My 10 top tips to minimise food anxiety over the festive season

Whether you're celebrating Christmas or Chanukah, the new year or just going home for a winter break, this time of year can be anxiety-provoking for anyone with an eating disorder or anyone with weight concerns.

To help minimise the food anxiety so that you can enjoy the family time and all the other enjoyable things this time of year brings, I have put together my top 10 tips to help you navigate this time of year.

1. Plan the 'out of the ordinary' meals. The festive season is well known for being a time to overindulge, which is absolutely normal. It is okay to eat more and to eat differently to how you normally eat at this time of year. However, I fully appreciate that this can be distressing. My first tip is to plan those meals, such as Christmas dinner, Boxing Day lunch or New Year's Eve dinner, as much as possible. Try to determine what food will be on offer at each meal by asking hosts and restaurants well in advance, so you have time to think about which of the foods on offer are safe for you to eat and won't trigger any urges to restrict, binge or purge. If none of the foods available are safe, offer to bring a dish that is safe for you to eat.
2. Figure out the timing, such as what time Christmas dinner will be eaten. This is important because feelings of guilt, shame and self-loathing usually occur based on what you have eaten over the course of the day. If you know that Christmas lunch is only going to start late in the afternoon, seeing that larger meal as your afternoon snack, dinner and night snack combined might make you feel a lot better about it and give you permission to indulge a bit more. You can then also plan the rest of your day's meals and snacks around that time, so that you are neither starving nor too full by the time Christmas dinner begins.
3. Be accountable to someone. Tell someone supportive who is present at Christmas dinner what you have planned to eat, so they can support you to follow that plan. Reach out to them if you are having any urges, so they can support you to minimise distress and prevent you from acting on any urges.
4. Elicit support with portioning your plate if this is too distressing to do yourself. Social meals are often buffets where guests are expected to self-portion. This can be challenging for people with an eating disorder. Consider asking someone you trust at the meal to portion your meals for you.
5. Schedule activities after the big meal to help distract you from overthinking the food. Being alone after a big meal is risky as it gives you too much headspace to think about what you have eaten and potentially act on any urges to compensate. Instead, plan to do activities with people so your mind won't get carried away. It also helps make the day more fun and not so centred around food. Playing games, watching films and talking are great ways to distract yourself.
6. Have a plan for managing leftovers. Many patients manage not to binge on festive food at Christmas dinner itself because of the people around them, but end up bingeing on leftovers. So it is critical to have a plan for leftovers if you are hosting. Offer guests leftovers to take home, or freeze them immediately so that they are out of sight.
7. Have a plan for managing food gifts. Typical binge foods are boxes of chocolates, biscuits and cakes, which are often gifts at this time of year. If you are gifted one of these items and it is a binge food for you, consider opening it at the meal and sharing it with guests there and then, instead of bringing it home where there is a real risk you might end up bingeing on it in secret. If you live in shared accommodation, you might want to leave it in the communal space instead of bringing it to your own room.
8. If you do end up overeating at the meal, try not to compensate by skipping meals, restricting or exercising more, as this risks more overeating or bingeing the next day. Instead, just get back to normal regular eating the next day.
9. Prepare for diet talk. Conversations about diets and weight loss can seem impossible to escape at this time of year. For someone with an eating disorder or weight concerns, this might mean additional pressure and guilt when family members comment on your weight and what you are eating. Try to prepare a list of phrases in advance that you can use as responses to triggering comments. Consider asking your loved ones to speak to other family members in advance about your food challenges, and to refrain from commenting on what you are eating or your weight.
10. Reach out for support if you are struggling. This time of year is so challenging for anyone with an eating disorder, and you don't need to suffer alone. Reach out for support to family, friends, helplines such as Beat, or your therapist or dietitian, to help you work through your fears and feel more able to navigate the food. And know that one day you can reach a point in your recovery when Christmas (and other holidays) won't bother you any more.