Weight Loss: Begin HERE.

*A quick trip to the Farmer's Market this weekend - fresh produce, handmade pasta, ginger tea - #shoplocal #pesticidefree #organic

Losing weight can be a vicious cycle with many failures and successes. Today's media has made it difficult for anyone to get on the right track. Many companies and programs are designed for you to FAIL. That's right. Fail. They don't want you to have long term success because then they no longer make money. OR, they get you dependent on their shakes/smoothies/wraps/crazy exercises, etc. so that you are literally afraid to go it alone and think you need their "maintenance" program. Again, more money for them, more dependence from you.

Weight loss comes from a true lifestyle change. You have to be ready to commit and make the effort. That doesn't mean you have to try to be perfect...there is no "perfect". Will you fall off track a few times? Likely so. But when you have the right attitude and resources available to you, you'll get right back.

Where do you start? Easy. NUTRITION. What are you fueling your body with? Take a look at your diet. We don't mean how few carbohydrates you are eating, "If It Fits Your Macros", "Paleo", "Intermittent Fasting", etc. We mean, what are you putting in your body? What are you eating every day?

Is your body's fuel coming from whole food sources? Are you watching your portion sizes? Are you starving yourself? Do you find yourself buying everything "low fat", "fat free", "sugar free", etc?

Most importantly, do not try to overhaul your entire diet at once. Make small changes, work on them until they stick, then focus on a new change. This is a key to success. Behavior change takes anywhere from 1-2 months to stick depending on what study you read. As we mentioned, it's a lifestyle change. There is no quick fix or overnight miracle...sorry. YOU have to put in the work and the effort.

Whole foods - What are they? They're foods that have been touched as little as possible by humans...unprocessed, unrefined. Basically if it comes from soil, it's good for you. Well, usually. We could get into the topic of organic vs. non-organic, but we'll save that. For now...fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, seeds...eat them. A lot of them.

Portion Sizes - Check out the size of the palm of your hand. You shouldn't be eating anything much larger than that. It's the quickest reference point to use when you are deciding how much is enough for each food item. There are of course some variations, but for now, work on that. Keep it simple.

Starving/eating too little? - Maybe someone, even possibly a doctor, has told you it's okay to eat below 1200 calories. WRONG. Your brain alone takes 200-500 calories just to do its job and keep you alive. If you are eating at such a deficit, your body will hold onto that little amount with such a tight grip that it will store every calorie as fat. If we starve our bodies, our bodies think, fight to survive...prep for starvation mode. In other words, hold onto all of the fat possible to sustain life. Not to mention, this is stress you are putting on your body. Increased stress = increased cortisol levels = weight gain.

"Low-Fat, Fat-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free" - MARKETING GIMMICKS! Don't buy into it. With the exception of those who are actually gluten intolerant, the majority of this garbage is just so you spend your money on that...GARBAGE. Even with marketing involving gluten, many companies will put on their packaging "gluten free" when that item NEVER had gluten in it to begin with! How do you think they make foods free of fat or sugar, etc? They either take away something we need, or they add crap we don't. Stay away from processed foods. If the box has a longer shelf life than we do, don't eat it.

Weight loss - Where to start? HERE. Nutrition. What are you putting in your body and how much? Americans have what we call a SAD diet, yes, SAD. Standard American Diet. We eat a diet high in animal fat, high in unhealthy fats (saturated, hydrogenated), low in fiber, high in processed foods, low in complex carbohydrates, and low in plant-based foods. Why are we spending more money on the quality of gas we put in our cars, or the oil changes we give our cars every 3,000-5,000 miles? You should look inward and value your health and your body more than you value your car. After all, you can buy a new car...you can't buy a new you.

Questions? Comments? Let us know! If you need more explanation of where to start, email us: realfitnessrx@gmail.com We want to help.