Surviving The Holidays If You Have An Eating Disorder

The holiday season is typically a time for spending time with families, attending parties for work and friends, having celebrations, and eating delicious food. However, if you have an eating disorder you may not see the holidays as a happy and joyful period. Instead, these times may increase your stress and cause your unhealthy relationship with food to get worse. By using a non-diet approach to weight loss and the below list of coping skills, you can make it through this holiday seasons.

Continue to Follow the Plan

If you have binge eating episodes, then the holiday season can be very emotional time for you. With some holidays revolving around food, it would be very easy to revert back to your old ways of using food for comfort. One of the best pieces of advise is to continue with your plan to control overeating. By reminding yourself that you have the skills to use, you will feel more confident in your abilities. With the non-diet approach to weight loss, you will begin to learn how to have a healthy relationship with food. You will develop tools that can help you succeed in potentially stressful environments such as family gatherings during the holidays. You will still be able to eat the foods that you love without overeating.

Have a Backup Plan

Determining a backup plan for when you are having thoughts of emotional eating can help you through the holidays. One such plan is having a friend or family member agree to be your safe person. Let that person know you may need support or someone to talk to when things are getting hard. Make sure this person is someone who supports your efforts to lose weight and overcome overeating. Other plans could include taking a walk or playing outside with the younger kids. Having a backup plan can also make you feel more secure throughout the holiday event.

Positive Self Talk

Holidays can be one of the more depressing times of the year for some. If you have binge eating disorder you may experience many different feelings throughout the holiday season. You may feel increasingly self-conscious. This can mean feeling like everyone is staring at you while you eat or watching how much you ate. For others the home is where the root cause of their overeating may have started. This can bring back feelings from the past. It is best to utilize positive self talk. Tell yourself how far you have come. Tell yourself that you are beautiful, smart and funny. Allow the positiveness to overtake negative feelings and emotions.

Holidays can be fun and enjoyable. If you have binge eating disorder you may have some conce
s about how the holiday season is going to go. By following these step you can enjoy a great meal and spend time with your family and friends without worrying about food and your weight.