Thanksgiving Food Hangover

**Originally posted after thanksgiving 2016 - I am now 7 years food sober**

To those of you who survived Thanksgiving and chose to keep it Keto, congratulations to you. You are a champion and you exhibited discipline and determination. Keep on ketoing on!!!

To those of you who cheated, "fell off the wagon" and abandoned keto in favor of temporary satisfaction this is a time for self reflection. What do you want more? Do you want your health long-term or do you want a few minutes of temporary satisfaction that has long-term detrimental effects? Do you want smaller size pants or do you want to keep shopping in the plus size section? Do you want to continue hating what you see in the mirror? Do you want to continue spending hundreds of dollars a month on meds or would you rather spend those hundreds of dollars a month buying new clothes, helping out family members in need, saving for vacations, donating to charities you care about, etc. Do you want to tie your shoes without getting out of breath? Do you want to not have a seatbelt extender on the airplane? Do you want to be able to sit in a chair with arms and not panic? Do you want to spend a day at an amusement park and not have to rest every few minutes and miss out on the rides with your kids because you're too big for the roller coaster? What do you want most-do you want to reach your goals and live the life you dream about or do you want to just keep eating because you think it tastes so good that your life isn't worth living if you can't "treat yourself" or "live a little?"

The time to decide is now. Christmas is coming and another challenge will be presented to you. How will you handle it this time?

I am living proof-and this is not a brag - that not cheating is possible. I have had zero cheats in two years and eight months and I have just survived my third keto Thanksgiving and I'm about to survive my third keto Christmas. Why? Because I care more about my goals and being whole and healthy than I care about any temporary good taste in my mouth. It's just food. Do I like to eat things that taste good? Of course I do! Do I enjoy my meals? Of course I do! Food just no longer has control over me and is not the center of my universe. It is only fuel. Fuel to allow me to do the things I love-working out, working long days if need be, going on outings and not having to worry about when I'll eat next.

It is my hope that as we go into December and you are bombarded with all the treats in your office building, all the ads of treats and "goodies"and your next family get togethers for Christmas dinner that you remember the occasion is about the people you are with not the food you put into your mouth.

Cheating will not serve you. It will not heal you. It will not make your life better. It will not fix your problems. It will do nothing good for you. Love yourself enough not to cheat. Do not allow yourself to make excuses. There are no good reasons for cheating there are only excuses.

Look, I am by no means perfect just because I haven't cheated in so long. I struggle in other ways. I have not arrived. I still have to battle my mind on a daily basis. The difference is I choose to win. I choose to be victorious. The reason I choose victory is because I hate the feeling of defeat. I was defeated for many many years and I do not like the way it feels. I never want to return to a place where food rules my day, where food makes me sluggish, keeps me addicted, and makes me depressed. I don't want that for myself and I don't want it for you.

Make the decision now to get through the rest of this year with no cheating and I promise you that having that victory tastes better than any holiday meal or dessert ever could.