Christmas is not your first or last chance to have a tub of Roses.....or Quality Street....or Celebrations.
I bet it's a tradition that's being going on in your life for as long as you can remember......and having just asked Google, tins of Roses first appeared in 1938, two years after Quality Street were introduced. Opening the tin was the highlight of my year!
We have over 70 years of 'Christmas chocolate' hard wiring right there. Now, the TV adverts focus push the special occasion like never before. And Christmas IS special, but the argument-free, fairytale family gatherings with enough food to feed not just your own relatives but everyone's in your street, (and gifts) places a lot of pressure to have everything (literally), just right.
For me, December became stressful. The anticipation of all that food 'we only have at Christmas'. The Roses fudge (which has now been removed?!!!) and posh crackers. Twiglets and cheesy bites. The giant packets of salted peanuts. Where would I begin? How would I get through it all?! There was a real sense of urgency that I needed to.....before the elves would steal it?
As soon as you give some foods an extra special pedestal, they become scary and off limits. The naughty food elf starts messing with your head.
That annoying little voice chips in 'but you don't usually have dessert, it's so fattening!' Along with 'but it's your favourite cheesecake, once it's gone it's gone!'
The thing is, you CAN have these foods ANYTIME.
It may not be in a tub (I miss the tins!), or be sprinkled with glitter but I bet you a mince pie, you'll be able to buy a box of chocolates any other day of the year. And that fancy limited edition gin, just not the M&S one.
You don't have to calculate what you need to cut back on or how far you need to run to 'burn it off'.
Imagine being so comfortable with food that you don't spend weeks overthinking what you will or won't eat over Christmas or worrying about getting back on track in the New Year.
To feel like this, all you need to do is give yourself permission to enjoy the festive food without guilt. Let your body cues guide you. Know that depriving yourself kicks your body into scarcity mode, whereby your body thinks you're starving it. The result being, all you can think about is that damn mince pie!
You don't have to go all or nothing.
Food is not your enemy, nor is it trying to pull the rug out from under your feet.
The best time to eat dessert (or anything 'festive') is when you want it.
What if you said yes, there will be always be chocolate. No-one is going to take it away. I can eat chocolate if I want to, if that's what I feel like. It feels good when I respect my body and I don't have to eat it because everyone else is or because it's Christmas. It's my body and my choice.
You CAN enjoy the festive food in a way that FEELS good for you, without spiralling.
If you'd like some help 'getting' this concept, drop me a message at mel@wakemannutrition.com
Have a lovely December,
Mel x