Shout-out to diet culture for an excellent marketing strategy.

It’s the holidays! Celebrate! Oh, but not TOO much celebrating. See, now you’ve overdone it. But you’re in luck! We have programs that will fix you – half off if you join today!

Brace yourselves. We’ll be bombarded for the next two months with anti-us messaging.

My husband and I had our first holiday party last Friday. After making the initial rounds of hellos and how-are-yous, I heard a voice over the crowd. “Amanda! You are really looking GREAT!” I said a quick ‘thanks’ and swiveled to grab something out of the oven.

Not five minutes later, another comment. “Did I notice that you’ve lost MORE weight?!”

And another. “You’ll have to share your diet secrets!”

Enough.

“You want to know what I’m doing?” I asked. “I’m eating. Whatever I want, whenever I want. I try to move every day and otherwise, I don’t track anything.”

Viva la revolución, my friends.

The next day out of pure curiosity, I dusted off the scale to weigh myself. No loss, but no gain. Since I started practicing Intuitive Eating, I’ve somehow maintained the same weight through vacations, stressful situations, holidays, and celebrations. The freedom that once seemed so scary really is just that – freedom.

Not that it’s anyone’s business. (Insert hair flip here.)

Even though my weight hasn’t changed, an evolution has occurred in my heart and my mind.

December 2018 Amanda is different than December 2017 Amanda. She is happier, she has greater emotional health and doesn’t see herself as the enemy. Her heart is fuller, it beats more loudly, and loves bigger. She is empathetic and kind, her dreams are more vibrant.

December 2018 Amanda has a faith that’s grown beyond the mustard seed. She is an open book and has so many more stacked in line to read. She laughs without fear of the future.

And maybe that’s what they see, but don’t have the understanding or the vocabulary to verbalize that.

Abstaining from comments on diet mentality, body types, and weight loss isn’t about being politically correct or walking on eggshells to avoid offense. It’s respect. It’s kindness. It’s not fueling the corporate diet culture machine. It’s accepting yourself and everyone else in the process. It’s loving one another.

The good news is that there are plenty of other topics with which to find solidarity and common ground! But, just in case you come up short, I have a few suggestions: