This Thanksgiving and December Holiday meal times will be strange, plain and simple. For many of us with families out of town, our celebrations will be small.
Still, some of my clients have expressed concern about those obnoxious food and body comments that always seem to arise at family get-togethers.
“Did you gain those quarantine 15 too?” “You look so thin? What have you been doing?” and on, and on!
Read the article below as I share a few tips on boundaries so that you can enjoy your Thanksgiving and enjoy time with your family.
Thanksgiving in a Pandemic: Hold Your Boundaries to Prevent Food and Body Image Talk
So how DO we manage these holidays with our self-esteem intact? Particularly when we might be struggling with recovery from disordered eating or an eating disorder?
Here are some suggestions, depending on where you are in your stage of recovery from an eating disorder, disordered eating or chronic dieting!
1. If you have a meal plan or meal guidelines, do your best to follow them. Remember that meals plans act as safety nets when you feel lost with food.
2. If you are giving up diets, remind yourself that all foods fit and there are NO RULES. There are no good or bad foods. Remember, this is only one meal, in one day. There is no need to compensate for a meal with any behaviors. Plan how you want your plate to look!
3. Have a friend or family member act as a support person. They can assist you with meal ideas, support you in completing your meal plan, and even help you respond to insensitive comments, if necessary.
4. In the event that a friend or family member asks an insensitive question about your food or body, or can’t stop the chatter about their latest and greatest diet, remember that you have many ways to handle this:
- You can respond directly and say you don’t talk about food and diets anymore. You have more important things to concern yourself with and politely change the subject.
- Consider having a list of go-to topics if you need to change the subject: “Let’s talk about what we are grateful for this year.”
- You ALWAYS have the option of protecting your recovery by simply removing yourself from the situation if you feel overwhelmed or caught off guard. You can excuse yourself from the table (even virtually) – take a deep breath, take a walk, or even text a friend who supports you.
5. Do not restrict beforehand or compensate afterwards. Remind yourself that the holiday is just one day and that you do not need to compensate for the meal with over-exercise or undereating. Our bodies have mechanisms in place to balance out our food intake.
No matter how your Thanksgiving holiday turns out, please try and have some compassion. This year has been unlike any we have experienced! You are not alone in your struggle. There is no need to feel “good” or “bad” about eating any foods or being in your body.
Are you ready to make peace with food and your body image and get off the diet roller coaster for good?
Download and read our Intuitive Eating Guide, the 3 Steps to Making Peace with Food and Your Body Image.
This guide is for you if you are…
- Not in the mood to count calories constantly.
- Always thinking about food as either “Good” or “Bad”.
- Feeling ashamed for doing everything “perfectly,” only to “blow it” by overeating.
- Struggling with anorexia, bulimia, or other eating problems.
- Wanting to avoid passing on your eating struggles and issues to your children.
Click here to get your copy today.
Erica Leon is a Registered Dietitian and practices from a Health at Every Size (HAES®) lens. She and her team of eating disorder specialists and Anti-Diet Dietitians provide insurance-based care for eating disorders, disordered eating, chronic dieting, or other health conditions in a safe and non-judgmental space for healing.
We work virtually with our clients from our offices in Westchester County in New York as well as the tri-state areas of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, along with Alabama, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin. We are in-network with the following insurance companies: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Emblem Health and United Healthcare; including Oxford, UMR, and The Empire Plan (NYSHIP).
We take the time to learn where you or your family are in the pursuit of health. Respectful of your individual needs and lifestyle, Erica will provide an honest assessment of whether or not you are a good fit to work together. Click here to schedule a 15-minute Discovery Call with Erica to let us know about your needs, and to see which of our Dietitians is the best fit for you!
