Take Back Thanksgiving!

This year in particular, let's make Thanksgiving about the day and the people and not buy into believing that love is tied to a bowl of marshmallow topped sweet potatoes that we *must* make. We have all been through a lot and it will not help you to fall head first into a basket of rolls. Not. One. Bit.

Think it through and try to recognize that there is no true comfort in really high carb high fat food, just regret and sadness. Thanksgiving is a single day and the meal we celebrate it with does NOT have to have to be a belly buster or a free pass for pigging out. Dig deep and find things for which you are truly Thankful.

No matter how hard its been for you or your family, there is something that shines in your life and while the food you serve does not literally make it better, it can make it worse by placing you into the gain column.

Who Practices Thanksgiving Dinner?

We listen to you in our Support Groups on Facebook and shake our heads. Some of you are testing pie recipes in September, you are THINKING and eating Thanksgiving three months ahead. Thanksgiving is ONE SINGLE MEAL, not an entire season.

Eat within your means and you'll have a great day. Fatbrain thinking nearly killed all of us by creating our Morbid Obesity. Surgery was a last resort and should be a strong enough wake up call to stop it - stop with the super high calorie foods.

Light the Candles!

Your meal can be Delicious. Wonderful. Sweet. Savory. Fresh. Flavorful. and Joyful... without taking you down a road you no longer travel.

Join us in choosing Thankful instead of Stuffed. Take pride in the parts of the meal that you don't eat. Get out the nice dishes of your Mom's that you've never used, the silver serving spoons from your Grandma, use pretty mismatched glasses, there are cloth napkins and tablecloths in the $1 clearance sections of Pier 1 or on Amazon. Gather up some candlesticks and buy unscented candles to light. Please DO NOT USE PAPER PLATES. Care more about yourself and your family than a paper plate. It is horribly lazy.

Life is short and age is a privilege guaranteed to no one. Set a lovely table for your holiday... even if it's a table for one or two.

Let it Go

I don't feel pressured to serve high fat, high carb, high calorie food because it's 'just one meal' or because my father (with a triple bypass) loves something that is bad for him. In our Bariatric Eating Support Group on Facebook, we have many Masters of Excuses. You have to make the Macaroni & Cheese because your niece asked for it, your mother loves Pecan Pie, you always use cream cheese in your mashed potatoes.

You do have to right to choose - you can choose to stay fat or be fat. Sorry, but that's the truth. Change how you think. That you *must* make certain foods is in your head. YOU want those foods.

I serve great food for Thanksgiving whether it is a table for two or twenty. Who would not LOVE the beautiful plated meal in my photos. Trust me when I tell you that in all my years, no one has EVER asked me about food that's not there.
January 09, 2018
Bariatric Recipes Advice, Rants & Support Podcast: Real Talk