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Eating Disorders, Intuitive Eating, Self Care

Healthy Thanksgiving & Holiday Season Survival Guide

November 21, 2018 By Robyn 4 Comments

If you have a challenging relationship with food and/or your body, this can be a really vulnerable time of year. There’s a lot of tasty food around that gets a bad wrap from the media which can leave you feeling stressed, frazzled and in fear of your body changing during the holiday season. And all this noise can be quite the distraction from actually enjoying the holiday season and living in line with your values. My hope in writing this post is that no matter where you are in your journey, this holiday survival guide gives you some tools you can use to have a healthy holiday season – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Remember, most “healthy” eating advice you’ll read and hear about in the media sends the message that our minds are smarter than our bodies, and that food is to feared and hunger should be managed, suppressed and controlled. Food does things FOR your body, not TO your body. Just because somebody around you is skipping meals before a party, counting calories, exercising in a way to micromanage their body size and blabbing away about their “healthy” New Year’s resolutions….doesn’t mean that is what is best for you. We live in a world that is fearful of food, untrusting of the human body, and obsessed with micromanaging body size. You can expect triggering and annoying things like this to come up. Everybody is swimming in diet culture. You can have compassion and empathy for those people that are exerting energy on these things and then instead choose behaviors that align with your values.

Here are a handful of blog posts I’ve written in the past that I hope are helpful for you. Read them now, or tuck them away and read them throughout the holiday season when you need to root yourself in what really matters most to you.

Real Life RD Blog Posts

Five Steps to Cope With Diet Talk | depending on where you are in your journey, one or all of these steps could be helpful

Creating a Non Diet Bubble For Yourself | here is a boat load of resources, people to follow on social media and other helpful websites, accounts and podcasts to follow during the holiday season and beyond – maybe you take a walk and listen to a podcast in the morning to ground yourself before starting your day, going to an event, or being around people who make you feel vulnerable

How to Feel Less Stressed Around Food During the Holidays | I wrote this blog post last year around – included are practical tools and strategies to implement into your daily life to help you feel less vulnerable and more empowered this holiday season – try each tool out and see which works best in different situations

Other Blog Posts

Here are some more fantastic blog posts from others with lots of helpful advice, tools and strategies that might also resonate with you…

Best Tips to Navigate Holiday Eating | lots and lots of good stuff tucked into this post

Self Care During the Holidays | if you don’t like the word “self care” insert another world here…adulting, skills to help me live a better life, etc…whatever jives with you

Holiday Bill of Rights | read these, write them down and post them somewhere you can be reminded of them often

Intuitive Eating Holiday Survival Guide | If you’re in the process of practicing IE skills, this post is for you

3 Tips for Coping Over the Holidays in Eating Disorder Recovery | If you’re in recovery from an ED, this post is for you

A Really Helpful Resource

Alex Raymond, an ED and non-diet dietitian from Empowered Nutrition emailed out this PDF resource she created. It walks you through a plan and strategy for the holiday season that you can do on your own or with the help of your treatment team. Great resource!

HOW TO CARE FOR YOURSELF AFTER BINGE EATING

You’re human. And maybe things don’t go as you planned and you end up experiencing a chaotic, out of control, stressful eating experience over the holidays that leaves you feeling overly full and even ill. You might even experience episodes of binge eating which are characterized by including at least three of the following… 1) eating more rapidly than normal 2) eating until feeling uncomfortably full 3) eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry 4) eating alone due to feeling embarrassed eating around others 5) feeling disgusted, depressed or very guilty after eating.

It’s okay to be where you’re at. Remember, food is not about perfection or never having a hard day. But what can you learn and how can you move forward? Here is some guidance that is just a starting point. Given your own experience, health and emotions these tips might resonate and they might not. And there are always many other things to take into consideration, but I hope this is helpful!

  • Practice self compassion – If that feels weird and awkward, that’s okay. Can you shift your mindset from one of judgement to one of curiosity? What are you feeling right now? Can you identify what you’re feeling and then recognize that you are human, those are hard feelings to feel and give yourself some compassion? If that feels hard, think about how you would talk to a good friend.
  • Don’t get on the scale  – Maybe you don’t own a scale, but maybe you do and you’re tempted to hop on there and get some objective feedback. Stop bullying yourself and don’t do that. That isn’t going to do anything for your physical or mental wellbeing. Our bodies are dynamic and they shift weight quite often. Your weight has no bearing on you as a person.
  • Recognize the impossibility of perfection – You are not perfect. You are human. A huge part of coming to peace with food and your body no matter what your history is learning to live in the gray instead of the black and white. You’re human and sometimes you will make choices that don’t serve you best. That’s okay. Just because you made a decision that you wish you didn’t, doesn’t mean you’re a failure. And it doesn’t mean you need to self destruct and bully yourself. You’re learning – there is no perfect way to eat or perfect body size to be and even though it feels true at times, eating a certain way or being a certain size have no attachment to your value as a person. And it is not the pathway to happiness. That is a fact. It will never satisfy. You’re human and that means you’re imperfect and messy and you don’t have it all together – that’s normal. Allow yourself to experience your humanness.
  • Continue nourishing your body – One of the most problematic things you can do after a binge eating episode is not eat. This puts your body in a really vulnerable place physiologically. By eating regular, balanced meals that include all the macronutrients you’re sending the message to your body, “I will not deprive you of food.” which is a huge step in allowing your body to find equilibrium. From a metabolic and hormonal standpoint, regulating your eating patterns helps you become better attuned to your bodies needs and internal cues, which in turn decreases your body’s physiological vulnerability to binging. If your body isn’t well nourished, no matter how much emotional work you do, your body is still going to be vulnerable to binging.
  • Process through your emotions – Once you take care of the physiologic vulnerabilities then you have more space to work on the emotional piece. The emotional and physiological can certainly be worked on at the same time, but it’s really helpful to make sure you’re nourishing your body adequately first. Can you get curious and journal/process through what you feeling before/during/after a binge? What emotions are you trying to avoid with food? As you identify the precipitating events you can learn skills that help you better care for yourself and appropriately meet your body’s needs. DBT and ACT skills learned in therapy are a really powerful part of this process.
  • Care for yourself the best you can – Get good sleep, go on a walk in the fresh air to feel your body move, eat in a nourishing way, try to avoid other numbing out mechanisms like exercise, drugs/alcohol, spending etc. Do the best you can in that moment.

Those are some starting points and certainly not the entirety of the story. I think it’s also really important to recognize that often we need support to work through these thing and that is okay. If you’re feeling frustrated and stuck and lonely, I’d encourage you to reach out to a knowledgable RD and/or therapist to help you. We aren’t suppose to be able to figure out this stuff on our own.

Lastly, one more resource for your survival kit is our virtual Intuitive Eating support groups. The next one begins January 15th – right in time for you to have a supportive community of women during the vulnerable diet-driven New Year! We are offering the group at our lowest price – read more here!

Have a happy Thanksgiving!! I am certainly thankful for YOU.


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

  • Eating When You’re Not Hungry is Okay…and Healthy.Eating When You’re Not Hungry is Okay…and Healthy.
  • Reframing Unhealthy Thoughts Into Healthy, Wise ThoughtsReframing Unhealthy Thoughts Into Healthy, Wise Thoughts
  • How To Feel Less Stressed Around Food During the HolidaysHow To Feel Less Stressed Around Food During the Holidays
  • Can You Have Exercise Related Goals and Still Be Mindful About Exercise?Can You Have Exercise Related Goals and Still Be Mindful About Exercise?

Filed Under: Eating Disorders, Intuitive Eating, Self Care

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Comments

  1. Ashley says

    November 22, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    This year I’m celebrating that this will be the first Thanksgiving in several years that I don’t show up with my own special safe food, and that I am choosing to eat what everyone else is eating!

    Reply
  2. Emily Swanson says

    November 24, 2018 at 8:32 pm

    YES to no getting on the scale and compassion for yourself. i also love the reminder you had somewhere else about not avoiding breakfast and continuing to have that nourishment mindset. There is so much more freedom in that!

    Reply

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  1. Healthy Thanksgiving & Holiday Season Survival Guide - The Fitness Mastery says:
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  2. You are NOT Your Past Eating Disorder (Thanksgiving Weekend Thoughts) says:
    November 24, 2018 at 8:27 pm

    […] of my very favorite bloggers posted her ‘Holiday Strategy Guide‘ for those who are pursuing the intuitive eating and health at every size, even when diet […]

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A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

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I have yet to experience postpartum myself, but I've had many clients and readers that have been through that season of life. Or perhaps you are currently living through the postpartum period. Every woman's body is different, therefore every woman's experience after giving birth will be different. What works for one woman, might not work for the next. While one woman might go through postpartum and adjust to newborn life quiet seamlessly, another woman might find it much more difficult. She might need the support of medication, therapy, extra help and many other things. One way is not better than the other - they are simply two different ways of navigating the postpartum period. I hope this post helps you better care for yourself, whatever that means for you. There's no right or wrong way to care for yourself as a mom or your new baby.

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A little way I’m learning to enjoy these years o A little way I’m learning to enjoy these years of getting to spend so much time with my kids: aka another way I’m discovering some pockets of peace so my heart & mind & soul don’t crumble under the reality of dependent & emotionally dysregulated tiny humans.  About once a week we go somewhere for baked goods. We drive or walk, buy something buttery & then find a beautiful, relatively quiet outdoor spot where the boys can romp and I can sit and think my thoughts while I watch them play. This past week we were found ourselves at the Wool Factory where the boys threw rocks & whatever else off the bridge while I ate 90% of this almond 🥐 from @coucourachou that will blow your mind. Boys ate the other 10% bc they were busy playing and didn’t ask for more quickly enough 😜  I’m finding *for me* playgrounds have a time & place but they aren’t where I enjoy motherhood & my two toddlers the most. Baked goods & a pretty outdoor spot without high drops my 15 month old could launch himself off of…I’m here for it.
I brought this bag of snacks along when I took the I brought this bag of snacks along when I took the boys to hike out at one of our favorite spots last week and when I ripped it open I was regretting my choice to share them with my kids. @baresnacks randomly sent me a box of snacks and I usually eat free food we receive or give it to a friend/neighbor and move on. But I felt it my duty to tell you about these bc they are THAT GOOD. I’m not getting paid and this isn’t sponsored - I was just shocked at how tasty these were and felt you needed to know. We ate them with some buttery roasted nuts and the combo was 👌🏻 but they are good just on their own.  The boys climbed rocks and swam in the reservoir - leave it to my almost 3 year old to want to strip down naked and fully submerge himself in chilly water on a sixty degree morning. “Mama can I get super nakey?” Sure baby. Sure. This is your childhood.
It’s a hard sell to get me to accept an offer of It’s a hard sell to get me to accept an offer of extended alone time away from the babies to just be. And that isn’t something that’s best for me, it’s an area I gotta grow in. So this afternoon when Nick pushed me out the door and was like - get out of here plzzzz - I walked to my favorite cafe and ordered a thick pastrami sandwich and sat there for a good LONG while before taking a long, peaceful walk in the rain to wrap up the afternoon. Note to self: stop being such a control freak and go be by yourself sometimes.
a girlfriend brought me a 🍪 the size of my face a girlfriend brought me a 🍪 the size of my face from @mariebettecafe this morning when she came to get her toddler who played with us all morning and it is v good. even better when paired with an iced latte 😍
#AlignPartner I left off a few weeks ago sharing a #AlignPartner I left off a few weeks ago sharing about how taking @alignprobiotic regularly has improved my digestive regularity.  And I’m still taking them! I’ve permanently added Align 24/7 Digestive Support* into the roundup of supplements I take before bed (prenatal, vitamin D, choline & DHA - all which help keep me healthy while breastfeeding) so I can keep seeing the benefits.  Just because you see benefits, doesn’t mean you should stop taking your probiotic. Keep taking Align daily (under the supervision and recommendation of your health care provider of course) to keep seeing the benefits!  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - one of my favorite parts of Align probiotics is that they don’t need refrigeration AND they come in a convenient little blister pack that has the days labeled. It’s the little things people! #MyAlignGuutJourney #guthealth  *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
I realized it was going to be a long, hot afternoo I realized it was going to be a long, hot afternoon (91 and muggy in MAY 🤯) when a toddler nap was refused and a baby nap was cut wildly short ....so my tired mom brain pulled out two plastic storage bins, filled them up with soap & hose water and striped ‘em down naked in the yard. Two hours later, it was almost time for an early dinner and I had magically been able to sit for most of that time and we already had baths checked off the list. 👍🏻 I’m archiving this idea for my future self, hope it helps another tired mama out.
#AlignPartner I left off a month ago sharing about #AlignPartner I left off a month ago sharing about getting better at doing the basics to care for myself which included taking my supplements and @alignprobiotic regularly.  Probiotics take time to work so I wanted to give it a full month to see the full effects of @alignprobiotic. So here are my honest thoughts: it took a few weeks to notice any differences, but near the end of the month I did notice some changes in my digestive balance - even while traveling! I’m not someone who experiences occasional gas, bloating or abdominal discomfort frequently enough to notice a difference, so I don’t feel like I can comment on how well Align works for those benefits.  All in all though, taking @alignprobiotic was a positive experience and I really appreciated how the capsules don’t need to be stored in the fridge, making it convenient to take them with me anywhere #MyAlignGuutJourney #guthealth  *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Where we will spend a good majority of our summer. Where we will spend a good majority of our summer. Because the swampy VA summer has already begun (it’s in the low 90s today 🥵 lord help) and creeks are our retreat - not only from the heat but also from the noisy world. I need this just (if not more) than they do! We’ll be at the splash pads and pools too, but the quietness of the creek...my mental health is so about it. And it’s hours of play for them! Win win.  A couple things to note: this scene also included a few toddler reminders on finding another direction to throw rocks instead of at his brother - so not all is serene 🤪 and also, yes I am now that mom who buys the same clothing for both kids bc it keeps things simple & i think i kinda like it too 🤷🏻‍♀️
Things I love about midwifery among many: the appo Things I love about midwifery among many: the appointments, no matter how long, feel so unhurried. 
Just walked in from an appointment with my midwife because I was due for a Pap test + an overall wellness visit. My last pap was during my first trimester with Cal which feels like a jillion years ago, but it’s only actually been three years. Life changes so fast! Pre-baby life feels like a whole other life.  I’m wayyyy overdue for a visit to my PCP bc I’ve been under OBGYN or midwifery care for the majority of the past three years while having babies, but I am pretty good with keeping up with my paps. It seems women often think they need pap and/or HPV testing way more frequently than they do (and providers sometimes perform these tests more frequently than necessary - remember more testing doesn’t always mean better outcomes!)  So if you need it, here’s a quick little reminder on this chilly spring Friday afternoon on how often you need this testing (these are the recommendations from ACOG)  Women aged 21–29 years should have a Pap test alone every 3 years. HPV testing is not recommended.  Women aged 30–65 years should have a Pap test and an HPV test (aka co-testing) every 5 years (preferred). It also is acceptable to have a Pap test alone every 3 years.  If you get abnormal results, this testing frequency could change - but for healthy women with normal results, you actually don’t need testing as frequently as you might think. Which is great news for those of you who hate the speculum.  Ok, off to finish up some things on the to-do list (including cleaning this kitchen) during nap time and then come 5 o’clock, crack an IPA with our neighbors 🍻
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
We had an AFTERNOON today. Toddler didn’t care f We had an AFTERNOON today. Toddler didn’t care for a nap. Putting baby down was harder than I wanted it to be. Miraculously, I had a moment of clarity as I was covered in tiny humans and decided I wasn’t doing the nap battle thing a on 60 degree, gorgeous, sunny spring day 🙅🏻‍♀️ so I piled both babies into the car half naked, opened the sun roof, put on white noise for them and an audio book for me and drank a kombucha as I drove a meal to a postpartum mama. Thirty five minutes later we had a sleeping baby and a toddler who at least had a rest. Baby transferred without waking HALLELUJAH and although my toddler didn’t nap today (lord help) at least we got soaked in breezy sunshine 😎🤘🏻💆🏻‍♀️
We veered from our usual Friday night homemade piz We veered from our usual Friday night homemade pizza (minus the dough, we leave that to @albemarlebakingco) because we are eating pizza tomorrow with some friends - instead I called my mom and asked her how she makes her chicken fingers and we fried up a big ole batch of chicken nugs 🙌🏻🤤 along with a sheet pan full of sweet potato fries and a simple arugula salad dressed with parmesean, olive oil and s&p. Oh and my moms honey mustard recipe for dipping. It’s SO DANG GOOD.  Over the past 6ish months we’ve been practicing (and practicing and practicing bc it doesn’t come naturally) unplugging from technology and slowing down and resting and just being for one day a week. Some call it Shabbat. Some call it Sabbath. Maybe you call it something different. All I know is IT IS SO GOOD FOR MY WEARY SOUL and the day I look forward to ALL WEEK. Sundown on Friday to sundown Saturday. Nothing but rest. For us that means hiking (or something outside) and napping and reading and being with friends and eating really good food. And drinking some really good wine or craft beer. Sometimes whiskey. 😛  And because I know I’ll get asked about the chicken finger recipe and also because it’s too good not to share and Momma Coale said I could, here ya go:  Cut chicken breast into thin strips or small pieces (I prefer nug size bc the breading to chicken ratio is perfection). Salt and pepper those babies really well. Then dredge them in all purpose flour, then egg, then panko - just like you would bread anything else. Then fry them up in a light oil - I use avocado oil because that’s our everyday oil. You could also use canola or peanut oil. Just fill a pan with an inch or so of oil on medium high heat. They only take 2-3 minutes per side. You can always temp them to make sure they are at least 165 degrees F to really make sure they are done. Dunk in all the sauces and enjoy!  Happy weekend!

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