For years, I remember feeling so anxious about Christmas Day, and the thought of the never-ending spread of food that I was going to have to navigate. My plan of attack in the lead up would change daily, starting off being determined to eat as little as possible, but as the day approached, I became more and more resigned to the fact that I was doomed to overindulge every Christmas.
By the time Christmas lunch was over, I felt defeated from eating waaaay more than I was comfortable with, while promising myself the (successful) diet would start tomorrow...
Okay, after Boxing Day.
Actually, 27th, yes definitely the 27th.
Stuff it. New Years Day. For sure I’ll be a new person New Years Day. *Cue the eye roll*
Thankfully, that’s not my food relationship anymore, but I remember the frustration at myself for constantly going further than what my eating intuition desired. But why did I do it?
Well, for one, I was deep in the dieting cycle, imposing rigid and restrictive rules on myself all day every day. This meant that food was ALWAYS on my mind and it’s very hard to deny yourself something that you can’t stop thinking about.
I also had a permissive attitude - meaning that I so badly wanted to eat all the yummy foods, (and lots of it) so I decided I would start a diet soon after. This meant I now had permission to go all out. It was going to be the last hurrah, right?
And finally, I wasn’t connected to my emotions or in tune with my internal eating cues. I didn’t know when or even how to stop because food was a coping mechanism – and Christmas can often be time when we need to draw on helpful ways of coping with big emotions.
We’re all at different places with our food relationships, and we have different approaches to eating at Christmas time. But if you’re anything like I was, and you’re feeling a little apprehensive about how your eating will go this Christmas, here are some things that you might find helpful to consider.
· Are you buying more food than what is reasonable? You might be of the mindset that Christmas is synonymous with overindulgence. But why? Do you really need to buy 3 times what normally would at the supermarket just so everyone can try and eat 3 times as much? I’m all for eating for enjoyment (not just at Christmas time) but is there a chance you’re setting yourself up for overeating based on your purchases?
· Try to stick to your usual food routines where possible. Avoid undereating or not eating certain meals so that you can overeat at others. Eat as ‘normally’ as possible outside of special meals, and include fats and protein in your meals to avoid constantly snacking.
· Ditch the diet mentality. I guarantee you, if you’re thinking about getting on one diet or another after Christmas or New Year, you’re far more likely to overindulge on Christmas Day. If you’ve ever been on a diet before, did it work long term? If so, why are you trying again? And again? And again?
· Avoid going into Christmas with restriction. To be restrictive means to impose rules on what you can and cannot eat. It might be that you’re going to not eat bread, or only allow yourself one sweet thing after dinner. Or you won’t eat over a certain amount of Kilojoules/Calories. It’s so difficult to stick to those rules at Christmas and you’re likely to end up overindulging because of the black/white all or nothing approach.
· Go into Christmas with an ‘abundance’ mindset rather than a ‘scarcity mindset. To think abundantlymeans that you trust that there is always going to be food, and you don’t need to worry about getting as much as possible as often as possible. When there is an abundance of something, there is a lack of scarcity. You don’t feel a desperate urge to stock up on something when there is a never-ending supply of it. So remind yourself that even when Christmas lunch is over, there will still be more food at dinner, and breakfast, and the next day and the next day and so on.
· Check in with yourself as you’re eating. Practise intuitive eating by seeing how hungry or full you are before/during/after a meal or snack. If you’re physical full but you feel compelled to keep eating, consider that there’s something emotional going on. Ask yourself if you feel peaceful about continuing because of the joy of the day and the pleasure of the food. Or perhaps there’s something deeper going on that doesn’t come from a place of peace, but from fear or dysregulation. If you’re feeling dysregulated, a simple action you can take is 3 long slow deep breaths, and standing up and moving your body.
· If it’s about food waste and feeling like you need to eat purely because its there and will be wasted otherwise, check in with your values. Do you value not wasting food more than you value your food relationship? Can you save some for the next meal? Can you offer it to someone else? Can you freeze it for another time? Food waste isn’t ideal, but at the cost of your mental health, is it worth continuing?
I hope you can find some value in some of these tips, and if you have questions about any of them, or you want more specific support in the lead up to Christmas, feel free to email me at info@redwoodwellbeing.com.au or find me via my socials @redwoodwellbeing.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and while you’re enjoying all that delicious food, you consider the real reason for the season.
Alyssa
