Holiday Sweets, Treats, and Body Image Defeats: Maintaining Intuitive Eating after Winter Break

Eating around the holidays can be very difficult for those who struggle with food. Whether you are scared to eat because you can’t stop or are scared to eat at all, being around all of the different festive sweet and savory treats can trigger more people than we know. Things can start to feel out of control, and then you force yourself to do crazy things to “get back on track” such as excessive workouts, purging, or starving yourself. It’s scary to be in that headspace where something as simply what to eat for dinner becomes a decision so overwhelming that you rather not eat at all. 

I’m here to remind you that everyone deserves to eat. You deserve to eat. You deserve to eat without fear or thinking about how many miles you will have to run to burn it off. You deserve to eat what you’re craving and what makes you feel good. You don’t have to eat something you read off of a health blog or try the newest juice cleanse. Listen to your body. Your body knows what it wants and what it needs.

I know how hard it can be because even now I have to convince myself I deserve more than broccoli for lunch. My body needs more than just broccoli for lunch.

Our bodies and minds need food and lots of it to function properly and carry us throughout our day. When you deprive yourself of food because you “ate too much yesterday”, you only end up binging again. This becomes a painful, relentless cycle that takes strength to pull yourself out of. It’s okay if the holidays made you relapse because you’re not in it alone, and you will learn to escape it, again. 

As we grow and get to know ourselves, we learn that our bodies are much more trustworthy than we give them credit for. The mind can be a dangerous and dark place if you let your fear (and fear foods) rule over your ability to enjoy these special moments we share with friends and family. Overeating at Christmas dinner won’t dictate how your body looks for the rest of your life. 

Listen, and your body will tell you when you’re hungry and when you’re full. Trust yourself and have fun without worrying about what you might regret later. 

• eating disorders
• intuitive eating