How to Practice Gratitude with your Body during the Holidays
The holidays are approaching and this can be a tough time for many different reasons.
Before we jump in, I did want to say that if you cannot be with loved ones or if this time of year is filled with mixed emotions, my thoughts are with you.
~ Christine Laker
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with Marci RD Nutrition
It’s so nice to be connecting with you all through this platform while Marci is on her maternity leave. Marci and baby are doing great and the team here at Marci RD Nutrition is so happy for her and her growing family.
Holiday gatherings often remind me of the immense amount of fatphobia that is likely to fill the space and how, for many, the fear of food is often driven by the fear of fatness. It can feel quite infuriating that expressing guilt and shame about food and bodies is how we are taught to foster connection.
This time of year is when we try to practice gratitude, but we seem to forget that this includes practicing gratitude toward our bodies.
Unfortunately, this is so much easier said than done, given the focus on bodies during holidays. The entire day is a massive exposure for many folks, especially those working towards healing their own relationship with food and their body.
When I encourage my clients to practice gratitude towards their bodies around the holidays, they look at me like I’m crazy.
How am I supposed to show appreciation for a body that I’m not connected to? Or a body that can’t do the things I want it to? Or a body that my family talks badly about?
While I don’t have the answers for all of those questions, what I do know is that cultivating gratitude often means providing your body with what it needs, even when you don’t want to.
This includes taking up space in conversation by setting boundaries, feeding your body even if you’re mad at it, and knowing when you need a break even if it might mean letting others down.
Lastly, remember that Thanksgiving is
ONE day of an entire year.
This day will not make or break your recovery or your ability to navigate holidays in the future.
Try to have compassion for yourself if things don’t go as you planned.
When the day is over, if helpful, I encourage you to spend just a few moments answering the following questions:
- What things went well? What things felt hard?
- How can I show myself compassion for the choices I made today?
- If my body could talk to me right now, what would it say?
- What am I needing right now? How can I provide myself the things it needs in a way that aligns with my values?
I’m sending you strength and courage these next several weeks.
~ Christine Laker
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with Marci RD Nutrition
Christine Laker joined the Marci RD team in 2019, and her approach to nutrition counseling is centered around a weight-neutral, Health at Every Size (HAES™) perspective.
She devotes her practice to fostering a guilt free relationship with food, body, and movement. Christine specializes in eating disorders, disordered eating, body image, and intuitive eating with clients of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.
You can reach out to Christine here.
NEW GROUP STARTING IN JANUARY 2023
I am excited to announce that, due to the success and demand for our group for larger bodies individuals, “Food and Body Image in the Real World,” we will be running a VIRTUAL Group starting in January.