Food vampires?
WTH is that?
It’s really simple. You know when you go out to lunch with a bunch of co-workers and the majority of people are ordering burgers, coma inducing sandwiches with a side of fries and then you order a salad with chicken on it and dressing on the side.
The record stops. Silence.
She’s ordering a salad?
Then the bread comes and you decline.
Oh come on, just have one piece. It’s not going to kill you.
Why are you ordering a salad? Live a little.
You know what I’m talking about now….
Does this stress you out a little bit? If you’re human, then yes it’s going to. But here’s the thing. People are simply projecting their own insecurity and their own wishes onto you. They wish they felt better, had the motivation or the goals to eat healthy and for some reason or for that moment, they don’t.
What’s the alternative? Face what they are actually feeling, or peer pressure you and try to make you feel bad about your choices to eat healthy. Most people choose the latter.
That sucks for you but it’s really simple. When you get the pressure or the “why” questions you just answer back that you want to order a healthy meal because you feel better through out the day, you’ve been working out and you want to keep your body healthy.
There’s no vampire in the world, no matter how bad they want to pressure you, that will argue with that.
How do you deal with this when you “kind of” want to eat that yummy burger that the guy next to you has?
You have to dig deep. No, you don’t dig deep for will power or motivation because that won’t get you very far.
You have to dig deep to remember your why.
Why are you eating health? Why are you taking care of your body? Why are you making sacrifices that most people are not making?
Those answers are different for everyone but once you know WHY you are doing it, it makes the tougher times just that much easier.
The holidays are one time that food vampires can come out in packs. Family members, friends, co-workers….they are everywhere.
This Thanksgiving I want you to enjoy yourself but remember that you don’t have to succumb to the peer pressure. Plan out your day to ensure that you do some damage control.
What do you really want to enjoy? Don’t splurge on the crappy appetizers before the turkey just because they are in front of you.
For me, I’m definitely going to have a piece of cheese cake after dinner. During dinner I’ll focus on lots of proteins and veggies (yes, this can be done).
Are you a stuffing lover? Make sure you enjoy some, but make the rest of your plate proteins and greens. Then enjoy a bit of dessert and stick to that plan as closely as you can.
The number one thing in dealing with food vampires, holidays and enjoying treats is DO NOT feel guilty after. Do not beat yourself up. Life is about enjoyment and food is enjoyment, so as long as you have a little something and not an entire plate full of stuffing and potatoes, you won’t derail all of your hard work.
For all you stuffing lovers out there, I also wanted to share a great Paleo Stuffing Recipe from PaleoOMG.
Thanksgiving Caramelized Onion and Sausage Stuffing
Serves: 4
- 1lb ground pork sausage
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 1 sweet potato or yam
- 1 container of mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ? cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fat of choice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil, throw diced sweet potatoes/yams on it, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender, then set aside.
- While those cook, pull out a large skillet, place it under medium-high heat and place a tablespoon of fat along your minced garlic clove and your mushrooms in it to begin to cook down. Add a bit of salt and pepper and cook until soft. Once they are done cooking, add to a large bowl.
- While your mushrooms are cooking down, add a tablespoon of fat to another large skillet over medium heat and add your sliced onions. Continuously move onions around to help coat and caramelize. The caramelization will take about 10-15 minutes. Add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
- When your mushrooms are done cooking, add your pork sausage to the hot mushroom pan (the mushrooms have been removed at this point). Use a wooden spoon to break up sausage and cook until almost cooked through.
- Once the sausage is all done, add mixture to your mushroom bowl to cool. Now beat your eggs, add to your sausage mixture, and add your chicken broth and vinegar, along with your sweet potatoes, pecans, and chopped herbs. Mix well.
- You can now either use a 9×13 baking dish to place your stuffing in OR place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Either way will work.
- Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, then add your caramelized onions and cooked for 5 more minutes
Now I’d love to hear from you.
What is your best tip for fighting the food vampires OR for rocking the holidays like a champ and not feeling guilty?
Leave a comment in the section below!