Intuitive Eating During The Holiday Season
How can we keep self-care on track so we don’t end up puffy, exhausted and hating how we feel on January 1?
There is actually a slight misconception around holiday weight gain… Research suggests that the average person gains 1.6 lbs between October and January. It might not sound like much. The problem is that the average person keeps that weight on, allowing it to become the new normal. Ten years of holidays go by and the body you have at 50 is very different than the one you had at 40. UGH… And all because of a bucket of that weird stale cheese popcorn someone gifted you that you didn’t want to eat anyway.
What I find from an intuitive health coach perspective to be more concerning is the internal battle we fight with ourselves over our weight, shape and size. Feeling puffy, out of sorts and like we are in a body that’s not cooperating is self-disconnecting – leaving us both physically and mentally heavy. And those shame tactics such as forcing, negotiating, and restricting actually end up backfiring by inadvertently attracting the very thing we are trying so hard to push away.
Instead of going around and around the cycle of overindulging, feeling terrible, restricting, only to repeat, here are a few things to try instead:
#1 It’s a technique I call “Top 3.”
“Top 3” is about choosing 3 self-care non-negotiables during your holiday vacation and travels.
Why only 3? It sets clear, realistic goals that focus your energy on YOU.
For example, this holiday, my “Top 3”:
Eat gluten-free
Sleep through the night
Move my body a minimum of 45 minutes, 5 times during the week
If I meet these self-care goals, chances are good that I’m going to feel balanced and healthy. And it’s amazing how this list organizes other really healthy behaviors that set me up for success. In order to sleep through the night, I don’t eat after 8pm. If I’m honoring my gluten free plan, I’m not snacking on my kid’s holiday treats… who knows where those things have been anyway?! Cheese popcorn anyone…?
#2 Treat yourself with non-food, non-beverage indulgences.
When we eat or drink too much, a part of our brains is trying to get a need met. It just doesn’t know how to do it any other way. So, when you offer yourself another type of sweetness, you’re helping that part of your brain by tuning into your true needs and meeting them in a different way. Take a long walk, a nap or a bubble bath. Or get yourself a gift that nourishes your spirit!
Here are my favorite gift ideas for coziness and self-connection this season.
· Naadam’s ethically sourced cashmere sweaters that don’t break the bank- gorgeous, warm, classic. Naadam.co
· Wisdom of the Oracle Deck from intuitive guide and psychic medium Colette Baron-Reid- give yourself a sacred time out and explore what Spirit wants you to know.
· My book! Does This Divorce Make Me Look Fat? Ok, a shameless plug I admit but I can’t tell you how many of my clients and even their husbands have told me how inspiring and helpful it has been for them and their relationship.
#3 Use your words to communicate how you feel.
Those of you who have read my book or been in my workshops know that I am a big fan of tapping into our sacred feminine energy. For women especially, when we lose connection with the sacred feminine, we unconsciously create a lot of conflict in relationships. Pause a few times throughout the day and label the feeling/feelings that are present. These are some version of glad, mad, sad, scared- not thoughts (for example, NOT “I feel like…”) By letting your body communicate sensations and feelings to your awareness, you are able to process feelings rather than EATING them or DRINKING them to keep them under the surface.
Frame all of these intuitive eating tips with so much self-love and compassion. The greatest violence we do to ourselves is when we tell ourselves we aren’t worthy, we aren’t enough. No matter what you do- you drink the bottle of wine, you eat the entire chocolate cake, you raise your voice at your kids, acknowledge what you did, how it made you feel (stated to yourself as a feeling), and then tell yourself “I forgive you, I understand you are feeling ____ and I forgive you.” Give yourself a hug the way you would a dear friend who just messed up. Take responsibility by apologizing to others if needed. “Hey, I’m sorry. I was feeling out of sorts and I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” The more easily you can forgive yourself, the easier it is to ask for forgiveness from others.
The beauty of these intuitive eating tips is that they keep the focus on YOU. When you stay self-connected and make your needs and feelings a priority, the pound or two you gain will melt off. It creates lightness and motivation as you move towards what you want instead of punishing yourself toward a goal. This sets a beautiful foundation for the New Year!