Thanksgiving coma

There you are: sitting on the couch.  Your feet are up, you’ve just unbuttoned your pants a little or maybe even changed into sweats.  You are stuffed to the brim, so much so that you may feel a little like throwing up just to relieve some of the pressure.  At this point you are really reconsidering that the 3^rd helping or maybe the dessert was just a tad too much.

Know the feeling?  Here’s the crazy thing… ready?

………………..that isn’t love.

I know, I know.  Monumental news, right?  When you put it that way it sounds obvious.  Of course that isn’t love.  The symptoms of love are not the same as those listed on the pepto bismol bottle.  But why do we do this to ourselves?  And if not regularly, than routinely around the holidays.  Why?  Because we associate that awful, bloated feeling with love.

I never used to consider myself an emotional eater.  Most people do not have the following thought process; “I’m sad, so I will go eat.”  This is usually a subconscious thing.  But think about the last time you sat on the couch like that.  What was going on?

When we are born we rely on others to take care of us.  A good deal of keeping us alive as little ones is feeding us.  This is loving.  Traditionally we grow up and move out of our parents care, but when we return to them—or they visit us, we cook!  We eat!  We celebrate being a family with food.  And we tend to do that in such excess that it leaves us all in food comas, stuck to our couches.

That is not love.  That is not love.  I repeat: that is not love.

While love perhaps went into the food and love served it up, it isn’t love that makes you overindulge and subsequently feel sick.  That is overeating.  And it isn’t even about choosing the wrong foods or caloric intake or any of that crap.  Eating until you feel sick is ridiculous.  It makes you feel physically bad.  If eating too much spinach gave you a headache I bet you would have no problem avoiding that behavior.  So if eating too much stuffing makes you, well, stuffed—leaves you feeling bloated and tired, maybe even guilty—stop it.  Avoid this behavior.

So this holiday season enjoy your family/friends/traditions whatever they are.  Enjoy the food.  Whatever you like.  However you like it.  I don’t care if it’s bacon wrapped bacon with chocolate shavings and turkey.  Eat it up.  Enjoy it and all the love that came with it.  But stop eating it before you feel full.  You know there will be more food and you can always go back for more.  Have a reasonable portion.  Ask if you can take some home for a sandwich tomorrow.  Drink an entire glass of water at the dinner table.  Whatever it takes, just don’t eat 4 lumberjack sized servings, top it with pie and spend the rest of your day comatose.

There are things to do with your family besides overeat, most of them much more fun anyway!  Talk at the dinner table!  Enjoy your family’s company!  Save energy to run with the kids after you eat!

I always say you shouldn’t take away the things you love from your diet.  Regardless of their nutritional content. So I’m not posting “delicious” recipes for steamed sweet potatoes when you know you want them with the little marshmallows like Mama makes.  So have the little marshmallows!  Maybe eat mostly little marshmallows!  But don’t eat yourself sick and call it love.

The love you will find this holiday doesn’t require sweat pants and might come from a little one asking you to play.  Will you be able to get off the couch?!  I hope so!