Navigating the Holidays

The holidays have so many amazing things to offer - love, comfort, being with people whom you care most about.

However, all these amazing things can easily get swept under the rug when trying to enjoy the holidays and food fear gets in the way.

Food fear is the anxiety that comes from the over abundance of foods. (Yes, I just made that up, but those who experience it know exactly what I mean!) This can be especially stress provoking for those working on intuitive eating and eating disorder recovery.

Take a deep breath and remember you're not alone! Below are some tips I think can help you to keep in mind if you find yourself struggling.

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Continue your structured eating plan. Don't skip meals to "save" calories! You know where this leads you....to the binge you never wanted. Wake up, have breakfast, and honor those hunger cues!

Find out the menu in advance. This can help reduce stress and help you prepare.

Determine where and when you will be eating. Again, this can give you peace of mind knowing what time you can expect to eat.

Identify a support person to help. Don't forget, you will likely be around your loved ones! Talk to someone you are comfortable with and express your feelings.

Avoid “fat talk”, diet talk, or food conversations that could be upsetting. Engaging in negative self talk and surrounding yourself around diet conversations will only pull you away from your intuitive eating practices. Plus, a negative frame of mind can lead you to dangerous territory.

Be assertive with people who pressure you to eat more/less. You know your appetite better than anyone else. You can say "no". Don't forget all your hard work with using the hunger scale and assessing your preferences!

Get right back to structure if you engage in any eating disorder behaviors. That's all! Do the next right thing. Mistakes may happen, and that's okay. Remember to pick yourself up and continue towards recovery is the most important thing.