Before I proceed, I’ll address the elephant in the room: I have written many titles about food, eating, and what some may consider “diets.” This is a fact – I won’t ignore it. It’s what brought most of you to my space.

But, I remain steadfast in my perspective, which I’ve always shared & maintained in my teachings, that these dietary shifts ARE NOT ABOUT THE SIZE OF YOUR BODY.

One thing that the current intuitive eating world misses (IMHO) is that the modern food landscape isn’t built to allow natural and intuitive choices. We are faced with overly rewarding foods at every turn. So, my books have served as a baseline for folks who are seeking health and want to try a specific approach to learn the whys and hows of those approaches.

Even in The 21-Day Sugar Detox program, I never asked folks to focus on weight loss and I discouraged that conversation whenever possible. Further, that program has three levels – not to encourage more strictness, but to recognize that meeting people where they are to make smaller shifts than are typically recommended is a better path to success for healthful changes.

So, with all of that, I also want to remind you that – at 42 and having been in bodies of many sizes – I can tell you that joy won’t come with a smaller pants size.

Sure, you can feel proud of sticking to healthy habits and prioritizing your own wellness. And, of course you may become healthier if you currently have a condition that may benefit from dietary shifts.

Fundamentally, becoming a smaller or fitter human isn’t what will bring you joy.

I know this because I’ve gone through gaining and losing the same 15-20 pounds for two decades.

And, my most joyful times were not correlated to my *in my smallest body* times.

My recommendations for finding joy this year and beyond:

✨Examine your life for moments that spark you.

✨Asl yourself, where do you find you have endless energy versus where are you drained?

✨Do more of what lights you up, because that is what will light up those around you… that is your legacy, not your abs or your pants size.