Chocolates, candy, baked goods, and fancy dinners with lots of alcohol and rich, sugar-soaked desserts are everywhere on Valentine’s Day.
Odds are you you’ve spent most of your life celebrating Valentine’s Day the way most of society does: With lots and lots of food.
If not, then hats off to you! I love it!
If so, you may be feeling pressure or even longing to celebrate Valentine’s Day that same food-oriented way you always have.
Look, I get it, and I’m not adamantly opposed to having food as part of a celebration.
I am adamantly opposed to abusing food and alcohol in the name of “celebrating.” I’m also adamantly opposed to the idea we have to eat ourselves into a coma just because it’s a special occasion.
If you’re planning to include food as part of your Valentine’s Day, stick to Code Red-approved foods, eat until you’re full rather than until you’re ready to puke, and make it about the memories instead of about seeing how much food you can inhale.
And if you need some ideas for ways to enjoy a romantic day without going off the rails, here are 5 things you can do instead of pig out on food.
- Enjoy a movie or TV show marathon at home. Bring your hot tea sweetened with Stevia or Monk Fruit, curl up beside your special someone, and enjoy some shows you both love.
- Go ice skating. If it’s cold this time of year where you live and there’s a place to ice skate, get out there and give it a try. Don’t hurt yourself, but give it a try. If it’s not cold where you live, try a hike instead.
- Make an outdoor fire and relax beside it with some hot tea. Obviously make sure it’s legal and safe to do, but if curling up next to a fire is fun and your idea of romantic, make it happen cap’n!
- Get a massage together. I LOVE getting massages. Schedule a couples massage and get the kinks and stress worked out of your body.
- Have a game night, maybe even with some other couples. Or, make it just the two of you and enjoy a more “romantic” game. ????
These are just a tiny handful of the activities you and your special someone can enjoy on Valentine’s Day this week.
Think about something you both enjoy doing, or pick one activity you each enjoy and do both.
By all means, you can enjoy some food as part of your day.
But don’t be so obsessed with making food the star of the show that you go off the rails, make yourself sick, and wake up the next day feeling like crap both physically and emotionally.
I KNOW you can do this. It’s just a matter of believing it yourself, and making your mind up that you will. I believe in you!