Yes that’s right; after another year of life we have come full circle and arrived once again at the joyous time we know as Christmas, and although it is indeed a happy and festive time for most inhabitants around the globe, the majority of us find it hard to ignore the drizzle of anxiety that creeps into our thoughts as we indulge in the Christmas delights that are thrust upon us.
Worrying about how many calories over the recommended daily intake we have inhaled leading up to the day Jesus graced us with his presence is becoming an alarmingly common paranoia. It is perhaps more apparent among the citizens of the southern hemisphere where sunshine and temperatures are at their peak and the possibility of having to slip on a swimsuit over the holiday period is enough to make anyone shy away from that extra helping of dessert. And that’s not to say the people of the northern half of the world have no grounds to worry, but let’s face it, their shame can easily be hidden under an over-sized winter coat.
Food is a Focus of Christmas
Although this nasty conformant has integrated itself into being a standard part of society; from as long as I can remember, food has pretty much been the focal point of every family Christmas I have attended – apart from the actual reasoning behind Christmas, of course. Sure, having the family come together is a highlight, and giving and receiving gifts definitely has its moments, but when the call is made to alert us that dinner is served there’s no denying the excitement.
Therefore, for me to spiel on about filling up on water before it’s time to eat, picking the ‘best option’ out of everything available, or wearing your tightest pair of jeans in order to guilt yourself into limiting your food intake would be extremely hypocritical when I know full well that when the time comes, I’m going to stuff my face until I can’t move. Rather, I’m here to reassure you that it’s okayto eat as much as you like on Christmas day as this is the one day where it should be allowed. How do I get away with not thinking about what I’m ingesting you ask? That’s simple – don’t think about it!
Why Say Yes to Christmas Dinner?
I’d be lying if I said you wouldn’t feel like an over-sized whale the following day, but that’s the beauty of it. Being so stuffed full of delicious treats will have you feeling as though you couldn’t possibly repeat the effort for at least another year (which is perfect timing). It is perhaps similar to when a parent catches their child smoking and has them smoke a whole packet until they feel sick and realise that smoking is in fact ‘not for them’.
Just think, if you managed to drum up the self-control to say ‘no’ to that Christmas pudding on the 25th, chances are you’re probably still thinking about how good it would have tasted come the 26th, and if there’s any leftovers in the fridge – which is highly likely – I can bet my right arm that a slice of pudding will be making its way through your digestive system faster than Santa can say ho, ho, ho! Feeling extremely revolted by your food consumption during Christmas is also likely to increase your desire to get out and exercise the day after. Having ‘behaved’ on the 25th would have you feeling as though you deserved a reward which would probably end up being be a day off exercise and as a result, you wouldn’t be that much better off.