I decided a few weeks back that I wouldn't put up a post about food related issues and Christmas, but I now feel somewhat compelled. It seems as though the dieting and weight loss industry never takes a holiday and my eyes and ears are being constantly bombarded with messages of how mince pies are the devil's handywork and if your drinking champagne it most definitely needs to be the low calorie kind. Please spare me!
All of this talk about how to have a 'lite' Christmas, not put on weight, or even lose weight over Christmas, has a sinister undertone. Some will say the messages are necessary and positive in attempts to address the 'obesity issue,' but I disagree.
All these stories about how many calories there are in 3 slices of turkey and that it is a 'wiser' choice to have a piece of fruit than plum pudding sets people up with a mindset that is riddle with guilt, depravation and confusion towards food. This is of course 'perfect' timing as we head towards January 1st and the day of the year that millions of people the world over will start a diet which inevitably, as most diets do, see them put back on any weight they lose and sometimes even more. Hence, the dieting and weight loss industry wins again with people down on themselves for not having the willpower to 'stick to it,' continuing to be unhappy with their body and of course feeling the need to purchase more diet books, pills and potions to adress their 'problem.'
Surely a more sensible approach to supporting people to have a balanced relationship with food is by simply be mindful of exactly that - balance. Christmas is a magical time that is filled with many wonderful things, including food that is usually not eaten at any other time of the year. Surely it must be ok on this one day for people to then relax and enjoy such food as part of the festivities of Christmas, instead of being told it's horrifyingly fattening and should be avoided at all costs. In the grand scheme of a year or even a life, should we not be able to throw away the kilojoule counters and scales for just one day? Is that really too much to ask!?
I genuinely don't think it is, and in fact, for anyone striving to have a happy, balanced relationship with food (regardless of their current weight or shape), this is an absolute must. It is perfectly ok to eat lovely Christmas food on Christmas day, just as it is to have a sausage sizzle on Australia Day, chocolate at Easter and a cupcake at a child's party. Once we get into a mindset that screams to us you can NOT eat that special food at a special time, this depravation sets us up to potentially binge later, feel depressed that everyone else is enjoying food we are not permitting ourselves to enjoy and even setting ourselves up for the psychological torture that goes with an eating disorder.
So...my beautiful friends. Please don't diet this Christmas. It is absolutely ok to roast those potatoes, whip up that gravy and put chocolate shavings on your trifle. Please do so in the joyous spirit of this time of year knowing that you deserve to enjoy all parts of the festive season - including the seasonal food. Do so not with a mindset that you will begin a diet at New Year. Do so because it means that allowing yourself to eat Christmas food without guilt or remorse, means that you are enjoying a balanced relationship with food. It also means you will have a delicious day. Something I know you undoubtedly deserve.
All these stories about how many calories there are in 3 slices of turkey and that it is a 'wiser' choice to have a piece of fruit than plum pudding sets people up with a mindset that is riddle with guilt, depravation and confusion towards food. This is of course 'perfect' timing as we head towards January 1st and the day of the year that millions of people the world over will start a diet which inevitably, as most diets do, see them put back on any weight they lose and sometimes even more. Hence, the dieting and weight loss industry wins again with people down on themselves for not having the willpower to 'stick to it,' continuing to be unhappy with their body and of course feeling the need to purchase more diet books, pills and potions to adress their 'problem.'
