Should you Eat All the Christmas food before the 1st of January?
Today, we're tackling a myth that often makes a grand entrance during the holiday season: "Eating all the foods now before Jan 1st is the ultimate strategy." If you are anyone who has dieted before, this is a common thought/behaviour that happens over Christmas and before the New Year. Let's unwrap the truth behind this festive myth and explore why it might not be the golden ticket to a healthier you.
👇🏻Then you find yourself doing this:
When I was stuck with dieting and binge eating, this was my mantra. By New Year, I would do my best to have everything gone, and I could just start again.
🚫 Why this myth is unhelpful:
Let’s think about it, has this mentality ever worked for you? Are you finding yourself every year in a cycle of binge eating all over Christmas then strict dieting in January? I know I did.
Getting rid of all the food in the house before January is only going to make you binge eat again. It’s feeding into this cycle where you restrict, then binge, restrict, the binge.
This pattern makes you blame yourself. That you feel like a food addict or crazy around food.
🌟 What you could do instead:
Eat Regularly: No matter how much food you eat, you still need to eat the next day. Eating regular meals will help your body feel safe and not bring on stress to the nervous system.
Heal your relationship with food: In the process of healing your relationship with food, learn to have it in the house without it feeling like it's shouting your name in the cupboard. A good start is un-labelling food from “good/bad” to a neutral label like “food”.
Set realistic goals for the new year: Instead of a drastic pre-New Year's resolution, focus on sustainable, realistic changes that align with your overall well-being.
Remember, there's no food you're enjoying now that you can't also have in January. Avoid the 'last supper' mentality, which can fuel the binge-eating cycle.
Instead of setting extreme goals, consider focusing on achievable ones, like having breakfast every day, incorporating carbs with each meal, or neutralising your relationship with food. These small, positive changes can have a lasting impact on both your mental and physical well-being, far more than restrictive extremes ever could.
Struggling with dieting and binge eating…
Imagine a life where food is a source of nourishment and pleasure, rather than a source of stress and anxiety? If you want to stop dieting and binge eating cycle, it can be a challenging journey, but you don't have to go through it alone.
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