Tag Archive for: Thanksgiving

3 Tips to Help Navigate Diet Talk as the Holidays Approach

Can you believe that it is already November, and the holiday season is upon us? This week is Thanksgiving, which means you’ll likely be surrounded by family, friends, food, and wine! The holiday season brings with it all types of emotions, some happy and some sad.

 

Add to these emotions the fact that you are surrounded by dieting messages at every turn.

 

Whether it be on the radio or the television or it can even be from your peers. There is constant pressure to change how you look to fit some societal expectations.

 

I’m here to tell you there is nothing wrong with you, just as you are now!

 

If you have achieved a peaceful relationship with food and your body, then you are in a place where these media messages are benign to you. They don’t affect you, except make you mad as hell that the diet industry is praying on those desperate to lose weight.

 

But thankfully, that is not you anymore. You appreciate your body, you are at peace with food, and you are enjoying the holiday meals without guilt. And I am so happy for you.

 

If you aren’t there yet, just know that I realize these next weeks may be challenging for you. If you are surrounded by family members who are dieting, you will hear comments at your holiday meal such as: “I shouldn’t be eating this, but…” “I can’t eat that dessert, you are?”

 

How you handle these comments will determine whether you slip back into a diet mentality or not.

 

Here are 3 Tips to Help You Navigate the Diet Talk at Your Holiday Meal:

 

  1. Maintain Awareness

 

That word right there, awareness, will be the difference between you throwing in the towel or standing your ground. Stay present within your body and make purposeful food choices that honor you! If at any point you find yourself losing that awareness, that’s okay. Bring yourself back to the present moment with a pause and a few deep breaths.

 

  1. Tune out the diet talk

 

When the family starts getting into all the diet talk, just tune them out. Start to sing your favorite song in your head, think about the good time you had on your last vacation, or excuse yourself from the table for a stretch and walk around the house.

 

  1. Change the Topic

 

When the conversation goes to the food and should/shouldn’t, change the topic! Be the leader in moving the conversation to where you want it to go. A good idea is to have some conversation starters ready to go such as:

 

“If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?”

“If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”

“What’s your biggest pet peeve?”

 

You have the power within you to resist falling back into a diet mentality. Keep reminding yourself of this, especially throughout this holiday season.

5 Ways to Enjoy Thanksgiving Without Food Guilt

It’s Turkey time!

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Thanksgiving?

Turkey? Stuffing? Pumpkin pie? Feeling stuffed?

What emotions come to mind when you think about Thanksgiving?

Gratitude? Overwhelm? Feeling disappointed in yourself at the end of the day for how much you ate?

Many people who are starting the Intuitive Eating journey, and even those who have been practicing for a while, struggle with Thanksgiving. The whole day is centered around eating, possibly leaving you uncomfortably full by the end of the evening. No wonder it’s a challenge for so many people!

I want you to know it doesn’t have to be this way. Thanksgiving does not have to be a source of anxiety at all. It can be a day full of love and gratitude for all the things in your life that you are thankful for.

But how? I’ve got 5 strategies for you!

1.Reframe Your Beliefs

If you go into Thanksgiving Day thinking you will “blow” it, then it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Your thoughts/beliefs inform your feelings, which inform your actions which inform your results.

Maybe in years past you went into the holiday dieting, and with the first bite of a food you deemed “bad”, you figured “I blew it, I’ll just start again after the holidays”. Well, now you are going into the holiday as an Intuitive Eater, or an Intuitive Eater in training. Therefore, changing your self-talk can greatly impact your beliefs and ultimately your actions.

Try saying this to yourself: “I am capable of enjoying the Thanksgiving feast while honoring my inner signals of hunger, satiety and satisfaction.”

2.Honor Your Hunger throughout the Day

It can be tempting to skip breakfast or lunch when you know that you have a holiday dinner ahead of you. However, this is forcing your body to ignore its hunger cues earlier in the day and when you finally sit down to dinner, you will be ravenous. Then what happens? You eat past the point of comfortable fullness!

Instead, enjoy a well-balanced breakfast and lunch and you’ll see how much more you enjoy dinner.

Hint: Skipping meals to save calories for a big dinner is part of the sneaky diet mentality. What other ways is the diet mentality sneaking back into your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

3.Be Aware of Competition Eating

Family dinners with lots of people can be challenging! You might find that you take extra or larger helpings of food out of a fear that there won’t be anything left if you are still hungry. This is a form of “rebound eating”. Just the thought of being deprived leads you to “overeat”.

Here’s the thing! Even if you have a big family, there’s likely going to be enough food for second helpings should you still be hungry (who doesn’t have Thanksgiving leftovers!)

Try to resist the urge to overfill your plate. When you first sit down to dinner, assess your hunger level, and take the amount of food you think will fill your hunger. Keep in mind that if you are not quite satisfied when you finish eating, you can always take more. YOU are in charge!

4.Create A Colorful Balanced Plate

Some people think that nutrition is not considered in the Intuitive Eating philosophy. That is the farthest thing from the truth! Gentle Nutrition (Intuitive Eating Principle 10) takes into consideration taste and nutrition when making food choices.

When filling your plate at your Thanksgiving meal, consider whether most of the food groups are present. Protein, whole grains, veggies, and healthy fats all make for a balanced plate that will leave you feeling satisfied, energized and will keep your blood sugars stable.

5.Check-in with Yourself

Being around the family at holiday time can be a source of stress for many people. And this stress can be a disruptor to attuning to your hunger and fullness signals. Take the time before the big dinner to center yourself and focus on you. Then throughout the meal, take some time out to check in with yourself to assess how you are feeling. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a few breaths to refocus your attention on your meal and to check in with your fullness cues.

There are lots of uncomfortable emotions that can come up this time of year.

If you’re struggling with emotional eating, I invite you to explore the Total Food Freedom: End Emotional Eating and Enjoy a New Relationship with Food Program, on sale now for BLACK FRIDAY!

Check out this killer deal (and see how you can get bonus time with me!)

Offer expires Friday 11/26/2021 at 6 pm EST.

Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

 

5 Ways to Ensure a Thanksgiving that Honors Your Body AND Tradition

It’s November which means soon enough it will be time for turkey and all the delicious side dishes you enjoy on Thanksgiving. Many people who are starting the Intuitive Eating journey, and even those who have been on it a while, struggle with this holiday. The whole day is centered around eating, leaving you uncomfortably full by the end of the evening. No wonder it’s a challenge for so many people!

I want you to know it doesn’t have to be this way. Thanksgiving does not have to be a source of anxiety at all. It can be a day full of love and gratitude for all the things in your life that you are thankful for.

Here are 5 Ways to ensure a Thanksgiving that honors your body and tradition

  1. Reframe Your Beliefs

If you go into Thanksgiving Day thinking you will “blow” it, then it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Your thoughts/beliefs inform your feelings, which inform your actions which inform your results.

Maybe in years past you went into the holiday dieting, and with the first bite of a food you deemed “bad”, you figured “I blew it, I’ll just start again after the holidays”. Well, now you are going into the holiday as an Intuitive Eater, or an Intuitive Eater in training. Therefore, changing your self talk can greatly impact your beliefs and ultimately your actions.

Try saying this to yourself: “I am capable of enjoying the Thanksgiving feast while honoring my inner signals of hunger, satiety and satisfaction.”

  1. Eat Breakfast and Lunch on Thanksgiving Day

It can be tempting to skip breakfast or lunch when you know that you have a holiday dinner ahead of you. However, this is forcing your body to ignore its hunger cues earlier in the day and when you finally sit down to dinner, you will be ravenous. Then what happens? You eat past the point of comfortable fullness!

Instead, enjoy a well-balanced breakfast and lunch and you’ll see how much more you enjoy dinner.

Hint: Skipping meals to save calories for a big dinner is part of the sneaky diet mentality. What other ways is the diet mentality sneaking back into your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

  1. Be Aware of Competition Eating

Family dinners with lots of people can be challenging! You might find that you take extra or larger helpings of food out of a fear that there won’t be anything left if you are still hungry. This is a form of “rebound eating”. Just the thought of being deprived leads you to “overeat”.

Here’s the thing! Even if you have a big family, there’s likely going to be enough food for second helpings should you still be hungry (who doesn’t have Thanksgiving leftovers!)

Try to resist the urge to overfill your plate. When you first sit down to dinner, assess your hunger level, and take the amount of food you think will fill your hunger. Keep in mind that if you are not quite satisfied when you finish eating, you can always take more. YOU are in charge!

  1. Create A Colorful Balanced Plate

 Some people think that nutrition is not considered in the Intuitive Eating philosophy. That is the farthest thing from the truth! Gentle Nutrition (Intuitive Eating Principle 10) takes into consideration taste and nutrition when making food choices.

When filling your plate at your Thanksgiving meal, consider whether most of the food groups are present. Protein, whole grains, veggies, and healthy fats all make for a balanced plate that will leave you feeling satisfied, energized and will keep your blood sugars stable.

  1. Check-in with Yourself

 Being around the family at holiday time can be a source of stress for many people. And this stress can be a disruptor to attuning to your hunger and fullness signals. Take the time before the big dinner to center yourself and focus on you. Then throughout the meal, take some time outs to check in with yourself to assess how you are feeling. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a few breaths to refocus your attention on your meal and to check in with your fullness cues.

Thanksgiving is a time to think about all the goodness in our lives. While this year has been challenging for all, we can probably find something we are thankful for. Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

By the way, if you want to try some new and delicious recipes for Thanksgiving, check out my cookbook, Enjoying Food Peace. Enjoying Food Peace Book

Recipes from the cookbook that I’ll be making include: Roasted Chestnut Soup, Pomegranate-Orange Glazed Turkey, Moist Stuffing, Crunchy Brussels Sprouts and Pumpkin Muffins!

Get your copy of Enjoying Food Peace in time for Thanksgiving on AMAZON!

 

4 Tips for a Happy and Mindful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is hands down one of my favorite holidays.  I love having the whole family over and a table full of good food.  It is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season!

 

Despite my love for this holiday, I do know it can be easy to get lost in the chaos, especially for an intuitive eater in training. I can understand that the whole thought of sitting down to a Thanksgiving feast might be intimidating. Maybe you still have some food fear and haven’t fully allowed all foods into your life yet.

 

Well, I’m here to help you because I don’t want you to let yourself feel out of “control” this year. It’s time to start your holiday season off on the right foot! Make this the year that you conquer your dieting habits and turn to intuitive and mindful eating for a body you love.

 

Mindful Eating 

 

Engaging in mindful eating can be the perfect way to help you enjoy Thanksgiving this year.  Here are four tips to help you stay mindful.

 

1. Stay fully conscious. It’s easy to lose yourself in all the food, conversation and football.  If you maintain an awareness of your food choices, amount of food you are serving yourself and eating, you can avoid overindulging.  This can be difficult in a social situation, but if you set your intentions out in the morning, you can do it!

2. Serve small portions. With a holiday that only comes once a year, you can easily serve yourself large portions of your favorite dishes.  You may even fall prey to “my eyes are bigger than my stomach”.  Start with small portions to avoid overeating yet still satisfies your craving.  If you are still hungry you could always have more.

3. Listen to your body. Do you belong to the “clean your plate club”?  This year commit to staying present and listening to your body’s signals as you are getting satiated.  Stop eating when you feel comfortable, you can always wrap up the rest of your food and take it home.  If you do this, you will be able to enjoy your favorites when you get hungry again.

4. Pace Yourself. During the meal, pacing yourself is key. Put your fork down and spend time talking to relatives in-between bites. This allows your brain to register the food that is entering your stomach. Your body will be able to signal when you are satisfied and have eaten enough.

 

The holidays can be a difficult time for someone who has just started on the intuitive eating journey.  Resisting the urge to overeat can be hard to overcome.  But you can do it!  

 

Still looking for more ways to have a mindful Thanksgiving?  Start your day off with a long morning walk to kick-start your body.  Also, don’t forget to eat breakfast!  This will keep you satisfied and help you avoid heading into dinner starving.

 

Remember, the most important person is YOU. Have confidence in yourself and in your food choices that you are making to honor and respect your body. You are in the drivers seat now, you are no longer a passenger on the diet train.

 

If you’d like my support at any point on your journey, just reach out to me HERE.

 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

3 Tips to Shut Down Diet and Food Talk at Your Thanksgiving Table

It’s Thanksgiving and I couldn’t be more excited. I just love this holiday where we stop and say thanks and show gratitude for all we have in our lives.

 

I also love cooking all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Since I’m off from work on Thanksgiving, I take my time cooking, with my daughters by my side helping. No pressure, no rushing, just some music, laughter, great conversation and recipe making.

 

We then sit down to an intimate meal with my immediate family and bond. I love it.

 

But for the intuitive eater in training (that might be you if you are in the midst of your journey), the whole thought of sitting down to a Thanksgiving feast might be intimidating. Maybe you still have some food fear and haven’t fully allowed all foods into your life yet. Or, maybe you have made peace with food and feel super comfortable approaching this holiday meal, but the issue you are worrying about is what others might say or think when they see you eating stuffing, sweet potatoes and pecan pie.

 

Let me back up and explain.

 

The Struggle for an Intuitive Eater in Training

 

You have been on your intuitive eating journey for some time. You have made peace with food and your body, and you are ready to approach your very first Thanksgiving as an intuitive eater. You have no qualms about eating what you love. But, what about all those family members who have seen you dieting for most of your adult life?

 

You know the ones. Your sister-in-law, mother, or cousin who have dieted with you in years past and who have joined in with you at the holiday meal saying things like “I shouldn’t eat this but …..”, or “this has SO many calories, and is SO bad for me, but I’m going to eat it anyway”.

 

They are probably still dieting, but you aren’t (lucky you)! But when they see you eating and NOT commenting with them about how guilty you feel or how stuffed you are, you may feel they are judging you.

 

Or, there may be family members who just know you as the ‘dieter’ and have never seen you eat in public. They don’t realize that when you’ve restricted in the past, you’d just go home and eat whatever you can find. So for them, they may say outright to you: “YOU eat that now? I’ve never seen you eat this.”

 

3 tips to shut down the diet and food talk at your Thanksgiving table:

 

  1. Say with confidence: “Yes, I eat all foods. Food is just food”. And, leave it at that.

 

  1. Say with boldness: “Please do not comment on what I am eating. Let’s focus on the beauty of the holiday, not my food.”

 

  1. Say with firmness: “This house is a diet-free talk zone. We don’t discuss diets or shame people for eating. Thank you for respecting this house rule”.

 

The most important person is YOU. Have confidence in yourself and in your food choices that you are making to honor and respect your body. You are in the drivers seat now, you are no longer a passenger on the diet train.

 

If you’d like my support at any point on your journey, just reach out to me HERE.

 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

 

A Happy and Mindful Thanksgiving

happy-thanksgivingThanksgiving is hands down one of my favorite holidays.  I love having the whole family over and a table full of good food.  It is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season!

 

But I do know it is easy to get lost in the chaos. Don’t let yourself feel out of control this year. Start your holiday season off on the right foot! Make this the year that you conquer your dieting habits and turn to intuitive and mindful eating for a body you love.

 

Mindful Eating

 

Engaging in mindful eating can be the perfect way to help you enjoy Thanksgiving this year.  Here are four tips to help you stay mindful.

 

  1. Stay fully conscious. It’s easy to lose yourself in all the food, conversation and football.  If you maintain an awareness of your food choices, amount of food you are serving yourself and eating, you can avoid overindulging.  This can be difficult in a social situation, but if you set your intentions out in the morning, you can do it!

 

  1. Serve small portions. With a holiday that only comes once a year, you can easily serve yourself large portions of your favorite dishes.  You may even fall prey to “my eyes are bigger than my stomach”.  Start with small portions to avoid overeating yet still satisfies your craving.  If you are still hungry you could always have more.

 

  1. Listen to your body. Do you belong to the “clean your plate club”?  This year commit to staying present and listening to your body’s signals as you are getting satiated.  Stop eating when you feel comfortable, you can always wrap up the rest of your food and take it home.  If you do this, you will be able to enjoy your favorites when you get hungry again.

 

  1. Pace Yourself. During the meal, pacing yourself is key. Put your fork down and spend time talking to relatives in-between bites. This allows your brain to register the food that is entering your stomach. Your body will be able to signal when you are satisfied and have eaten enough.

 

The holidays can be a difficult time for someone who has just started on the intuitive eating journey.  Resisting the urge to overeat can be hard to overcome.  But you can do it! 

 

Recipe Modifications

 

While it’s great to eat your favorite traditional Thanksgiving dishes, consider modifying the recipes just a bit to better nourish your body.

 

  • Sweet Potato Casserole – Who doesn’t love sweet potatoes covered in marshmallows? But guess what… the marshmallows are not a necessity!  Instead, you can top the sweet potatoes with raisins, chopped pecans and a small handful of mini marshmallows.  This way you won’t miss the sweet melted topping, it is now just a lighter dish.
  • Mashed Potatoes – Do you normally take all skin off the potatoes and use whole milk when making mashed potatoes? Instead, leave the skin on and use low-fat milk or soy milk.  I promise you it will still taste delicious, but with less fat and more nutrients.
  • Salt – In many traditional dishes, salt is a staple. However, it isn’t the only seasoning that can be used to add flavor.  Try adding other herbs in place of salt, such as thyme or parsley.
  • Sour Cream – Do you serve baked potatoes topped with sour cream at your Thanksgiving dinner? Swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt and add a sprinkle of scallions for more flavor!

 

Still looking for more ways to have a mindful Thanksgiving?  Start your day off with a long morning walk to kick-start your body.  Also, don’t forget to eat breakfast!  This will keep you satisfied and help you avoid heading into dinner starving.

 

Check out this article from BRGHealth.com for tips on how to have a safe Thanksgiving.

 

Simple Solutions to Stop Stress Eating in its Tracks!

DFRM_StressLessEatLess_Holiday_300x300Thanksgiving is only one week away. Yikes!

 

Cleaning, shopping, cooking, preparing the house….there is so much to do!

 

Does all the stress and overwhelm of the holidays cause you to go into a tailspin? How will you accomplish all that you need to do? And, of course, you still need to go to work, tend to your usual house chores, take care of the kids etc.

 

What happens when you get stressed and overwhelmed?

 

For many, they cope by turning to food to “ease the stress”. Ahh, that piece of chocolate melting in your mouth is melting away all the stress too. That is, until you try on your favorite holiday pants and they don’t button.

 

Sound familiar?

 

Listen, I know you want to overcome stress eating. The holidays that are upon us are just one time when you might find yourself coping with food. But what about all year round? Is life hectic with little time for yourself?

 

Deep down in your heart and soul, you wish there was a way for you to learn how to manage the stress and overwhelm without eating. Actually, you wish you could better handle all that life throws your way so you aren’t overwhelmed.

 

There is a way!

 

DFRM_BeatHolidayStressEating

 

 

I am excited to bring to you a brand new program called Stress Less EAT LESS™.

Read all the way to the end to learn about the Holiday Special I am offering you.

 

In this program you will discover:

  • How to develop a calm mindset by better managing your time and priorities so you can be more mindful in how you handle kid stress, job stress, life’s stresses.
  • What changes you need to make in your daily health and nutrition habits so you feel physically and mentally ready to deal with a stressful situation without caving to the ice cream and cake.
  • The two most important steps that you need to take when you are in the midst of overwhelm and it seems easier to turn to food to numb.
  • The ONE practice you MUST learn to stop stress eating in its tracks and turn you away from the cookie jar and drive-through.

 

I originally created this program as a “Do it Yourself” program. But I realize that you could probably use some extra support during the holidays, so for this time only, I am offering this program with LIVE group calls a private Facebook group and more!

 

Click here for all the details and to sign up.

 

There are lots of bonuses for you once you sign up. The sooner you sign up, the more bonuses you get.

 

Oh, and share it with your friends and loved ones who could use Simple Strategies to Stop Stress Eating in its Tracks.

 

Here’s to a STRESS FREE Holiday!

 

 

 

Mindfully Cooking and Eating on Thanksgiving

turkeyTomorrow is Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorite holidays to cook for. All my children will be home, including my married son with his wife and my adorable grandson, Evan. I am so excited to spend quality stress-free time with them all.

 

What’s on the menu? I sat down with my recipes and started to make a menu and shopping list.

 

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

Butternut Squash Soup

Persimmon and Spinach Salad

Roasted Turkey (of course)

Sweet Potato Apple Stacks

Garlic Roasted Vegetable Medley

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Hot Apple Pie

Citrus Fruit Bowl

 

My son also requested mashed potatoes for my grandson, so of course I’ll have some of that available.

 

By the way, if you took advantage of the holiday special, you received the holiday menu planner with 8 recipes for free, including the Persimmon and Spinach Salad, Sweet Potato Apple Stacks and Garlic Roasted Vegetable Medley noted above. If you didn’t grab yours yet, you can still do so now at 50% off by clicking here. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Now, looking at this menu, I am conscious and mindful of making sure to have food choices from the various food groups: lean protein (turkey), starch/grains (sweet potato apple stacks and butternut squash soup), vegetables (variety of roasted veggies), healthy fat (olive oil in cooking) and fruit (citrus fruit bowl). There is also a “fun food” which is the homemade hot apple pie.

 

Next step is mindfully eating. That means staying fully conscious during the meal, maintaining an awareness of your food choices and amount of food you are serving yourself and you are eating. While this can be challenging in a social situation, if you set your intention before the meal, you’ll do great.

 

Start by serving yourself small portions of your favorite “this only comes around once a year” foods. Balance your plate and stay tuned in to listen to your inner signals as you are getting satiated. Stop when you feel comfortable, even if others are still eating. If you do this, you will be able to enjoy the homemade apple pie (or whatever your dessert) without having that dessert tip you over into the “I’ve got to open my buckle” state.

 

Plan ahead for success, eat intelligently and stay mindful. Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Holiday Parties? No Problem!

Holiday OrnamentsWhoa, can you believe it? Thanksgiving is in one week. Where has the time gone!

 

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love cooking for the Thanksgiving feast and spending time with my family.  I especially love when my daughters stand side by side next to me and help me cook. One year, they made name tags and wore them around their necks that said “Assistant Chef”.  So cute!

 

Many of my clients start to get nervous when the holidays arrive. Well, to be really clear, these clients I am referring to are just starting to see me and who still have a dieter’s mindset. They feel “uh oh, how will I handle all the food at all the holiday meals and parties I am going to? Maybe I should wait to begin our nutrition coaching sessions until the New Year”.

 

Ding, ding, ding. This is how a dieter thinks and speaks.

 

This is not how my clients who are on the intuitive eating journey think and speak. They have successfully been shifting their mindset and moving away from the “all or nothing” dieter’s way of thinking. They are not worried about the holiday meals and parties because they are learning how to honor their bodies and giving themselves permission to eat.

 

Now, having said that, I still think it’s important to set up your environment for success and to have some tips in your back pocket for when you head out to your parties.

 

I’ve put together a video for you with 3 tips for before you head out to the party and 5 tips for when you are at the party.

 

Just click the image below to watch. Then come back and let me know by commenting below which tips you will implement this holiday season.

Holiday Tips