Your Personal Pep Talk for Holiday Eating

“I just need to finish off the rest of this pie so that I won’t be tempted by it tomorrow.”

“I am going to eat this whole plate of cookies because I only get Christmas cookies once a year!”

“It’s Christmas! It’s okay to overindulge this week”

“I will start my diet again on January 1st.”

Do you relate to any of these thoughts?

During the holidays some of us might have an “all or nothing” mentality where we think that we may as well eat whatever we want during the holidays and then we’ll be better come the new year. After all, Christmas only happens once a year, right?

TRY to avoid this mentality! It will do you more harm than good. Thinking that you have to eat “all or nothing” can lead to overeating, binging cycles, feelings of guilt, and physical discomfort.

Where does this mentality come from?

Often people have an “all or nothing” mindset because they want to have control over their bodies. They decide that they can only have certain foods on specific days, or specific quantities of certain foods. They create “food rules” that must be followed, or they experience feelings of failure. During moments of “weakness” they eat what goes against their set rules and often significantly more with the thought they will be better tomorrow or after a certain event.

So, during the Christmas season, how can you avoid the “all or nothing” mentality? Here are 6 tips that can help!

1. Recognize when you are most vulnerable to having an “all or nothing” mentality—Are there times of the day or week, or certain events or places that trigger this mindset? Allow yourself the enjoy those days and events.
   

2. Allow yourself to eat the foods you love during the holidays—it is okay to eat the chocolate and cookies that are given to you this holiday season, just eat in moderation. You don’t have to eat the whole plate of cookies in one sitting. Eat one today and know that you can eat another one tomorrow if you want to.
   

3. It’s okay to not be perfect—don’t expect yourself to eat completely “perfect” during the holidays. If you expect yourself to deny all of the chocolate that comes your way, you will probably experience disappointment and failure. Strive to be healthy and learn from the times of weakness.
   

4. Be kind to yourself!—If you feel that if you’ve slipped up by overindulging, don’t beat yourself up! You are not a failure. Focus on your good qualities and things you are proud of. Take every opportunity to learn from your experiences and change your attitude.
   

5. Don’t live by a restrictive diet—restrictive diets often lead to overeating and the “all or nothing” mentality. If you eat outside of your set restriction then you “lose it” and eat whatever you want. Strive to be healthy and enjoy eating the foods you love!
   

6. Start again—if you’ve eaten a ton of "not-so-healthy" food, choose to have the attitude of improvement rather than failure. Decide to slowly start incorporting healthier foods again rather than throwing in the towel and continuing to make unhealthy choices. It is way easier to recover from a few days of overeating than a whole month of it.

The most important thing to remember is to listen to your body. Whether it’s Christmas Day or the first day of your new eating plan, feed your body when you’re hungry, listen to your body about the foods it wants or needs and stop eating when you feel full (no matter how delicious it tastes – it tastes better when you’re hungry!) P.S. The first 2-3 bites always taste the best. You don’t have to overeat to enjoy it!

Avoiding the “all or nothing” mentality is not always easy during the holiday season. Food is meant to be enjoyed, so don’t let it be a burden. Enjoy the time with family and friends and enjoy the foods that make your Christmas special.

Christmastime is a season of love and giving, so be kind to others and to yourself. Keep moving forward and treat your body kindly. Merry Christmas!

I'm here for you and I believe in you!