The holidays can be tough, can't they? We tend to have a lot of expectations for ourselves in terms of what we accomplish, but also in terms of how we eat. And the holidays can extremely difficult for those with eating and body issues.

Food is obviously everywhere during the holidays.

We’re faced with food far more than we usually are. And navigating all of that can feel impossible.

It’s very easy to end the holiday season feeling completely defeated. We feel like we ate more than we wanted to. We often feel badly about our bodies because they just don't look like what we wanted them to. We may have gained weight over the holidays. And sometimes, we've had to withstand some really uncomfortable or even abusive statements from family or friends about our bodies.

Yes, the holidays can be tough. And I think we just have to be honest about that.

And I think setting realistic expectations for yourself is super helpful as well. So many times, it’s not necessarily a situation or event itself that’s upsetting, it’s that we had expectations about it and it fell short. So heading into the holidays with very realistic expectations can help to keep things in perspective. And can keep us from feeling guilty and disappointed.

This is exactly the focus of this week's podcast. Specifically, we're talking about setting realistic expectations for:

Your eating patterns
Your feelings about your weight
Your ability to engage in Intuitive Eating over the holidays
Your feelings about your body

Click below to listen!

Episode 11: Keepin' it Real This Holiday Season.