Eat With Confidence This Holiday Season
The holiday season is here, just like it is every year...though sometimes I will say it sneaks in sooner and sooner, don't you think? Holidays can bring about so much joy for people, but I also know that they can be especially difficult if you're anxious around food. I want to bring some peace and joy to you this season because life's too precious too let another holiday season pass by being controlled by your anxiety around food. You can eat with confidence this holiday season!As I'm writing I'm thinking back to all the Thanksgivings I enjoyed but didn't fully enjoy, all the Christmases where I secretly couldn't wait for everyone to leave because I felt so lost and afraid without my regular eating and exercise routine. I was present, but not fully present. I was distracted constantly by fears of eating too many calories, gaining weight that wouldn't come off like everyone says you do with each passing holiday season. I missed out on time with friends and family either because I was with them but planning how I could burn off the cinnamon rolls at breakfast or because I literally wasn't there and instead was escaping to the gym saying I needed my "me-time" but really just couldn't allow myself to just be present without first checking a run on the treadmill off my list.Praise God I have celebrated now 4 holiday seasons where food is a source of joy and togetherness as opposed to the past fear and anxiety that it brought for many, many years!I'm sharing this with you because I know what it's like to be where you're at right now. I know what it's like to see other people not worry about food in the way that you do, not worry about missing a day of exercise, but being afraid of letting go.That's why I want to give you some practical tips for how to go into this holiday season with confidence, not fear!
WRITE DOWN YOUR WHY
Your greatest super-power here is your "why". Why do you want to have a peace-with-food holiday season? Only you can answer this. And even though, to be honest, I'm over here cheering you on to let go of the rules you have around eating that are making you anxious around food because I know what it is now to live with freedom and with joy with eating, this isn't about me. It's about YOU! And you have to have your own why.Maybe your why is that you're tired of the mental energy it takes to live in anxiety around food.Maybe you're sick of missing out on all the fun because you're present but not really present.Maybe you want to enjoy food and all the tastes that come at this time of year without the guilt.What's your why?Your why is what's going to help keep you going, keep you making the tough choices, even when it gets hard. Because, girlfriend, it's not always the comfortable choice, the easy choice, that you're making here to make peace with food around the holidays. It's going to take a lot of getting out of your comfort zone. And that's ok! You are strong enough to do this!
GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION
So much of what we want to do in life, we don't actually do because we haven't given ourselves permission to pursue that thing. The same goes with eating and this journey you're on. Let me tell you first, but then you need to tell yourself this phrase...You have full permission to enjoy food this holiday season.Now your turn...I give myself full permission to enjoy food this holiday season. You've been believing the lie that you can't enjoy food too much. This message is all over the place and is only making it more difficult to have a healthy relationship with food at any time of the year, but especially during the holidays. We're told that enjoying food too much leads to a lack of discipline and control so we better keep our guard up. But this very phrase is what drives restriction. And we know that restriction of food actually leads to feelings of being out of control with food.In order to go into the holidays with peace and with confidence, you need full permission to enjoy food.
IT'S MORE THAN JUST ABOUT FOOD
When we're living in fear of food, holidays can easily become just about the food. And this mindset takes us away from enjoying this time of year for what it really is...a time to be with friends and family, to be grateful, to look back on the past year, to celebrate grace and peace and miracles. Give yourself permission to enjoy the food that comes with the season, but also recognize that this time of year is about so much more than just the food. Be intentional about your time with people, find something to donate either your time or money to help those in need.So much of what I talk about here on the blog is about tuning inward, listening to yourself, trusting yourself, focusing on yourself and your needs. But it's amazing how when we put the spotlight on others and look for ways to serve others, we find a new perspective of ourselves. Suddenly our concern for whether the potatoes are made with skim milk or heavy cream isn't so much of an issue. Suddenly whether we make it to the gym one day isn't as much of a concern.This is not something that I am perfect at. I have to regularly remind myself to take the spotlight off of myself and my needs and wants and be more others-focused. But every time I do this, I am so immensely grateful and blessed!Let this help you be more confident this holiday season... find ways to take the attention off of food entirely and onto the other parts of the season.
GIVE YOURSELF GRACE
Look at this time as an experiment, a time where you are testing out what it would look like to eat with peace this holiday season. And know that, with this experiment, there are no wrong actions! Every eating opportunity is a time to learn from yourself and learn from your body. Be open to the idea of going back for seconds if something was really good, of eating two different desserts because both looked appetizing.In the past, with the rules you had around food or maybe still have with food, there was failing if you broke one of the rules. But here, there is no failing! Give yourself grace to experiment with letting go of control and dabbling in this freedom! And lastly, I'm here for you to support you along the way! I'd love to hear from you as you practice owning confidence this holiday season! Message me below or email me at victoria@victoria-yates.com.