Breaking the holiday restrict-binge cycle

The holiday season is here and it's filled with family, friends and.....food. 

Without a doubt, food is a significant component of every holiday. For anyone who suffers from an eating disorder or an unhealthy relationship with food and the body, this can be a challenging time of the year. 

You may not realize it but the holidays bring several triggers that could lead to disordered eating and exercising behaviors. Often times, stress, overwhelm, people pleasing, travel, toxic relationships/family members, uncomfortable conversations and finances can bring on uncomfortable feelings. In order to lessen those emotions, it's easy to resort to food restriction (or dieting).

And with restriction often comes binge eating. Overeating from time to time does not mean that you have a binge eating disorder. Fundamentally, binge eating is different from overeating. 

Signs and symptoms of binge eating include: 

• Eating a large amount of food in a short period of time (ex. over 2 hours)
• Frequent episodes of eating more than what may be considered a normal amount of food. 
• Binging as a way of coping with unwanted feelings, stress and anxiety. 
• Eating beyond fullness. 
• Feeling that your eating behavior is out of control. 
• Eating large amounts of food without being physically hungry. 
• Feelings of guilt, sadness, distress, worthlessness after not being able to control eating.

In our society, a lot of shame comes from eating too much whereas restriction is viewed as being good - having willpower, discipline and control. Despite stigmas and societal beliefs, binging (or overeating) isn't from lack of willpower or discipline. Binge eating is a common result of restriction. In other words, the solution to avoid binge eating is to eat more. 

If you ever find yourself binge eating or over eating, there's a good chance that you are intentionally - or unintentionally - restricting your food intake. This can occur from not eating enough, skipping meals (ex. breakfast, lunch), going long hours without eating, restricting carbs, eliminating food groups or specific foods or overexercising. 

Your body is constantly trying to protect you. For example, to keep your body from overheating, your body will initiate sweating. When you have a fever, your body may use 'chills' to boost core temperature to kill off a virus. The body is no different when it comes to responding to restriction. If you don't eat enough early in the day (or you don't fuel well during a long workout), your body is going to beg for what it missed out on. Our biology is hardwired to protect us against starvation. And if your body has ever experienced starvation trauma, it's likely to overreact any time you undereat. 

Because most people don't worry about where their next meal is coming from (10% of US households are food insecure due to low income, poverty or unemployment), if you have ever been on a diet or intentionally restricted food, this can be viewed as self-imposed starvation. And your body doesn't care if you don't have the ability or access to food or you are trying to intentionally lose weight. If your body senses an extreme caloric deficit, it's going to react by trying to protect you. 

The restrict-binge cycle can not be broken with food rules or willpower. The only way to reduce the risk of binging is to stop the restriction. 

Saving calories - Starving your body of calories so that you can "make room" for a large holiday meal will lead to overeating. Instead of saving your calories, see your meal as just another meal. Go into the meal feeling slightly hungry by eating well-balanced meals and snacks throughout the day, starting with a healthy breakfast. By arriving to you meal slightly hungry, you will eat in a controlled manner, making a conscious decision about what and how much you want to eat. 

Get in tune with your hunger scale - Despite being born with an exceptional intutive sense of your bodies physiological needs, you may have lost the ability to detect and respond to signals of hunger and fullness. Not surprisingly, disordered eating behaviors and a restrict-binge cycle can negatively impact your ability to properly feel fullness and hunger. A hunger scale can help with eating-related decisions as you practice body awareness. 


Begin eating your meal around 3-4 on the hunger scale and to finish your meal at 5 or 6. Give yourself time to chew and digest your food as the hunger scale can quickly (or slowly) change throughout the eating experience. 

Stop depriving yourself - Where there is excess there is usually deprivation. Similar to a feast-or-famine cycle found in people living with food insecurity, if you forbid yourself from eating certain foods and then give yourself permission to eat when food is abundant, you may find yourself feeling out of control. This was well-documented in the well-known, unethical Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Restrictive eating only increases the desire for the forbidden foods. When these "off-limit" foods are finally available (and allowed), there's a good chance that you will overeat. 

Mindful Eating - You will enjoy food the most when you are slightly hungry. Food always tastes the best on the first bite. There's a point when food no longer tastes as good as it was. By staying in tune with your eating, you can determine when you are finished eating. Eating should be a positive, joyful, comforting and feel-good experience. Aim to feel better after you eat than before you started. 

References: 
https://www.rosewoodranch.com/binge-eating-signs-symptoms/
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-security-and-nutrition-assistance/#:~:text=The%20prevalence%20of%20food%20insecurity,had%20very%20low%20food%20security.
https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/blog/i-cant-tell-when-im-full
https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/135/6/1347/4663828

4 tips for a satisfying Thanksgiving feast

Overeating and overdrinking. This doesn't sound healthy, right?

For many, Thanksgiving is a day to surround yourself with family and friends, all while consuming a smorgasbord of food in a short period of time. Although "a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest and of the preceding year", Thanksgiving is a holiday that makes it socially acceptable to binge eat. Regardless if you have a meat or vegan feast, Thanksgiving is known to be the holiday in which you have the permission to indulge and eat with reckless abandon.

But knowing how binge eating and overeating makes you feel, is it really worth it to eat until you are stuffed on Thanksgiving? 

Maybe because I've spent the last 25 Thanksgiving's as a vegetarian, but this holiday doesn't make me think "food" but instead, "family." I think back to many Thanksgiving holidays with my mom and dad, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin and grandparents and it was always a fun time to catch up with everyone as it's difficult to find time in the year to get everyone together. Thanksgiving was always the day when we could count on a holiday gathering. And with my dad no longer with us, Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings back many memories with my dad.

For any individual who adheres to a restrictive (or low calorie/macronutrient) diet, Thanksgiving can be tough. When typical food restrictions are pushed to the side, it's easy to overeat on foods that have been previously off-limit. Thanksgiving is not just a "one day" feast as the entire holiday season is surrounded by food - there's not question why so many people feel the need to diet come January 1st.

Whether you plan to eat until satisfied or eat until stuffed, I find it important to eat mindfully so that you can have an enjoyable Thanksgiving experience.

1. Don't "make room" for your feast - Starving yourself all day so that you can eat more at meal time will lead to overeating. When you are anticipating your feast because of your hungry/empty belly, there's a good chance that you will eat fast, taking on more helpings than you need and inhaling all of your food in less than 15 minutes. Instead of saving up for the big meal, go into your feast well nourished by eating small nutritious mini meals every few hours, starting with a healthy breakfast. The best part about eating is feeling better after you eat than before you started. By arriving to you meal slightly hungry, you will eat in a controlled manner, making a conscious decision about what and how much you want to eat.
   
2. Use the hunger scale - I love the idea of using a hunger/fullness scale to help you check in with yourself before your feast and during your feast. Because many people are not well trained to eat mindfully, a scale can help you identify where you are at with your eating decisions. I suggest to start your feast around 3-4 on the hunger scale and to finish your meal at 5-6.  If desserts are the mouth-watering highlights of your feast, I recommend to finish your dessert portions around 6-7. Give yourself time to digest the food that you have consumed before going in for seconds. If something is "oh so good" on Thanksgiving, plan to have your second portion on Friday. You may even enjoy your second helping even more the next day!
   
   
3. Choose wisely - Anytime a food is off-limit, it becomes very appealing when you allow yourself to eat "just a bite" of it. With so many different food choices available, it's easy to overeat on everything, even if you don't like the taste of something. It's recommended to serve yourself so that you are in control of what and how much you eat. You can practice mindful eating by observing food before you serve it to yourself and pay attention to any emotional reactions to the food. For me personally, I like "homecooked over store bought." Unless you just love gravy from a jar or instant mashed potatoes, make your food decisions based on the story behind the food, the smells, textures and presentation. If you aren't sure what you will like to eat, start with small portions so that you can take note of what excites your taste buds and if you really love something, go back for another small portion.
   
4. Savor your food - Have you ever noticed that food becomes less appealing as you become more full? Does food suddenly become unappetizing when you are stuffed? Eat slowly so that you can really taste and enjoy your food. You may find that the pumpkin pie with vanilla bean ice cream was calling your name all day but after two delicious bites, the pie became "too sweet." There will come a point in your feast when eating is no longer enjoyable......don't let yourself get there. Be thankful for what you have for many are without. 

Surviving Thanksgiving as an athlete

For an athlete-in-training, there are many challenges around the holidays, especially when it comes to staying consistent with training and healthy eating. Your frustration is not well-understood by your non-athlete family members but your training buddies understand that a routine disruption disrupts your goals and makes it difficult to get back on track. 

So what's an athlete to do? 

Do you put your training on hold and say "oh well" to healthy eating, every time there is a disruption to your routine? 

Do you become stubborn with your ways and begin to remove the distractions from your life, even if it means pushing away your family and close friends....maybe even quitting your job, because it takes up a lot of your time and energy?

What's an athlete to do.

While it's not necessary to put your training on hold for an extended period of time or avoid your family in order to get in every minute of your prescribed workout, it's important that you see any disruption, like a holiday, as a great opportunity to enjoy a little downtown and change up your normal routine. 

Here are a few tips to make the most out of your Thanksgiving break. 

MINDFUL EATING TIPS

1. Create a better internal dialogue in your head when you are eating, especially as it relates to your body and food. 

2. Trust your body. Tune into your true signals of hunger and satisfaction as a way to guide you through your holiday feast. 

3. Treat yourself to family, don't make the holidays just about food. Enjoy your time around your loved ones or if you are alone, call up an old friend or volunteer and help out those in need. 

4. Slow down and taste your food. Appreciate the aroma, presentation, flavor and texture of your food - real food and store bought. Share a story if a dish reminds you of something happy. 

5. Love what you eat. The first few bites of anything should always taste amazing. If you don't love it, don't eat it. 

WORKOUT TIPS

1. Get it done early, but not too early. Enjoy waking up without an alarm but if you can squeeze in a workout before your day gets busy, you'll find yourself energized and you won't have to deal with the guilt that comes with removing yourself from family time, just to train. 

2. Loosen up. It's ok if you have to modify a set or reduce the volume. Heck, skip a workout if you want to! Prioritize the workouts that give you the most payback for your investment at this phase of training. A few modified workouts over the holidays will not affect your race performance in September. 

3. Keep training fun. Participate in a Turkey Trot, exercise with your kids, go for a hike or set up a local group workout. Do something each day that is good for your mind and body. 

4. Be efficient with your time. Indoor workouts provide a great bang for your buck as you can get in a quality workout, with minimal distractions. 

5. Communicate. Now more than ever is the time to communicate with your family. You may be surprised that if you tell your family/kids on Wednesday, that on Friday you will be gone from 8:30-10:30 for a workout, they won't care about your absence. But if you tell them last minute, they may be upset that you are suddenly leaving them, which then leaves you with guilt, if you get in your workout. 

NUTRITION TIPS

1. Don't skip meals throughout the day. Excessively restricting calories or an entire food group (ex. carbohydrates) will likely lead to overeating at your upcoming feast. Instead, focus on small meals throughout the day, eating every few hours. Prioritize higher fiber, natural food options like fruits and veggies at your meals. Don't forget to stay hydrated - with water, of course. 

2. Do not go into your big meal with a starving belly. Plan a healthy snack around 45-60 minutes before your meal. Options like apple slices and pistachios, deli meat and lettuce wraps, celery sticks with cheese or a few almonds with figs should take the edge off so you don't eat with your eyes when serving yourself. 

3. Fuel your workout. Seeing that there is a good chance that you will workout in the morning, restricting calories around/during your workout is not a permissible strategy to indulge (or to eat more calories) at your upcoming feast. It can actually backfire on you as you will likely be so famished by meal time, that you may eat beyond a feeling of fullness - stuffed and very uncomfortable. Treat your workout like any other day. Fuel smart and hydrate well. And be sure to eat a healthy breakfast after your workout (or Turkey Trot). 

4. Choose wisely. Create a healthy plate of a little of everything. 

5. Indulge wisely. You are not forced to eat everything at your feast but you are allowed to indulge. Choose your favorites and say "no thank you" to the unappealing or familiar options. Share, split and limit yourself to just one. 

It's very easy for athletes to remain rigid around the holidays for a change in the normal routine (training or eating) can bring anxiety or a feeling of loss of control. 

In the big picture, a few days away from your normal routine may be a good thing. Don't stress and enjoy yourself. The holidays are a wonderful time to give thanks to your body, to your friends and to your family.
Be sure to tell those around you how much you appreciate them for putting up with you.....I mean, supporting you, throughout the year.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Don't forget to yum!