The holidays used to cause me so much stress and anxiety. With loads of delicious food around 24/7 — think homemade cookies in the break room, a bunch of big family dinners and a different holiday party almost every night — I constantly worried about what and how much I was eating. I’d berate myself for every “unhealthy” app or dessert that passed my lips, and try to compensate by exercising or eating less the next day. I’d plan to “start over” on January 1, which inevitably led to me overeating almost all December long.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that trying to avoid or limit my intake of holiday foods — while also thinking I’d just start over next month — was not a solution to feeling out of control around food. In fact, it was the cause.
[See: How to Enjoy a Stress-Free Holiday.]
You see, when you try so hard to be “good” with your food choices — whether that’s calorie counting, tracking with an app or following a diet plan — your body believes food is scarce. As a result, your survival instinct drives you to eat more — and especially more of the higher-calorie foods you’ve summoned all your willpower to avoid. It’s no wonder, then, that by the time the holidays roll around, many of us find our diets go out the window and we wind up overeating and feeling completely stuffed (not to mention guilty).
The good news: It is possible to have a holiday season without the added stress of around food. You can experience a holiday during which you enjoy all of the food you truly want and don’t dread getting “back on the wagon” come January 1. And no, I’m not talking about making “light” mashed potatoes or skipping the bread basket. Instead, follow these five tips:
1. Don’t plan to go on a diet in January.
Why? Because when your body knows that a diet (or detox or juice cleanse) is around the corner, it anticipates deprivation and influences how you behave around food. Your body reacts like it’s in starvation mode, even when you are surrounded by food. This ends up leading to a free-for-all straight through the holiday season.
[See: 11 Things to Tell Yourself When You’re About to Binge Eat.]
2. Give yourself permission to eat your favorite holiday foods.
I’m talking about eating whatever you want, taking all restrictions off the table. Give yourself unconditional permission to eat — and enjoy — any and all of the holiday foods. Because when you place something “off-limits,” it becomes more and more appealing. Alternatively, when you allow yourself permission to eat these foods, they become less exciting.
3. When you eat, do so mindfully and with intention.
Allow yourself to experience the food wholly and completely. Staying connected to your body while you eat these foods will help you eat until you are comfortably full and satisfied. When the attention shifts from your body, redirect it back to your internal fullness and satisfaction cues. Notice what your mind and body are telling you. How does the food taste? Do you like the texture? Is it satisfying? If you don’t love it, don’t eat it, and if you do love it, savor it.
4. Don’t try to compensate.
If you feel like you overate or if you know you have a holiday party coming up, don’t try to compensate by skipping meals, eating less or exercising more. This will just lead to low blood sugar, more cravings and a bigger chance of overeating. Instead, eat regular meals throughout the day with plenty of calories and carbohydrates; meals that are satisfying. Then tune in to your hunger and fullness signals during the meal and pay attention to how your body feels.
[See: 6 Darn Good Reasons to Eat Sugar and Not Apologize for It.]
5. Find non-food coping mechanisms.
While there’s nothing wrong with emotional eating per se, it becomes a problem when it’s your only coping strategy for dealing with stress or other difficult emotions. Come up with several different coping strategies that you can call upon during times of stress or anxiety this holiday season. These could include more sleep, setting boundaries with work or relationships, calling a friend, watching a favorite movie or TV show, listening to a funny podcast, journaling, meditating or going for a walk.
More from U.S. News
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Why Can’t I Control Myself Around Holiday Food? originally appeared on usnews.com
