The holidays are quickly approaching, with Thanksgiving (in the United States) just a couple of days away.  This means there may be a lot of opportunities to practice staying within our God-given boundaries.  There may be temptations lurking around every corner, but with every single temptation, God has provided a way out.  This is such good news!

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  1 Corinthians 10:13

There is nothing wrong with the sweets and goodies that surround our holiday parties and traditions.  The Lord has said that ALL foods are hallowed in His name.  I am determined to view all food as being “good”.

 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.  1 Timothy 4:4-5

Six years ago, I was practicing the principles of Thin Within for a short time.  I released 5 pounds and was delighted to see that eating within 0-5 truly works!  But then shortly after, I went home around Thanksgiving time and everything came to an abrupt halt.  You see, my grand-parents make the most amazing and delicious turkey dinner my taste buds have ever laid their eyes upon.  That is, if taste buds even had eyes!  Since I knew this was a meal I only partook of every few years, I ate way more than my body needed.  And then there were the leftovers, which were just as good as the fresh, out of the oven delicacies.  And for some reason, I lost momentum and went back to overeating and struggling with my weight and body image.

Looking back, I realize it didn’t have to be this way.  I could have enjoyed smaller portions of their amazing turkey dinner during the actual meal AND leftovers.  And because I did choose to overeat, I could have observed, corrected, and then continued eating 0-5 and releasing weight.  I let the guilt and condemnation weigh me down.  I believed the lies that I would never get back to being a normal eater.  And after this incidence I struggled for years with dieting, eating, and food, all because of one turkey dinner and its leftovers.

I blamed the food.  That’s a diet mentality.

I felt so guilty that I decided to eat more and more.  That’s a diet mentality.

Since that Thanksgiving meal, I asked my grandmother for her recipes.  On a recipe card, I have typed out each step of how they prepare their turkey dinner, from brand names, to minutes of stirring.  I have replicated this meal several times over the last several years, and though it’s not quite THE turkey dinner my grand-parents master, I think I have come pretty close!

You can do the same thing with holiday meals or foods.  When you know that you can have that food later (even if it has to be next Thanksgiving or Christmas), you will find that you can actually relax and enjoy each delightful bite!  Ask for the recipe!  Take leftovers home!  Freeze cookies.  There are so many options to having that food for future enjoyment!

Heidi posted about the importance of being proactive in our eating in her post titled It Takes Energy!.  On one of my truth cards I have copied some questions she asked:

How much energy do you put into lamenting poor choices…after the fact?

                How much emotional energy do we put into beating ourselves up and then trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps?

                What if I put some ENERGY into changing the way I think?

What if we went into the holidays geared up and ready?  What kind of truths can you focus on to renew your mind about eating during the holidays?  Do you have truth cards prepared for these moments?

My plan is to go into the holidays being proactive.  I will have my truth cards.  I will type out scriptures in my ‘notes’ section on my phone to read.  I will read through the sections in Barb Raveling’s ‘I Deserve a Donut’ app.  I will pray and ask the Lord for His strength.  I will give thanks.  I will have joy in knowing Christ has come to give us life and peace!

Those are all choices I can make BEFORE the holidays are even upon us.

I can be ready to turn down every temptation.

I can immediately expose every lie of the enemy with TRUTH!

Remember:

• You can always have those foods again!
• It’s completely possible to eat within 0-5 during the holidays.
• Eat what you enjoy!
• If you did choose to overeat, you can observe, correct, and wait until 0 the next time to eat.
• ALL foods have been blessed by God and hallowed in His name.  Give thanks and enjoy His provision!

How about you?

How can you prepare in advance for the approaching holidays?  Do you have your truth cards ready and handy?

Written by: Christina