At the beginning of the year I had this goal about my health and fitness. It first started as a diet goal of being on Whole30 for at least 90 days. Turns out instead of being on a “diet,” I refocused on being committed to being healthy for 200 days leading up to the Refuse To Abuse 5k. Now after 200 days of this goal, I thought it was time for an update and overview of how I felt throughout the whole process.

No, I haven’t loss the weight I thought by the end. In fact, I’ve gained some, but I think it’s important to share what I’m going through so others who are going through similar things can feel encouraged to keep striving toward their goal.

First- I will not be sharing comparison pictures because as one blogger pointed out, a picture does not do justice to how a person feels about their results. To base how healthy a person is by how they look you will miss the real important aspect of being healthy is. Second- I am still continuing on this goal for the rest of the year, just not documenting it every month from this point onward. Third- it is never too late to start being committed to being healthy! Just start today!

Okay lets get on with the recap!

Recap

The two-hundred days of this goal started January 2nd to July 20th.

How Was I Successful?

I finished the 5K in 45 minutes! Also I have a better understanding of the definition of being healthy is for me. Even if I did not loose weight I had planned to, I was still successful in figuring out what healthy lifestyle moving forward in my thirties.

What Didn’t Go So Well?

Having accesses to unhealthy food at work. There was always temptations flouting around at work when it came to food. It seemed there was always some catered event, leftover pizza in the break room and the office candy bowl. I know if a fact I’m a stress eater, and anything chocolate is my weakness. The first 90 days on the Whole30 was brutal when Kit-Kats are staring at you and all you want is to eat all the Kit-Kats by the end of a stressful day. Also the food truck rotation didn’t help much either when someone in the office kept stealing your lunch ( who steals salad?).

What Could I Have Done Differently?

We all wish stress could magically disappear when we are trying to improve our health. If I could go back over the last 200 days, I would change how I managed all the stress. In a few of the posts on this goal I noticed there was a pattern of stress needing to be dealt with. I could have added more self-care time to my week to manage all the stress from a job that was too demanding at times (boss emails you Saturday night about work the following week!). Also working more on the mental health side of the equation than just the physical side. I focused more on the physical aspect than the inner mental aspect which could have contribute to unnecessary food issues.

How Do I Feeling?

Runner’s high is one hell of a feeling! I feel better about myself for completing this one goal of committed to being healthier version of myself for 200 days. I feel whole lot better physically and mentally than I have in a long time. There is this optimism present in my life right now even when current issues with stress from major events happening while doing this. The Whole30 is known for the non-scale victories of clearer thinking and more optimistic outlook after being on it for more than thirty days. Its like a runner’s high!

What Motivated Me?

Motivated by crossing the finish line at a 5K is what motivated me to do this. After all it had been a few years since I ran my first (and probably only) half-marathon. Taking up running again after a few years off had it’s challenges, and training for a 5K was a good starting point to get healthy again. Another factor motivating me was the fact I had for some time had an unhealthy relationship with food and yo-yo dieting kept me in a cycle of self-hating which took a form of doing Whole30s at the beginning of the year only to fall off the healthy train after completing them. By combining the two, it helped me stay on track.

Non Scale Victories

• Falling asleep more easily and staying asleep.
• Healthier gums and whiter teeth (Dentist noticed this at my last check up).
• More optimistic, laugh more, and more outgoing in social situations.
• Recover more effectively from exercise.
• Outside more often.
• Need less caffeine to get me up in the morning.
• Healthier relationship with food.
• Hit a new personal best in running and in healthy eating.
• Fewer blemishes, longer stronger nails and thicker hair.
• Less bloating after eating.
• Became more consistent in moving and exercise throughout the day.
• Drank more water throughout the day.
• Improved performance at work.

Need To Improve On- Non Scale Victories

• Not using food as: comfort, reward or as stress management.
• Handle stress and anxiety better.
• Improvement in mental health.
• More defined muscle tone and leaner appearance.
• Not getting cranky when I haven’t eaten in awhile.
• Longer mile hikes without legs giving out.

I Give Myself 4/5   Stars

As you can see, even after seven months in on my goal I still have some improvements to make. Being committed to being a healthy version of myself takes time, patience and constant improvement daily to stay healthy. As I said above, this goal is not done with me crossing the finish line of my 5K, but keep striving to improve further until the end of the year.

One thing I have learned is being healthy is a lifestyle change that you have to make an effort to make changes on the daily. Being committed to being healthy is one large goal with many mini goals needed to reach the target goal. Either way, diet alone does not get you there, but a combination of diet, exercise, and self-care helps to get there in the end.

To all my reader who followed along, thank you for the support as I document this journey to crossing the finish line at Refuse to Abuse 5K!

Blog Posts In This Series:

30 Days Whole30 60 Days Whole30 90 Days Becoming Healthy 120 Days Becoming Health 150 Days Becoming Healthy 180 Days Becoming Healthy 20 Days Before Race Day