One of My Inspirations

Beth from Shut Up and Run! had a blog post this week that really resonated with me. She talks about her choice to eat healthy, even though she is naturally thin and could eat just about anything, because she runs, bikes and swims like a madwoman, burning off a million calories a day:

 I may have stolen borrowed these pics off her blog.

"I believe it’s a lifestyle. It’s finding the connection between how you feel mentally, emotionally and physically and what you put into your body. There is NOTHING I eat in a given day that I eat without being completely conscious of how it is or is not contributing to the well being of my body. Awareness is key. When we get disconnected, we make poor choices."

Disconnected. That is truly how I felt the majority of my life. Disconnected from my body. Like I had no control over how my body looked, and more importantly how it felt. It has taken years of my adulthood to realize that I have a choice. I can feel good, or I can feel bad. That is one reason I started this blog: to record my journey to become connected to my body again through healthier eating habits and exercise.

No, I am not naturally thin, athletic or fast. And I have to work like hell to just maintain where I am physically. I have to exercise 4-5 days a week. I can't eat donuts or ice cream or pizza or even drink sweet tea 7 days a week without blowing up like a beluga whale. And believe me, I would love to drink sweet tea everyday, all day long.  But, in the end, I have to take care of my body. It is the only one I have. It can do amazing things like grow a baby, give birth, and run. Maybe not fast, but boy can I run!

Beth is an inspiration to me. Not because she is super thin, or because she is totally hilarious (which she is, you should read her blog). But because she takes care of her body by eating well (most of the time, nobody's perfect...) and consistently working to maintain and even improve her fitness level--if that's even possible. The woman's a athletic freak of nature, just sayin'...;-)