Do you find yourself eating more sweets, carbs, and just overall food during the holidays than at any other time of year?
I used CRAZY to over-do it over the holidays.
It would start with voice #1 in my head being like:
“WOW that brownie looks AMAZING but you shouldn’t eat it it’ll go right to your thighs!”
On a normal day, I might realize it’s not worth it, that voice was right, and just move on (ok, rarely!!). BUT the game is different now, it’s the “HOLIDAYS.” Tis the season for food justifications!
That’s where voice #2 chimed in:
“It’s the holidays, go for it girl! Eat as many as you want and you’ll just make up for it in January!!”
Next comes lots of brownies, a stomach ache + guilt/shame feelings. “Ugh it so wasn’t worth it!”
Have you been there??
Your voice of temptation triggers a voice of justification and next thing you know, you’re curled over with a stomach ache + guilt/shame feelings?
Many women I work with find themselves struggling with this all year, but especially around the holidays. They’re presented with foods that they tell themselves they shouldn’t be eating, and ultimately come up with some justification why it’s ok to eat it – and usually go overboard.
The combination of putting restrictive labels on foods (like “shouldn’t”) AND the justifications create the perfect storm, causing us to take actions that don’t make us feel good and leave us feeling frustrated and stuck.
It’s actually a super healthy and normal response to deprivation and stress which is hard-wired in all of us. It’s not because we’re weak or have no willpower, it’s our body telling us it does NOT like feeling deprived and being restricted.
So what can you do about it? Here are 4 action steps:
ONE
Stop using language like: should/shouldn’t, can/can’t, allowed, good/bad when you’re talking about food. Sounds silly, but it triggers a whole chain of reactions that’ll send you spiraling in a direction opposite your goals. Our actions start in our mind/thoughts!
TWO
Give yourself true permission to eat the foods you love and that make you happy. Show your body they’ll be there if you choose to eat it in the moment, if you want to save it and eat it tomorrow, and even remind yourself you can find or make ALL foods year round if you really want them 🙂 Make mindful choices rather than trying to follow restrictive rules. This helps to release the scarcity mindset and justifications.
THREE
Debunk the situation. If you do these things and still find yourself fixating on a particular food, especially if you’re already full, ask yourself what else might be going on. Get curious in a non-judgmental way. Lean in and tune into it, what feelings are coming up, what feelings might you wish were coming up? Sometimes what we love about certain foods are the feelings we associate with them that we can get from other sources.
FOUR
Above all – release the urge to be a ‘perfect’ eater. There is no such thing, so you’ll be fighting a losing battle that will leave you feeling defeated. A healthy diet and healthy relationship with food includes eating a balance of ALL foods and enjoying them. As humans, we’re emotional beings designed to receive pleasure from foods. When we try to restrict that, our body will fight back, and ultimately win!
Also – be sure to check out this guide (audio & video) to having your happiest & healthiest holidays yet!
