Anxiety around food can be a real concern for many people during the holiday season, especially for those who struggle on some level with disordered eating – which is why I thought I would address it in today’s short blog post.
1. Continue To Balance meals – As Much As Possible
It can be tempting to skip meals or even whole food groups during the holidays, especially for those with concerns about their weight – but try as much as possible not to let yourself get overly hungry. It’s important to have balanced meals wherever possible – you may actually find that you are less likely to snack excessively, but instead more moderately, on higher energy foods and drinks later on. With plenty of wonderful vegetables around during the holiday season, it could actually be a real opportunity to increase your vegetables intake!
2. Stay Conscious – Don’t Check Out!
Try to eat consciously – slow down and try to remain present – don’t check out! Notice when you start to feel hungry but also pay very close attention to when you start to feel full. It can take up to twenty minutes to start feeling full after a meal. It is not uncommon to mistake thirst for hunger so having a drink before going back for seconds can make a huge difference in regulating portion sizes. Savour each mouthful – noticing and appreciating the colours, textures and flavours of every type of food. You’d be surprised how many people have felt completely differently after making a conscious effort to really do this!
3. Avoid Feeling Guilty or the ‘All or Nothing Response’
At times we might eat a bit more than we intended – this is absolutely normal – especially during the holidays! Whenever possible, try to reflect on those experiences in a more positive, balanced way – i.e. maybe you enjoyed something that you don’t usually have often – if it was really enjoyable and delicious then great! Try not to be hard on yourself, but instead try keep things in perspective so you can move forwards in a more confident, calm and collected way. More often than not, it is actually feelings of guilt or shame around food that can be more damaging to us and our relationship with food than the occasional experience of eating more than we intended.
Happy holidays and have a wonderful weekend! x x x
