How to Eat Intuitively During the Holidays: Your Empowering Bill of Rights
Protect Your Peace, Enjoy Your Food, and Stay Grounded This Season
Inspired by the foundational work of Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch, the founders of Intuitive Eating
The holidays come with a lot: twinkle lights, travel, traditions… and sometimes a side of stress you didn’t order.
Maybe you’re walking into a house full of food rules.
Maybe you’ve spent years tracking, planning, and “being good” before the big meal.
Maybe your family comments on bodies like it’s a competitive sport.
Maybe you really do want to enjoy the holidays - but the guilt, the pressure, or the noise makes it feel… complicated.
If that’s you, take a breath.
This is your permission slip.
Your reset button.
Your pep talk.
Today, we’re expanding on the original Intuitive Eater’s Holiday Bill of Rights (created by intuitive eating pioneers Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch and a resource I share with my clients every year) with a modern, grounded, holiday-friendly version…one that honors the roots of the work and speaks directly to the realities busy folks are navigating today.
You deserve a holiday season rooted in ease, trust, nourishment, and joy - no matter what anyone else is doing around you.
Let’s dive in.
Your Holiday Intuitive Eating Bill of Rights
1. You Have the Right to Eat Foods You Truly Enjoy - Without Earning or Burning Them Off
Holidays are full of “only once a year” foods for a reason: they mean something.
And you’re allowed to enjoy them simply because… you enjoy them!
No punishment workouts. No “saving up” calories. No apologizing.
Just… pleasure. Presence. Satisfaction.
2. You Have the Right to Feel Safe at the Table
Food comments, body comments, diet talk - none of it is required holiday décor.
You’re allowed to:
Change the subject
Set a boundary
Walk away
Say “I prefer not to talk about diets or bodies”
Sit next to someone who feels safe instead of the loudest critic
Your peace is a priority. Not a negotiation. BOUNDARIES are a form of self-care.
3. You Have the Right to Eat When You’re Hungry - Even If No One Else Is
Your appetite doesn’t run on holiday timelines.
If you need a snack before the big meal, that’s normal.
If you don’t want dessert yet, that’s normal.
If you want dessert first, you’re not breaking a law.
You get to honor your hunger cues, not override them to “fit in.”
4. You Have the Right to Stop Eating When You’ve Had Enough - Even If There’s More on Your Plate
Your body is allowed to have limits.
You’re not obligated to “clean your plate.”
You’re not being rude if you stop.
You’re not wasting food if you choose what feels good for your body.
Fullness is feedback… not a failure! (also - it’s okay if you overeat and are still learning how to navigate those hunger and fullness cues too!)
5. You Have the Right to Take Up Space - Physically, Emotionally, and at the Table
You are not a before-and-after photo.
You are not a holiday conversation topic.
You are not a project for someone else to “fix.”
Your worth is not up for debate - this season or ever.
6. You Have the Right to Say “No Thank You” Without Explaining Yourself
You don’t need to justify your choices.
Not hungry? No thank you.
Already full? No thank you.
Just don’t want it? No thank you.
Your body. Your decision. Your peace. ‘NO’ is a complete sentence!
7. You Have the Right to Rest - Even During a Season That Glorifies Hustle
Holiday burnout is real.
You are allowed to sleep in, skip a workout, miss a party, take a nap, or choose the slower path.
Rest is not a reward you earn.
It’s a basic human need. Pay attention to people and things that drain both your physical and emotional energy.
8. You Have the Right to Experience Joy and Nourishment (Not Shame and Obligation)
You can choose joy over judgment.
Presence over perfection.
Connection over control.
Food is part of the celebration (not the enemy of it).
And you get to decide what feels nourishing.
How to Actually Use This Bill of Rights (Instead of Just Reading It)
1. Screenshot it & keep it in your Notes app
For the pre-holiday pep talk you’ll inevitably need.
2. Read it before walking into a triggering gathering
Ground yourself. Take a deep breath, and remind your nervous system you’re safe.
3. Share it with a therapist, RDN, or supportive friend
Let someone help you practice boundaries and build self-trust.
4. Use it to rewrite old stories
If your past holiday experiences were wrapped in diet culture, guilt, or scarcity… this Bill of Rights helps you choose differently.
If You’re New to Intuitive Eating, Read This:
You are not behind.
You are not doing it wrong.
And you do not need to wait until January to “start fresh.”
Every meal is a chance to reconnect with your body.
Every holiday is a chance to practice compassion.
Every moment is a chance to choose peace.
Your body is trustworthy… even if you’ve spent years being told otherwise.
This season, you get to come home to yourself.
A Gentle Reminder as You Head Into the Holidays
You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your food choices.
You don’t need to earn permission to enjoy your holiday.
You don’t need to shrink, apologize, restrict, or perform.
You have full permission to nourish yourself (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) in the ways that feel right to you.
Listen to Fit Friends Happy Hour for More Tips
And if you need support reconnecting with that inner voice? That’s the work we do every single day with folks just like you! Book a free strategy call to learn more about a non-diet approach to your health.
About the Author
Katie Hake, RDN, LD, CPT is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer, and the founder of Katie Hake Health & Fitness, LLC based in Carmel, Indiana. She and her team of non-diet dietitians specialize in helping folks break free from dieting, rebuild trust with their bodies, and create sustainable habits that support energy, confidence, and health. Through both in-person and virtual counseling, Katie and her team proudly serve clients across Indiana and beyond, empowering them to use their insurance benefits to access compassionate, evidence-based nutrition care and fitness coaching.