How to Eat Healthy For The Rest of 2017
Here we are, knee deep in the holiday season.
Tell me, how are you making out? Really! Go ahead and email me and let me know!
I’ve heard from so many people that despite loving this nostalgic and festive time of year, they’re just over it.
The parties, the temptations, the triggers, the purchasing of holiday outfits.
All of it.
If only the warm, fuzzy feelings of the holidays outweighed food and body stress!
Instead the season can bring on all the feels.
And often times we turn to our go-to way of soothing those feels- by emotionally overeating to to cope with the stress and discomfort.
So, with 2 weeks remaining in the 2017 holiday season I want help you refocus on how to eat healthy and stay focused on achieving a semblance of balance when temptations and triggers are aplenty.
1. Define what’s healthy for you. Would you define this vision of health and balance to your 12 year old daughter, niece, neighbor, etc?
So often we get caught up in "expert's" definition of what healthy eating looks like. Instead of looking to outside sources and hanging onto what other people are telling you, get super introspective and be honest.
What is healthy for you?
What is balanced for you?
Would you prescribe these things to a young girl?
What does a sustainable, have a few oreo's instead of hide-in-the-car-to-eat-all-the-oreos-before-anyone-knows, relationship with food look and feel like for for you?
I want you to really envision it. Even if you don't totally believe you'll ever achieve it.
Write it down.
Draw it out.
Call into your mind and your body what it feels like care for yourself by honoring those things
Get specific.
What’s happening in your mind? In your body? Call those specific feelings into your being and your awareness.
Make this your intention for the rest of the season.
To honor your personal vision of health.
2. Get present
As you navigate parties, meals and office treats, make your definition of health and balance your intention. Anchor yourself to it.
When you're triggered by overwhelm you can get painfully caught up in your mind. Which results in checking out of your body.
And when your mind is disconnected from your body, it’s easy to eat with abandon.
Ultimately abandoning your vision of health and balance.
When you’re checked out from your body you’re not feeling fullness. Until you hit that holy-shit-I’m-going-to-explode discomfort.
Bring your vision of health and balance into your awareness.
Take a few deep breaths to reconnect to your body. Reconnect to your anchor.
Feel if your body is comfortable. Feel if your body is really hungry. Differentiate what your body, your mind and your mouth is craving and needing.
When you’re present, you have the opportunity to give yourself the gift of taking care of yourself.
The gift of actually experiencing what your'e eating.
You have the opportunity to give yourself permission to honor and live into your personal definition of health and balance.
3. Ask yourself, “am I actually hungry?’
If you’re present and connected to your body. you’ll be able to start to relearn and identify hunger cues.
Are you hungry, or are you overeating to distract and numb yourself from the awkward convos, the perpetually draining family dynamics or exhaustion from operating in overdrive?
If you’re responding to uncomfortable feelings, consider putting the plate of apps down and acknowledging what’s actually going on.
Pause. Accept that your emotions are running the show.
Feel the discomfort of your emotions. Consider what will soothe them for the long term, instead of temporary numbing and distraction with food.
As you practice this it will become easier to understand what's hunger driven eating and what's emotional driven eating.
4. Protect your energy!
When your energetic tank it empty it''s SO easy to say, "eff it! I don't have the energy or brain space to cope without food. I don't have the time to focus on what's healthy for me!"
Give yourself time and space to refill your tank.
Repeat after me:
To protect my energy...
It's ok to cancel a commitment.
It's ok to not accept that call.
It's ok to change my mind.
It's ok to want to be alone.
It's ok to take a day off.
It's ok to say no.
It's ok to stand up for myself.
It's ok to respectfully speak my truth.
It's ok stop perseverating on my weight.
It's ok to just let go.
I'm a self-love, body image and eating disorder therapist in Horsham, PA.
I help people make peace with their minds, bodies and food and learn how to see, appreciate and love all that they are.
I specialize in treating anxiety, binge eating and helping women learn how to stop dieting and really start living.
Questions? Get in touch here!