When I reflect on past Christmases when I was younger, it was the complete norm to feel incredibly sick, bloated and full after our Christmas dinner, to which I would then pass out on the sofa afterwards, dozing to the sound of the Queen’s speech in the background. It is deemed the only day where it is completely acceptable to eat chocolate for breakfast and wearing an elastic waist band is a must. Coming from a big Greek family where everything revolves around food at any time of year, Christmas is no different and it would be deemed unacceptable if you didn’t have seconds or thirds of Christmas dinner. The consequence? You would be faced with imposing questions of "why aren’t you having more? You haven’t eaten enough! Have another potato.”
On reflection, I have experienced a Christmas where coming out of a show meant binge eating and overeating was something I had to ride through and being holiday season, there was so much more temptation, making it much harder to reverse diet. In contrast, last year was the first Christmas where I was cutting for a show (for it then to be cancelled due to Covid). That wasn’t even as hard as I was expecting anyway, believe it or not, I still enjoyed myself and the company.
Where I stand now, Christmas is a time for fun and yummy food, but learning from past mistakes and experiencing too many times where my binge eating was at its peak, for me, I want to feel good over Christmas without feelings of regret or guilt of eating certain foods and without feeling completely disgusting afterwards. It is the worst feeling where you overindulge so much that you feel so uncomfortable that all pleasure is diminished. This post is NOT a set of food rules over Christmas, these are things that I have become aware of over the years. Someone like myself that has struggled with B.E.D (Binge Eating Disorder) these are things that have certainly helped. So, Merry Christmas everyone, here are my 12 top tips for not feeling like shit afterwards:
1. Listen to your body and stop when you’re full: Listen to cues like your belly feeling full. Also, it is an idea to wait 20 minutes and have a big glass of water before you go for anymore. Sticking to 1 plate of food is not a bad idea. Be aware of your eyes being bigger than your belly.
2. Have more veg as seconds and keep protein high: When you crave those seconds, go for more veg instead of the yorkies and roasties which are higher carb and ensure your protein is high-this will certainly fill you up more.
3. Don’t eat sugar from the morning and snack wisely: Have a good balance of meals before the main event. I still like my eggs for brekkie and will avoid anything sweet until much later. Starting with sugar from the morning will not only leave you in a sugar come down but it will leave you craving much more. Have a protein bar as a snack instead and save some calories for the main meal.
4. Go for a long walk or run: Call me crazy but I have on many occasions trained on Xmas Day, because I love it and it makes me feel good, NOT because it is associated with guilt about overindulging. This year, it will be a rest day, but I will still go for a long hour’s walk in the morning with my doggie. Going for a walk after the Christmas dinner and before dessert to get some fresh air always leaves me feeling good.
5. Hydrate yourself: We so often mistake dehydration with hunger. Still drink at least 2 litres on Christmas day and even before your meals-you will feel fuller quicker.
6. Be mindful of being surrounded by food: Out of reach, out of sight, right? Be mindful of constantly being surrounded by food on the day. You all know what I’m referring to? Those tins of Miniature Heroes or tin of Roses in front of the telly or sitting in front of you on the coffee table. Put it away if you know you don’t want more. You’re probably thinking ‘but Tash, what about all those boxes of chocolates that people have given me?’ A good tip is recycling those edible gifts when the season is over. If it’s not in your cupboard, you can’t get to it. Give them away to others as gifts or even better, give to a food bank.
7. Food doesn’t need to be drenched in oil: You can still enjoy a yummy Christmas dinner without the added calories. Think about how you will cook the food-not all veg needs to be drenched in butter. Try steaming, air frying or using spray oil to cook your food.
8. Mindful eating and eating slowly: The slower you eat, the more full you will become. Now, I will be the first to admit I am a seriously quick eater (a symptom of someone who has lived with B.E.D). Be conscious of how you’re eating. Try chewing your food 15-20 times before swallowing. Remember: the food will not disappear at the quick of lightning, it will not run out, so slow down. There will always be enough food.
9. Cut back on taste testing while cooking or picking: Be conscious of unnecessary extra calories. You don’t need to taste everything. In my experience, picking has always taken the enjoyment out of eating the main meal and even left me not feeling hungry at all.
10. You can have healthier variations of desserts: If you know me well, you know I have the biggest sweet tooth. We live in a world of sugar free drinks and sweeteners. So, you can make healthier versions of your desserts if you really wanted; ask me for some recipes if you’re interested.
11. Eat only what you want: Ignore pressure from others and self-serve your own food. Even if that extra potato is plonked on your plate-you don’t HAVE to eat it, no one is forcing it down your throat.
12. Don’t use the excuse I’ll start in January: Just like no day goes by without me going for a walk and no week goes by without me training four times a week, the holiday season will not be any different. It has taken 6 years for me to embed these healthy lifestyle changes so although I WILL NOT be tracking my food on Xmas day and I WILL be eating everything I want to, I don’t want the day spoiled with feeling shit afterwards.
Eat what you want and enjoy your day 😊
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