Approaching Special Occasion Meals

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30

During this Thanksgiving week, many of you may be facing some temptations at family meals this week. Be very careful that you don’t fall into old habits. A huge suggestion that Weigh Down recommends is that you SLOW DOWN your eating! Slowing down and taking tiny bites is great for two reasons. First, you will be able to taste each bite instead of inhaling it. You can savor the quality instead of quantity. Second, you remain in much better control and can detect fullness better when you eat more slowly. The body processes food more slowly than the mouth chews it and swallows it. Therefore, it is important to eat slowly enough that your brain can signal your mouth that your stomach is full! Lift your eyes from the plate and take time to enjoy the company at the table, not just the food.

Here’s another tip. You’ve waiting for true hunger, and you feel like you are about to starve, but mealtime is still an hour away! Don’t panic. Just drink an ounce or two of juice or eat something very SMALL. This will satisfy your hunger enough to allow you to make it to mealtime. Also, having a few sips of juice or milk will calm your hunger so that when you DO approach the food, you will do so with control, not ravenous for anything and everything! But even if you aren’t able to eat a small snack, just remember that this hunger won’t kill you. Get busy with something God leads you to do – visiting with family, cleaning the house, etc. – and the gnawing sensation will usually go away after a few minutes and won’t come around again for a while, maybe an hour. Just do not use this early hunger as an excuse to eat two meals!

What about after the meal? You are satisfied, but there is still food on your plate. If you are at home or with family, you can cover it and save it for later, or you can throw it away! If you are eating in a restaurant, you can leave it on your plate, or you can ask for a carryout and take it home. We have the misconception that it is wrong to leave food on the plate, but that is a myth perpetuated by some parents. The problem is GREED—whether it is helping yourself to too much or eating too much. If you have served yourself and later realize that your eyes were bigger than your stomach, learn to serve yourself smaller portions. If someone else prepares your plate, whether it is at home or in a restaurant, that person has no idea how much you are hungry for and may bring you too much. You don’t have to eat food just because it is there. Eat until you are satisfied, and save the rest if it’s in good shape; otherwise throw it away. It’s simple.

You are going to feel so good this year when you approach the holiday meals with God’s control!