Telling yourself you can’t or shouldn’t have something only makes you want it more. Feeling guilty or regretful about eating will not help you avoid overeating behaviours in the future and can certainly take the fun out of sharing a delicious meal at Christmas. Mindfulness techniques can help you to explore your appetite and emotions around eating.
For example;
- Am I hungry?
- What am I hungry for?
- Is that food actually special?
- How will I feel after I eat it?
- Why did I eat that much?
From this, you may identify reasons for non-hungry eating and it empowers you to make a different choice in the moment or to make a better choice next time!