As told to Marty Munson

<h1>  MH: What did your life look like when you were a wrestler and struggling with an eating disorder?   </h1>

<p><strong> DB:  </strong> Each day revolved around a 1000 to 1500 calorie goal that I created with a large emphasis on keeping fat intake under 5g a day, and increasing my fiber to 500% of daily recommendations. </p>

<p>Most days began at 5am with hunger pains, and one to two 100-calorie packs of plain grits. At school, Id immediately weigh myself in the wrestling offices. Lunch consisted of a ziplock bag of carrots and two pieces of extra-fiber wheat bread. If I was feeling good about myself that day, Id allow myself one or two slices of deli meat. </p>

<p>After school we had wrestling practice, and Id weigh myself before and after. By the end of most days, I was exhausted, mostly due to the calorie deficit. </p>

<p>Dinner was a microwavable bag of frozen peas and any vegetable my parents made with their own dinners. Immediately after dinner, I would begin a P90x video workout. I recall doing P90x for almost nearly a year straight without missing a day. Before bed I would revisit the scale numerous times before typically falling asleep around 8pm. I had no energy, and my body certainly couldnt keep up with the amount of work I was doing without a tremendous amount of sleep overnight.</p>

<h1>  MH: What do you suppose was at the root of the disordered eating?   </h1>

<p><strong> DB:  </strong> I ask myself that a lot. I think some of it was a genetic predisposition to mental illness, but I think much of it was environmental as well. I was an athletic competitor, but I never was the top of my team or sport. Above average at best. Losing weight initially gave me a sharp increase in performance and certainly in the attention I received. It became an addiction to feel the praise. What people didnt understand was that the praise was also killing me inside, given the damage I was doing internally.</p>

<p>Eating disorders are mental illnesses, and it was clear I was in a severe depression induced by my eating disorder (or maybe vice versa) and my health was quickly waning. I had numerous doctor visits and even spent time in a pediatric oncology center being tested for what they thought was leukemia. I knew this wasnt this case, I knew that I was simply killing myself from restriction. I knew I had a problem, I was just afraid to admit it.</p>

<h1>  MH: What made you start running?   </h1>

<p><strong> DB: </strong>  My friend and wrestling teammate thought it would be a good idea to take it up as a means of getting fit for wrestling season. I wasnt a great runner to begin with, but I loved the feeling of getting lost in the run. Wrestling was such a high intensity, high anxiety sportit was very difficult for me to cope with the stresses of the matches. Running was the opposite; I was no longer competing against other people. </p>

<p>When youre running, you have a lot of time to be more inward, and I had not taken the time to really listen to what I consider to be my true self before I took it up. Running acts as a form of meditation, it provides a headspace to cycle through your problems and within this, allow you to see with greater clarity the items that must be addressed. </p>

<p>Running brought my issues to the forefront and allowed to me to begin to develop a greater sense of action. Running also taught me the tools of patience, consistency, development, and always asking yourself can I be better? Ive found the answer to this is always yes, and it transfers to all walks of life. </p>

<p>Im now completely recovered from my eating disorder. In the thick of it, you cant see through it. But with the proper focus, discipline, and practice, you can change your patterns of thought.</p>

<p><strong> DB: </strong>  Food used to drive my entire life, but now I view my diet as a necessary means of living and fueling my needs as an athlete. I dont put any energy into the calories of food, but rather, I try to eat as healthy as possible 90 percent of the time so that my body can recover fast, but more importantly, so that my brain and mental clarity are prepared for the day as well. I dont skimp on my indulgences. And I have a rule: If I get invited to go Pizzicletta, a wood-fired pizza place here in Flagstaff, I have to say YES.</p>

<p>In general, before my run, I usually eat two waffles or an energy bar, and when I come back, I have a bagel or toast with an avocado and two or three eggs. Lunch is often a PB&amp;J and a half-pound of trail mix. Dinner, is vegetables, an avocado, eggs, or lentils or chick peas. I snack on fruit and energy bars or homemade Fig Newtons, and at night I have popcorn. I do eat meatafter every hard workout, I try to fit in some form of grass-fed, high-quality meat at dinner. </p>

<h1>  MH: How did you go from non-runner to qualifying for the trials?   </h1>

<p><strong> DB:  </strong> I was certainly not a good high school runner, and I wasnt a great collegiate runner, but I enjoyed the process and the work that it involved. Ive always been an all-in type of person. I had a dream to get into the Olympic trials, so after graduating in 2016, I moved to Flagstaff to train and pursue this dream. I got sponsored by <a href="https://www.brooksrunning.com/" id="15fb2821-eaee-33d2-a5fa-1153c1f6217c">  Brooks Running </a> , which afforded me the opportunity to have the necessary gear to do my training and racing year round. Along with the other Brooks athletes, Ive worked hard training in the past four years. I had some ups and downs, but in late 2018, I executed a great race and qualified for the trials. Since then, Ive dropped an extra 75 seconds in the marathon.</p>

<p>The eating disorder took me to terrible places of darkness in my life. But I always tell people that it was a key turning point. It was a tough time mentally and physically, but it has been my lifes best teacher, although in a very harsh sense. I want people to know Ive been there and that Ive come out the other side. Its possible to make a difference, but that begins with creating a plan and doing the hard-earned personal work to create greater possibilities in your mental and physical health. </p>

Running Rescued This Guy From an Eating Disorder

Belles is running in the Olympic marathon trials on Saturday in Atlanta. In high school, he struggled with an eating disorder that nearly took over his life as a wrestler. Things changed when he found running. He told his story to Mens Health:

Running Saved My Life—And Now I’m Headed to the Olympic Trials

<p>2016 was a crazy year and a crazy election cycle. There were points when I was on the trail for 20-plus days a month, and it took its toll. About a month before Election Day, my mom called me and said in the kind yet blunt way that only moms can: You look terrible. Id lost a ton of weight and wasnt even trying to manage my health. A couple of months after the election, I realized I needed to figure this out, because it was having a tangible negative effect on everything else.</p>

<p>I got very regimented in how I ate and exercised. The key ended up being getting into CrossFitsomething I swore I would never do. Turns out I love the challenge, the energy, and how it carries over into my day. My wife especially appreciates me not being grumpy. And probably most importantly, no matter what happens the rest of the day, I already feel like I accomplished something by hitting the gym. It changes my mind-set and how I operate. </p>

Phil Mattingly's Secret to Taming Election Drama

<h1> What My Healthy Routine Looks Like </h1>

<p>I wake up at 4:00 a.m. every day. Im one of those weird morning people that most people hate. After I make coffee (with heavy cream to provide calories for the workout), I start reading all the major papers you can think of, fire off a bunch of text messages to a group of sources who are also dreaded early risers, and then Im out the door by 4:45. I head over to the gym and work out from 5:15 to 6:15. I might phone some sources on the five-minute drive home to make sure Im in the right place on things. When I get home, I make breakfast for my two boys, who are just waking up, and give my wife a break from our newborn daughter before I head to work. </p>

<p>The gym is really the only hour of the workday when Im completely off my phone. (On the weekends, I make a deliberate effort to put it down. My wife will tell you that effort is subpar, but its a work in progress.) The gym has almost become a safe harbor of time, where I have control when everything else seems to be spinning out of control. I think the chaos [of the news cycle] is the reason Ive become so attached to my routineits one thing I can control each day. </p>

<p>I dont follow any specific meal plan, but I try to eat every two and a half to three hours. I keep myself well stocked with Rx, Quest, and Epic bars so I always have something to grab if Im stuck chasing lawmakers in the Capitol or candidates on the road. I definitely have cheat days, but rarely during the week. The second I go off the wagon foodwise, its going to be a minute before I hop back on. </p>

<p>We face tremendous pressure both externally and internally where weve got to break news, not get beat, and, most importantly, get it right. But the truth is, after three-plus years, you become conditioned to it allto some degree, your metabolism sets itself to that reality. When news is breaking is weirdly when I feel the most calm. I can focus and identify what I need to do and get it done. I dont think you exist in this environment if you dont love it. </p>

<p>Of course, that doesnt mean things are a breeze. There are bad days, days where nothing makes sense, and days where you feel like youre bad at your job. Getting beat on a big story you know you should have had is soul crushing. </p>

<p>But the harsh reality is sometimes you just dont have it all together. You oversleep and miss the gym. You make it to the gym and have a terrible workout. You eat like garbage because you just feel like it. The 24/7 news cycle, or requests from bosses, or public criticism of your work just kind of overtakes you. And that inability to pull it back together can linger for days. </p>

<p>The biggest, probably most important thing, at least in my mind, is the recognition that it only takes one dayor one workout, or one good scoop, or one good night with my familyto get everything back on track. Figuring that outand getting myself to that pointis probably the most important aspect of handling day-to-day craziness.</p>

<p>Also, a little perspective helps. I have friends deployed in war zones, friends battling cancer, friends dealing with significant family issues. Im beyond lucky to have three healthy kids, an unbelievably understanding and patient wife, and a job that sticks me at the center of history every day. </p>

Phil Mattingly hits the gym first thingit lets him chalk up an accomplishment before news-cycle chaos gets going at full speed.

<strong> Phil Mattingly,  </strong> 36, congressional correspondent for CNN, reports all day for the network, files stories for digital, and makes on-air appearances on shows like The Lead with Jake Tapper (4:00 p.m.), The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (5:00 p.m.), Erin Burnett OutFront (7:00 p.m.), Anderson Cooper 360 (8:00 p.m.), and CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (10:00 p.m.). And he manages to get to the gym and spend time with his family, too. We caught up with him between stories to find...

Phil Mattingly's Secret to Taming Election Stress

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As told to Marty Munson

Articles written by the author

Running Saved My Life—And Now I’m Headed to the Olympic Trials

Phil Mattingly's Secret to Taming Election Stress