Fit Cat: Facing Up to Thanksgiving

Just got back from a nice Thanksgiving at my folks and my head is buzzing around several topics tonight, so this may be rather disjointed.

First off, with regards to becoming a more “Fit Cat,” I learned a big lesson this trip back to my hometown. And, that is, when your gut tells you to pack healthy snacks and options in a cooler before you leave, don’t just blow it off when you run behind on loading the car.

I love my folks. They were great parents in general and spoiled me quite rotten growing up. But, healthy eating is not really a strength. My father eats veggies a lot, but in terms of everyday snacking and intake, they are not stocked with healthy options…as much as they think they might be. I am considered the health nut of the family, and really I feel like I have a long way to go before I earn that label.

So, I blew off the packing of bell pepper chunks and carrots, forgot about taking fat-free yogurts along and crystal light tea. I arrived to a home without a single fruit that was not canned in heavy syrup. No bananas. No grapes or apples. The raw veggies tray put out with dinner on Turkey Day were far from appealing and, in fact, of a state that I might have thrown them out by then.

So, what was I left with? Carbs. Lovely Carby…my nemesis. And, soft drinks, which I’d stopped drinking almost completely.

And, I made things worse by making pumpkin bread from a recipe I’d never made before. A recipe that, when I got out the ingredients I cringed at the amount of oil I was putting into it.

Let’s talk about what I did right though, so as not to be all negative:

My dad bought 4 pies. I ate NONE of the pie at all.

I did pretty well with the soft drinks–only had one sort of bad day where I had a couple of Cokes. I can rebound from that.

I tried to keep the 1/3 rule on my plate on turkey day. My turkey was a deck of cards, 1/3 of the squash casserole/stuffing carbies, 1/3 veggies–mostly raw carrots. I did go back for a smidge more turkey, but I avoided more stuffing and rolls. (This is big for me, trust me.)

I contained my snacking until the last evening there. My family is full of munchers and grazers. I am among the worst. When I am bored, I munch. I tried to avoid this as much as I could this week.

But, there’s something that I’m realizing pretty strongly after this visit. My insecure self comes out on trips back home. The negative self-talk about my weight, the looking for assurances from others. I’d hoped my family would noticed I was losing weight. But, realistically, I’ve only lost a few pounds. And, I’d gained some since they’d seen me last. So, the loss wasn’t evident really to them.

This post is long enough, so stay tuned tomorrow for my planned other post on friendships and perceptions.

And, tell me…how did you do with Thanksgiving dinner and the days that followed?

Does anyone else find them changing eating personalities when they are with family? Have any tips that have worked for you? Do share!