If you're weighing in today and wondering why the scale seems off, here are a few reasons why:

When we consume a lot of carbs, sugar, salt or alcohol our bodies can hold onto water weight for DAYS! Even though you may feel like it's been a while since New Year's Eve, your body may not have released its water weight yet.

You may feel like you've been on track for a while, but remember that you just got through two months of holiday celebrations, and all those extra treats can really add up. Take it slow, you're on the right path!

Weight can fluctuate from day to day depending on your hydration status, internal swelling (hello, leg day!) etc., don't let the numbers throw you. Stay on track!

PS. These are the types of topics we discuss in No-Diet Diet Club! Learn more and get on the wait list here!

If you're thinking about cutting back on the sugar this year, here are three reasons why you should:

When sugar is a regular part of your diet, it makes it impossible for your body to break down fat! In fact, you're likely turning all of that sugar into fat.

Sugar accelerates aging, causing you to look older faster.

When you consume sugar, your blood sugar spikes and then plummets which leaves you feeling unnecessarily tired and cranky.

 Known as the master antioxidant, Glutathione is the gatekeeper for all other antioxidants in our body to work. Your body makes Glutathione, but studies show taking it as a supplement can not only lighten skin discolorations, but reduce wrinkles!

A study published in 2017 showed that as few as 250mg a day was effective at visibly reducing wrinkles as well as improving the overall appearance of dark spots!

Have you made your #newyear2020 resolutions yet? If not, it's never too late!

Resolutions tend to air on the side of quitting something completely, or punishing yourself for your holiday eating....but if it isn't fun, you probably won't reach your goal!

Try to make your goal fun and light; something you look forward to doing each day, or a fun reward when you don't do something. After all, Dale Carnegie says that if it isn't fun, you probably won't succeed!

"What is the best way to prevent weight gain during the holidays?"

Most of us have a lot of social gatherings from Halloween to the New Year. However, not each of these events is worth a high-calorie count meal. Take a look at your calendar; which events are worth the splurge? Now, choose the exact foods and beverages you plan to splurge on during those events.

Not every event has foods you love or is worth the extra calorie consumption, but not having a plan ahead of time usually means you're going to overdo it. Planning ahead of time like this allows you to make wise choices, to be present in the moment with your splurge, and to really enjoy it!! Not to mention, going through this process is huge in helping you avoid the typical holiday weight gain.

Ask the Nutritionist is our weekly segment where we take your nutrition questions and also answer them. Feel free to ask away in the comments section on Instagram, @basically_it_ and look out for our answer!

You know you are getting the most out of your workout when...

You are working up a sweat. No, not every "workout" needs to include an intense sweat, and certain activities it may seem like you're not sweating (swimming or a run on a cold day), but a good sweat is a great sign that you are pushing yourself.

Your muscles are burning!! This is a sign that you are breaking down muscle tissue that will be repaired bigger and stronger!

You sleep like a baby....this is a great sign that you pushed your body and now you are getting great rest and repair sleep.

Ask the nutritionist!

Each week, we are doing #askthenutritionist, where we will answer your question of the week, and also take your questions for future editions!

This week's question: “My iron levels are low, should I be taking an iron supplement?”

The answer is not necessarily. There are a few reasons why your iron might be low and you may be able to make tweaks that allow you to bypass iron supplementation. If you have a heavy menstrual flow, you may consider an iron supplement around your time of the month (but no more! Heavy iron supplementation can reduce your absorption of iron from food).

It is also possible you have an issue with absorption in your gut. You may try a few things for this: cutting out gluten (super easy if you use a gluten-free meal service), drinking aloe vera juice, and taking a probiotic. A few dietary tweaks you can make to up your dietary iron include: steamed dark leafy greens (broccoli, spinach, sprouts), red meat, organ meats, and...

REAL olive oil means it is pure, not watered with other oils, and it has some real health benefits!

1. Pure olive oil is loaded with antioxidants that not only protects you from aging but can reduce the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases.

2. Although olive oil is a fat (the highest in calories of the macronutrients), it is not associated with weight gain. When you are using quality olive oil the nutrients nourish your body instead of helping it hold onto weight.

3. Real olive oil is incredible for your skin!! All the nutrients and antioxidants help to protect your skin from the aging process and keep you looking good.

If you aren’t keeping it clean at lunch, you are probably feeling pretty sleepy by 2 pm. Perhaps the only thing you are looking forward to is your next meal, it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 4 ways to keep it clean at lunch and thus keep your energy up the rest of the day!

1. Pack it with you!! One of the easiest ways to ensure you don’t fall to temptation at lunchtime is to pack your lunch ahead of time. If you don’t have time or don’t know how let Basically It Meals do the work and delivery for you, or join No-Diet Diet Club here and learn how

2. Skip the beverages. Do not fall victim to lunchtime special drinks (soda, diet soda, sweet tea, fancy coffee drink or milkshake). All that sugar is going to leave you feeling blahhhhhh

3. Large portions will also leave you feeling BLAHH. When you overeat, your body has to do a lot of work to process it all and this often results in lethargy. Order the lunch-sized portion, OR go with Basically It Meals...

An actual photo of the biggest heads of garlic I have ever seen!

Italian food rule #1: quality of quantity. If it is not up to par, it is not eaten. You look at the tomatoes there set to ripen; some are so red they are almost worthy of Rudolph’s nose, but the Italian will tell you “no, not ready!”. The food attitude is a little bit of the highest quality product possible because there is no point in a lot of merda (-->Italian curse word).

This is exactly the properties upon which our meal service is based!! Quality balanced meals. Proportioned for your convenience. Local, seasonal, flavored to perfection. That is how you should be eating at every meal!!

If you are in St Louis, give us a try by visiting Basicallyitmeals.com!