Happy Thanksgiving Day!  Or is it?  Will this turn out to be yet another guilty occasion because you have already talked yourself into accepting that you have no control over what goes into your mouth, that it's too hard to deal with watching your intake and trying to have a good time?  Are you going to give in so others won't think you're a drag, or because you just don't want to deal with their questions and cajoling as they encourage you to have "just a taste"?  Well, I am here to remind you that it doesn't have to be that way.  Thanksgiving doesn't have to be a throw-away day, and you can enjoy the holiday and the food, but you need a plan, and we still have a day to form one, so let's get started.

You can absolutely pull off this celebration; all you need is confidence, and I have plenty for all of you! Remember that Thanksgiving 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 the day, you will be able to look back and say, "I ate moderately, enjoyed every bite and didn't have one moment of panic."

Okay, this is how you do it-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!

Throughout the day, I want everyone to keep repeating:  Thanksgiving is ONE day. No matter what happens, even if you lose it completely, it is not the end of this story or your journey!  This journey to take control of your life and your body and what you put into it will never end. You have become too wise to ever again think it's okay to be unhealthy and unhappy in your own skin! However, there has always been that tendency to listen to those voices that say overeating is inevitable and acceptable "just for today." This is a "one day" mentality that says it's okay join in the gluttony because everyone else is overdoing it and it's only one day, after all.  When you make the choice to view the day as a "free" day of overindulging with the plan to go back to clean eating in the morning, you are essentially choosing to give up on yourself. Please, please, please remove thoughts like this from your consciousness! I'm sorry, but you must hang tough for the waking hours of the holiday, and I know you can do it for ONE day!

How does my ONE day mentality differ from the  What the heck; if you can't beat 'em, join 'em mentality?   Well, my ONE day is a 24-hour period of time in which you might experience intermittent feelings of deprivation over the course of the 16 or so hours you are awake. That's it. If you keep yourself busy, and holidays are perfect for that, the time will fly and you'll be in bed before you know it!

Perhaps this Thanksgiving you might finally 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 this holiday is no exception. I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy yourself and enjoy your meal, but I know you don't want to look back on the holiday with feelings of remorse and regret at having thrown away all the work you did up to this point.

Again, blowing it on Thanksgiving could very well throw you into a downward spiral for the entire weekend and even into next week. Try to remember that you can enjoy your day and also 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. Perhaps you will even begin to see that it doesn't have to be all about the food!

 If you need to refresh yourself with some last minute tips to get you through the day, reread last week's newsletter. Check out (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! In any event, 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