Although it may feel different from previous years, the holiday season is upon us. The holidays have the potential to bring warmth and the sense of normalcy we are all craving. However, it can also bring on overwhelming emotions. Given this year’s atypical cocktail of COVID mixed with a bit of food and family it may be an even more challenging time for those recovering from disordered eating. A host of holiday emotions can bring on anxiety and stress for days to come. Among them there may be thoughts of how to compensate for the anticipated meal or event.
Unfortunately, diet culture messages permeate the holiday season...big time! Manifesting itself in many forms such as restricting and overexercising, diet culture has normalized and promoted the belief that compensation is necessary in order to get through the holidays. From Thanksgiving specific work out classes, the annual “Turkey Trot”, advocating for saving calories for the anticipated meal and immense amount of harmful messages about the need to equate food with exercise such as “burning stuffing off”. And that’s just November! The gaslighting continues all the way through to the New Year.
Diet culture inundates us with seemingly “healthy” holiday tips such as “don’t come hungry” (intentionally curbing appetites), make half of your plate vegetables, and wait 15 minutes before going for second servings. While thes diet strategies are meant to help, they add more stress and fear to the meal. In addition, they reroute your awareness away from the foundational intentions of what the meal represents; to connect with loved ones and enjoy a special meal. It is hard to be thankful at Thanksgiving for instance if you’re freaked out about what is being served. Placing rules around a specific meal can create unrealistic expectations and a mistrust for our bodies that can lead to disordered eating behaviors or thoughts.
There is absolutely no reason or need to compensate before or after holiday meals EVEN if we eat more than usual at a mea. Compensation beliefs imply that there is something wrong or harmful that needs to be corrected or counteracted. There is nothing wrong, bad, or unhealthy about enjoying a meal even if that means being a little more full than normal. Ellyn Satter’s famous definition of normal eating includes “overeating at times, and feeling stuffed and uncomfortable...and undereating at times, and wishing you had more.” Holiday meals are supposed to fall under the former.
In a situation where we eat “more than we believe we should have” or break a food rule, there is absolutely no need to compensate. Our bodies are fully equipped to handle a meal that may be larger or heavier than a typical meal. One meal or day will not dramatically change our weight, shape, and size. Be mindful on these holiday meal days to eat adequately, usually 3 meals + 1-2 snacks. Even if the anticipated meal doesn’t go as planned, make sure to not skip any meals or snacks the following day. In addition, create a special awareness around your intentions to exercise.
Are you planning on exercising the day of or after a holiday to “feel better” about your meal or to “burn holiday calories”. If this is the case, consider changing your exercise routine so that you don’t strengthen this compensation myth and belief. Exercise and eating are not as intricately connected as you think.
When in eating disorder recovery, it is important to acknowledge that the holiday season can surface stress surrounding food and food choices. This may come from a mix of breaking eating disorder rules, an overwhelming number of “unknowns”, as well as diet culture’s messages provoking fear surrounding the meal. We encourage everyone to be present, covid-safe, eat enough, and most importantly; do not feel the need to compensate.