Eating Clean

One of the battles I face daily is the struggle with weight. I got weighed at my new doctor's the other day and the number was, honestly, lower than I expected, but it is not where I need to be. Yes, I don't buy into the BMI charts...I would be considered obese. I know I am overweight, but I am NOT obese. Still, I am very aware that losing weight will be best for me and I think often about how much larger I would be if I weren't so into fitness. Ultimately, however, weight loss is often 80% (my own, unproven, largely guesswork figure) nutrition and 20% regular activity. Of course, my figures don't include genetics, and with my own suspected hobbit heritage, I am afraid I will never be model thin.

So, one of the recommendations my new doctor made (he specializes in holistic, alternative medicine) is that I eat a low carb, gluten free diet. He also gave me a list of supplements as long as my arm. My stated goal is not weight loss, per se, but getting to a point where I might not depend on certain medications. It's gratifying to have verified for me that clean eating is the way to go, as many of the recipes I've seen account for gluten free diets and the like. So, it seems that I need to begin planning to eat clean and, as I am a great planner, but not so great at the actual doing of the plan, hopefully, the real support of my medical professional will keep me at it. (I had mentioned clean eating to my previous doctor who still wrongly believed it was a tool for bodybuilders who ate only grilled chicken and salad...I mean, really...) I like too, that it's only loosely refer to as a "diet." Diets generally refer to unpleasant deprivation and imply that it is temporary. You go on a diet to lose weight and once that is accomplished, you go back to doing what you did before, yes? Eating clean is intended to be a lifestyle. So, why haven't I begun eating clean yet? What am I waiting for? Well, that is the question. Back to the whole planning thing. It would involve a whole level of organization that I aspire to, but have never quite been able to manage. As with anything, I will attempt babysteps into this new way of eating. Along with the management of the supplements I will be taking, I imagine I will be doing a lot of baby steps and planning. I have found a number of resources, including The Gracious Pantry , and The Joy of Clean Eating, as well as, Oxygen Magazine and Clean Eating Magazine.

On another note, I walked the 5K route for the Thanksgiving race that my cousin and I are doing. We scouted out the hills, so we can figure out when to run and when to walk. Another good reason to lose weight is that running will be much easier and I might actually get back to 10:00 minute miles. Yes, this means that I run MORE than a 10:00 minute mile now, which is almost like walking really. However, I win the fight every time I get out there and move my body, whether I walk or run, so that's all that counts!