Thoughts on My "Diet"

Granted it has not been a full week since I began my 7-week challenge, I figured now was a good time to share my reasoning for embarking on this journey. Let's first be clear, I know I am not overweight by any means. My current body fat percentage lies in the middle of the "Fitness" category. In the contrary, I realize that I have strived to live a "healthy" life by being active and eating my fair share of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and all that jazz. However, I also realized that living a healthy lifestyle is a journey and some guidance never hurt anyone. What truly resonated with me, this occurred after I decided I was doing the challenge, was an open letter written by one of the owners/trainers of Renegade, Jen. In her letter she shared her journey from being an "inactive" youth to fitness trainer and competitor. My youth was not like hers in the activity department, in the contrary I was active in dance (classes 4-6 days/week), but I did eat my fair share of fast foods as did many kids of my generation. What truly struck a cord was about her transition from her youth to her young adulthood. She speaks freely about spending hours in the gym, but then going out on the weekends drinking and eating un-healthy foods. Ok, so I am in my early 30s so I am not binge drinking like an undergraduate, but I saw commonalities with in my own life with working out, but not emphasizing my diet. 

I am now defining diet as the foods you put into your mouth, the combination, amount, and timing of these foods. More recently I have seen many health magazines, blogs, and Instagram speak of the 70/30 approach to weight loss. The 70/30 approach is a rule of thumb that says about 70 percent of initial weight loss comes from changes in diet and 30 percent from exercise. And more recently I have seen 80/20; that kicked me in the butt, literally! 

So basically, I am truly hoping to make lifestyle changes through the next 7 weeks. Am I hoping that I become more lean? Absolutely! I workout often, and have for some time, and to be honest do not believe my hard work shows through, enough. I typically get asked if I was an athlete, or if I run, but I do not have visual definition that I desire. I know that I will not lose 5% body fat in 7 weeks, but I am hopeful that I can "see" some physical differences in my appearance. 

Michelyn