Maybe the title of this blog is a bit polarizing, but sometimes it takes facing a hard truth before we can get started on the road to self-improvement. Let me tell you where I am coming from.
I am coming from a recent road trip to upstate New York where I attended 2 family reunions with my husband's family. My husband's family who loves to eat. The potluck tables at these events included several assorted Italian pasta dishes, deviled eggs, bacon wrapped pork, cheesy potatoes topped with bread crumbs, homemade macaroni and cheese, seven layer dip and chips, potatoes au gratin with ham, chili con queso, and crockpots full of meatballs. And then there was the dessert table, which I can't even describe because my stomach is already rumbling as I write this.
These family reunions were not a particularly special occasion. Every trip to upstate New York always concludes with the sad sight of me, standing on the scale in the bathroom in the buff, having shed all disposable weight possible, crossing my fingers and begging the number not to be above XXX pounds.
When you are dedicated to maintaining a clean diet, social gatherings like the one I described above can make you feel isolated. Almost like that food is the key ingredient to having fun with family and friends. So are we supposed to choose between our social lives and our health?
In my past life, I lost about 40 pounds and have managed to keep the weight off. That means that at times, I have been the subject of some strange looks when I eat BEFORE the family gathering, so I can think clearly at the potluck table. Or when I serve myself from the solitary fruit salad. Why can't we have it both ways?
I am not going to sugarcoat this. You can NOT have it both ways. Of course, there's the suggestion that its ok to have "a little" of the good stuff, "in moderation." But how often have you said to yourself, "I'm just going to have a taste," and by the end of the party, you have thrown moderation to the wind and are indulging in copious amounts of every delicacy available. Add a few cocktails to the mix, and your judgment can be tossed out the window as well.
Sometimes, it takes a hard decision to commit to healthy eating, then a commitment to follow through with that decision. If you do slip up, you don't have to say, "Well, I already failed, might as well eat whatever I want today." And today becomes tomorrow, which becomes the whole week. If you had a flat tire, you would slash all the other three tires, would you? Just take it in stride and move on.
It doesn't mean you love your friends or family any less if you don't eat the same food they are eating. It means you love them more, because you are making a choice to take care of yourself so you can take care of them.
