Navigating holiday (over) eating

Navigating holiday (over)eating

The holiday season is here and it's filled with family, friends and.....a lot of 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 may 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

Maintain a healthy relationship with holiday food

The holiday season is a time of socializing, celebration and reunions. Now is the time when families, coworkers and friends gather together around food. For those struggling with an unhealthy relationship with food and the body, the holiday season may not be so bright and merry. If you experience great emotional stress around the holiday season, you are not alone. Here are some reasons why the holidays can be so stressful when it come to food: 

• Fear of weight gain.
• Too many food items available.
• Guilt around indulging.
• Feeling weak or out of control.
• Stress and anxiety.
• Uncomfortable being seen eating food.
• Pressure or comments when eating.
• Worry of offending others.
• Struggling with "normal" food portions.
• Remarks about body weight/size.
• Inability to recognize fullness.
• Eating on another person's schedule. 

Having the right tools to manage triggers and unhealthy thoughts can help you maintain a healthy relationship with food (and your body) so you can fully enjoy the holiday season. Here are a few tips to make holiday eating less stressful: 

• Identify your triggers for overeating/binging or food restriction, such as going long hours without eating.
• Prepare your responses for conversations about body image, dieting and weight.
• Give yourself alone-time and space during social gatherings.
• It's ok to eat a little more than you normally would.
• Keep diet talk and body image discussions away from the table. Even the standard statement of "you look healthy" or "you look great" can be triggering. Many disordered eating behaviors stem from food control and body image/appearance.
• Avoid statements like "you’lI put on some pounds." There's no need to criticize your body or other people's bodies.
• Avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Eat with a mindset of curiosity and gratitude.
• Listen to your body. Notice feelings of fullness and hunger.
• Set boundaries and be willing to say no thank you.
• Eliminate negative self-talk. If someone at your holiday table is suffering with disordered eating, here are a few suggestions to make this individual feel welcomed and comfortable: Do not focus on what the individual is eating.
• Make the primary focus of the holiday on something besides food.
• Plan activities that don't involve food - such as games, decorating or spending time talking.
• Offer a dish that this individual would feel comfortable eating.
• Honor agreements to not discuss body image, weight loss, diets or appearance.

Contact the NEDA Helpline (1-800-931-2237) for support, resources, and treatment options for yourself or a loved one who is struggling with an eating disorder. Helpline volunteers are trained to help you find the support and information you need. Reach out today.

You can always leave a message for the Helpline if it is not currently available, and they will return your call or message promptly.If you are in a crisis and need help immediately, text “NEDA” to 741741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line. Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message to individuals who are struggling with mental health, including eating disorders, and are experiencing crisis situations.

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

Tips For Beating Social Overeating

 

"No thank you."

Whether you’re hungry or not, it can be difficult to say those three words when you are in a social setting. For this reason, it's very common for people to overeat at Thanksgiving, birthday parties, events and other social gatherings - especially in an effort to fit in or to make other people feel more comfortable.

In a previous newsletter, I discussed the importance of mindful eating and how it can improve your relationship with food.

Mindful eating is being aware of your body's hunger and satisfaction signals. It involves eating slowly, tasting your food, appreciating your meal and savoring each bite.

When you are alone, you may find it easy to be conscious of what you are putting into your body. But in a social setting, it's easy to get distracted by friends/family/entertainment. Additionally, if you are worried about hurting the feelings of another person or frequently put the needs of others in front of your own, you may give in to social pressures, causing you to eat beyond comfortable fullness.

To help you feel more comfortable eating at social gatherings, here are a few tips:

• Don't go into the meal starving. Eat a small snack in the 30 minutes before you attend the event.
• Eat slowly. Focus on your meal and eat foods that truly satisfy you.
• Check in with yourself as you are eating. Listen to your satisfaction cues. If you are feeling satisfied and comfortable, that is a good sign to stop eating.
• Give yourself permission to indulge responsibly. No restrictions or rules. Make a conscious and mindful decision to eat something that you love without guilt.
• Don't plan your next diet. Restriction after overeating can lead to another overeating occasion. There's no need to diet after a larger-than-normal meal. Your body is smart and your appetite will regulate the next day.
• Don't make it all about the food. Enjoy the company of other people. Create meaningful connections instead of stressing over food. Sharing a meal with others is supposed to be a fun - and not a stressful - experience.
• Offer to bring a dish. You should still enjoy what others prepared but starting with your familiar dish you can assess what best compliments your recipe.
  
  

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How to stop overeating

If you have ever skipped a meal (or snack), you've probably noticed extreme hunger later in the day with a good chance of overeating late into the evening hours. Overeating (and undereating) contributes to low energy and low motivation - neither of which make it easy to reach performance, health or body composition goals.

As it relates to training, anytime you overeat, there's a chance that you will feel uncomfortable and tired - you may even feel guilt or shame. None of the mental and physical effects of overeating will help you perform well in your upcoming workouts, especially if you don't do what you know you should do as it relates to pre and during fueling and adhering to your workout prescription. As an example, skipping meals during the day can lead to low energy before your evening workout, possibly forcing you to skip the workout due to low motivation or trying to perform the workout with no energy in the tank. Eating too much late at night before a long morning workout the next day may cause you to intentionally underfuel (or not eat) before and during the workout because you feel "too full" or you think that not eating will help you burn off the calories you consumed the night before. You may even find yourself working out a bit harder than planned which can lead into poor recovery from an underfueled body trying to work out intensely or for a long duration. Furthermore, overeating contributes to lethargy, sleep disturbances and disrupts a healthy eating regime which can all affect your consistency with training. It's very difficult to meet your energy needs and perform well in workouts when meals or snacks are skipped or overeating takes place at some point in the day.

Yesterday, I came across a great article about overeating and gave a lot of great tips and suggestions on how to prevent and manage overeating. Although it's not geared toward athletes, I find it effective enough to shine light on a topic that affects many athletes: Here's the full article if you are interested in reading it. To summarize the article:

How to deal if you overeat

1. Don't fast or skip your next meal.
   Do make your next meal healthy and satisfying.
2. Don't exercise really hard to "make up for it."
   Do take a walk.
3. Don't try to "detox".
   Do drink a reasonable amount of water.
4. Don't say "screw it!"
   Do think about your next meal. 

How to prevent overeating 

1. Don't label foods as good vs. bad.
   Do remember that there's room for indulgences in a healthy diet.
2. Don't undereat during the day.
   Do spread your food intake out.
3. Don't suffer in silence if you are struggling.
   Do understand your triggers. 

For further reading on similar topics for athletes: 
Holiday eating: What to do
5 ways to make smarter food choices every day
How to eat healthy when dining out