Advice for the Christmas Season

This is my first go of writing in DC. Having experienced years of an eating disorder (anorexia) and therapy, I thought I would write a few tips for the Christmas season.

1. Plan what you are going to eat and when. It may seem silly to write down what you are going to eat for Christmas lunch/dinner/breakfast and snacks, but in my experience, it really does help to allay anxiety and stress.

If you are seeing a dietician, go through what you think you might feel like eating, and plan to allow yourself to eat enough, and to have enough variety to enjoy the day. In my experience, having your usual breakfast is a good, safe option. This takes away some of the choice which can become overwhelming.

Plan the one to two main meals, to include carbohydrate/protein, and some veggies. Don’t overload your plate, and eat at a regular pace. Remember you can always come back for seconds. Have some dessert if you feel up to it, but start with a small amount, then see how you feel in half an hour.

2. Christmas/the holiday season is not a time to try and achieve the impossible: to lose weight or gain lost weight. Try to maintain where you’re at, providing you are healthy enough at this point.

3. Ask for help if necessary. Perhaps sit with someone you feel comfortable talking to if you start to feel anxious.

4. Move around and talk to different people, if bingeing is an issue. This takes you away from your plate, and is a good distraction. Have some general topics up your sleeve to talk about (non-food related).

5. Join in the walk/cricket game/washing up after the meal. These are all good distractions. A nap does wonders too.

6. Don’t panic if you eat less or more than you planned to. Treat each meal as a separate entity. Remember, it’s only one out of twenty-one meals for the week, and IT WON’T make a difference if you eat a bit more.

That’s all I can think of for the moment. They are all useful, tried, and tested tips.