Feel Better. Live Free. | Health & Wellness for Midlife Women Ruth Soukup

If you grew up in the 80's and 90's like me, then you've probably been conditioned to believe that FAT is BAD.
And honestly, I think that's a hard bias to overcome.
Because for YEARS, we were told that fat was bad for us, that it clogged our arteries and made us gain weight, that it was the root cause of all of our health problems. 
And as a result, food manufacturers went out of their way to create low-fat and fat-free versions of all of our favorite foods, and we all went along with it, believing that we were making healthier choices.
But here's the thing: it turns out that was all a bunch of nonsense. 
In fact, if you've been listening to this podcast for any amount of time, then you've probably heard me talk about why fat is actually GOOD for you. 
You've heard me talk about how it's our body's preferred source of fuel, and it's what helps to metabolize and stabilize your hormones, and how eating more healthy fats and fewer processed carbohydrates can help you lose weight and improve your overall health in SO many ways.

But if that's true, then which fats ARE good for you?
How do you know which ones to include in your diet and which ones to avoid? And how do you know which fats are actually going to help balance your hormones the way you need them to?
That's exactly what we're going to be diving into in today's episode—the ultimate guide to hormone-friendly healthy fats, and what you need to know about how they affect your health.

Today is the day! 
After many months of blood, sweat & tears—along with a lot of collaboration with you, our Health Rebel community—I’m SO excited to finally be able to tell you that our brand new Thinlicious App is ready for you.
And I’m not even kidding when I tell you this is about to become the go-to resource for any woman over 40 who is serious about losing weight and transforming your health.

So here's a fun fact for you: when it comes to losing weight, your body doesn't actually care about your goals.
It doesn't care what size jeans you want to fit into, or what the number on the scale says, or whether or not you're finally ready to wear a bikini this summer.
But your body does have a goal.
And that goal, more than anything else, is to SURVIVE.
Your body's primary purpose is SELF-PRESERVATION.
To keep your heart pumping and your brain working and your blood flowing through your veins.
And that might not seem all that relevant, but that's actually why, for so many of us, losing weight feels like an uphill battle. It's not because we're weak, or because we don't have enough willpower, or because we're just not trying hard enough.
It's because our bodies are literally working against us.
They're fighting to hold onto every last ounce of fat, and they're driving us to consume more and more calories to keep us alive.
We're basically fighting an invisible war against our own biology, and most of us don't even realize it.
So today, we're going to do something about that.
We're going to dive deep into the science of weight loss so that you can fully understand what's REALLY happening in your body when you try to lose weight, which will probably ALSO help you understand why so much of what you've tried—and all the expert advice you've always heard—hasn't worked.
It's going to be fun, and I think really eye-opening. So get ready. Because once you see the light, you can't unsee it.

There's nothing more frustrating than feeling like you're doing all the right things to lose weight and get healthy, only to see the scale just not budge.
Believe me, I get it.
After all, it's one thing to KNOW you're not really eating as well as you could be, or that you blew it over the weekend, or that you're just not trying all that hard.
But it's a whole different level of frustration when you actually ARE putting in the effort, and yet the scale doesn't reflect it.
And while on some level we probably know that getting healthy for life isn't JUST about the number on the scale, it's still tends to be the thing we focus on—the number that we use to measure whether we're actually making progress toward our goal.

 So why is it that some of us seem to have SO much success so quickly, while others have to fight for every single pound? 
And is there anything you can do to make it easier?

That's exactly what we're going to talk about in today's episode—the big reasons you may be struggling to lose weight, even when you're doing everything right, and a few things you can try.

Raise your hand if the biggest reason you haven't actually changed the way you eat is that you're afraid you'll have to give up all the food you love forever.
But what if I told you that's not actually true?
And what if I told you that the whole point of HEALING YOUR BODY from the inside out—the very thing I talk about over and over again on this podcast, is to get you to a place where you actually feel FREE.
TRULY free.
Free to indulge if and when you really want to, but not beholden to food addictions.
Free to enjoy the best of EVERYTHING life has to offer, without going back into that shame spiral.
Free to look and feel your absolute best all the time, and to actually trust the signals your body is giving you?
Free to think about something OTHER than food all the time.
Because it occurred to me recently that as much time as I spend on this podcast talking about the problem and the solution, I don't actually spend a lot of time talking about what it actually LOOKS like to finally be free. 
What it actually looks like, day to day, to know your body has been healed, that you've reversed your insulin resistance and balanced your hormones and restored your gut health, and that your metabolism is actually working the way it should.
And maybe if I talked about that more, taking the steps to actually get to that point wouldn't feel quite so scary.
So today, let's talk about it.

Fair warning, friends, I’m coming in hot today, and this episode might get a little bit spicy.
In fact, I seriously considered calling this episode, "Why Oprah is full of [you know what!]," but I thought that might not make it past the censors.
Yep, I really just said that.  I told you it was gonna be spicy!
Because I don't know about you, but I recently watched Oprah’s big weight loss special and I have a LOT of thoughts.
In case you missed it, let me fill you in: The special was called, "Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution," and for lack of a better word, it was literally just an hour-long infomercial for Ozempic and other weight loss drugs.
Her "revolution" was that Ozempic is awesome, and that everyone--including KIDS apparently--should take it without hesitation, nevermind the fact that it's ridiculously expensive, comes with a ton of scary side effects, and you have to keep taking it for LIFE or you'll gain all your weight back.
Suffice to say, I was not a fan.  Honestly, the whole thing made me feel sick, knowing just how many women love and adore Oprah, and trust her to give them what they think is good advice.
Because this was not good advice.  And today, I want to talk about why.