Omg, it’s only food, so why does holiday eating scare us so bad, and why do we feel we need to mentally prepare for the big day?
Holiday eating shouldn’t scare us, but every year I see the same posts from ‘fitness influencers’ telling people to:
- Fast before the holiday meal
- Drink lots of water before, during, and after the meal
- Load your plate up with veggies first
- Make sure to exercise before you eat the big holiday meal
- Limit alcoholic drinks to only two
When did we get afraid to eat, drink, and be merry? I understand the pressures of dieting during the holidays, but it’s one day to enjoy yourself. Yes, holiday weight gain can happen if you extend your holiday eating and drinking from Thanksgiving to Christmas to even New Year’s without regular exercise and whole foods, but the fear of eating food can cause a lot of stress and possibly a big binge on food later.
Holidays should be relaxing, other than parts where you see extended family members who question why you’re not married yet as you shove cookies in your purse when no one is looking. Don’t judge me, it was one time!
I’ve been the girl who brings her own holiday macro-friendly Tupperware meal to sit down with my family to eat. I avoided the desserts and drinks, and couldn’t participate in the conversations of my mother’s new sweet potato dish that received rave reviews. At the time, I wasn’t bothered by it, but looking back on it, I think, ‘What was the point?’ I remember being nervous to eat off-plan out of fear of eating everything in sight, but even if I did, it was only one day.
If your child made you a cookie and asked you to try it, would you hurt their feelings and say no to taking a bite out of it when they put so much love and effort into it? Of course not! You’d tear into that cookie and say, “Oh my goodness, this is the best cookie I’ve ever had!”
Food brings us together, and we:
- Go out to eat with friends
- Invite people over and have food
- Go to events with food
- Eat cake at birthday parties
- Have drinks
Why does holiday eating scare us?
When did we become afraid to eat? Why do we feel if we have a piece of the pie, we’ll gain 10lbs, or never stop eating pie? When did we shut off the ‘I’m full’ feature to our brains? Who is the person we ask for permission on how to eat because we don’t know how to anymore?
Babies stop eating when they’re full, even if there’s a plate of food sitting in front of them. We decide to gorge ourselves to sickness or avoid the food at all costs because we know the outcome will be the end.
Maybe ‘this food’ only comes around once a year? Most people have a grocery store within 10 miles of their house where they can get any ingredients to make it for themselves at any time.
We have to learn how to indulge without thinking or being worried about overindulging because food is not the enemy; we are our own worst enemy. The stress, the pressure, and the shame we put on ourselves is overwhelming because, in the end, it’s just food and drinks for one day with family and friends. We must learn to relax and allow ourselves the pleasure to eat. Eating foods that you never eat doesn’t toss your fitness goals or good habits aside. This one day, holiday, event, is not the one day where you gain ALL THE WEIGHT and LOSE ALL THE MUSCLE; it happens over time after many back-to-back days, weeks, months, and years of overindulging and not exercising.
Stop fearing food and allow yourself to enjoy it.