For most of us, the most intense part of the holidays starts tomorrow (or today, if you got away from work early!).
You’ve got a mile long to-do list in your head, are rushing around doing last minute shopping, and packing madly if you’ll be traveling.
If you're like me, you reach for food when things get intense.
Right now, most of us are stressed and tired. Stressed and tired people make poor choices, especially when it comes to food. On top of that, if you’re spending time with family, your emotional buttons are going to get pushed.
With so much food around, you’re going to be tempted to reach out to it for comfort or distraction. Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays and I love food, and I fully intend to enjoy the next few days. I'm not against celebrating and feasting. I just hope to do that in an intentional way that won't leave me feeling gross and frustrated with myself at the end of it all.
If your goal this holiday is to enjoy the food and celebrations in a way that you won’t regret on January 2nd, here are some tips to help you navigate those days between now and then.
1) Sleep
The holidays can be a great time to catch up on much-needed sleep. If you get more than 7 hours on a given night, your body produces a hormone called leptin that suppresses appetite. If you get less than 7 hours of sleep, your body produces ghrelin instead. Ghrelin stimulates appetite and causes you to crave carbs, salt and sugar. Easy choice here: make sure you get some sleep!
2) Take breaks
If family time is intense and your emotions are rising, step away from the crowd for a break. Go out and get some fresh air. If you have a family ally who you can vent to if you’re upset about something, pull them aside where no one can hear, and talk to them. Far better than reaching for your twelfth sugar cookie. By the twelfth you don’t really taste them anymore anyway. I speak from experience.
3) Journal
Take time in the midst of the busyness for yourself. Bring a journal if you're traveling. Journaling in the morning before others get up can be a great way to process feelings and set your intentions for the day and the entire holiday season. If you’ve had a difficult day, journaling in the evening before sleep can also be helpful in venting emotions and anxieties so you have a sound, restful sleep.
4) Call or text someone
I work with coaching clients on strategies for achieving their valued health goals. This often involves breaking the habit of responding to stress or crises with mindless eating. If you don't have someone close at hand, have one or two people “on call” who are happy to support you via calls or texts if things get tough. It’s so helpful to have an array of tools (including supportive people) to turn to when things get emotionally stressful, versus automatically turning to food.
5) Exercise
Let’s face it, we’re all going to overindulge in the next few days. I plan to! There are times in life to celebrate and feast, and this is one of them. I’m not against celebrating, and I love food. It’s just far better if emotional eating doesn’t elbow itself into that celebration.
Since you’ll be eating more, try to get out and move every day during the holidays. Take a walk in nature on your own to clear your head, or with a loved one or two (or ten). Find a local gym to drop into, my husband and I pack workout clothes in case we can get away for a quick workout. Not only will you burn off those extra calories, but you’ll also burn off any stress associated with the season, making you less likely to make poor emotionally-driven decisions.
6) Fill your plate with healthy things
There’s room on any holiday plate for delicious treats, just don’t make them the whole plate. At holiday dinners, focus primarily on healthy choices for appetizers, main dishes and desserts. Fill most of your plate with veggies, or with fruit if it’s available at dessert. Squeeze some yummy rich things on there too, just make sure there’s not that much room for them by that point.
7) Connect with people, not food
I’m quite introverted, so it’s tempting for me pile up my plate with food, grab a glass of wine, and hide in the corner eating. If you’re like that too (or are extraverted and like to talk to people while stuffing yourself with food and wine), how about putting less on your plate and focusing on connecting more purposefully with the people around you? At least some of the time, anyway. I can easily eat my way through an entire party without stopping, if I’m not careful.
8) Watch the alcohol
I enjoyed some delicious mulled wine at a party the other night and am looking forward to wine and champagne at some of the upcoming celebrations. That said, the more that I drink, the more I eat. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and increases appetite. Try mixed drinks made of large parts sparkling water, or alternating between glasses of alcohol and glasses of water. This “alternating” trick has worked wonders for some of my clients who wanted to decrease the amount they were drinking at social occasions.
Enjoy the holidays! Allow yourself time and space to feel and process your emotions that may come up, instead of shoving those feelings down with food. Be good to yourself, connect with the people you love, and have a wonderful time.
Copyright 2018 Dr. Susan Biali Haas
