Real Nutrition & Fitness, LLC

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Real Nutrition & Fitness, LLC

Real Nutrition & Fitness, LLC founded by Heidi M. Williams, MPH, RD, CSSD, LD, NSCA-CPT, CPPC, CSMC Louis, Missouri founded by Heidi M. I received a B.S.

Real Nutrition & Fitness, LLC is a small nutrition & fitness consulting business in St. Williams, MPH, RD, LD, NSCA-CPT, CPPC. As a dietitian, I focus on using balanced whole foods to help people meet their optimal health states. I am a firm believer in food's natural ability to prevent and manage many disease states, and I am passionate about educating people on the raw powers of food. I take a holistic approach to nutrition and I consider food our best medicine and an important source of enjoyment for the mind, body, and soul. I focus on whole food menu planning, so I can help clients bring more colors into their diet, and transform how and what they eat. I also firmly believe that every individual is unique, so I tailor my nutritional approach to each client's personal goals and comfort level. While many experts in the nutrition field advise patients to cut out particular foods from their diet, I help clients say "yes" to foods instead of "no." I also have a personal passion for the environment so I can guide individuals to eat sustainably and local as well. I take a mindful and supportive approach to food, and I help create an environment where one can improve their health and relationship with food. degree in Nutrition and Fitness and a Master of Public Health from the University of Missouri. If you are interested in my nutrition services, please email me and I can send you along some more detailed information regarding my nutrition consulting sessions. If you do not live in St. Louis, I can do virtual sessions as well.

09/05/2025

If you have been here long enough, you are most likely aware of my dislike for the wellness industry. Personally, I find the wellness industry to just reek of privilege and I’m tired of it. I’m so tired of people thinking they are better than others because of how “healthy” they are, or what they deem to be healthy.

I hate to break it to you but almost everything I listed in the wellness slide is a grift. And do you notice a difference? All of the influencers ideas of wellness cost a lot more money than most of what my ideas of what wellness is. Have you ever wondered why? Because these influencers are trying to make money off of you by selling something that is not backed by evidence!

Unfortunately, I’m not making any money off of “Big Produce” even though many influencers think I’m getting paid off by “Big Food” or “Big Agriculture”. I will be sure to let you know when I get my check in the mail from “Big Broccoli.” ;)

In all seriousness, so many people have not mastered the basics of what I have listed in my ideas of wellness. If you are not eating fruits and veggies, or moving your body, or getting enough sleep, the IV infusion you decide to do is not going to suddenly make you healthy, and it’s going to cost you a lot more money.

Unfortunately my idea of wellness doesn’t sound as fun and exciting as the influencers, but I also have a conscience and I can go to sleep every night knowing I’m not grifting people and scamming them to think they are getting healthy. And in my opinion, I believe that “wellness” is just privilege in disguise.

Anyway, that is my thought. I work in the fitness space and have been for almost 20 years so I see this all the time, and it happened to be on my mind that I decided to make a post about it. :)

08/28/2025

School Lunch for my 2nd Grader & Kindergartner. This is the actual lunch I put together for my kids.

Hummus + Pretzels + Carrots + Strawberries + Chips + Skittles. I am a vegetarian so I make them mostly vegetarian lunches because meat is out of my comfort zone. 🙂

Yes, the carrots will probably come home, but I’m hoping they attempt to dip at least one in the hummus. And the skittles have dye in them and I don’t care - it’s the least of my concerns at the moment. I want my kids to not think that desserts are a reward, so they are served with their meals and not something they get because they finished their meal. 🙂

I may post more ideas if I get a wild hair in the evenings as I pack my kids lunches. 🙂

08/26/2025

Biggest Loser Recap. I watched it when it came out & I was planning on writing some profound post and now I’m kind of over it.

The biggest takeaway I had from the entire show, is #1: I am embarrassed for my former self who actually watched this show. I cannot believe I actually thought it was helping people! And my 2nd thought was, no one associated with the show had any sort of remorse. 🤮

Honestly that’s all the energy I can give to this ridiculous show that had a platform to shame fat people and use it as a disguise that they were helping people.

I have been very open on here that I worked at a “weight loss camp” the summers of 2008-2012. Yep, I was an RD for 2 of those years. In my defense I thought I was helping people the first couple years. After I became an RD I realized the diet was completely unsustainable - Hello Snackwells & Fig Newtons. It was a completely fat free diet. Basically the campers were expected to eat as little fat as possible. I know, gross. I mean of course they lost weight because they were essentially restricting calories and exercising multiple hours per day. I cannot say it was my proudest moment that I was involved with this program.

But in my defense, I brought my fitness background to the camp, and had the kids doing fun workout classes, running, and even training for triathlons. To me, that was really amazing to see. But I also dang help but think I could have caused some of those campers to have an unhealthy relationship with food & exercise. I am sick to my stomach thinking about it. Why? Well I’m not a sociopath for one, and I have feelings of remorse, unlike anyone who was associated with the Biggest Loser.

At the end of the day I thought I was helping those kids, and maybe I did help some, but I also believe I caused harm & that was never my intention. With what I know now, after working in the ED field for over 10 years, I absolutely would never support something like this again. All I know is I am grateful that I learned from my mistakes & I will never promote anything like this again, and for that I have to be ok with it. My intention was and still is to help others without causing any harm.

08/26/2025

Nora & I made homemade peach ice cream this past weekend. One of my favorite recipes - my mom used to make fresh peach ice cream when we were kids and love passing along to my girls!

Ice Cream Base:
1 Cup Milk
2 Cups Cream
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
1 Tbs Almond Extract

Peaches:
2 Cups Peaches
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tbs Almond Extract

Mix up the ice cream & then add peaches soaked in sugar & almond extract. Freeze for 4-6 hours. Makes 10-12 cups. Enjoy.

Yes. I let my kids eat ice cream because every childhood summer should include ice cream. Please, do not limit your child’s food intake and “healthify” everything. Let ice cream be ice cream!

Also this recipe is included in my August Newsletter so be sure to sign up @ www.realnutritionandfitness.com

08/18/2025

Let’s talk weighted vests. As you can see in this photo I am not wearing one. I took this picture on a 4-5 mile walk this morning & I will tell you, lots of women were wearing them walking down the street. Side note, I did walk in a very affluent neighborhood this morning which I believe seems to be the target audience for weighted vests. 🙂 I’m not anti-weighted vests but I also don’t believe them to be some miracle for every woman over the age of 35. Plus, I also strength train 4-5 days per week.

Yes, women need to maintain bone density and muscle mass as we age. It is recommended to do this through weight bearing activities. First off, not every woman in that category is peri-menopausal which seems to be the target audience here and many influencers are targeting women that are not even peri-menopausal in my opinion.

I am 43 and I am currently not perimenopausal. Peri-menopause can last anywhere from 4-8 years but honestly, it is such a wide range for so many women. The average age of menopause is around 51 though, but once again, it’s widely variable so please be aware that just because you are in that age range you might not be in that stage yet. And of course, do not get me wrong, everyone can benefit from resistance training.

This is my advice. If you want to use a weighted vest, use one, but not to the point where you are skipping strength training. If you have access to a gym, or weights, strength training is my first suggestion for maintaining bone density and muscle mass. If you do not, then a weighted vest can be a good option because it is a safe way to introduce resistance training for those women who do not already lift. But, it will not be a replacement for strength training in my opinion unless you are physically unable to or do not have access to weights.

Like I said, do what you think is best for you but also don’t feel like you have to give into this trend & said “magic pill”. And of course please do not replace traditional strength training if you are currently participating in resistance training 1-3 times per week.

08/16/2025

20 Mile Trail Run this morning @ Chubb Trail. It took me about 4hr45min with the elevation, heat and humidity. By the time my run was finished it was real feel 98 degrees and 70% humidity so I sweated a lot, and was fairly fatigued. :)

I decided to try a “new to me” nutrition product - . The sour blue raspberry were my favorite! With 36g carbs & 170mg sodium per package they were on point with what I have been looking for! The taste was good too. So I’m officially adding these in with my rotation, including waffles, gels, smoothie pouches, & hydration!

I fuel every 30 minutes on any run 90 minutes or longer. Today with my bonk breakers, Noka smoothies, & skratch, I hit 90-100g carbs, 1100mg sodium, 5g protein, and 30-32oz fluids per hour. I also weighed myself before and after my run and I only lost 1 # so I would say my hydration strategy was a success even though I did slog through the miles!

I have about 2 months until my 100 Mile Race. And instead of just winging it like I normally do, I am all in with the training, fueling, and hydration for this one! If you feel like you could benefit from a 1:1 session before your big race, please reach out so I can help you dial in your fueling strategy as well!

08/08/2025

Exercise on vacation. Do you do it or not? There’s no right or wrong decision in my opinion as long as the intention behind it is positive. I know some people like a vacation to take a break from everything and relax, so there’s no movement involved. Personally I think I would go nuts if I didn’t do anything. It’s not because I have an unhealthy relationship with exercise - I just like to move and I physically feel better! Then there are others that continue working out per usual, but might be missing out on the actual vacation. I like to find the middle ground.

My family tends to do more active vacations that involve hiking, swimming, biking, and being outside so I factor that in. I just like to have my alone time as well because as you may know, being with your family 24/7 is a lot! ;)

For example, when we go on vacation I still do some movement, usually running. I like to have a break from my family for my own mental health and I’m also almost always training for a race. :) But I pull back on my intensity, duration, and expectations. I know I will not get out of shape for missing my routine for 1-2 weeks. And if you think that’ something that will happen, perhaps we need to talk. When I’m at home I’m training much harder, more specifically and including strength training as well, which is usually not an option.

Regardless, if you are the type of person that wants to do nothing, go for it! If you are the type of person that is leaving your family for hours on end on your vacation perhaps you need to revisit your purpose of exercise. Just make sure you are doing what’s best for you!

08/01/2025

All things carbohydrates. Carbs are king! Or queen! :) As I have said before, so many people fear carbs, even though they are our body’s preferred fuel source. I wish this was not the case because often times I see many individuals under eating and developing an irrational fear towards carbs, especially grains!

If you are sedentary, 1/4 of your plate should be carbs, in the form of grains or starchy veggies. If you are moderately active then 1/3 of your plate should be carbs, and for highly active people, 1/2 of your plate should be carbs! Unfortunately I see too many people skimp on these foods that are necessary for strength and endurance. You might be getting all the protein in, because of course that’s all the rage, but if you eat too much protein, then often times there’s no room for carbs!

If you are low on energy, feeling fatigued, and/or irritable, perhaps look at your carb consumption and start there. I would really love for so many of you all to start adding in more carbs - there is a time and place for both simple and complex carbs! If you are training this weekend, whether running, riding, hiking, biking, working out, etc., your body needs carbs!

07/29/2025

As I sit down to eat my nightly ice cream, I can’t help but think, I’m going to go there. People are literally being starved right now - yes dying from starvation, and I’m surrounded by people on a daily basis in every aspect of my life who are still scared to eat carbs, high fat foods, sugar, or foods deemed as unhealthy. Please, for the love of everyone in this world, take care of your body - give it the fuel it needs, and stop thinking that the only important thing in your life is losing weight or what your body looks like. I know, it’s easier said than done in many cases, but please try. There’s an entire world out there.

I’m finding it increasingly difficult to continue to post with all the terrible things going on in this world. It’s hard right now, and lots of things are feeling very heavy at the moment. So if there’s one thing I’m going to try to do is help you. Be grateful for your life. Be grateful for your privilege. Be happy you have access to food, a place to move your body, medicine & supplements, a bed, clean drinking water, a roof over your head, and all the things that can keep you healthy, because your privilege is the number one thing that is going to keep you healthy.

So many of us have become disconnected from this world with the increased focus on the wellness industry which in my opinion is a personal health choice, not a public health matter. My tolerance for the privileged wellness community is at an all time low right now because of what’s happening right now. If you are worried about eating a bagel, next time think, wow, I’m really grateful I have access to food to keep me nourished, happy, and healthy.

Because, I know this. I am so grateful for the life I have been given and the cards I have been dealt. I will not ignore the privilege I have and I hope you can eventually see that too.

07/28/2025

4 Hour Training Run last Saturday. It was 80F at the start and close to 95F with 70% humidity when I finished. I ran with my friend Lisa at the Chubb Trail for the first 2 hours and then I was all on my own. At the halfway point I refilled my water and skratch & got more food.

For a 4 hour run I took in 90g Carbs/Hour through Skratch Hydration, Huma Gels, Skratch Chews, & Noka Fruit Smoothies. I wanted to add in more food like items but it was way too hot and absolutely nothing sounded good. Since I was running over 3 hours I made sure to incorporate protein = 10g during the run.

Through my Skratch, I had 17.5oz electrolytes = 800mg Sodium/Hour. I need about 1500mg/Hour and I was probably only getting about 800-900mg so I slacked on that. I drank 24oz water/Hour giving me 41.5oz fluids per hour.

My biggest issue I am having is sodium and I’m realizing how much it’s slowing me down the final hour or so of my runs so I will prioritize that in these hot summer training runs. It’s just coming down to me being lazy and not bringing enough electrolytes with me. :) I know what I need to do and for some reason I’m not prioritizing sodium, but this is why we do training runs to prep for our big races. I forgetting how much I’m sweating with the heat wave in St. Louis the last 2 weeks!

If you need help with your sports nutrition for your fall races, now is the time to reach out for a 1:1 sports nutrition session!

07/18/2025

There was a time in my life where all I wanted to do was change my body - basically my entire 20s. I would work out to burn calories and attempt to lose weight even though it never worked. I didn’t realize my body wanted to be at the weight I am at now. For 20 years I have been at the same weight (minus pregnancy and postpartum. I guess for some reason my worth was based on how I looked - and not to mention I worked in the nutrition and fitness field where there was this unspoken expectation that you must “look the part” to be a trainer or a dietitian.

Regardless, once I hit 30 I thought, ok you can spend another decade hating your body and trying to manipulate it, or just accept it. I went with the latter. I quit caring about calorie burning and losing weight. This was right around the time I started training for ultramarathons. I realized I had to fuel to be able to run for 5, 10, 15, 20 hours at a time. I had to accept that this is what I would look like because to me I cared about performance. I realized I was actually decent and that was the motivation to fuel and train right and take care of my body - I wanted to win races!

And just like that, the stress around body image and weight loss and all the other issues went away. I never have had an eating disorder or disordered eating but spent a lot of time disliking my body - something I’m not proud of. But now, 14 years later, I’m so glad I went down this path and discovered ultra running. I run because I love to see what my body can do, not because I want to change it or because I hate it. Plus I also run because I truly enjoy it!

So whether it’s running, biking, hiking, strength training, or any other movement, just find something you enjoy and make sure you move and exercise because you want to, not because you feel like you have to! So many of my clients who use exercise for weight loss alone never stick with it. Why? Because the only purpose is weight loss and that’s not enough to sustain the want to do it.

07/16/2025

This past weekend I went on a girls weekend with my ultra running friends. We ran, we laughed, we ate, we swam, & had a wonderful weekend together to reset! What I love about this group of girls is everyone is real and themselves. There is no discussion of counting calories, earning food, using exercise as punishment, or struggling with body image distress. We get together and talk about real life things and enjoy each others company.

To be honest, I have had to end friendships with people who were so deep in their eating disorder or disordered eating because it was not enjoyable for me to be around. Surround yourself with positive people and you will be much happier. There is an entire world out there - I cannot spend my time with people who only care about weight loss and how they look. Those things aren’t important to me and it’s nice to be surrounded with friends who feel the same way!

We even discussed the topic of body image and commenting on others bodies - because it does happen. And I gave them the advice I give to all my clients. Never comment on someone’s body unless the person can fix it within a minute - spinach on their teeth, dryer sheet on their clothes, toothpaste on their face, etc. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut. :)

Anyway, I’m so grateful to have met these girlfriends over the past 10+ years of ultrarunning. I enjoy being around people who run because they enjoy it - not because they want to change their bodies. They are all strong & confident women & I just love being surrounded by them and being able to call them my friends. :)

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