52: Breaking Free From Holiday Diet Culture

Lindsey acknowledges that the holiday period can be a challenging and anxious time for those struggling with disordered eating. Diet culture bombards us with mixed messaging on how to control ourselves and “be good” throughout the holidays. Society contrasts this with messages of indulgence and letting go of control. Both ends of this divide lead us to feeling guilty and bad about ourselves, caught up yo-yoing between periods of “strict control” and periods of feeling “out of control”: there is no winning here! Lindsey highlights the association between restricting and “being good”, explaining how obsessing over not indulging in holiday treats places us into the scarcity mentality where we constantly think about the food and good times we are missing out on. On the other hand, binging and splurging with a “last-supper” mentality also leaves us full of guilt and thoughts about food. Lindsey emphasizes that the solution to these extremes lie in getting rid of the divide between what we think we “should” be doing and what we want to be doing, the divide between restriction and binging, controlling and feeling out of control. She shares how changing beliefs and creating our own vision for how we want to feel during the holidays is the way forward. Happiness over the holidays starts with reflecting on the relationships you wish to have with food and your body, independent of diet culture and the circulating messages, then focusing on living authentically in line with your unique beliefs: there is not one way to “do right” over the holidays! Lindsey reminds us to stay present and focus on the meaning of the holiday, rather than on the messaging of diet culture. By embracing a mindset of abundance and appreciating the connections to loved ones that we have missed out on recently, we can enjoy moments free from food guilt and shame. At Rise Up Nutrition, we challenge you to create your own beliefs for the relationships that you want with food and your body over the holidays, to find balance somewhere in the middle free from either extreme of restriction or binging: there is another option! Refer back to episode 3 of the Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast for more help on navigating food over the holiday period, avoiding the scarcity mentality, and staying present during this time of celebration. Click HERE to Sign Up for Our Email List & stay up to date with more resources, content, and exclusive offers on services & programs! This episode is brought to you by the Rise Up Nutrition Group Coaching Program Click here to Learn More & Join the Waitlist Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com