🦃 Stress-Free Feast: 7 Tips to Conquer Thanksgiving Overeating and Guilt

Thanksgiving: A Time for Gratitude Not Guilt

The crisp autumn air brings Thanksgiving, a time of feasting and joy. Yet, for many, it's shadowed by diet culture and the stress of overeating. This year, let’s shift from fear to freedom, from restriction to permission, in our approach to this festive season.

1. Balanced Arrival: Avoiding the Hunger Trap

Arriving famished at Thanksgiving dinner sets the stage for overindulgence. Instead, nourish your body earlier in the day with light, satisfying foods. This balance helps you approach the feast with a calm mind and a moderated appetite, paving the way for mindful eating.

Some nourishing snack ideas:

• Greek Yogurt with Berries: A high-protein snack like Greek yogurt with a handful of berries can be both satisfying and nutritious.

• Apple Slices with Peanut Butter: This combination offers a nice mix of fibre from the apple and healthy fats and protein from the peanut butter.

• Vegetable Sticks with Hummus: Crunchy vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, or bell peppers paired with hummus make for a filling, nutrient-rich snack.

• Mixed Nuts: A small handful of mixed nuts can provide healthy fats, protein, and fibre, keeping hunger at bay without overfilling you.

• Boiled Eggs: Easy to prepare in advance, boiled eggs are a great source of protein and can be a quick snack to stave off hunger.

2. The Post-Feast Stroll: Walking as a Wellness Ritual

A leisurely walk after the meal is a self-care for your body and a time for mental clarity. A walk isn't just about helping digestion; it's about creating space between you and the food, allowing for reflection, appreciation and gratitude for the moment.

3. Rethinking Exercise: From Obligation to Self-Care

You don’t need to ‘earn your meal’ or ‘burn it off’. A healthy and sustainable relationship with exercise does not come from using it as a form of punishment or permission to eat.

When we start shifting the ‘have-to/ should’ mentality exercise with the ‘want to/ get to’, everything changes. Start to view exercise for its non-weight/food-related benefits (improve mental health, boost energy levels, enhance sleep quality, improve brain function, strengthen bones and muscles, promote cardiovascular health, and support the immune system).

What forms of movement can you include this week that you enjoy? 

Some movement ideas:

• Walking with a podcast

• Yoga class on YouTube

• Dancing to your favourite songs/ YouTube dance class

• Going for a bike ride

4. Deep Breaths, Deeper Awareness

Deep breathing can be your secret weapon for mindful eating. By taking slow, deliberate breaths before and during your meal, you create a rhythm that naturally slows down your eating pace.

This not only allows you to savour every bite and truly relish the flavours on your plate but also helps you tune into your body's signals of fullness. Imagine each breath as a gentle reminder to be present in the moment, turning each meal into a more aware and enjoyable experience.

Try focusing on breathing deep into the lower belly and having a long slow exhale.

5. Compassion in Overindulgence: You're Human

If you happen to eat more than you intended, it's crucial to practice self-compassion rather than self-judgment. Acknowledge that you're human and that occasional overeating, especially during a celebratory event like Thanksgiving happens.

Use this experience not as a source of guilt, but as a reminder that one meal does not determine the course of your overall health journey or diminish your self-worth. Thanksgiving is about enjoyment and gratitude, and part of that is granting yourself grace and understanding.

Remember, your value and progress are measured in many ways, not just by what you eat at one meal. 

6. Embracing Permission, Stopping Restriction

Give yourself permission to enjoy your favourite foods. 

Saying to yourself at the Thanksgiving meal “ I give myself permission to eat X food, do I feel like eating X food?”.

Restriction creates rebellion and allowance creates space for choice.  

Binge eating is a result of different forms of restriction, remove the restriction and you’ll find your relationship with food starts to shift.

If the fear is that by giving yourself permission you'll eat everything, this is a clear marker you are in fact deep into the restriction mindset which is causing you to feel out of control around food. Stay tuned for our program coming soon to help you with this.

7. Getting Curious

Use moments of eating, even when not hungry, as opportunities to get curious about your choices. Understanding the 'why' behind your eating habits is a step towards healing your relationship with food.

Journal Prompts for Thanksgiving Reflection:

Grab your pen, a journal and a cup of tea and get started on the prompts below.

• "What emotions am I experiencing as I approach the Thanksgiving meal?"

• "How does granting myself permission to enjoy certain foods change my eating experience?"

• "In moments of overindulgence, what gentle reminders can I give myself to foster self-compassion?"

• "What did I learn about my eating habits and choices during this meal?"

• "How can I carry today's insights into my everyday relationship with food and exercise?"

This Thanksgiving, let's approach our meal with a fresh perspective. By setting aside the restrictive rules of diet culture, we invite a more mindful and enjoyable eating experience.

Remember, it's about more than just one day; it's about building a sustainable and positive relationship with food and exercise for life.

Try out these tips and let us know how they work for you. Your feedback is a crucial part of our community's growth.

P.S. Keep an eye out for our upcoming community program, aimed at further supporting your journey towards a healthier and more balanced life.