Written by Janele Bayless, LPC, RDN
Holidays can be fun and relaxing, as well as stressful and overwhelming. As people gather around the table to celebrate holidays and feast on food, a variety of topics may come up, including comments about food and dieting. While it’s common to bond over food, discussions around dieting can be triggering for those struggling with body image and eating concerns, or trying to practice intuitive eating. Below is a variety of scenarios with responses that could help as you navigate the holidays. 
If people make comments about your body or food choices, try phrases like:
- My body and my food intake are not up for discussion.
- This isn’t something I want to talk about right now.
- Those comments make me uncomfortable. Let’s talk about something else.
- Remember when I told you how I’m working on listening to my body around food and feeling better in my body? Those comments make it hard for me, let’s talk about something else.
When someone tries to talk with you about their diet:
- Say something like “It sounds like you’ve found something that works for you” and then change the subject.
- If the conversation is really triggering and bothering you, excuse yourself from the conversation and go elsewhere to give yourself a break from the diet talk.
- If you feel comfortable, you can share more about why you’re no longer dieting, what you’re doing instead, and how you have been feeling so far.
When you order a salad and someone says “Oh! We’re being good today, aren’t we?”
- You can say,“Eating a salad doesn’t make me a better person – it’s just what I’m in the mood for.”
When you want dessert after dinner and someone says “I can’t eat dessert or I’ll gain X pounds if I eat that.”
- You can say,“That’s not how bodies work. Our bodies can use all types of foods and this is what sounds good to me right now.” Or, “I used to think that too, but ever since I’ve been listening to my body about what it really wants and needs, I’ve been able to enjoy my dessert – and all foods! – so much more.”
When someone asks if you want to join them in a cleanse after the weekend:
- You can say,“No thanks! Those never make me feel good – I always feel tired and irritable, and restricted. I’d rather eat foods that nourish and satisfy me. But if you want to grab lunch afterwards, I’d love that.”
When an account you follow on social media posts a calorie-based meal plan, transformation photos, or a list of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods:
- You can unfollow them and fill your social media feed with diverse, body positive and non-diet accounts.
If someone says, “If I ate like that, I’d be X pounds more/less.”
- You can say,“We all have different food preferences and needs – this is working for me today.”
If someone starts talking about their new diet/weight loss plan:
- You can change the subject and say,“Speaking of new things, have you watched that new show ______ on Netflix? It’s so good!”
If someone says, “I’m going to be bad and go up for more food – that dish is just so good!”
- You can say,“Don’t be silly, there’s nothing ‘bad’ about eating! If you still want more, you should have more, the food is amazing!”
If someone says, “My problem is I can never stop eating once I start.”
- You can say,“I’ve been working on tuning into my internal cues around hunger and fullness – it’s been such an eye-opening experience to really feel like I can give my body what it needs and wants, and feels more satisfying.”
While these situations may not always be comfortable or convenient, having different responses ready can help you feel prepared and experience more freedom and peace with food as you navigate the holiday season.
What are your favorite go-to statements in response to diet talk/culture? Email nutrition@osu.edu to share. Happy holidays!