Resisting Diet Culture During the Holidays: How to Enjoy the Season Without Guilt or Shame

Dec 1

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and connection. It’s a time for gathering with loved ones, sharing meals, and creating memories that last a lifetime. However, for many people, the holidays also bring a heightened sense of anxiety and pressure related to food and body image, thanks to the pervasive influence of diet culture. As the season of indulgence approaches, so too does the fear of weight gain and the urge to subscribe to diet culture beliefs that promise quick fixes and unrealistic body ideals. Diet culture, with its emphasis on thinness, restriction, and food morality, can cast a shadow over what should be a joyful time. It can make you feel guilty for enjoying holiday treats, ashamed of your body, and pressured to conform to societal standards that prioritize appearance over well-being. But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can fight the urge to subscribe to diet culture beliefs and embrace a more balanced, compassionate approach to the holiday season. Here’s how:

1. Recognize Diet Culture and Its Impact

The first step in resisting diet culture during the holidays is to recognize it for what it is: a set of beliefs that equates thinness with health and worthiness, and that promotes restrictive eating as a means to achieve these goals. Diet culture is everywhere, especially during the holiday season. It’s in the advertisements for "guilt-free" foods, the conversations about post-holiday detoxes, and the constant messaging that you need to "earn" your holiday meals. Recognizing diet culture allows you to see how it operates and how it influences your thoughts and behaviors. It’s important to remember that diet culture is not about health—it’s about control, profit, and maintaining harmful societal standards. By understanding this, you can begin to distance yourself from its messages and make more mindful, intentional choices.

2. Challenge the "Good" and "Bad" Food Mentality

One of the hallmarks of diet culture is the categorization of foods as "good" or "bad." This binary thinking can lead to feelings of guilt and shame when you eat something deemed "bad," such as a slice of pie or a holiday cookie. However, food is not inherently moral—there are no "good" or "bad" foods, only foods that provide different types of nourishment, whether physical, emotional, or social. During the holidays, challenge the urge to label foods as "good" or "bad." Instead, practice mindful eating by tuning into your body’s hunger and fullness cues and enjoying the flavors, textures, and experiences that food provides. Allow yourself to savor the holiday treats without judgment, knowing that it’s okay to indulge and that one meal or one day will not define your health or worth.

3. Focus on Connection and Joy, Not Calories and Weight

The holidays are about so much more than food—they’re about connection, joy, and celebration. When diet culture starts to creep in, it can be easy to become hyper-focused on calories, weight, and food choices, to the detriment of your overall experience. This can lead to stress, anxiety, and a sense of disconnection from the people and moments that truly matter. To resist diet culture, shift your focus away from food and weight and towards the things that bring you joy during the holiday season. This might include spending time with loved ones, participating in holiday traditions, or engaging in activities that make you feel good, such as decorating, singing, or volunteering. By prioritizing connection and joy, you can reduce the power that diet culture holds over your holiday experience.

4. Set Boundaries Around Diet Talk

Holiday gatherings can often be a minefield of diet talk, with conversations about weight loss, calorie counting, and New Year’s resolutions to "get back on track." While it’s natural for people to discuss these topics, especially in a culture so steeped in diet mentality, it’s important to recognize how these conversations can affect your mental and emotional well-being. If you find that diet talk is making you feel uncomfortable or triggering negative thoughts, it’s okay to set boundaries. You can politely steer the conversation in a different direction, express that you’d prefer not to discuss diet-related topics, or simply excuse yourself if needed. Remember, you have the right to protect your peace and prioritize your mental health during the holidays.

5. Practice Self-Compassion

Diet culture thrives on self-criticism and shame, encouraging you to be hard on yourself for not meeting certain standards or for "indulging" during the holidays. However, self-compassion is a powerful antidote to these harmful messages. By treating yourself with kindness, understanding, and forgiveness, you can navigate the holiday season with greater ease and resilience. If you find yourself feeling guilty or ashamed about your food choices or body image, take a moment to pause and practice self-compassion. Remind yourself that it’s okay to enjoy the holidays, that you are more than your appearance, and that your worth is not determined by the number on a scale. Speak to yourself as you would to a friend, offering words of encouragement and support.

6. Reframe Your New Year’s Resolutions

As the holiday season comes to an end, the pressure to make New Year’s resolutions related to diet and weight loss can intensify. Diet culture often encourages resolutions that focus on restriction, deprivation, and achieving an unrealistic body ideal. However, you can choose to take a different approach—one that prioritizes your overall well-being and self-careInstead of making resolutions that center around weight loss or dieting, consider setting goals that nourish your body, mind, and soul. This might include resolutions to move your body in ways that feel good, to practice gratitude, to spend more time with loved ones, or to explore new hobbies and interests. By framing your resolutions in a positive, holistic way, you can start the new year with a focus on health and happiness, rather than on restriction and self-criticism.

7. Surround Yourself with Positive Influences

In a culture that constantly promotes dieting and thinness, it’s essential to surround yourself with positive influences that support your journey towards body acceptance and self-love. This might include following social media accounts that promote body positivity, reading books and articles that challenge diet culture, or connecting with friends and communities that share your values. During the holiday season, make a conscious effort to seek out and engage with content and people who inspire and uplift you. This can help to counteract the pervasive messages of diet culture and reinforce your commitment to self-compassion and body acceptance.

8. Remember the Bigger Picture

Finally, it’s important to keep the bigger picture in mind during the holiday season. The holidays are a brief period in the grand scheme of your life, and your experiences during this time do not define your overall health, happiness, or worth. By focusing on what truly matters—connection, joy, and self-compassion—you can navigate the holiday season with a sense of peace and fulfillment. Resisting diet culture is not always easy, especially during a time when it seems to be everywhere. However, by recognizing its influence, challenging harmful beliefs, and prioritizing your well-being, you can enjoy the holiday season without guilt or shame. Remember, you deserve to experience the full joy of the holidays, free from the pressure to conform to unrealistic standards. Embrace the season with an open heart, and let yourself savor every moment—food and all.

As you move through the holiday season, keep in mind that you are not alone in your journey to resist diet culture. Many people are working to challenge these harmful beliefs and embrace a more balanced, compassionate approach to food and body image. By practicing self-compassion, setting boundaries, and focusing on what truly matters, you can create a holiday experience that is joyful, fulfilling, and free from the weight of diet culture.