Sleigh Your Cravings: Clean Cut Tips for the Festive Season
Nov 11, 2025
Sleigh Your Cravings: Clean Cut Tips for the Festive Season
The holiday season is officially here! But along with the festive cheer and glittering lights, you might already feel the familiar pressure and stress building.
We see this pattern emerge year after year. The pressure to shop, travel, entertain, and manage complex family dynamics creates a perfect storm of stress and expectations. And when we’re stressed, our brilliant brains often seek a quick fix of comfort and familiarity, usually leading us to grab foods that can derail our goals.
If you find yourself reaching for the cookies before you realize it, please know this: You are not alone, and it is not a failure of willpower. It's a natural, biological response. But you can navigate this season and keep that relationship with food healthy.
Here are our top strategies to help you move past the reaction and create a healthy pattern of your own.
1. Identify the Real Hunger: Physical vs. Emotional
Before you take that bite, take a breath. Emotional hunger and physical hunger feel very different, but in a stressful moment, they can be easily confused.
- Physical Hunger: Builds gradually, is satisfied by a variety of foods, and you feel satisfied (not guilty) after eating.
- Emotional Hunger: Comes on suddenly, creates an intense craving for a specific comfort food (like chocolate or chips), and often leads to feelings of guilt or shame afterward.
Your Action Step: The PAUSE When you feel the urge to eat, pause and ask yourself: Am I Hungry, Angry, Frustrated, Stressed, or Tired? If you're not physically hungry, you know the food isn't the solution. This is called identifying the issue. The unwanted food only creates a new problem.
2. The Coping Tools
If you're not actually hungry, then what you need is a coping mechanism for the emotion you are feeling. Food is an easy, but ultimately temporary, distraction. Instead, create a "pause button" that doesn't involve your kitchen.
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If you feel... |
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Angy |
A 10-minute brisk walk, deep-breathing exercises, or listening to loud music. |
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Tired |
A 15-minute power nap, a cup of herbal tea, or setting a boundary to leave a party early. |
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Frustraded |
Call a friend, write in a journal. |
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Overwhelmed |
Practice "Box Breathing" (inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4) for 5 minutes. Or “deep breathing”. Try the 4-7-8 method: Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, Exhale completely through your mouth, making a "whoosh" sound, for a count of 8. Repeat 3-4 times. These are the fastest ways to signal to your body that it's safe. |
3. Master the Art of Mindful Indulgence
The holidays are meant to be enjoyed, and that includes the special foods! Restrictive dieting will only increase your cravings and set you up for a binge later. Instead, practice mindfulness and plan.
- Pre-Plan Your 'Must-Haves': Identify the 2-3 holiday treats you genuinely love and only get this time of year. Decide to enjoy those fully and skip the items you can have any time.
- The Small Plate Strategy: At parties, grab a smaller plate. Fill half of it with nutrient-dense foods (veggies, lean protein) first. Then, take small, planned portions of your "must-haves."
- Savor Every Bite: Put your fork down between bites. Chew slowly. Notice the flavor, texture, and aroma; use your senses. This increases enjoyment and gives your brain time (about 20 minutes) to register fullness.
4. Prioritize Your Foundation of Healthy Habits
Don't let the holiday rush completely derail the habits that keep you healthy.
- Protect Your Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours. Poor sleep raises cortisol (your stress hormone) and ghrelin (your hunger hormone), making you crave sugary foods.
- Non-Negotiable Movement: Even a 15-minute walk or a quick at-home stretch routine is better than nothing. Movement is a potent stress reliever. If we let it slip, it opens the door to unhealthy habits.
- Hydrate Consistently: Thirst can often mask itself as hunger. Keep a water bottle handy and aim to drink a glass before every meal or party.
The Bottom Line
The holiday season can be emotional. Instead of viewing food as your enemy or your only friend, remember it's simply fuel. Give yourself grace. If you overdo it one day, tomorrow is a new opportunity to get back to your healthy habits, no guilt required. Focus on what truly brings you joy, and remember to be as kind to yourself as you are to your loved ones. AND DO NOT TAKE LEFTOVERS!!
