How to Handle Diet Talk and Body Shaming Comments During Holiday Gatherings

<p dir="ltr">Since we're so close to Christmas, many of us are coming up on holiday gatherings, if you haven't been to some already. I hope that if you’re joining friends and family this coming weekend that you’re looking forward to it and that it will be a really positive experience for you! </p> <p dir="ltr">But if you’re approaching these gatherings with anxiety and trepidation because you know that there will be difficult comments about dieting, or about your weight or what you're choosing to eat, know that you’re not alone.  Sadly, as you well know, these comments are made all the time. </p> <p dir="ltr">When I was thinking about this topic, I realized that there are <span data-redactor-span="true" data-redactor-style-cache="color: rgb(88, 70, 102);"><strong>three different ways of handling these types of comments</strong></span>. And they fall into the three different categories of trauma responses:</p> <ol> <li>Fight</li> <li>Flight</li> <li>Freeze</li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">One option is to <span data-redactor-span="true" data-redactor-style-cache= "color: rgb(88, 70, 102);"><strong>fight</strong></span>.  This may mean opening a conversation a about the changes you're making in your relationship with food and your body, or the fact that you're working on exiting diet culture.  This may also mean very directly stating that you're not willing to engage in this conversation.  How you use this approach depends on your comfort level and how open the other person is to hearing about your journey.</p> <p dir="ltr">The second option is <strong><span data-redactor-span="true" data-redactor-style-cache= "color: rgb(88, 70, 102);">flight</span></strong>.  This could look like:</p> <ul> <li>Change the subject.  Just ignore the comment and change the subject.  It may be helpful to have a list of topics ready to go so you can easily think of something to say.</li> <li>Deflecting the comment with a question or compliment.  For example, if someone asks if you should be eating something, you could deflect the comment by res