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More Low-carb wisdom from Amy Dungan
Originally published: 11-10-2004
Holiday Hesitation
Holidays are some of the busiest times of the year. Everyone has somewhere to go, something to do. With all of our hectic schedules, the last thing we want is something getting in the way. Whether it's getting things ready for the big family dinner, or getting that last minute gift, a distraction could throw us completely off course. So why is it that we let the holiday season itself keep us from sticking to our eating plans? Oh, we have plenty of reasons why we should "take a break," but are they really valid excuses? Many people can make the conscious decision to indulge in this or that and then jump right back on track. But making that decision, and actually doing it, can be something else entirely. I'm sure most of you have heard the old saying about a certain destructive path that is paved with good intentions. It's true! We can have the best intentions in the world, but if we don't follow up on them, they can be our undoing. I, for one, used to be guilty of putting off my healthy eating or exercise plan until after the holidays. I knew it would be difficult with all the tempting foods around. It was much easier to just wait until the feasting was over. But think about it. Are the holidays really ever over? Let's take a month-by-month look: This time of year brings us the most popular holidays, namely Thanksgiving and Christmas. We indulge in high-carb, high-sugar goodies throughout this season. Not just on the day of the big dinner, but there are the little taste-tests, parties, and other events that lead up to, and surpass, the big celebration. We also have left-overs staring us in the face for days afterwards. So, we resolve to start that new, healthy way of life now that Christmas is over. There are other holidays in the month of November and December that many of us may celebrate as well, including Veterans Day, Remembrance Day in Canada, Advent, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and Boxing Day in Canada.
Now we have to prepare for the big New Years party! There'll be lots of food to deal with there. Maybe we'd better wait and just make this healthy way of life a part of our New Years resolution. Some may also be anticipating the other January holidays such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Chinese New Year.
The New Year starts and we are ready to begin a fresh start! But, in just a few short weeks, we have to face Valentine's Day. How can we be expected to stay on plan with such a romantic day as this? This occasion was just made for eating sweets and enjoying special dinners with the ones you love! We'll just work on damage control until after Valentines Day, then we can really get serious. We also have Groundhog Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Flag Day in Canada, Presidents Day, Washington's Birthday, and Ash Wednesday to consider this month.
Next comes March: St. Patrick's Day! Now everyone celebrates this holiday differently. My family descends from Irish heritage and most of the meals are fairly traditional. While most of these meals are low-carb acceptable, such as corned beef and cabbage, most of the time potatoes are involved somewhere, as well as desserts. This could easily turn into another holiday that would keep you from giving it your all.
The following month is April. We have April Fool's Day, Palm Sunday, Passover, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Earth Day, and Arbor Day. I'm going to guess, that for the majority of us, Easter is the "problem" holiday. For me it is sheer torture to simply walk past the marshmallow peeps each year, not to mention all the chocolate goodies. Why not take a break and enjoy some of those sweet, gooey temptations that are constantly pushed in our faces during this month? Hmmm.. I'm starting to see a disastrous pattern here.
May starts us out with May Day, then Teacher Appreciation Week, Nurses Day, Mother's Day, Armed Forces Day, Police Memorial Day, Ascension Day, Victoria Day in Canada, and Memorial Day. Two of the most popular holidays this month are Mother's Day and Memorial Day. Memorial Day is usually spent with families, which always means lots of food. Mother's Day can be such a wonderful and rewarding time, but it can also be your undoing. This year my children made me the most wonderful Mother's Day gift, with the help of their Sunday School Teacher. I received two clay pots painted and decorated, with my children's names and pictures on each one. They are priceless to me! On the other hand, inside those pots were tissue paper packed full of high sugar candy. I didn't want to hurt their feelings, but for my health, I couldn't eat it either. I could have reasoned that a little wouldn't hurt me, but then I would have been back fighting cravings and feeling awful.
The next month on the calendar is June. We have Father's Day and Flag Day. Again, Father's Day could be a stumbling block for you Dads out there, so beware. If you are like my husband and me, you will also have an anniversary this month. Thankfully, we have figured out how to celebrate this occasion with wonderful low-carb meals and desserts. But it can sure be tempting to cheat and have something "special" that you normally wouldn't allow yourself.
Now we find ourselves looking at July. Though not over loaded with holidays as some of the other months are, we still have a couple to contend with. In Canada there is Canada Day. Here in the U.S. we have Independence Day. This holiday is all about fireworks... and food. We have cookouts, barbecues, potluck dinners, etc. Unless we plan ahead, we could end up finding ourselves right in the middle of potato salad and baked beans, with good old apple pie for dessert.
August is a busy time at our house. Three of the four of us in our home have birthdays within three weeks of each other. It can be tough. Even when I make low-carb desserts for my husband and myself, other well meaning friends and family will bring by cakes and other goodies to help us celebrate. That can be a real temptation. We tend to reason that birthdays only come once a year and we should let loose a little. As far as national holidays, we have Friendship Day and Canada has Civic Holiday.
September brings with it several festivities as well. Labor Day is one of the bigger celebrations of the month. This too brings to mind cookouts and camping. We also have Patriot Day, Grandparents Day, Rosh Hashanah, Citizenship Day and Yom Kippur.
When we think of October, we naturally think of Halloween. Another torturous season. We must endure endless isles of candy around every corner. You may feel obliged to buy these little morsels for the trick-or-treaters that visit you, or you may have to deal with the candy from your own little ghosts and goblins when they return from their pilgrimage. Either way you have candy sitting around the house, beckoning your name. Among the October holidays we have Canada's Thanksgiving, Bosses Day and Sweetest Day, Columbus Day, United Nations Day and Mother-In-Law’s Day.
Now we are back at November. Somewhere in these months you will also have a birthday, anniversary, weddings, or some other special occasion to deal with. Do you see the point I am trying to make? If we use holidays as an excuse to procrastinate with our diets, we will never get started! Granted, not everyone celebrates every one of these holidays, but there is a special occasion of some sort every month. Are you going to let these things get in your way of changing your health for the better? I hope not! I started my low-carb diet on November 11, 2001. My family thought I was crazy for starting so close to Thanksgiving. But after thinking it over, much in the way I've explained it here, I realized I would never find a "good" time to start. I had too many holidays to celebrate. Honestly, the best time to start is now. We have to stop planning our lives around the holidays and start living in spite of them. Do I enjoy holidays? I love them! But I have finally learned to look each occasion in the eye and declare that I am in control. Try it yourself. You may just be amazed out how empowered you feel.
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I'm a happily married mother of two. My life revolves around my faith, my family and taking care of myself. My Website: http://www.healthylowcarbliving.com
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