UNITED STATES—I know each year, a vast majority of Americans cannot wait to indulge in any leftovers they have after the big feast on Thanksgiving Day. For me, I usually love it, but not in 2024. I guess this year was a brutal one because my schedule was just so packed with work, and cooking that after having all the food done, I barely wanted to eat.

Yes, on Thanksgiving Day I barely ate. I just did not have an appetite. I indulged in very little Turkey, I wanted Greens, but there wasn’t a ton of it, but the biggest thing I indulged in was Macaroni and Cheese. I loved it and it was beyond tasty. However, the next day, I didn’t want ANY leftovers, like none. I was over it. No, I did not want to make a Turkey sandwich, I didn’t want any cranberry sauce, Candied Yams, or any desserts. Yes, I made a sweet potato pie and didn’t even have one slice of it.

That is a rarity for me, but I think I’ve evolved or something happened to me in the past week where I just didn’t want the heavy food. Yes, the Thanksgiving feast can be heavy and I felt my body was just not up to par with having that bloated feeling of eating too much. In previous years I might have cared a bit, not in 2024. Family was trying to get me to take food home, I said, nope, I didn’t want any and the little bit that I had, I barely ate it.

I placed some leftovers in the microwave and had a nibble before I put the rest into the microwave. I think I have turned a corner, where I just want to enjoy food, but I don’t feel that need or desire to pig out any more like I have done in the past. You could eat so much during the three to four days from Thanksgiving until the new work week that you gain 10 pounds. Yeah, the holidays can be quite dangerous for your waistline and overall health.

We don’t think about that while putting all that food on our plates, but perhaps we should start doing that. Not to mention you cannot really have leftovers more than two days in my opinion. Yes, the Friday after Thanksgiving you’re thinking about leftovers after all the money you spent shopping and all the walking you did at the mall. So your body is craving the food. Come Saturday you might have a nibble, but you don’t want to have Thanksgiving 3.0. At least I wasn’t. I told family, that is it, get what you want because the rest is about to be placed in the freezer or given away.

By Sunday, no more Thanksgiving scraps at all. I’m over the Turkey which tends to be dry no matter what. The cranberry sauce no longer has the kick it has. The macaroni and cheese is not as cheesy and all the other sides they just don’t have that fresh quality you have come to expect. Not to mention you want to get back in that routine of trying to eat right and not continue to put in the carbs, sugar and calories that will ultimately catch up with you at some point.

This might sound crazy, but I’m thinking for 2025 that I will keep the Thanksgiving feast small so there is NOT a ton of leftovers. This way I’m not worried about throwing food out because it got mold on it or it spoiled. In addition, I don’t have to worry about the temptation of eating something that let’s be honest, is not good for me to begin with. Treat yourself, indulge for a day or two, but then after that it is time to get back to reality.

Written By Jason Jones