How to Manage Your Holiday Eating Fears

Written by Isabel Vasquez, RD, LDN

The holidays are a time that can bring up a lot of feelings around food and your body. This year things will likely look different, but that doesn’t mean the holidays can’t still bring up food anxiety. Food is a central part of holiday celebrations, so if you are recovering from an eating disorder or disordered eating, you may feel nervous or fearful of what the holidays will bring. You are most certainly not alone in those feelings. There are common thoughts many people will have around the holidays, so in this week’s blog, we’re going to tackle some of those thoughts from an intuitive eating mindset. We’ll try putting to rest the diet culture voices by approaching these thoughts with a compassionate intuitive eating lens. 

Thought #1

“I can’t be around all this food! I’m going to binge again.”

Food is a central part of the celebration, yes. And it may feel very overwhelming to be around it all! If you have a history of bingeing, it can certainly bring up fears of binges happening more over the holidays. However, it is important to remember what a very common cause of bingeing is - restricting. Fearing weight gain from being around the holiday foods can signify that you aren’t yet truly allowing yourself unconditional permission to eat. Bingeing is typically caused by restricting, so fearing the holiday food could be a sign that you are restricting these foods and therefore, fear you will eat them in excess when they are around. Remember, all foods have value, and no matter what time of year, you don’t have to workout a certain amount or eat a certain way to be worthy. You can focus on honoring your hunger and fullness, showing yourself compassion along the way. If you are recovering from an eating disorder, be sure to check in with your treatment team regularly, especially during these potentially triggering times. 

Thought #2

“I’m nervous to be around my family during the holidays because they always comment on my body.”

When eating intuitively, you are trying to build up a healthier relationship to food and your body. However, this doesn’t happen overnight, so you may still feel sensitive to body comments. Therefore, hearing a family member comment on weight changes might feel triggering or at the very least, annoying. Prepare for this by implementing boundaries around weight comments ahead of time. (Read my last blog for more on setting boundaries!) 

With there still being a few weeks until the holidays, this is a great time to get started having those conversations. If the boundaries aren’t respected, you may benefit from implementing a stricter boundary, such as limiting the time you’re willing to participate in the gathering or simply not attending. 

Thought #3

“I’ve already gained weight because I don’t workout as much in the winter. I’m scared to gain more weight from being around all the holiday treats.”

We have all undergone a LOT this year. And while you may feel this way every winter, I’m sure this year’s pandemic might be exacerbating the fear of weight gain from being stuck inside. You may not be as active as you’re used to, something that’s often joked about as the summer heat dwindles down and the winter approaches. There’s less focus on getting that “bikini bod” so the shift goes to shame about the potential for winter weight gain. This is pure diet culture. A sustainable way to eat while maintaining optimal physical and mental health does NOT include periods of strict dieting followed by periods of shame when not committing to diet. A sustainable way to eat while maintaining optimal physical and mental health DOES include flexibility in eating, recognizing how food serves us outside of the nutrition label, and inviting in the connection fostered by sharing food with loved ones.

Fearing weight gain is a product of our fatphobic society. Weight gain isn’t inherently bad, yet we have most likely been taught to fear it. This demonstrates a societal issue (fatphobia), not an individual failure (weight gain). What I’m trying to remind you of is that you aren’t a worse person if you do gain weight. Weight changes happen, and showing yourself compassion no matter what your body looks like is so valuable and important.

Thought #4

“I’ve made so much progress in my recovery from disordered eating. I’m afraid the holidays will throw off my progress.”

This is such a valid feeling. The holidays bring up a bunch of nerve-wracking situations when it comes to breaking free from diet culture and embracing intuitive eating. I invite you to look at it as an opportunity - an opportunity to further hone your skills, an opportunity to show yourself compassion, an opportunity to implement next level self-care strategies, an opportunity to set a new standard for the holidays! If slip-ups do occur, approach them with curiosity. What sparked them? And show yourself compassion. You are learning and it is always a journey!

All in all, the holidays can pose a challenge to your recovery from an eating disorder or disordered eating. So as they get closer, I invite you to validate all the feelings that come up for you, make sure you are checking in with your support team, approach the challenges as opportunities for growth, and show yourself compassion along the way.