Im weary of the have a healthy holiday! stuffs.

by

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We may fill our FANCY cups with ice water…or GINGER ALE!

Ahhh People.

I know it’s that time of year.

I know it’s important to lead by example and share our best tips & tricks for navigating the holiday temptations, avoiding the pit falls and saying NO!

The thing is?

Quite frankly?

In the vein of what would happen if one woman told the truth about her life?

I’m so over it.

I’m sick of the posts and articles and videos and news segments admonishing us to Stay on track this holiday season!!

I’m tired of the Four tips for a Healthy _____ (insert festive occasion of your choosing) blog content and magazine features.

It’s not so much I’m anti-having a healthy holiday (that would be odd–yes?) I just I have a case of healthy-tips fatigue.

 I’m a far bigger fan of just living.

I’m an advocate of taking this one day and enjoying.

Heck, even if you seize the entire SEASON to live it up you *still* have ten other months of the year at your disposal.

Here it’s about enjoying:

Friends.  Family.  Traditions. (And yes, even the) Food.

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Merry ThanksAkkah Day!

Rebranding aside, I’m still a misfit.

  • I believe sometimes good-intentioned reminders spark us to feel badly about decisions we’ve made and were initially OK with!

Sure, I think we need community and support to maintain our momentum (in all areas of life!) but I still return to the notion of:

If we worried the rest of the year as much as we do between Thanksgiving and New Years we’d all be uber-healthy!

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Latkes: fried not baked!

Here, as with every other thing in my life these days, I do what I can when I can.

Perhaps Ill fit in movement on Thanksgiving (if I can when I can).

Perhaps the day will be jammed with health (if it works if I can).

If not Ill rise the next morning and try again.

As always.

With each tweeted blog post I see & magazine article I wonder:

Is this done in the name of passion for helping others or more honestly for traffic to blog or site or mag?

And now you.

  • Am  wrong in thinking these articles are often done for the (finger quote) wrong (unFQ) reasons?
  • Am I a healthy holiday scrooge?!

 

 

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Comments

  1. You speak the truth. I think sometimes it’s fun to redo a recipe to clean it up a bit but…. It really comes down to trusting that you have established healthy life habits. And trusting your body knows the difference between healthy fuel and indulgence. It’s not about what you do between Thanksgiving and New Years that matters, it’s what you do between New Years and Thanksgiving.

  2. I couldn’t agree more with you Carla! The magazine articles and blog posts are all over the place. Life is about moderation. You shouldn’t limit yourself because the food might not be the most over nutritious but you also shouldn’t eat two cakes. I think it is about keeping everything in perspective, enjoying life, and enjoying the moment. If that means two pieces of pie – do it!

  3. I’m with you girl! I saw this “Have Your Healthiest Thanksgiving” article and I’m thinking…no thanks! Thanksgiving is my jam. I do my best to stay healthy all the time but there are also times I think living and enjoying is just necessary. Will I try not to eat until it feels like my belly will explode? Sure. Will I be successful? Who knows! And I am totally ok with that. And yes, I think the holiday time brings on so much in your face about health, health should be all year round not just at the holidays but enjoying is a necessity.

  6. Oh I’m so with you on this and was thinking it yesterday as I was going through my email, seeing articles and ads telling me how to stay skinny or whatever this holiday. I’m even guilty of writing my own version of one! Although I still stand by what I wrote. It’s tough because those headlines sell, and so even if the content is true and honest in the goal to help others and isn’t just a weight loss scam, people use titles they think will get hits. So honestly I think it’s both – a desire to help others and trying to figure out how to be noticed. No real answers here, from me!

  7. I am not a writer or blogger but I do often think these are preying on our collective insecurities!
    I’m sick of it as well.

  9. I agree….it’s a little overkill. I wrote a post a few years back about NOT just ‘making it through’ the holidays, but actually ENJOYING THEM. I think we get so wrapped up in being healthy that it distracts us from what the season is really about!

  10. I agree with you that all the “tips and tricks” and “washboard ab workout” is more hype than anything else. I strive just to make healthy living a lifestyle rather than try to negate poor decision making or “be healthy for the holidays”.

  12. I thought of this same thing while baking yesterday! I made an apple pie, cheesecake and peanut butter cookies for our Thanksgiving celebration, trying to hit on everybody’s favorites. A gal at the store asked me if I was going to “healthify” the recipes….um, NOPE! Like you, I’m gonna get up and run in the morning…like usual. And then my family and I are going snowshoeing because we’re really excited about the snow. And then we’re going to mash all that pie in our face and enjoy it because it’s not everyday that we all get to hang out with each other. People really forget sometimes that moderation always reigns supreme. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

  13. I know some have issues falling off & not getting back on & that is something they know & deal with. For me, the hardest lesson after I lost weight was to be able to have that balance in life I now have – learning to enjoy the day or whatever & just get back to it the next day. I see you read my post & get it too! YUP, move on but enjoy too!

  16. It’s always about balance- whenever someone or something is extreme it can’t last. Around here we try to keep things real and whole, but there is nothing wrong with indulging a wee bit.

  18. You aren’t a Scrooge, you are a realist. We know how to be healthy, we need occasional reminders not a barrage, and we need to remember that there are times when it’s okay to indulge guilt free.

  19. Good point, and it’s good to vent! 🙂 I’m torn, because I certainly think people overdo it.. I agree that the constant reminders can be discouraging.. but yet, I also am concerned because of the addictive nature of sugar. If I give in, will I find myself sneaking back to the vending machine at work to grab my daily snack, continuing to tell myself I’ll quit “tomorrow”?

    I expect I’ll try to indulge, but with a limited serving size. And then wash my cake down with a couple of cups of fresh brewed green tea and cinnamon to handle the small sugar bomb 🙂

    Have a great holiday!

  20. Wait, you don’t have a healthy latke recipe for me?? 😉
    All kidding aside, I love you and this post. I’m so with you on this and all the articles and tips and tricks, which is ironic given my desired profession. That’s a whole other story. But I just want to enjoy and not feel guilty and do what I can when I can. I can’t do anymore than that!

  21. If we could trust ourselves to indulge a little bit occasionally, we wouldn’t live in a country where nearly 70% of adults meet the criteria for overweight and 40% are medically obese; where the average woman is 5’3.75″ and 170 pounds (CDC stats, and all you need is to watch the news footage of black Friday at your local mall to see that the 5’4″, 200+ pounds woman is no rarity, either). For anyone who’s had a history of compulsive overeating, binge eating, or metabolic disorder, it is extremely important to keep deviations from a clean diet and daily exercise VERY RARE. Throwing caution to the wind to fit in with the destructive gluttony every October 31-January 1 is not something that should be espoused. But, then, you used to be the voice of high standards and common sense, and now you are telling Trapped In Obesity that she is inspirational and her 60 pound regain is just fine, so why am I not surprised by this soft-pedal post?

  22. Health Scrooge 😉 I actually did a post with tips on being healthier, or more mindful really for Thanksgiving. I think people should certainly enjoy something special, but I also don’t see the point of just binging for the sake of the holiday. Oh it’s Thanksgiving I have a free pass to eat x y z in excess. Not saying you shouldn’t enjoy though, but spend more time enjoying the time with loved ones which is what it should be about … am I on your black list now?? 😉 And I adore your honesty through and through

  23. I definitely agree with this. I think if we can live most days making healthy choice, one, or two days here and there, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, our birthday, those days, we can enjoy and have pie or cake. Eating until you feel sick is unhealthy and doesn’t feel good no matter what, but on Thanksgiving, I have small portions of everything, with gravy. And I have pie. Always pie. And my kids enjoy it too, knowing it’s a special day. We don’t my special homemade pecan pie in the fridge all year long, once a year, and it’s special. That’s a good thing.

  24. Preaching to the choir sister! I think some of it is just mis-guided use of language (‘survive’ makes me sad), but a lot of it is just another example of the fear-mongering that seems to be running rampant in the health and fitness space. Enjoy your latkes! xo

  25. I’m somewhere in the middle… I agree that we should be able to enjoy Thanksgiving and holiday foods and not worry about “healthifying” everything… just live and enjoy life! But I also find myself giving tips/suggestions as I hear from my clients how terrified they are of holidays and overeating so I want to support those who are still trying to figure out how to be mindful. Thanks for reminding me that it’s easy to go too far and overdo the ‘survive the holiday’ posts!

  26. TRUTH TRUTH TRUTH!! I love this post so much I want to scream! Thank you for always speaking what’s on your mind…there are so may of us out here who feel the same way. 🙂

  28. Oh my gosh, yes. How I approach it are holidays are holi-DAYS. On Thanksgiving, you bet I’m going to eat what’s tradition (which besides the dessert and bread actually fits quite well in my current eating plan). On Christmas, we do stouffers lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and plates of desert. I just try to stick to what makes me run better on the other days and keep the indulgences to a minimum and what’s worth it (homemade? heck ya. something I’ve been looking forward to for the whole year? definitely, in small doses. something I don’t care about but’s there? try to avoid it.)
    **this ramble brought to you by waiting for work to be over today**

  29. I completely agree! Holidays are only a few days out of the year and I just want to enjoy those moments I have with my family and not stress about what I am eating and what I am doing. As long as I am enjoying the day, that is all that matters at the end!

  31. I hear you. What about the other 364-5 (if a leap year, lol) days of the year? You aren’t off the hook then, so why should you treat these other days any differently? How else do you treat going out with friends and family? Making such a big production about the holidays and weight gain turns them into times of anxiety and puts the focus on the wrong point. The POINT of the holiday season is to embrace of time of love and laughter. Food is involved, because food in our culture is very much a part of that love. But FOOD is not the point. And if you are already of a healthy mindset and relationship with your body, you shouldn’t be needing to strategize how you treat it–you should already treat it well.

  32. Carla,
    I’m with you, if one can’t relax the dietary restrictions once in awhile, it’s oppressive. But I’ve somehow managed to avoid most of the healthy holiday admonitions.

    I have been known to exercise a bit on such days, mainly due to boredom, and partly due to not liking standard holiday food, so that creates automagic portion control. This does shock relatives. 🙂

  33. I totally get the fatigued part! But I tend to feel that if the healthy holiday tips make you (the royal) feel motivated, inspired, and positive – if they affect you in a GOOD, HEALTHY way – then they can be really awesome.

    If you (the royal) don’t care for them, or if they make you feel worse about yourself, then it’s definitely much better to steer clear.

  34. I agree with all of the above…save the latke thing. I find they’re actually a better texture if you flash fry them and finish in a hot oven. It ends up being healthier, yes, but the inside gets a creamier texture than just fry fry fry, and OY! so good with so much sour cream and applesauce.

  36. WHAT no not fried Latke recipes? ha! Every year I feel like I write the same post over and over again. Stop with the health-i-fied holiday, how to keep off Holiday weight posts. I know they mean well but…it is a holiday, enjoy it make the most of it with friends and family and memories.

  37. THANK YOU! It’s just a freaking meal, not an international nuclear attack! And you know what? Gaining a few pounds over “the holidays” is not even an option for so much of the rest of the world. How about we get over ourselves and just live each day the best we can – even it that means full-fat gravy over your dark-meat, skin-bearing turkey. THANKS for saying it, Carla!

  38. OMG I love you so much. This is awesome and such a refreshing change. I just want to enjoy my little time off and not fight feeling guilty when I don’t WANT to feel guilty. So I won’t.

  40. You are sounding more and more like me…funny thing is you make your living with your blog so you have to get the word out and read all this drivel to actually write about it, while I really don’t and read only a few anymore so am blissfully ignorant about “beach body” or “tank top arms” and the like….like you , I just live- to my fullest.

  41. For people with a healthy, mindful relationship with food: Right on Sister! I would include those with the particular eating disorders that are heavily triggered by “Healthy Holidays” talk.

    There are many, however who do deal with a different, broken relationship with food. You can’t even imagine the food that is eaten in some households, and given to children [I grew up in one of those homes and my family (which consisted of parents who both basically raised themselves) was doing what they knew]. The premise that the concept of a Healthy Holiday is annoying sounds like a form of dietary privilege. Yes, there should be occasional indulgences, but in some homes, indulgences are the main course and whole, healthy food is sprinkled in like spice, if at all. If I can make a healthier side dish that will keep my Mom’s blood sugar steady and reduce spikes of confusion and agitation that still progress like molasses with her Alzheimer’s; I’m thrilled to find it, even if it’s on a holiday.

    Overindulging during the Holidays isn’t limited to food. One year, watching my kids playing with a Christmas present for hours while more than half of their gifts sat unopened hours later made me feel guilty, and a bit ashamed. Happy Holidays = Moderation and finding new reasons to celebrate throughout the year.

    • Also, I have found myself inundated with tweets and alerts that made me say “Enough!” It was really helpful for me because it helped me realize that I was craving a different balance in my interests.

  42. I don’t do healthy over the holidays. I like to enjoy myself. Mind you, I will go on walks and such to help offset all the junk I’m consuming…but don’t hand me a low fat pie.

  43. I have never understood the obsession with the whole eating stress during the holidays. One day of extra food, if that’s the choice, isn’t going to undo weeks/months of work! I think it would be just as easy to go overboard during the summer with barbecues and drinks by the water:)

  44. YES yes yes! I made a promise to myself to “search and destroy” all “Have a healthy –” articles from my new feeds and social media this year. I don’t need them. I want to feel good, which in turn, means that I know how to indulge in holidays and traditions without the guilt and worry. And you’re so on point–sometimes seeing articles makes me feel bad about decisions I was initially confident about. Which is awful!

  45. Just the other day I was telling my boyfriend that I was going to be very happy once the holidays are over with. As a blogger with a unique niche, it’s difficult to join in the bloghops and linky parties, because they are all about showing off the latest holiday dish or diy holiday craft, or budgeting properly for their childrens gifts. My blog stands out like a sore thumb whenever I join in.

  46. You are no Scrooge. I was trying to think back when I was maybe 24-25 and did I need all the reminders about not drinking too much at the company Christmas party, or about appropriate dress/eating/behavior at other parties and I think I had common sense even then! I do think I could have brought host/hostess gits more or a thank-you notes to the hosts but not that many articles hammer that theme when bikini body is more attention grabbing.

  48. The holidays are the definite cheat times. They showed be sacred. The time when it’s okay to just enjoy. Then next month it’ll start all over again with New Year’s resolutions. Yuck!

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