Avoid Emotionally Eating Your Way Through the Holidays

ronadams52

I thought I might add these suggestions I received from my friend Holly...........

Avoid Emotionally Eating Your Way Through the Holidays
9Dec

The holidays are a stressful time of year for anyone, but when you add PCOS or a mood disorder into the mix, it can get downright overwhelming. Food is everywhere you go this time of year, and it is way too easy to use food as a coping mechanism or as a way to numb the pain.

Having a good nutritional foundation all year long, especially when the holidays hit, can keep you from diving into piles of mashed potatoes when the going gets rough. Here are 5 tips that can keep your emotional eating under control this year:



1.) Do not go on a diet during holiday time. Diets don’t work any time of the year, but the added stress of the season will just put unnecessary pressure on you, and may actually lead to you eating more than if you just set a goal to remain in control and continue your healthy eating plan. Watch portion sizes, especially of anything sweet or starchy, to keep sugar and carb cravings from getting the best of you.

2.) Eat! In other words, don’t starve yourself. Pretend that each day is just like a Tuesday in the middle of March. Begin each day with a healthy, balanced breakfast. Include healthy fats, carbs and lean protein with each meal. Make sure you never get too hungry, especially before arriving at a gathering where food will take center stage. Saving up calories so that you can overindulge later will backfire on you.

3.) Sneak in a little extra nutrition where you can. Add pureed veggies to your banana breads, muffins and cakes. No one has to know! Use mineral-rich homemade bone or veggie broths in your recipes. Put greens in your smoothies or protein shakes. You can even make a Christmas tree out of broccoli and serve it to guests. If you are asked to make a dish for a party or gathering, make your dish a nutritional powerhouse. That way you know that you have a “staple” to go to if the other dishes being served are not extremely healthy or likely to trigger a binge fest.

4.) Do the Jingle Bell Rock. Or anything else that involves moving your body. Exercise is a great stress reliever and it decreases anxiety and depression. It also improves your sensitivity to insulin and helps your muscles ability to burn fat. Do something that you enjoy, or you will be stressing out your body. Yes, this is a busy time of year, but think of it as an opportunity to build activity into your day. Walk briskly through the mall or make it a game to finish your shopping trip within a certain time limit. Dance with a turkey. Lift presents or cans of green beans instead of weights if you have to. Chopping down a Christmas tree is great for strengthening your arm muscles too!

5.) Take advantage of the extra calories you consume. Most likely, you will have moments where you consume more calories, carbs or fat than you would on a typical day. You can make these moments work for you instead of against you by incorporating a weekly cheat day into your healthy eating plan. Set aside one day of the week where you give yourself permission to eat anything you want. Don’t go completely crazy (don’t binge) and don’t drink too much alcohol. You can make this day any day of the week that you like, but it can be helpful to make this day one where you know you have a party or a situation where you will be faced with food that is not particularly healthy. Knowing you can eat whatever you like will take away the guilt and shame around eating certain foods or indulging more than you feel like you should. The following day, do an intense workout to take advantage of those extra calories and eat as healthy as you can. You may even increase your fat burning and end up looking better than ever on New Year’s Eve!

Emotions run high during the holidays, and stress is inevitable, but the truth is that eating will not make anything go away, and any relief you feel will only be temporary. Not to mention, it will make the new year more stressful when you find that you have extra weight to lose. Have fun, enjoy times with family and friends, and allow food to be what actually helps to get you through the holidays this year!

To get more practical tips on how to avoid emotional eating to cope with holiday stress, join me for a free teleclass on Tuesday, December 20 at 8:00 pm EST, “Emotional Eating Survival Strategies”. You’ll learn to manage your emotions without using food and learn some relaxation techniques to keep you calm and in control, even in the face of holiday stress. You’ll discover the benefits of mindful eating and how you can use some unique strategies to break free of the cycle of self-sabotage that is emotional eating. I’ll also be sharing a very powerful technique that will put an end to binge eating (you won’t want to miss this). To sign up for the call (and get the recording), click the link below:

http://www.yummylifewellness.com/Emotional_Eating.html

I’m looking forward to embracing the power of food with you!

Holly