Month: November 2018

‘Tis the time of the year when everything is dear.

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So, I survived Thanksgiving. Of course, it was only my husband, my dog, and me. That definitely helped minimize the stress. Now, it’s time to worry about Christmas.

So far, I’m staying on my plateau. Not gaining. Not losing. Of course, I still have to bake cookies and make candy. So, how to do it, when everyone expects it, and not gain a ton? I think the key is to NOT totally deny yourself the treats of the season. If you want something, savor it. Enjoy it. Embrace it. Be mindful as you eat it. Notice the scent, the texture, the weight, the sweetness, the saltiness, the memories. Take time to enjoy it and you won’t inhale the whole batch.

Yes, I have to bake. I could refuse, but then several people would be disappointed. My husband’s work place is used to him bringing in a big spread of homemade goodness. It makes me feel good to brighten up their holiday; retail work really sucks this time of year. I bring some in to my coworkers. I make some for my husband’s family. For some of these people, my gifts are the only homemade goodies they get. I think that is kind of sad. It makes me appreciate the childhood Christmases.

As a child, I learned to bake and make candy. My mom supervised, and often wasn’t very happy about the situation. I didn’t realize then, how lucky I was. So many kids today don’t ever get to decorate a cookie or make fudge. They don’t get to taste goodies made with love. It is sad. Enjoy it while it lasts!

 

Letting go versus giving up

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What is the difference between letting go and giving up? Is there one? I think there is. Letting go means not trying to fight reality and accepting what is. But, you still try to keep moving ahead and improving yourself. Giving up means you don’t care any more, so you don’t even try. Mindfulness teaches us to accept, not expect. This is a major part of letting go. Mindfulness doesn’t mean that nothing matters so you shouldn’t even try.

For example, I accept that I am fat. I know I did this to myself over the years. Even if I had external reasons, I still committed the offences against my own health. So, now I go to WW and eat mindfully and try to be more active. I try to be compassionate to myself. Once, not so long ago, I didn’t care about myself and felt that I might as well give up. Thanks to lots of therapy, I now understand that I do deserve to be treated well. I can take care of myself, and improve myself, even while accepting what I am at this point. I can have goals and strive to improve myself, even as I accept myself.