If you celebrate the classic American holidays, then perhaps you feel overwhelmed with the amount of food and planning that goes into the months of November and December.
Every year the holidays are kicked off with Halloween then the food builds and builds from there. For many, this can be a very anxious time of year and with so much focus being on food, it creates the perfect storm for binge eating and emotional eating to appear.
If you have struggled with binge eating in the past around the holiday season, you must be reading this out of hopes that this year will be different. It absolutely can be different!
1) Build a Support Team
If you have never had support going into the holidays, let this year be different. A support team can be made up of close friends and family, a doctor, dietitian or therapist, or a combination. Professionals and close loved ones are great to have on your support team.
Working with professionals on body image, emotional stressors, and food confidence can all help make this year different. My recommendation is finding a therapist and dietitian who are specialized in eating disorders and intuitive eating. These will be the best professionals to help you work through binge eating around the holidays and into the New Year.
2) Don’t Skip Meals
This is one of the biggest culprits of bingeing. Its justified to think that if you are going to have a big meal you can or “should” not eat leading up to that meal to “save your appetite, or make room",” However, this is an old way of thinking. Research shows that irregular intake leads to more grazing/mindless eating and bingeing later.
By not eating, you are only setting yourself up to feel out of control around food later in the day. This year rather than skipping meals, try eating breakfast, lunch and dinner consistently every day.
3) Nothin is Off Limits
Deprivation is another big culprit of bingeing. When we tell ourselves that we cannot have something, what typically happens? That something is then all we can think about or desire! In addition, we begin to feel “out of control” around those foods.
Think about children on Halloween. When not presented with candy or fun foods on a normal basis, Halloween candy becomes so exciting that children can have a hard time stopping themselves and may have a “candy binge” if you will. Adults are just as capable of this. Deprivation almost always leads to bingeing.
I am not telling you to eat candy all the time, of course as a dietitian I recognize that candy is not a food that should replace other nutrition. Although, fun foods can be eaten daily and can fit into a healthy lifestyle. Find times to enjoy fun foods without shame or guilt. Plan on having dessert with dinner or bake something to enjoy with others.
4) Be Mindful of Hunger and Fullness
Another challenge throughout the holidays is mindfulness. We are always buzzing around, feeling behind or overwhelmed this time of year. Mindfulness is HARD. Food gives us a great opportunity to slow down, pause, and take care of ourselves. During these chaotic periods, try to slow down as much as possible. Take breaks at work, set timers to go for walks or have meals, do some deep breathing exercises periodically.
When we slow down, we become more mindful and connected to our body’s signals. When you feel hungry, honor that. When you notice fullness, honor it. By connecting more to your body’s hunger and fullness signals, you begin to trust yourself more around food, making eating throughout the holidays much easier.
If you’re feeling alone and stuck, let us help! We would love to be on your support team heading into the holidays and New Year.