Here are some tips on how to get through the holidays, no matter what point of recovery you're at, and how to support those going through it.
Make a Plan
Making a plan is one of the most important parts. You can make a plan with a nutritionist, a therapist, a friend, anyone you trust. You can tell your family beforehand about your worries if that would help as well to get the extra support there. Having a plan and not going in completely blind will definitely help ease some stress and take away some of the uncertainty of the situation so there is less to worry about.
Don’t Talk About Diets or Weight
This is a big one, and anyone reading this, please take note.
Do. Not. Talk. About. Diets. Or. Weight. At the table, if you know someone there struggles with an eating disorder. Talking about how 'bad' you're being for eating a dinner roll or how you're going to 'HAVE to run this off later' is only going to make everyone uncomfortable and possibly even harm someone. Just don't do it.
Don’t Skip Meals
Skipping meals to compensate for large holiday feasts is one of the biggest mistakes people make, not just those with eating disorders. Skipping breakfast or even meals the days leading up to a big meal will only make you hungrier and will only lead to you eating more food than you would have had you eaten regularly. Keeping a regular eating schedule leading up to the holiday is key. And leads into my next point...
One Meal Of Overeating is not a Bad Thing
One meal of overeating is not a bad thing. One day of overeating is not a bad thing. Eating leftovers and maybe having 'worse' food than usual for a couple days is not a bad thing. Your body can handle it, it will adjust and take care of the intake and it will even itself out in time. That's what we're built to do. Thank about it in the scheme of a month, or a year, or even a lifetime. Will one day of overeating really kill you?
Be Grateful
That's the point of the holidays after all, right? Be grateful for your family and friends and the food you're able to have. That might not seem like much, or you might not even want to be thankful for that, but it /is/ a lot and might help put things in perspective.
