How to Stop Stressing About Food During the Holidays
It’s the most wonderful time of year.
And also the most stressful.
Between gifts, family time, and just a general stray from usual routine, this time of year can feel like a lot. Let’s at least take food off the list of things to stress about, okay?
And look, I get it. Being out of your normal routine is difficult for anyone. We get so used to waking up at a certain time, eating at certain times, and knowing what to expect at meals.
The combination of social events, holiday parties, and holiday gatherings makes your food choices completely different than they normal look. And it’s okay if that feels overwhelming.
But I don’t want it to get in the way of your enjoyment of the holidays. I don’t want to feel like you have to save up calories or exercise more to compensate. Because – spoiler alert – you don’t.
Take holiday foods off their pedestal by knowing that all foods are allowed.
You are allowed to eat any food, any day.
Often, when we get in the usual work week grind, our meals start to look simple and similar to one each other. There’s nothing wrong with that.
But it’s also okay to eat different – and even special – food during the holidays. Know that all foods are allowed.
This helps to take any holiday food that you might not normally eat off its pedestal.
For example, if there are cookies at a holiday party, and you think you can’t normally eat cookies, what do you think is going to happen? Of course, the cookies will be the most appealing thing there. Very likely, you won’t be able to stop thinking about them. Instead, know that all foods are allowed.
You are allowed to eat those holiday cookies.
Similarly, know that you can eat these foods any day.
On that same token, know that you can eat these foods any day.
When you tell yourself you can eat cookies, but only today, you subconsciously create a last supper mentality.
This is the notion that you have to eat all the cookies now, before you’re not allowed to eat them again tomorrow.
Prevent this mentality by knowing that you truly can eat cookies any day – not just a holiday.
And similarly, knowing that you can eat these foods any day allows you to better check in with your hunger and fullness levels.
Once you start to feel full, check in. Can you take leftovers to go? Can you make these foods at home another day?
Knowing that you can eat these foods any day – and not just on the holiday – helps you to honor your body better.
Continue to eat normal meals and snacks when you can.
Just because you have a holiday party at night doesn’t mean you need to “save up” calories during the day.
Having a big holiday meal one day doesn’t mean you need to exercise more the next.
You do not need to earn your food or compensate for it.
Instead, continue to eat normal meals and snacks during the day. Saving up calories only backfires. It means you arrive at the event overly hungry, which often leads to overeating.
Make sure to eat breakfast and lunch if an event isn’t until later in the day. Have a snack if you need to!
And if you still do overeat – which is very likely given the circumstances! – it’s okay. It doesn’t mean you messed up or make you a “bad” person. It means you’re enjoying the holiday and enjoyed the food you ate.
If and when that happens, simply move on afterwards. Have some water, unbutton your pants if you can and if it’ll make you more comfortable, and eat again when you’re hungry. You do not need to compensate for it.
(Read more about what to do after overeating in this blog)
Most importantly, know that it’s truly okay if this time of year looks different than the rest of the year.
Remember this:
Holiday season makes up less than 5% of the year.
It’s really, really okay if your eating looks different than usual during this time.
If you need to hear it and refer back to it from a dietitian: it’s okay if you eat more than usual. It’s okay if your meals aren’t perfectly balanced. Or if you don’t eat one fruit or vegetable.
Seriously, it’s okay.
One meal or day or week will not make or break your health.
Health is about everything we do in the long run. It’s looking at the big picture. And if you zoom out, 2 weeks out of the year has pretty little effect on the big picture.
Not only that, but health is about more than what we eat. It also includes our mental and emotional well being.
And the best thing you can do for yourself this holiday season is to truly enjoy it as much as you can. Take the focus off of food. Allow yourself to enjoy foods you love. And let yourself get wrapped up in all the wonderful things that the holiday season offers.
