Nutrition Guide to Surviving the Holidays

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.

Four days that to some inspire images of joyfully cooking traditional family dishes, baking cookies, listening to music, eating, drinking and playing games with your loved ones.

It can also be a really dark time for some. Navigating interpersonal familial relationships can be tough in itself. Tack on struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder and those four days sound like a field of food landmines waiting to explode. Double tack on mood-disorders, SAD, depression, or anxiety and welp, the holiday’s sound more like hellidays.

The weeks and months leading up to the holidays can bring up a lot of feelings ranging from dread, panic, embarrassment, and ultimately turn into survival mode. “I just need to get through the day”.

If you are currently struggling with the fact that the holidays are fast approaching, the number one thing I want you to do is treat yourself with patience and kindness. You are not your eating disorder. You are a fully realized person who is capable of enjoying the holidays and making memories that yes, include food. But they also include traditions, family, friends, loved ones, culture, connection, and so much more!

Food is not the enemy here but your mind can be.
If you are in recovery or are just starting out, the best thing you can do is be prepared to tackle the day with awareness and have kindness for yourself in hand.

If you have a care team

or dietitian that you’re working with, make a plan on how you will address your stressors as they come. Part of recovery is understanding that no foods are “bad or dirty” or “good or clean”. Discussing how to manage food fears during the holidays and making a nourishment plan that honors your recovery is a great way to start.

When preparing for the holidays

bring awareness to your eating disorder voice. You know that voice- your mind is preparing yourself for “control”. To “act normal” so they don’t notice or ask questions, to participate so that the attention is off of you and what you are or aren’t eating, or to isolate so that you don’t get comments about bodies or eating that could be triggering.

I suggest making a list of your eating disorder thoughts. Literally, write them down. Then work on pro-recovery statements that make you fact check these thoughts.

During the day of

the urge to use your eating disorder behaviors or other maladaptive coping skills may arise. It’s important to consider this and to identify people or friends at these events that can be supportive. While sharing your thoughts can feel paralyzing, vocalizing them in the moment to someone you trust and getting outside feedback or encouragement can be incredibly helpful to cope with these intrusive thoughts.

You are not your thoughts. When they arise, you have the power to decide which thoughts you give your attention to and which thoughts you decide can pass as quickly as they arose.

Set healthy boundaries

that protect your mental wellbeing and recovery progress. Family members can often be the ones who played a part in the onset of a persons’ disorder and they may not be aware of what they do that’s triggering.

Subjects such as diet, bodies, weight loss, negative talk towards food, et cetera may be common table discussions or quips within your family setting. If this is the case, make a plan with your care team on how you will redirect these conversations. Ask about people’s lives, if they’ve done anything new or exciting lately, if they’re enjoying a new tv show, or how school/work is going.

Give yourself a break

and I mean this in more ways than one. Eating disorders can make us feel like it has to be “all or nothing” and that if we’re anything but perfect we’ve failed. Giving yourself grace can feel really difficult.

During the holidays, literally give yourself a break and find somewhere where you can be alone for a moment to recenter and ground yourself. In reality the holidays are a melting pot of different personalities, histories, dynamics, and trauma and you can’t control other people’s behaviors.

There are so many expectations for this to be the “happiest time of the year”, to have “instagram worthy” holiday photos, and to be full of joy and warm fuzzy feelings. Sometimes it’s okay if you’re just trying to manage it all.

Give yourself a break when it comes to food. Sometimes it’s too hard to be around a bunch of food you’re not used to eating when you’re in recovery. If it helps you get through the holidays, bring a tray of food that you know you’re comfortable eating.

If being around a bunch of food triggers binge eating thoughts, grab a plate of whatever you feel comfortable eating, get up after finishing and don’t return to the dining table. If you feel like you didn’t eat what you really wanted to, make a to-go bag that you know will be there when you’re prepared to nourish your body with it and actually enjoy it.

If you are struggling with disordered eating, an eating disorder, or disordered thoughts around food or your body, please reach out to our care team with any questions or for support!