How to Stay on Track During the Holidays
The Holiday Season has almost arrived! A season for spending time with family, warming up by the fire, hot chocolate, holiday cheer, and delicious FOOD! While some consider the holidays to be the happiest time of the year, others are affected with stress, anxiety, and worry, not only due to the excess family time, but specifically because of the centralization around food. In a study by Yanovski and his colleagues, they found that a significant percentage of the average annual weight gain occurs during the holidays, and will never be lost. Year after year, this weight gain accumulates and can precipitate health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, among many others.
I am here to tell you NOT TO WORRY! The holidays are a time for fun, family, friends, and food, in that order. Focusing your time on family and friends will help you overcome your fear of gaining weight, and allow yourself to let loose and enjoy this magical time of the year!
I know that you have googled, “How to avoid weight gain during the holidays.” We all have! As I was digging around, doing a little research for this post, I saw some atrocious tips on how to maintain your weight over the holidays. The tip I most often came across was, “Put Dieting First.” What?! Put dieting in front of your family?! Friends?! Pumpkin Pie?! No thank you. There is scientific evidence backed by multiple studies proving that diets don’t work. UCLA published a study stating that, “One third to two thirds of dieters regain more weight than they lost on their diets,” (Mann et al., 2007). Weight loss and improvements in health require a lifestyle change, rather than a diet, and it all begins with Intuitive Eating.
WHAT IS INTUITIVE EATING?
“Intuitive eating is an approach that teaches you how to create a healthy relationship with your food, mind, and body – where you ultimately become the expert of your own body. You learn how to distinguish between physical and emotional feelings, and gain a sense of body wisdom. It’s also a process of making peace with food—so that you no longer have constant “food worry” thoughts. It’s knowing that your health and your worth as a person do not change, because you ate a food that you had labeled as “bad” or “fattening.”
-Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch
Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch are both Registered Dietitians specializing in Intuitive Eating and the treatment of eating disorders. Evelyn Tribole wrote a wonderful post titled the Holiday Bill of Rights, to make the holidays a just a little bit easier for those battling with food.
While many articles are giving advice such as, “Force yourself to refrain from bad food and go to the gym,” I urge you to ignore their requests. Restriction of certain foods leads to overeating, or binging. Many people may not realize it, but Binge Eating Disorder is far more common than you’d expect. It is the highest prevailing eating disorder in the U.S., affecting 2.8 million women, men, and adolescents. I would like to share some tips that can help you refrain from the restriction-binging cycle, and allow you to enjoy your Holiday season.
REALISTIC TIPS FOR AVOIDING WEIGHT GAIN DURING THE HOLIDAYS
1. LET GO OF CONTROL
A dieter’s enemy is the need for control. They facilitate this control by labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” and routinely punishing themselves if they slip up. There is no such thing as a “good” or a “bad” food, only “nutrient providing” foods and those that are not. We want to eat an abundance of foods that supply our body with fuel, vitamins, and minerals, and enjoy those that do not, less frequently, such as during a holiday or a celebration. Letting go of control can be the best thing you can do for your body and mind.
2. ENJOY YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Holidays are not about the FOOD, they are about the PEOPLE. Get into deep conversations, challenge your mind, and discuss your goals with the people that you love. Spending time with those close to you can provide a healthy distraction from overeating.
3. EXERCISE
If you follow an exercise routine, find time out of your day to follow through. Exercising keeps stress levels down, therefore reducing binge eating due to any tension you may feel throughout the day. Holiday dinners and parties can be time consuming, so I suggest that you head to the gym in the morning, and start your day in a good, “proud of yourself,” mood. You can also use exercise to promote family time by going out on a walk after dinner!
4. DO NOT FEEL GUILTY
Whether you feel guilty for eating, or guilty for not eating, DON’T DO IT! It is okay to eat that cookie, or go in for seconds. However, once you recognize that your body is satisfied, it is also okay to turn food down. “Guilt” and “food” are two words that should never be used in the same sentence. Often times, people pass criticizing comments such as, “I thought you were on a diet, why are you eating that?” and all you need to say is, “I am human, and I LOVE [cookies].” You are allowed to eat what you choose and not feel an ounce of guilt behind it.
5. DO NOT OVERTHINK
Obsessing over food is overwhelming and leads to stress. The cycle most commonly associated with food obsession is:
OBSESSION to STRESS to BINGING to GUILT and back to OBSESSION
This cycle is difficult to break, and can continue for a lifetime if you do not learn to value your mind and body. Too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.
I hope you all enjoy the holidays and the time spent with your family and friends.
Remember that it is okay to enjoy the holidays and the tasty food associated with them. Be okay with it! Honor your body and everything will fall into place.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
References
Mann, T., Tomiyama, A. J., Westling, E., Lew, A., Samuels, B., & Chatman, J. (2007). Medicare's search for effective obesity treatments: Diets are not the answer. American Psychologist, 62(3), 220-233. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.62.3.220
The Original Intuitive Eating Pros - Creating a Healthy Relationship with Food, Mind & Body. (n.d.). Retrieved October 29, 2016, from http://www.intuitiveeating.com/content/intuitive-eaters-holiday-bill-rights
Yanovski, J. A., Yanovski, S. Z., Sovik, K. N., Nguyen, T. T., O'neil, P. M., & Sebring, N. G. (2000). A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain. New England Journal of Medicine, 342(12), 861-867. doi:10.1056/nejm200003233421206