Eating during the holidays can be a source of stress and anxiety for many. What is meant to be a joyful time can leave us feeling worried, guilty, and prone to restrictive new years resolutions. Embrace a supportive approach to nutrition during this time to manage stress and enjoy the holiday season!
Treat yourself with kindness
Through our own internal self-talk as well as in open discussion with others, we often engage in harmful food and body shaming. This can sound like “I shouldn’t be eating this”, “I better go to the gym to burn this off”, “this is so bad for me”, and many more. Many of us assume that shaming ourselves about our perceived food failings will motivate us to start engaging in healthier habits.
The reality is that criticism may lead to greater levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, while also not serving to support our efforts at embracing healthy habits. Treating ourselves with kindness and self-compassion serves to soothe negative emotions and reminds us that we have the capacity to care for ourselves without negative self-talk and restrictive eating habits.
Avoid skipping meals
We may reasonably alter our eating around a larger meal to avoid uncomfortable fullness or allow for full enjoyment of holiday foods, but many of us take this too far by avoiding or significantly limiting our eating as a way to save up calories. This can lead to a more intense, primal hunger when it comes time to eat, making you more inclined to eat far beyond comfortable fullness. Eating consistent meals and snacks up until large celebratory meals helps your body trust that food is available and promotes reliable hunger and fullness cues.
Anticipate and find ways to cope with overeating
Overeating is a common occurrence throughout a season of indulgent and celebratory meals. Meals are more likely to be filled with a variety of foods typically not enjoyed during the rest of the year. It can feel difficult to not continue eating these foods as much as possible, simply because they are rare in our lives. If you are overwhelmed with thoughts of “getting back on track”, you may inadvertently create a last supper mentality, causing you to unintentionally overeat in anticipation of restriction.
When overeating and feelings of overfullness occur, avoid self-criticism or judgment, as this can lead to rebound restriction or compensation, keeping us on an unhealthy cycle of overeating and restricting. If possible, avoid constrictive waistbands or other tight and uncomfortable clothing. If you are prone to body checking or surveillance, avoid criticizing your appearance in the mirror. Avoid intense physical activity in favor of gentle movement, walking, or stretching to support digestion. And perhaps most importantly, recognize that you will need, and deserve, to eat again.
Give yourself permission to NOT embark on a health journey on January 1st
While wanting to use a new year or a change of season as a transition into healthier eating habits is common, and not inherently harmful, anticipating a lifestyle change, especially a restrictive diet plan, may contribute to a “now or never” mentality, causing us to abandon our natural hunger and fullness, become out of touch with our body’s needs, and potentially miss out on the joy of the season. Embracing self-care and a supportive approach to nutrition during the holidays can reduce the pressure to engage in a lifestyle overhaul come January 1st. Remind yourself that you have the right to explore healthy behaviors at any time of year.
Embrace simple goals
Many attempts at changing behaviors are unsuccessful because they are approached with an “all-or-nothing” mindset. We set lofty goals and abandon them quickly when they are not achieved. Striving for perfection can prevent us from taking action that is still valuable, even if imperfect or inconsistent. Especially during the holidays, consider shifting towards simpler, easier to implement goals such as the ones described below.
Hydration – Find ways to add water and water-filled foods throughout the day.
Fiber – Add foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds to your meals and snacks.
Eating regularly – Stick to a regular eating routine to promote stable blood sugar and support digestion.
Movement – Embrace realistic movement goals that you can build upon gradually. Approach movement as a way to feel good, reduce stress, and care for ourselves during the holiday season, rather than for the purpose of making up for or earning the food we choose to enjoy.
Mindful eating can be helpful to apply during this season. Mindful eating involves being present and aware while eating, without judgment. By simply slowing down our eating and engaging our senses for example, we can improve digestion, become more attuned to a satisfying quantity of food, and actually enjoy our food more!
