I've been thinking about the upcoming season of joy, love and food.
With the holidays coming up, give yourself permission to be human. There is a lot of great food that
will be out there soon. Don't try to steel yourself against all of it. You most likely won't be able
to, and then you'll have guilt on top of it.
Choose your times. And then enjoy a piece of cake. A dollop of mashed potato. That holiday cookie
that only shows up once a year. Make it your CHOICE, not a moment of weakness that will haunt you.
That way you'll be able to enjoy it so much more, AND not fall into the "well I messed up, might as
well eat the plateful".
The other side is all the family you're likely to be around this season. Some may decide that they
know what you should or shouldn't be eating. They'll announce loudly, "Sara can't have that, she has
the diabetes". Exhausting. Or they'll push food on you "Oh come on, it's the holidays, you can have
a taste". More exhausting.
Whatever you decide to eat or not eat, the most important thing is that YOU control it. If you
choose to have some pumpkin pie, make it your conscious decision. Not a mindless "What the hell" or
a forced "NO" through gritted teeth. You decide. Only you.
When it comes to food and diabetes, I discovered that I had to change "Can't" to "Don't" in
my thinking.
I "can't" eat that cookie... means "Poor me, someone or something is not allowing me to eat that
cookie". I have no choice. It's beyond my control. (which also means that sometimes if I do eat that
cookie, then it's a "cheat" and there is the ensuing guilt and shame for being a bad diabetic).
I "don't" eat cookies... means that I have made a choice, it's not something that's part of my life.
I am in control. (which also means that sometimes if I do eat cookies, I have just decided at that
moment to make a different choice... no guilt, it's just my decision at that moment).
An bonus to this way of thinking and talking is when you are out and about and someone offers you
something you would rather not eat at the moment,
don't works better than can't to get them to understand.
If you tell them you can't have ice cream, they will tell you can... that just a little won't hurt.
If you tell them you don't eat ice cream... what are they going to say? Yes you do? And if they say,
"well you used to"... you can always say "I don't anymore". ; )
Hang in and Happy Holidaze!!
Jennifer