Run Eat Repeat is a fitness blog that documents the fitness and wellness journey of Monica, a twenty-something from Southern California. Monica loves to, well- run and eat, and her blog follows her story as she navigates issues like weight loss, intuitive eating and training for a marathon. If you’re active or are trying to be, we definitely recommend that you check this blog out. You may be inspired, you may get a great recipe idea, and you’re guaranteed to smile. TourDeFIT.com sat down with Monica to discuss all things Run Eat Repeat. 

Monica on her inspiration in creating this blog: “SELF Magazine used to have this amazing feature online with a registered dietician called “Eat Like Me.” And basically, she would post a picture of each of her three meals a day, and exactly what she ate. It was cool to see what a dietician eats, and I thought this was a cool idea that I could do. I love eating healthy and seeing what other people eat for inspiration and motivation.”

Monica on her weight loss journey: “I grew up overweight, and my friends are very petite. I have this picture of my best friend and me in 3rd grade, and I’m like a foot taller than her and about 30 something pounds heavier than her. Growing up, being a girl, I was always aware that I was bigger than all of my friends. It was a big issue for me- it made me very self conscious. 

In high school, I was finally in a place where I wanted to lose weight. I didn’t necessarily do it smart at first- I tried SlimFast, I tried Jenny Craig, I tried every diet out there. But I also started to walk for exercise. That really sparked my love of exercise and running. The more I ran, the more it kind of intersected with what I ate and the more aware I was of how what I ate fueled or contributed to my running. 

I started the blog four years ago. I never expected the blog to grow a readership, it started out as a hobby. I was working and had down time, and I literally decided to kind of mess around and started this blog on a whim. And the readership grew, much to my surprise. I think people are drawn to the blog because I really am a totally normal person. I don’t have a perfect body, I don’t eat clean all of the time. I’m just a normal girl who loves to be active and likes to eat clean. I love sharing my little goings-on. It’s my public diary- it’s a record for me more than anything.”

Monica on intuitive eating: “Intuitive eating is the concept that listening to your body and getting in touch with your hunger and fullness signals will help you to maintain a healthy weight. I think it’s a big issue right now because people are holding on to the notion that in order to lose weight, that you either have to restrict, or diet, you shouldn’t eat carbs, or this that or the other. It’s a whole movement of getting in touch with what your body needs as far as nutrition. There’s not one right or wrong way to eat. We all have different needs and tastes, so intuitive eating is really just about getting in touch with your body as an individual and making intuitive choices from there.”

Monica on the 80/20 balance: “I try to go for a balance of eating healthy 80% of the time, and having some of the more indulgent things 20% of the time. There’s nothing wrong with having a chocolate chip cookie or a piece of cake, and I’m not going to feel guilty about it. Since the other 80% of the time I eat really healthy, it allows me to be able to really enjoy dessert without the guilt.”

Monica on her upcoming running plans: “I was just chosen to be an ambassador in the ING NYC Marathon. It’s really exciting because it’s literally the biggest race in the World, and people come from all over to run in it. It’s about 16 weeks away, which is kind of the perfect amount of time for a full marathon training program. It’s my 5th marathon and I’m really excited.”

To visit Monica’s blog, check out www.runeatrepeat.com. And be sure to stay tuned to TourDeFIT.com for more details and coverage of the 2012 ING NYC Marathon!