Thanksgiving just passed and the holiday season is in full-effect!
When the holidays roll around, do you find yourself stressing about what you should and shouldn’t eat?Like many of you reading this, I used to spend so much time stressing about the food that comes with holidays. It took up a lot of my energy in the past, because I was so caught up in being worried that I’d “ruin all of my progress”. As the years have gone on, I have gotten past that and realized that not only is enjoying myself around holidays not going to ruin my progress, but worrying is just a big huge waste of time!
I really dislike the posts that show how to burn off the holiday calories, because it gives the idea that eating during the holidays is wrong. It also portrays that working out is a punishment for the food you’ve eaten. Along with that, it perpetuates the idea that food holds morality and you are a better or worse person depending on what you eat.
The reality: holiday meals make up such a small percentage of the meals we consume during holiday months, and it’s really okay to eat foods outside of what you normally consume. Food exists on a spectrum and the most nutritious option may not always be the “healthiest choice”. If you’re curious how this is possible, let me give you just one example.
Let’s say you have the option to eat your favorite stuffing and sweet potato casserole. But, you saw a post online that says you should stick to turkey and vegetables to keep your Thanksgiving plate low-calorie and “healthy”. You try this out, but you can’t stop thinking about the side dishes you long for each year. The thoughts about the food are so loud that you can’t even fully enjoy the moment. You keep trying to ignore the thoughts until you eventually can’t control yourself when you get home and eat some desserts way past comfortable fullness. Even then, you still feel unsatisfied but VERY uncomfortable. If you reflect, had you just allowed yourself to enjoy the original foods you were craving, your night most likely wouldn’t have ended in chaotic eating.
Here are my tips that help me get through holidays and enjoy time with friends and family:
- Try not to label any foods as “off limits”. Enjoy the things you truly want and move forward. When we restrict and label foods as “good” vs. “bad”, it sets us up for failure in the long run.
- Don’t overcompensate with exercise. Working out is not a punishment. Eating is not something you have to earn. You are able to eat, even if you don’t get a workout in that day.
- Eat normally throughout the day leading up to your holiday dinners or parties. Restricting food during the day will leave you feeling drained, more hungry, and is not healthy for your mind or body. When you restrict during the day, you typically end up eating more chaotically.
- Remind yourself that you are human. A few days of enjoying your favorite holiday foods will not change your progress or goals. It’s actually more beneficial to your health to allow yourself to eat foods you enjoy, rather than restricting for the sake of chasing a smaller version of yourself.
- Don’t overcompensate the next day. Often times, when people overeat, they think restricting food or exercising more the next day will be a good decision. This can lead to a cycle of restricting and overeating, and it’s always best to fuel your body as you normally would throughout the next day.
- It’s not all about the food. Enjoy the time with those around you, make memories, and treat yourself with love.
We can be a change by refraining from commenting on others’ bodies and food choices. Along with that, you deserve to be non-judgmental towards yourself. Below are the Intuitive Eater’s Bill of Rights, written by Evelyn Tribole (creator of Intuitive Eating):
- You have the right to savor your meal, without cajoling or judgment, and without discussion of calories eaten or the amount of exercise needed to burn off said calories.
- You have the right to enjoy second servings without apology.
- You have the right to honor your fullness, even if that means saying “no thank you” to dessert or a second helping of food.
- It is not your responsibility to make someone happy by overeating, even if it took hours to prepare a specialty holiday dish.
- You have the right to say, “No thank you,” without explanation, when offered more food.
- You have the right to stick to your original answer of “no”, even if you are asked multiple times. Just calmly and politely repeat “No, thank you, really.”
- You have the right to eat pumpkin pie for breakfast.
You know your body better than anyone else! Enjoy and savor the foods you love, give yourself grace, and remind yourself that it is okay if you ate more than usual.
You may be wondering, “I overate on Thanksgiving, now what do I do?!”
If you eat a little extra than planned, it truly is okay. Food serves a much bigger purpose than just physical. It is okay to eat your favorite holiday foods. Maybe it is a recipe from a family member that you only get once a year. Maybe it is a food that brings back fond memories from past holidays. Food brings us together, enjoy it in the moment. If you had more than you would have liked, simply move forward to the next day with consistent fueling and kind movement.
Now go have a great holiday season!
