5 Tips on How to Practice Food Freedom During the Holidays

Practicing food freedom or balance during the holiday’s can seem like an impossible task. It’s the time of year that we’re thrown out of our normal routine, we’re traveling, we’re going to holiday parties and it’s a time of comfort for many of us.

Having a history of binging & dieting, I know how many of us struggle with our bodies and food during this season of indulgence. This time of year use to lead to a lot of binging for me, as special occasions tend to do for binge eaters. But now, I have trust in myself and my choices and I have learned how to navigate the holidays without guilt or falling back in to old diet habits and I am sure at least one of these tips will be helpful for you.

Ditch The “I’m on Vacation” Mindset

When we are eating intuitively or mindfully, there is no such thing as a cheat day, a “vacation diet” or any special occasion that prompts for us to over indulge. One problem we frequently face with the holidays is that we act like it’s the last supper. Like we are never going to have access to these foods again, Remind yourself that this food will always be available to you, so eating in moderation can be encouraged.

Practice the One Bite Rule

With so many good foods to be enjoyed, our eyes can often be bigger than our stomachs. However, just because the food is on your plate, doesn’t mean you have to eat it.

Here’s the rule in a nutshell: If you think your extra dessert treat is going to be so delicious, so incredible, so worth it, and then you take your first bite and discover it’s not… Just stop eating!  

Build your Plate at Dinner (or Pre-party) to nourish your body:

Studies suggest that we eat more when we eat in groups than when we eat alone. This probably has to do with not listening as closely to our cues, and the social role that food plays in our lives. It’s a good time, but at the end of such an event, we might find we ate a bit more than we really wanted to.

When eating a meal, like Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner, focus on still filling your plate with your main groups: Protein, Healthy Fats, Fibers & Veggies. This will assure your body is getting some nourishment, even if the ingredients aren’t super ideal.

If you are going to a Holiday Party, that you know isn’t going to have a full meal option. Make your own meal prior to going with your protein healthy fat, fiber & veggies. Another tip would be to have a little shot of apple cider vinegar or a green salad with a vinaigrette as that helps balance your blood sugar before consuming lot of sweet treats of sugary cocktails!

Flex your Mental Health

If you have been dieting for any given amount of time, the holidays can quite literally become all about food. I know from experience the stress and anxiety I use to burden myself with during social gatherings when I was “watching what I ate”.

I’m here to remind you that the holiday’s aren’t all about food. Sure it adds to the experience, but this time of year is a great time to practice gratitude, focus on spending quality time with family and friends and enjoying those experiences with some food & drinks on the side. Sometimes we need a slice of our grandma’s pumpkin pie, simply because it brings us joy. Do it for our mental happiness!

Trust Yourself & Your Choices

Unfortunately Diet culture is all around us and some of the things we hear at the holidays from others and ourselves are a cycle of negative self talk, shame & regret over how much we’ve eaten.

It’s very important to remember that a few days, or a few holiday parties are not going to have an effect on our overall health, or weight. The health habits that we practice the majority of the time are what dictate our overall health & wellness. This concept also correlates directly with the vacation diet, don’t fall into an all or nothing mentality during the holiday months. Remember you can nourish your body between events and you never have to feel like you have to “start fresh on January 1”.

If guilt or shame creep in around food or you feel like you need to compensate your food consumption with an extra workout, I have some Holiday Food Freedom affirmations you can use:

1. Food is not my enemy. I thank it for nourishing me and giving me energy
2. Holiday foods are not indicative of my overall health
3. Guilt and negative feelings I have about my body do not serve me.
4. I give myself unconditional permission to eat.
5. I honor and trust my body and its needs by eating foods that are pleasurable, satisfying and nourishing to me and I give myself permission to enjoy all foods.
6. There are no good or bad foods, every food has a purpose and will fuel me either mentally or physically
7. Movement is an act of self-care & self-love, not punishment
8. I honor my body.
9. I am grateful for my body & all that it does for me.
10. I will show my body that it can trust me by not restricting food
11. The foods I choose to eat do not impact my self worth.
12. I deserve to nourish my body.