion that today is a "free" day and all you have to do to is just pick yourself up tomorrow morning and go back to clean eating.  Don't even imagine that! I'm sorry, but you must hang tough for possibly 10-12 hours. I know you can do it!

 

Please get out of the mindset that a particular day, weekend, holiday or vacation is "free," and you can eat without doing any damage. There is no such thing as "free" food or "free" days!  They don't exist in the real world and today is no exception.  I am not saying that you shouldn't enjoy yourself and enjoy your meal. I am warning you that tomorrow will come and you don't want to ruin the day regretting having overeaten and thrown away the work you did up to this point.

Again, blowing it today might very well throw you into a downward spiral for the entire weekend and, perhaps, into  next week.  Try to remember that you can enjoy yourself today, and you can wake up Friday morning thrilled that you did well!  Who knows, it could be the beginning of a whole new behavior for you!  Today is the day to prove to yourself that with a little bit of planning, and pushing through some difficult moments, you can have a wonderful holiday that is not all about food.  If you need to refresh yourself with some last minute tips to get you through today, reread last week's e-zine. Click (You have not yet begun to fight!) for more on the game plan. Better yet, print a few articles and post them around the house, just in case you feel yourself weakening!

 

So, my advice to you is this:  Enjoy the day!!  Enjoy everything you eat!  Be thankful that you have good, healthy food to eat, that you are strong and in control yourself! Moderation will get you through this day, and you will wake up tomorrow morning (read all about it: Morning After)with a smile, knowing you rocked it, thankfully! 

 

 

Berta