To follow intuitive eating during the holidays you have to block out the diet noise and focus on yourself. And a friendly reminder- the holidays aren’t just about food, they are about gathering with friends/family and celebrating together.
Intuitive eating during the holidays
The weeks from just before Thanksgiving to just after New Year’s Day arguably constitute the most stressful time of the year and that can create a challenge to follow intuitive eating during the holidays. Avoiding diet talk can be difficult this time of year with festivities all throughout the month. You want to enjoy the holidays and eat delicious food, but not let the diet mentality creep in. You want to feel your best!
Dieting during the Holidays
If you are someone who has struggled with chronic dieting or disordered eating but wants to find a way to enjoy the holiday season without be stressed about food or exercise. They want to embrace this joyous time of year and not let rigid rules or meal plans dictate how they spend their time or what they eat.
Most people tend to kick off December with a “last-dinner” type mentality, what I mean by this is enjoy all the alcohol, sweets, etc. and then try to go cold turkey by starting a diet on January 1st. I’ve talked many times before about why diets don’t work and why your New Year’s Resolution shouldn’t have to do with losing weight but today let’s talk about how you can eat the foods you enjoy guilt free during the holidays and ditch the diet in the new year.
Enter intuitive eating! Intuitive eating can be your rescue during the holiday season. It will allow you to embrace your best self.
Intuitive Eating Holiday Tips
- Practice self care to avoid emotional or mindless eating- give yourself what you need
- Explore feelings of guilt by asking yourself questions about why you want a food- is it for comfort? to avoid conversation? a beloved childhood experience?
- Treat yourself to more than just food- indulge in holiday sights, sounds, and aromas
- Use common sense- think of balance, variety, and moderation to guide your choices, a little bit of nutrition knowledge goes a long way.
- Use all five senses: sight, smell, touch, tastes, and hearing and your ability to fully experience the what you eat
Next Steps for Intuitive Eating:
Think about how you want to feel during the holidays and afterwards. On one end of the spectrum is bloated, tired, hungover, etc. On the other end is energized, at ease, and fresh. This is where your intuition comes in- you might know that the second piece of pie will leave you feeling sick so you want to try to think about your future self, not just your present self.
If you are looking for extra support or guidance to end the year with an anti diet mentality then check out my Intuitive Eating Holiday Toolkit. It provides an abundance of information and tips to stay diet free but feel healthier, a quiz to take a close look at where you are at with intuitive eating, the principles of intuitive eating interpreted for the holidays, a hunger scale to guide your intuition, insight for staying body positive, inspiration, and stress management tips and tools.
If you have any questions, let me know! And join my newsletter to stay in the loop on all things nutrition!
