So many of my clients are dreading the holiday season. There is always so much food around, that it increases their anxiety weeks before they have to deal with it. If you see yourself struggling during those days, keep reading, because we will analyze everything.
Let’s start:
- Stop labeling
The first thing that I tell all of my clients is that we have to stop labeling our food as good/bad, high cal/low cal etc. Do we need to make good choices for ourselves and our bodies? Of course! But this will not happen by labeling food. What you name as bad food is more likely to harm you if you label it. How? By creating guilt. Once you eat it, you will feel ashamed or disgusted or guilty, sending you down a never ending spiral. So what should you do? Just enjoy it. The more you let yourself enjoy it the more likely it will be that you will learn how to stop once you are satisfied. I know it’s easier said than done, but with practice you can get there.
2. If you like it goes on your plate
The general idea for that is that the holidays are for enjoying food, family and friends. It’s not the best idea to follow a strict diet at this point, because there is a possibility that it will isolate you and increase your anxiety. Of course eating with no limit is also not a helpful tactic. So, what I usually suggest, when you gather for a celebratory lunch or dinner, is to put on your plate whatever you think you might like to try. If you eat it all and you want more, just put a little more of the things you enjoyed the most and so on, until you feel full. This helps you enjoy your food and at the same time motivates you to check on your hunger and satiation cues.
3. Sweets
When it comes to sweets, the suggestions above apply in the same manner. Yes, maybe your favorite sweet is not the healthiest option, but have balance means that it’s ok for you to have that one once in a while. If you find yourself having too many sweets in your house and you stress too much about, it’s ok to have as many as you want and then give the rest away. Forcing yourself to eat them all, so they are out of sight or avoiding them, even though you would like a bit will not help with finding food freedom.
Remember to try to enjoy food! Don’t swing from one extreme to the other. Not eating what you want out of fear doesn’t help. Neither does forcing yourself to eat too much, just to make it disappear and start that diet after Christmas.
Lastly, have in mind that for many people, the holidays are not always merry. Especially if they have dysfunctional family dynamics, or that one relative, who is always commenting about their body or how much they eat, making this period even harder. If this is the case for you, don’t forget to read our next newsletter.
