Does the statement, you are what you eat true??

I have always been curious about the validity of the statement you are what you eat?  From fitness pages to diet promoters you always hear trainers or coaches talk about how one should always watch what they eat because it affects your body.  When you are told that diet is 80% in your weight loss journey and exercise is 20% makes it more challenging for one to stick to as a lifestyle.

Did it but didn't appreciate it.

I have been working out somewhat consistently for about 4 years however, my diet hasn’t changed that much over several years. About 8 years ago, I decided to go onto a weight loss journey and I was so disciplined that I obsessed about how much I ate as well as made sure that I worked out consistently.  I lost the weight but I don’t think I recognized the effort I had made mentally and never saw myself as having achieved anything despite the hard work.  Life happens and I fell off the bandwagon and went back to being “comfortable” in my own skin.  I met somebody who once told me that she knew I would not keep the weight off and I recall shrugging my shoulders and pretended to ignore what she said but to be honest it cut deep. Yes, the weight came back but that still does not define me as a person.

I love good food, I believe the best time to socialize with loved ones is over food and you always get to learn more about people when you are sharing a meal.  Whether it is brunch, lunch, dinner, coffee or even happy hour I think people are usually their authentic self when sharing a meal. Two weeks ago, I decided I would keep a promise to myself and watch what I eat while I continue with my journey of being a better me.  I decided to do a 10-day cleanse to reset my body from all the sugar and junk food I had been eating from mid-March since I was still celebrating my half marathon and my birthday.   Talk about taking a celebration too far and I was not guilty at all.  While I was on the detox I continued to go running and it was so rough out there.  Without food in my system I felt like I was carrying 4 people on my back while I tried to run.  I now understand why people are advised not to exercise while doing a detox. 

One of the things am going to observe over a long period is if am going to become a stronger runner, if my body will change, if I will be able to sleep better, how my ankle feels and how I will feel overall.  I don’t expect to have changes immediately since I didn’t get to where I am in a day.  My goal is to remain consistent and enjoy the journey while am at it. I don’t expect to deprive myself of any delicious food but I also don’t expect to over indulge. I will not only use the scale to record my progress but also use a tape measure because there can be changes to your body that cannot be measured by the number on the scale.  Of late the scale is not my friend so we are getting a divorce.  I know there will be days when am frustrated and others where I will continue to be happy but the one thing I know am going to do is enjoy every moment.  None of this will be important if I don’t feel good about myself and are satisfied with every single milestone whether it is big, small or not even visible. 

 In 3 weeks, I will be taking part in the 2 day Avon 39 mile (62.76 km) walk. Training for the walks while also running has been challenging but as somebody told me the other day is that the important things is that it is getting done.  Walking these miles will be a very tiny contribution in the fight against breast cancer.  I will not only be walking in memory of my late Aunt Elousa but for some of my amazing great friends who have fought the fight and are here as a testimony that they are warriors.  I will also walk in memory of those who have lost the battle but did their best.  Here is to a new chapter, a new year and work towards making myself healthier, stronger and a better me.  In the words of my fierce coach remember it is “your race, your pace, your journey”.  Let me also see if you are what you eat is a true statement?