Intuitive Eating through the Holidays: 3 Ways to reject Diet Culture and Enjoy the Season
You’ve seen it. It’s popping into your feed, showing up in your inbox, in the pages of the glossy magazines and coming at you from every side. What is it? It’s diet culture’s approach to holiday eating, and it is kind of messed up.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: the best way to approach Holiday food + parties + drinks? Intuitively. That’s right. Contrary to what diet culture leads you to believe, you CAN trust your body. You CAN eat intuitively through the Holiday season and not be filled with guilt. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it certainly is a better option than walking around preoccupied with what you can and cannot eat.
Before the season’s festivities and feasting really kick off, here’s what you can do to shift your mindset so that you can approach that line-up of Holiday gatherings with intuitive eating in mind:
Face the Fear
Why is it that we adhere to all these food rules during the holidays? Why do we listen to diet culture and all it’s trick and tips to avoid XYZ at a party? It probably boils down to a fear of gaining weight. Is that your biggest fear? Is that what is driving your food choices? Why? I’m being totally serious. You have to dig into that fear if you want to dismantle it and gain freedom. If your food choices are driven by fear then let me tell you there’s a whole world of freedom and enjoyment that you’re missing out on and I know from personal experience. I spent ten years of my life struggling with anorexia and bulimia and completely controlled by restrictive food rules, all in the name of avoiding weight gain. I was preoccupied and obsessed and as a result I was checked-out of my real life, disengaged and aloof. And I can tell you, that is NOT a happy place. Controlling your weight does NOT equate to happiness. Take a minute to really face your unspoken fears, write them down, say them outloud see how they sound when they are exposed and then consider whether or not those fears are worth your time, energy and effort.
{Find more tips for eating intuitively during the Holidays HERE}
Honor Your Body
Intuitive eating honors hunger cues AND cravings. It places no rules on what is and is not allowed, and instead focuses on nourishment and enjoyment of food. Your food consumption should not come with rules or some sort of mandatory workout to ‘burn it all off’ (as in if you eat the mashed potatoes you have to do 25 burpees). Honoring your body also means honoring its cravings. I’ve found that the more I honor my cravings, with the food I want (and not a “healthier” alternative) then I feel satisfied and happy. Denying your cravings takes a lot more time and mental energy, better to eat what you want and move on.
Shift the Focus
If you find that even after you’ve faced your fears and made the choice to honor your body, Holiday gatherings are still a source of anxiety work on shifting the focus. Whether you’re hosting or attending a Holiday party, prior to the event think about the connections you want to make with the people around you. Spend your mental energy prior to the event strategizing about who you will see and what you might talk about. Shifting the focus away from the food and onto connection and friendship is a great way to embrace the season and shun diet culture rules.
-Sarah
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