Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday of the year. Many wonderful memories for me of family gatherings, throwing footballs with my brothers, cousins, Uncles and Dad, eating great food prepared by my grandmother, aunts and Mom…more simple days as well. There is a certain sadness I feel at the same time, because many of those aforementioned relatives of mine are deceased and I can no longer share these precious times with them.
I am certain many/all of you share the great memories of past Thanksgivings as well as hopes and plans for future ones.
I believe that many families, have as a tradition, a ceremony of sorts when everyone around the table professes the things they are “thankful” for. Perhaps there are some jokes intermixed with the serious proclamations. However, a number of “thanks for…” declarations are shared by many family members, such as, “I am thankful for…”
- Being able to spend this wonderful time with you, my loved ones
- Having the resources to provide this wonderful food for everyone at the table to share
- Having been through a health crisis and made it through with smashing success
- Being able to work with wonderful people that make working seem fun
Many, many more bullet points can be added to this list. However, as we go around the table and make our serious proclamations about what we are thankful for, will you hear anything at all about the food/drink sources that place our health in jeopardy? I do not believe that alcohol, candies, cakes, and/or carbohydrates will be singled out as “I am thankful for…” items.
The point: Staying focused and steadfast on your weight loss efforts will allow you to enjoy many more of these precious times with the people that are at the very top of your “I am thankful for..” list. You owe it to yourself and those people around your Thanksgiving table to get to that healthy and happy weight.
And here is another thing I am very “Thankful for..”: YOU: I am the luckiest doctor in the world to have an amazing panel of patients allow me to help with their medical and weight control needs. Enjoy this wonderful day!
And, if you want a laugh, here is Adam Sandler singing the “Thanksgiving Song”.