It’s that time of the year again, for us Canadian’s we just celebrated Thanksgiving, Halloween is just around the corner, American Thanksgiving is following in next and then the big old Christmas Season will take over!
I don’t know about you, but I remember being triggered in a very different, yet equally as intense way, by my mind during this time of year, compared to the summer.
I think it is something about all of the food that we are expected to eat during this time of year. I haven’t felt this way for years, but I can’t ignore that I used to, or expect that any of you who have reached out to me to explain what is going on with your relationship with yourself, your body and food, are not feeling the affects of this season.
My wish and goal in writing this blog, and furthermore, getting into this career in general, is to spread awareness about how you can let go of ED’s thoughts, leave the guilt around eating certain foods at the front door and enjoy each and everyone of your meals!
I know this isn’t something that will happen overnight, and I hope that you realize that too.
Yet, the truth is that if you really want it, if you are committed and if you believe it is possible,
No longer struggling with your weight and relieving the guilt around food during this holiday season is possible.
Below Find The Holiday Plan that will help you stop struggling with your weight, fall in love with food, your body and each meal that you are invited to without bringing the guilt with you.
(1) Mindful Choices
Before you make your plate, ask yourself, “What do I feel like today?”
Often times people find this hard because they don’t know what they want to eat.
If you find that you are someone who is a people pleaser and just eats what it is expected to eat, I challenge you to ask yourself, “Do I truly want this food or am I solely eating it to not be rude or to please others?”
If you find that you want something but your mind is not allowing you to have it, then I ask you to reconsider again, and reconsider once more. If your mind is telling you that you are going to get fat, gain weight, or that you are not allowed to eat that – remind yourself that that is simply not true. By depriving yourself of this food, especially during this holiday season, you are living within the walls of your mind, rather than being with the people around you.
CHOOSE to allow yourself to have what you want and trust that your body will be thankful and digest it properly.
(2) Mindful Eating
Once you have your full plate in front of you, look at the food before you eat it. Thank the food for the delicious taste, nutrients it provides you and its ability to give you energy. Focus on the taste and texture of the food while you eat, as this will allow you to be present with your food, rather than being in your head thinking about if you “should” or “shouldn’t” eat this.
(3) Stop Eating When You Are Full
One of the key things that I find people have a difficult time doing when they do CHOOSE to eat foods that they may not feel completely comfortable with, or that break their healthy pattern, is to overeat. The mentality such that, “Well, I am already eating it, so I might as well eat it all.” Or “Well, I am never going to eat this again, or not eat it for a long time, so I might as well eat it all.” – shows up.
In my article that I wrote, @ http://paulagalli.com/treat-body-like-garbage-can/, explains this concept in more detail. It is very important to learn how to stop eating when you are full and this is an excellent way to begin to challenge your mind when it gets stuck in the “all or nothing” type of thinking.
(4) Accept Your Food Choices
After you finished eating, you may experience extreme guilt of your food choices. The way I want you to talk to yourself at this point, is in this content.
“Listen head of mine, I already made the CHOICE to eat this food and I enjoyed it. This is a holiday season and I wanted to spend it eating what I truly wanted with my friends and family. Trying to make me feel guilty at this moment in time isn’t doing anything positive to my life and furthermore, doesn’t disregard the fact that I ate the food. I am CHOOSING to accept my choices and in turn accept myself.”
(5) Have Fun & Stop Taking Yourself So Seriously!
It’s the holiday season for heaven sakes! Have some fun, let loose and enjoy yourself! You can leave your obsessive, controlling, worrisome, anxiety driven self at the door – because SERIOUSLY IT’S JUST FOOD, which is meant to nourish you, give you energy and excite your taste buds!
Stop taking your mind so seriously, stop planning for when you are going to start dieting again, stop telling yourself this is bad – just STOP STOP STOP.
Be present and have fun with your friends and family. Besides, when you are in a state of pleasure your body is much more relaxed and able to digest the food better anyways!
So here is your Holiday Guide to STOP STRUGGLING WITH YOUR WEIGHT and in TURN FIND COMFORT IN YOUR SKIN TODAY!
PS. I would love to hear your thoughts on this “Holiday Guideline” and what you are up to this Holiday Season!
Paula Galli, Hons. BSc. Psych, CNP, RNCP, ROHP
MOTIVATIONAL COACH, NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLOR & EATING DISORDER EXPERT
I find this time of the year especially difficult. I was bulimic as a teenager, and then due to a ruptured esophagus I could no longer purge, so food became my best friend, and a way to keep men at a distance, due to abuse issues at a young age. However, in 2010, I was having many many health issues, and my mother passed away morbidly obese. She and I were in the hospital when she passed, I was unable to attend services due to the severity of my illness, which included a feeding tube at that point which had dehisced in my stomach, causing me to have another major surgery after already having eight surgeries in as many months. I vowed I would never eat again. After much introspective work, and due to a few, and I do mean a FEW people who never gave up on me, dealing with four massive strokes, due to a blood clot issue, and a doctor who when I coded said “I was faking it” I did not get into a MRI for over three days, and by then had had four massive strokes. This did not help the eating disorder, as when I awoke from my coma, I did not even know how to walk, talk, eat, tie my shoes, get dressed etc. However, I started deciding that I did not want to live In this HELL any longer. I began to reach out to help others, not knowing the impact it would have on me. I began telling others, “it is just making a different decision for this second” The seconds will turn into minutes, the minutes into hours, and the hours into days. At first I was not living this, but eventually I began living just this way, second by second, making a positive choice for just that second. I am proud to say that after loosing a lot of weight, my weight has been stable for eight weeks now.
I am very proud to say that I am creating the life I want to live, second by second. I will take this time, that is stressful, due to loosing my Mom, and my life, at least I thought so at the time, to reflect and take things one second at a time, and continu to give hope to those who have none due to the baffling, and cunning ways of ED. ED is not allowed in my life any longer, and I am making healthy choices one second at a time.
Thank you for all you do Paula!!
God Bless!!