On a good year, November is a mix of emotions for me: a combination of joy and overwhelm in anticipation of the holidays, as well as a sense of sadness, exhaustion, and lack of motivation as the days get darker and the weather gets colder.

This year presents even more challenges. The global pandemic we find ourselves in brings a new level of grief and decision-making to our holiday plans and traditions. What is an appropriate amount of risk? What will be the cost of seeing the grandparents, aunts, and uncles? What will be the cost of remaining isolated, alone?

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Well, here it comes, folks. All the talk about holiday indulgence, holiday weight gain, “sinful” foods, and the subsequent rush to start a New Year’s diet.

You’d think we’d have learned from this pattern by now, but as a society we continue to be stuck in diet culture, moralizing of food and body size, and compensatory behaviors.

As Certified Intuitive Eating Counselors, we at Venture Therapy are passionate about helping people break free from these diet culture mindsets and behaviors. Because guess what? You don’t HAVE to feel guilty about celebrating the holidays with food! You don’t have to monitor yourself, don’t have to steer clear of the dessert table, don’t have to count one damn calorie or carb or point. You don’t have to Google the latest diet and vow to start on January 1, don’t have to exercise before Thanksgiving dinner to “earn” your meal, or the day after Christmas to “work off” the cookies.

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Careful as I have been to unfollow so-called “health” promoters and diet “lifestyle” influencers on social media, my feeds are currently filled with advertisements for the latest diets (claiming to not be diets). From Noom to Intermittent Fasting to the Whole 30, to local gyms and wellness coaches, I simply cannot escape the barrage of proclamations that my body needs to change, and that the secret to changing my body lies within a specific diet and exercise program.

But…

What if the pursuit of weight loss is not as healthy as we’ve always thought it is?

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I often ask my clients, "where do you feel that in your body?" 

It's a simple question, but can be difficult to answer. And so I also often ask it of myself, "what am I feeling in my body? Where do I feel it?" Emotions, deep-seated beliefs, fear, passion...they dwell in your body.

Our bodies are one of our best sources of information. It may be a sensation of tightness in the chest, butterflies in 

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