The holiday season can often arrive with an unwelcome guest: Diet Culture. Between the "Hot Chocolate runs" and the talk of "New Year’s resolutions," it’s easy to feel like your holiday joy is contingent on your food choices or comments from others. To help navigate the holidays with food freedom, keep reading!

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You Do Not Need to "Earn" Your Food

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Just because it’s the holidays, it doesn’t mean the rules of biology change. And you deserve the truth: YOU DO NOT NEED TO "EARN" YOUR FOOD. Food is not a transaction. You don’t need to "save up" calories by skipping meals, which only makes anxiety worse and hunger louder. Staying nourished throughout the day keeps you grounded and steady. Remember, movement is for joy, not a "penalty" for eating. Whether you’re dancing in the kitchen or taking a quiet walk to see the lights, let it be because it feels good, not because you’re "paying" for a meal.

 

Silencing the Noise

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The holiday table can sometimes be the hub for comments about weight and food restrictions. You have permission to SILENCE the food and diet talk by changing the subject, walking away, or setting a boundary: "I’m focusing on enjoying your company, not what diet you are on”. 

Your peace is worth protecting. Instead of joining the chorus of judgment, choose curiosity. If a thought pops up like, "I shouldn't eat this," try shifting to: "What do I actually need right now?" Curiosity opens up space, while judgment shuts it down.

 

Your Body is Your Home

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When you sit down to eat, remember that your body is your home. Try to ground yourself in your senses. Before the first bite, take a breath and notice what you see, smell, and feel. This simple sensory pause pulls you out of racing thoughts and back into your own skin.

Focus on your own plate. Everyone eats differently, and that’s okay. Instead of comparing portions, check in with your own hunger and comfort. Build a plate that feels supportive and include foods that feel warm, familiar, or safe. Let tradition guide you, because holiday foods have history and love behind them, and that is a vital part of nourishment, too.

 

You Are Enough

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As you navigate the coming weeks, practice a compassionate pause. A single act of intentional self-kindness can interrupt the cycle of judgment. Let go of the need for perfection.  The holiday meal isn’t a performance, it’s a moment of connection.

Celebrate the tiny wins. If you tried a new food, honored your hunger, or successfully changed the subject when diet talk started, notice it. Those wins matter!

Most importantly, remember this: You ARE enough. Exactly as you are right now.

 

- Jennifer Melcher | MS, RD, CD