If you follow me on social media, you probably noticed that I’m an active person who loves to run. I workout often and eat pretty well, but for some reason, I would get stuck at 164 lbs. No matter what I did (or didn’t do), the weight would drop but never below 163. 
so frustrating. Sure, my goal is to be healthy, but I also know that my outside at some point should reflect the healthy lifestyle I’m living.
Now, I know that weight doesn’t fall off quickly. Well, not if you’re doing it in a healthy way, so, I gave it time. But, we are now a year in, and still – no matter what the scale won’t go below 163.
Since my goal was to be healthy, I’ve tried to focus on the positives of my non-scale victories, and there have been many. But, I couldn’t shake this feeling something more is going on. I’m a certified personal trainer, running coach, and nutrition coach. It’s been years since I’ve actively stepped into those roles, but when I did in the past, I was great at it. I know what my body should do and how it should feel. But, I wasn’t feeling it. Something is not right.
In the fall I made a choice to start at the beginning…so, running a marathon became a long-term goal I set out for myself. Knowing more than I did when I started running in 2009, I built a well-rounded fitness plan. With each passing week, I grew more motivated and determined. But, the weight wasn’t coming off, and for anyone who runs, you know that even 5lbs of extra weight can make a huge difference. Nonetheless, I kept going.
Setting out a lofty goal for myself, I ran 2 half marathons 7 days apart. I knew I could physically do it, and I did. With my second race finish being faster than my first and my recovery time drastically shorter than the first, I was extremely proud of myself as a coach. I did it – and did it well, with excellence.
Now that the 2 big races for this season are behind me, I’m focusing on healing my body. Something was wrong. I knew it. I felt it. So, I started this program called 4 week Gut Protocol developed by Autumn Calabrese. Basically, it’s an elimination diet that promotes gut health but also determines your food sensitivities.
It’s an extremely well-balanced program that provides you enough food where you’re not hungry, giving you enough energy to workout (low-impact). There hasn’t been one day I was hungry. As a matter of fact, there are days (like yesterday), I couldn’t eat as much as I was “supposed to.”
If you’ve read this far you’re probably thinking, “what the heck does any of this have to do with coffee and matcha?”
Well, let me explain.
As part of the protocol, I should be limiting my coffee intake to no more than 3 cups a week. Some would say you should completely eliminate it during this stage. However, there’s so much information out now about the benefits of coffee that it’s a toss-up. I’ve been drinking coffee since a little girl. It’s not about the caffeine for me. It’s about the taste. I love it. Plus, there’s a comfort that goes along with holding a cup of coffee during a conversation or sipping it during a meeting.
But, one of the reasons some suggest eliminating it is to test if coffee is aggravating your gut. Some people don’t do well on coffee, and it’s not because of the caffeine.
If you know me, you know I love coffee and I have the mugs to prove it. But, I’m committed to figuring out what is happening in my body that’s preventing it from functioning properly, so I decided to drop coffee for a while. There has never been a tea or drink that has substituted the fuzzy good feelings coffee gives me (again nothing to do with caffeine), so when I go without, I miss it.
Matcha enters the scene…
My daughter loves matcha and has suggested I try it numerous times, but for some reason, it didn’t appeal. While I love iced green tea, hot green tea isn’t my fav, but Autumn shared a recipe for matcha that fit the protocol and I tried it.
I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth-tasting warm beverage that gave me pleasure to drink! This was it! I found something to replace coffee that would help me miss coffee a little less. So, I then explored all things matcha. What it was. Its components. Benefits. Concerns. I was impressed.
I’m not just discovering my food sensitivities. This journey will take me well beyond 4 weeks because I’m in the process of healing my gut. It became apparent to me just after 1 week that my gut is damaged and it was causing all sorts of issues, including hypothyroidism. And I have this odd feeling that coffee was contributing to it. It’s not to say I can never have it again, but I need to heal my gut first. It’ll take a while and having matcha as a replacement has made this experience more pleasant.
I’m sharing this with you because maybe you are going through something similar. Maybe you love coffee as much as I do but know you need to reduce how much you drink, yet still, need a mug of deliciousness to sip on as you enjoy life.
Meet matcha! It’s good for you in so many ways and is filled with as many fuzzy happy feelings as coffee
But don’t be mistaken, coffee and I will never end our relationship. Once my gut heals I’ll enjoy it every once in a while – well because it’s a beautifully comforting nostalgic beverage that justified my mug addiction.
That’s it for now. Until next time 
PS. This morning I weighed in at 161 – it’s working! I’m healing. This is only the beginning.
RUNNER'S REVELATION 