Welcome back!
I would like to share with you a little of Chapter Five: Thinner Does NOT mean Faster in my next book, Staring Down a Dream: A Mom, a Marathoner, a Mission.
I want to give you a little context—I linked up with Marni Sumbal, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N, owner of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition. She is a registered dietician with extensive experience in sports nutrition.
I had the opportunity to work with her for a few months. I wanted a healthy relationship with food and she asked me some really great questions to get there.
If your struggling with the idea of “Thinner means faster, or “Thinner means you will be a better runner”—I encourage you to consider asking yourself these questions that Marni asked me below.
Please feel free to share this with someone you love.
Take good care,
Julie
A sneak peek at chapter five: Thinner Does NOT Mean Faster
I hesitated. She continued, “What are you struggling with?”
“I don’t want to get fat.” I was so sick of that belief. I can’t believe that I just blurted it out.
Marni’s wisdom prevailed, “Julie, let’s focus less on your weight and more on your body—is your body working for you or against you?”
“Yes, I want to do that. How do I do that?” I wanted to let go of the belief that I needed to be a certain weight to run fast or to run better.
Marni continued, “I want you to focus on how you are feeling and assess what your body can do instead of what it looks like. This will allow you to better understand if you have limiters beyond weight.”
I loved that she was focused on me as a person instead of my body mass index or my weight on the scale. She wanted me to keep these questions in mind as we worked together. “Do you have good energy for your workouts?” “Do you feel strong, resilient, and healthy?” “Are you able to recover well after your workouts?” “Are you feeling stronger, faster, or fitter?”
I loved these questions and was so grateful to be working with Marni. Not only was she extremely knowledgeable and passionate but she was also real and caring. Marni encouraged me to stop worrying about gaining weight and instead get to know my body. She was right. I would get so mad at my body. (Reflecting on this now, I see how this was one of the contributors to my pain.)
I was gaining confidence every day planning my daily diet and balancing each meal. It was getting easier. I sent my sheets to Marni so she could take a peek to ensure I was on track. I liked this accountability as well. I needed it. I didn’t want to fall back into my old habits and it was nice to have her support and encouragement when I felt that pushback.
Thinner does not mean faster