Stop Dieting & Overeating this Holiday season: A Unique Approach

“Mindful eating replaces self-criticism with self-nurturing. It replaces shame with respect for your own inner wisdom.” - Jan Chozen Bays, Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food.

Let me help you have a different experience this holiday season.
For many of us the holiday can be: 

• Happy, joyful, stressful.

• A time for family 

• A time for friends

Basically this season (like most) can be anything you want it to be.
For many this time can also be stressful if you have struggled with your eating habits, relationship with food (binging & restricting). 

There’s food everywhere, all the time, no matter where we go. Someone brings in cookies to the office, kids are selling pies to fundraise, and you have 4 thanksgivings or friendsgiving parties to go to this year. It’s endless…

As a Nutritionist who knows what it is like to be overweight, to have your clothes feel too tight, to feel uncomfortable in your skin and to have struggled for years with binge-eating, I want to share some strategies that actually made a lasting impact on how I thought about food. 

And to be clear I struggled with these things while I was in school for nutrition and the first few years of business. I even hired a nutrition coach while I was in grad school for nutrition! 

I am happy to say I am on the other side of those struggles but I want to share the things that really helped me turn the corner. 

Here is what I recommend:

Don’t focus on the scale. Focus on feeling your best (mentally & physically)  to make the most of these times with family & friends.

Stop saying you deserve to eat or have “XYZ” treat because of “123” reasons. You don’t need to justify anything, you don’t have to “burn anything off”. Your lifestyle should be healthy enough already including activity & exercise to handle one day with a slightly bigger meal. And if it’s not… Well, we still have work to do regardless of the holiday meal. Movement is medicine and needs to be a regular habit.

When someone says they “deserve” something - I would say you deserve to feel physically and mentally GOOD no matter what. 

And I am not saying you can’t have a cookie and feel great - you can. 

I am saying you need to RESPECT the signals your body is giving you. If you are hungry - eat. If you are full - stop eating. If you know there will be a lot of fun foods you want to enjoy, by all means, have some, taste them, but keep your portions moderate so you can enjoy what you would like to eat without feeling stuffed, lethargic, etc. Easier said than done, I know. But instead of focusing on all the things around to eat . . . Focus on the people, the making of memories, those last longer than the taste of anything. 

If you bring more awareness and pay attention to HOW you feel it will get easier to moderate how much and why you eat. Eat to make your body feel GOOD long term, not just for a few seconds of minutes. 

Ask yourself “how do I want to feel at or after this event?” 

• Are you OK with stuffing yourself to the point of feeling sick? - No? 

• Or do you want to feel satisfied, comfortable and energetic to focus on the people and making good memories? - yes? 

• Ok, let’s do the things that align with WHAT you want out of this experience. 

This is where mindful eating habits really WIN. 

Mindful eating is when we focus on HOW we are eating NOT what is on our plate. 

This takes the emphasis OFF of dieting or creating the perfect balance of foods and more so on the physical actions of how we eat our food. 

I have a short, easy to digest (pun intended), mini-course on Mindful Eating that can really help you make strides in improving your relationship with food and make this holiday season a little less stressful. 

Why isn’t this free? Because free advice doesn’t usually get taken to heart. 

Show me you are serious about this. Make this season different.

Try it out The Mindful Meals Course here for only $5!

10 summary points:

1. Eat regular meals with Protein + Veggies, Stay hydrated and don’t go into an event starving. 

2. Ask yourself how you want to feel during & after each social eating event. Plan accordingly to accomplish that goal. 

3. 3-5 deep breaths before eating to achieve a calm state for optimal digestion & decision making. 

4. Chew each bite thoroughly and completely before swallowing. Eat slowly. 

5. Stop eating when you are full or almost full. 

6. Focus on the people, the event, the making a everlasting memories and less on consuming the food. 

7. You don’t need to eat or continue eating to participate in the festivities. 

8. Do what will make you feel happy, healthy, & proud. 

9. There are more options out there than you think. If you are not sure of the right path forward you likely know which path NOT to take - i.e. the one you have taken before and not enjoyed. 

10. Ask for help, talk to a coach, a friend or have a buddy at that event, tell them to help you stick to your goals & intentions to feel your best. Got questions - Email me here: Ali@ParksideNutrition.com

Other resources to help you: