As modern day Americans, we do not have to be concerned about weather conditions making food unavailable. We have 24-hour grocery stores and shelves stocked with options. We can be thankful for this every day. As a result, our Thanksgiving celebrations can be more than feasts. This is particularly dangerous for those who are trying to alter their approach to food.

While overeating can make one sluggish, disappointed in one’s self, and unhappy with appearance, giving thanks will help you focus on the positive things in life and improve outlook and mood. This year, instead of recognizing the day by raising your fork, try one (or all) of these tips.

1. Give Back – Serve at a soup kitchen or shelter or make a donation to your favorite charity (the Fatherless Foundation is mine). Giving to others can give you perspective on just how blessed you are.

2. Focus on Your Family – This year my family gathering will be missing members that have died in the last year, at least one of which was not expected when we gathered last year at the same time. Certain members of the family will need our hugs, comfort, and distraction, and I will be investing in them. I am very thankful for my family and would rather have a conversation with one of the kids and make sure all is well with them than watch any Cowboys game.

3. Write Thank You notes – Have you personally thanked the people who have made a difference in your life in the last year? Be the first of the holiday season and make sure your message stands out by sending Thanksgiving thank you cards rather than Christmas or holiday cards. This is a fabulous idea for business owners.

4. Make Your List and Check it Twice – Before you make your gift list and think about those things you want or how much money you are going to spend, focus on the blessings you already have and list all the things for which you are thankful. Review this list frequently to maintain a positive attitude.

If you try one (or all) of these tips, even if you run out of pumpkin pie or your team never sees the end zone, you will likely have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

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Four Ways to Celebrate with Thanks Instead of Turkey

Have you ever had that moment when you look at your to do list, schedule or inbox and feel entirely overwhelmed? Have you ever had a project that you put off because of how long it would take to complete? Fitness and weight loss goals can often feel overwhelming because they are complicated tasks that require an investment of time. If you are like me, you prefer tasks that can be completed quickly and easily (which is likely why diet pills are so popular despite the risks and lack of long-term effectiveness).

Losing 20 pounds, being able to complete 10 pull ups, running a marathon, eliminating trans fats, or being able to terminate certain medications can seem like overwhelming tasks. It is not surprising that so few people actually make changes recommended by their doctors if they believe it would be too difficult. If you can break these tasks into smaller steps, they can seem more manageable.

Instead of contemplating the overwhelming goal of 20 pounds, could you focus on losing five pounds per month or one each week? Can you break it down to eating 100-500 less calories per day?

I am not yet able to do a pull-up. I can complete five to seven with the assistance of a chair, but I had no idea until Tony Horton (of P90X) explained that was an appropriate stepping stone. I continuously push the chair further back and will some day be able to do an entire set unassisted.

Celebrate each day you stick with your plan, every inch closer to a pull-up, every block run while training for the marathon, or every time you choose a food without trans fats. Instead of focing on your long-term goal, keep your mind focused on the next step. Life is happier when you are under less pressure; and when you are feeling less stressed, you are more likely to succeed. You are most likely to stick with a plan if you believe it is manageable.

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Making Weight Loss Goals Manageable

One thing I have to guard against on a regular basis is doing too much and overpacking my schedule. As a result, I sometimes feel rushed even when I am not. This morning after assisting my friend to take his great dane to the vet and a quick drop off at doggy daycare, I jumped in my car to get to one of my weekly therapuetic client meetings. I could either get some breakfast on the way or run out for something in the 30 minutes between my client and staff meeting. Still debating my timing until I pulled in to my favorite brunch restaurant, I made the better choice of fresh, local ingredients to go. Dipping my fork into the syrup rather than dumping it on my cinnamon pear french toast was also a wise choice; trying to do so while driving was not…

Warm syrup seeping into your lap is an interesting experience, not one that I necessarily recommend.

Other than don’t eat and drive (in my defense, I was taught to eat and drive in driver’s ed), I think I found a pretty good lesson in the awful stickiness, super-fast shower at my friend’s house, and wearing jeans to work (lucky I at least had those with me!). I could have gotten upset that I was working hard to make good choices and fit them into my busy schedule. I could have decided that next time I would choose the Dunkin’ Donuts drive through instead. I could have thrown out all my good intentions, like the syrup that dumped all over me and my car.

Luckily, I remembered to take a deep breath and consider that such things happen to others (although, syrup?!?). I knew I would not want any of my clients or readers to suffer undue distress or give up after one measly disaster. Making a change is a stressor and it is easy to feel overwhelmed and tempted to give up when something does not go right. It’s easy to let those old negative thinking patterns take hold. Don’t do it. Laugh at yourself. Remember that we all stumble when we are learning to walk, but eventually you will be able to run. Learn that planning ahead can prevent unnecessary stress. Be thankful for wonderful friends who love you anyway and french toast with just a bit too much syrup.

What else have you or could you learn from an embarrassing experience?

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Embarrassing Situations Yield Learning Lessons

The link between what we eat and mental health: The participants in the “processed food” group were 58 percent more likely to develop depression, while those with a “whole foods” diet were 26 percent less likely to develop depression. Interestingly, the researchers were cautious to draw any specific conclusions based on these correlations.

Researchers proposed several explanations for their results. It was suggested that antioxidants in fruits and vegetables could have a protective effective against depression for those with a “whole foods” diet. It was also suggested that the polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish could have a protective effect from depression. Researchers also proposed that the combined effect of different nutrients from a variety of foods was important in preventing depression. Although the researchers recognized that a healthier diet can help create a healthier mood, the possibility that a diet heavy in “processed food” may actually harm mental health was not mentioned. I think there are many reasons why this should also be considered.

The average age of participants was 55; the title of the orignal research article “Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle age” (published in the British Journal of Psychiatry); however, this does not mean this research is not applicable to those who are not yet “middle age.” The habits you create now, and the habits you are creating for your children, will create your dietary patterns for the rest of your life, and may have a major impact on mental health as well.

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Eat Whole Foods to Avoid Depression

My friend Suzi stated on Twitter that she had not changed the number on her driver’s license when she had gained weight, not out of embarrassment but because she had hoped she would get back to that weight. She announced this on Twitter because she was celebrating that as she went to renew her driver’s license she is back at that weight.

Can you be like Suzi and use the number that was once reality as motivation? First, consider if it is an appropriate weight for you. Your weight as a teenager is likely inappropriate for an adult. Perhaps, the weight that you have listed is from sometime in your adulthood or perhaps there is a weight from adulthood which would be a more appropriate goal. Wouldn’t it be great to know with certainty that when you are asked at the DMV that all the information listed is still correct, or to tell them that your address has changed but be able to state that your weight is correct?

I am proud of Suzi and how she has worked for this achievement, and that she is not stopping here. She has made several small dietary changes which have added up to a large change. She slowly built in an exercise plan and recently completed her first 5k race, raising money for Loving South Africa. She has a few more races planned, including the Indy Mini Marathon with me in May. In just seven months, she has lost 20-30 pounds and seven inches! You can acheive amazing things when you find what motivates you!

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What’s Driving Your Motivation to Lose Weight?

The phenomenon which she is describing took me all the way back to Intro to Psych in undergrad. Sensory Adaptation is the tendency for sensory receptors to have decreasing responsiveness to stimuli that continue without change. This is why you stop smelling your own perfume or cologne, or those in the city get used to the sound of traffic. It also applies when eating; you get less and less pleasure from every bite of a food following the first bite, the introduction to a new flavor.

You can remember this phenomenon to remind yourself that the large bowl is not going to be more goodness, but rather more of something that is losing goodness, and manage your portion sizes. However, there is a positive spin to this phenomenon as well. Like my client, you can use it when you are trying to have less of something or more of something in your diet. Just start and see if it gets easier (Let us know how it goes!). Especially, if you are busy with other things, you will likely be able to drink more and more water, noticing it less and less.

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Drink More Water through Sensory Adaptation

Recently, I was able to visit Africa and help deliver supplies to orphanages that did not have electricity, beds, or even windows. They were enthusiastic, but a suitcase of children’s clothes just did not seem like enough. One orphanage told us that they are trying to raise money and just $2500 would build an entirely new building to house 30+ orphans. How could I not think about how much money I spend on frivolous things when there are children sleeping on concrete and not getting enough to eat?

Because we were not allowed to drink the water (for our own health), we stopped at a grocery every day for water and snacks. As I watched others pick up soda and chocolate, I began to think about how much our vices cost, not just us but also those with whom we might share. If health or saving money for yourself is not reason enough to stop smoking, eliminate soda from your diet, or pack your lunch rather than grabbing fast food; would you do it for someone else? Would you donate your cigarette or soda money to feed a child? Perhaps you are trying to raise money for breast cancer research or another cause that is important to you. Where can you save money and cut out non-necessities to make a difference, in both your health and the quality of life for another?

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Help Someone Else Rather than Hurting Your Health

It felt odd to order Fanta at the first restaurant. My reaction to soda was not a thrill of return or a desire for more. It felt sugary and heavy. After just a day, I was experiencing nausea, bloating, and low energy. I felt unhealthy. What I was craving was a shower and 64 ounces of water!

Now I know just how much healthier I am without soda. It is not just about the calories. Perhaps there are things in your life that you think you are denying of yourself, but you really would not want any more anyway. Or perhaps you would find that one thing you are afraid to eliminate really is not all that fabulous if you go without it for a while.

Begin kicking this unhealthy habit with How to Wean Yourself off Diet Soda and The Health Benefits of Drinking Water.

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Soda Addiction No More

Recovery is an important component of both growth and maintenance. If you run a marathon without proper training, you will probably find it difficult to impossible to walk the next day. If you push yourself too hard, eventually your body will refuse to work. The same thing happens mentally. Have you ever had a tough day at work or had to think too much and found you could not bring yourself to do anything but stare at the TV that evening? Creating a new habit and sticking to a food plan are mental stressors.

You need a break, even to maintain the status-quo of your ability to function. Allow yourself to recover physically and mentally. You also need to take a break if you want to empower yourself to higher achievement, greater endurance, or weight loss. Recovery is an important part of growth. Although we want to push ourselves toward higher achievements, if we do not allow ourselves time to recover between, there will be nothing left to push.

It is not weakness to take a break; it is responsibility. If you push too far, you will not have any thing left to give. If you live at a high level of stress, you may not be able to handle any extra thing and there is always something extra.

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Take a Break to Achieve More

Although this is important information for parents who are committed to helping their child be healthy, the ideas can also be applied to yourself. We have made eating a social activity, but eating alone may help you stick to your food plan and limit your caloric intake. Another idea might be to find an eating “mentor,” eating with someone whose food habits you would like to emulate. The research suggests that simply by eating with them, you are more likely to behave like them. With whom are you sharing meals?

In addition to this research, the Time article discusses the theory that we are attracted to others we find similar to ourselves, suggesting that when two people who are overweight are together it can be a self-feeding loop that gives permission for obesity. The article also mentions that we are generally more relaxed with close friends and family and less concerned about judgment for our choices. Lastly, there is the theory that spending time with those who are overweight helps us to accept it as more normal, in effect giving permission to behave similarly. The Time article also mentioned other research that reports that we generally consume fewer calories when accompanied by the opposite sex.

Have you noticed any of these things to be true for you, impacting your eating habits? I challenge you to be more conscious of how much you are eating, especially when you are with different people. I have found that this is not always true for me and my mindset and will power play an important role as well. I would love you to comment here and post your observations.

via Time

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How Much You Eat Reflects Who You Are With