It's become pretty common for clients to tell me how if there just weren't so much food available to them, they would succeed in losing weight and getting healthier. This is America. Food is more abundant here than in any other place on the planet. As a wise woman once said, "It's easy to blame other people or things around you when you're overweight. But, the simple truth is, you're the one who decides what you're going to put in your mouth, no one else." I haven't read any stories in the paper or seen on the news that people are randomly being attacked by food.

Our bodies are machines, just like cars. They need to be fueled to run properly and they need to be hydrated to function smoothly. For the average person, not athletes or marathon runners, etc, it's fairly simple. Figure out how much energy you expend on a daily basis and calculate your caloric need from there. If you move more, you don't necessarily need more calories, especially if you're trying to decrease the impact gravity has on you. You need to consume less than you use. With all the great food choices out there, including low-fat, low-calorie, non-lactose ice cream (my 10 year old discovered Skinny Cow products), there's no reason to deprive your taste buds. Not everyone needs to replace their meals with protein powders, liquid foods, or diet supplements. There is a reasonable alternative to going "all-guns out".

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish you priorities and go to work." ~ H. L. Hunt

I love food just as much as the next person. Being obese most of my life, food and I have had a very intimate, dysfunctional relationship. Deprivation is not the answer for anyone. Sane food intake is. Remember that whole, natural foods are best for your body.  You will enjoy them more in as natural a state as you can get/prepare them. Fresh fruit is always better than processed anything. Fresh meats - likewise. Start reading labels and BE AWARE of what you are putting in your body. If there's an ingredient you can't pronounce, don't put it in your body!!!

Your body has to last you your entire lifetime. That's TODAY and every day after today. Whether you're in your 20's, 30's, 40's . . . any age! It's possible to get your body in the healthiest state it can be. Step up your "maintenance" by finding an activity that won't land you on your couch with cold packs and Tylenol the next day. Remember, Life is NOT a reality show!!! Leave all that extreme stuff to folks who get paid for it. This is the only body you get. Love it. Cherish it. Feed it well with fresh, healthy choices and it will serve you for a long, long time. The Boomers are going to be the longest-living, unhealthiest group of Americans in history . . . but that's another Blog.

Be well. Enjoy the journey. Blessings.

Maggz