For some reason I’m finding it harder and harder to work out immediately upon awakening at my parents’ house.
Maybe it’s because Ryan is usually my gym buddy and we’re both typically on autopilot when the alarm goes off at 5 a.m. and head straight to the gym as part of our daily routine? (I miss him!)
For the past few days, I’ve been waking up between 6 and 7 a.m., working for a few hours and then taking a one-hour break to exercise around 9 a.m. or 11 a.m. I’m sure I’ll go back to my old “wake up before the sun rises to workout” routine when Ryan and I move into our new house (in NINE days!), but for now, I’m just going to roll with it.
I think my routine shifted a bit because my mom works out in the late morning and I like having her company when I drive to and from the gym. I’m going to soak up all the family time I can while I’m in St. Pete. This morning I think my mom and I are going to Jazzercise at 9:30 a.m.!
Breakfast
Here’s the other thing: I’ve been hungry immediately upon awakening at my parents’ house. Usually my stomach isn’t growling and I head to the gym on an empty stomach since I get really crampy if I eat within an hour of working out (and I’m not about to wake up in the 4 a.m. hour just to eat a snack).
My stomach never really craves food at 5 a.m., but when I wake up around 6:30 a.m. my belly wants food!
It got what it asked for this morning in the form of a yogurt bowl.
I topped a cup of Oikos blueberry Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries, Multigrain Cheerios and chia seeds and ate a peach on the side.
A spoonful of peanut butter rounded out this meal.
How Did You Discover Healthy Living Blogs?
I have been blogging for just shy of two years. One of the craziest things in the world to me is that less than three years ago, I didn’t even know healthy living blogs existed.
Now blogging is my passion. It’s part of my livelihood. It’s something that consumes my life in the best possible way.
I remember when I stumbled upon my first healthy living blog. I was browsing around Health magazine’s website and read an article written by Tina. At the bottom of the article, there was a link directing readers to Tina’s personal blog, Carrots ‘n’ Cake.
Before checking out Tina’s blog, I thought blogs were like personal journals. I assumed they were maintained by techy people and contained posts that vented about various things that annoyed them. Clearly I was mistaken.
When I clicked the link on the Health Magazine website and saw Tina’s blog, I fell in love with her laid back approach to healthy living. Something about her blog resonated with me. I felt like I read something written by a friend and continued to read daily.
Tina’s blog led me to many other healthy living blogs. Eventually I knew I had to get in on the fun and started PBF. (You may see my totally amateur and embarrassing first post here.)
So now I ask you…
Question of the Morning
- How did you discover the first healthy living blog you ever read?
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The first blog I read was CNC too!
Tina was a success story in Shape magazine a couple of years ago and it mentioned she had a blog. I love success stories so I decided to google her to find the blog (no url given) and I was hooked!
Oh She Glows was another early one for me.
The first healthy living blog I discovered was Gina (the Fitnessista’s), and I think I might have found a comment on hers from you, which is how I found PBF! From there, it was just looking through blogrolls and finding more blogs that had similar themes. I can’t imagine my life without all my blog friends now!
i love gina! 🙂
love you, friend!
Courtney’s blog (yes, Sweet Tooth Sweet Life) was the first blog I discovered. I was drawn to the her fun writing style, and (in the least creepy way possible) I felt like “Hey, she seems one of my girlfriends – someone I’d get along with” so I continued to read, and haven’t stopped. And now she actually knows who I am, which totally blows my mind!
I work from home, too, and find my ideal workout time is around 10am. I know it’s a luxury to be able to pick and work out time, and I appreciate not having to work out at the crack of dawn.. I’ve never been good at that!
I am not sure how I discovered healthy living blogs… I think I found them through ‘Eat Like Me’ blog at Self. Then I was opened up an incredible world that now I feel so thrilled to be a part of! 🙂
i think that self blog is where a LOT of people discovered other blogs! it seems like that was the first legit healthy living blog!
Me too! My very first was about 4 years ago at Eat Like Me on Self.com, sadly the original blogger (Cristin) has left and just recently it’s a new blogger has taken over. Anyway, from there I saw Kath leave a comment and found her blog from there, and from there I found Tina’s blog and then the rest is history. For me it was the best thing I ever stumbled upon and I’m so happy to have found all these wonderful blogs, such as yours, and to be a part of such an amazing community!
I found them when a friend of a friend started hers about 6 months ago. Stylish, Stealthy and Healthy. I love reading them, and have learned so much from all the blogs i now follow. I’ll stick to following all the tips from everyone, until i get the courage to start my own. 🙂
Don’t feel bad, Julie– I NEVER can foster the energy to workout in the mornings. So the fact that you were able to actually do them at some point means something haha
And I discovered the Healthy Living Blog community through Gina’s at The Fitnessista. Once I was hooked, I was hooked!
I read a yahoo article about Katie (keeping up with katie) and then clicked over to her blog…but yours was actually the first healthy living blog I really started reading. I saw your blog name on Katie’s blog roll and was intruiged. 🙂 so good job! 😛
This was exactly how I started as well. I started reading Katie’s and loved it and wanted to read others so I saw yours on her blog roll of people she enjoyed reading.
I honestly cannot remember how I found my first one! I think I was recipe searching online and stumbled upon one! And from there the rest of history 🙂 I want to say that that first healthy living blog I read was CNC/Tina’s too! But I cannot remember for sure.
The first healthy living blog I discovered was PBF!! I honestly can’t remember how it happened lol, but I (like so many other readers) related to how helpful and engaging your posts are everyday…and daily pics of an adorable dog don’t hurt either =)
woohoo! thanks, kate. 🙂 you made sadie blush.
PBF was my first healthy living blog as well! I’ve been reading for about a month now and am in love with your blog as well as many of the other bloggers that were at HLS. I was also unaware that so many ‘normal’ people were keeping blogs. It’s inspired me to start my own… once I come up with a name 🙂 I think it’s an awesome way to relate to people and come up with new ideas, recipes, workouts, etc.
I, like you, fell in love with TIna at Carrots ‘n’ Cake through her articles on the Health website! That was the first healthy living blog I read on a daily basis. She led me to explore the dozens of blogs I read today! I really couldn’t envision how much the healthy living blogger community would help my relationship with food. It really has taught me to lead a balanced life, and that you can always have dessert and treats without feeling guilty (which is something so many woman do not realize!) I <3 Healthy Living Blogs! 🙂
I was looking for recipes in The Kind Life forum and discovered Oh She Glows! I then stumbled upon a couple other healthy living blogs but only read the recipes. After a while, I read the whole posts and discovered I love reading them ;).
I would say I found the healthy living blog community through you! I would read Molly’s “Duchess of Fork” blog (we’re from the same area) when she would post a link on Facebook. One day a few months ago she posted a blog that linked to yours and from there I was hooked. I looked forward to reading your blog every morning and checked out your blog roll to find others!
I honestly don’t even remember the first blog I stumbled on and how it happened. I’m somewhat certain it was Caitlin’s via a search about running, but once I read one post and comments it was like a snowball. I still love finding new blogs in the comments of my favorites!
Glamour magazine actually had one of Iowa Girl Eat’s recipes with a link to her page – which was the first blog I started reading. I didnt even know was a BLOG ROLL was at the time but i googled “blogs similar to Iowa Girl Eats” and found a blogroll – this was just about 6 monts ago and now the 1st thing i do when i get into work is check out your blog, tina’s , gina’s and courtney’s. So happy i happened to find them 🙂
I LOVE asking bloggers this question cause I’m nosy. My first blogger obession was Jenna at eat, live, run then I became obsessed with tina!
me too! i find it so interesting b/c people all seem to have different stories!
Ironically your blog was the first one I ever read and I have been a dedicated reader ever since. In Feb or march I was thinking about starting a blog as a hobby. I didn’t know there wad a healthy living blogging community. I found your blog on Yahoo! They had an article about how people get themselves out of bed in the am to work out, I clicked on your blog thay followed and new I needed to get working on making mine happen! So thank you for inspiring me!
i don’t ever think i saw that article! very cool! 🙂 so glad you found me and decided to start your own blog. woo!
The first healthy living blog I read was actually yours, Julie! You inspired me to start my own blog. I was so nervous about starting one but reading yours everyday really made me want to write one about my life too. 🙂 I love that your blog is not just about exercise and food, you write about your life too. I love that.
The first blog i found was Tina’s @ CNC. I googled treadmill workouts and her website came up in the goole search. I’ve been reading everyday since, along with many others.
A friend from college is real life friends with Iowa Girl Eats Kristin and he posted a recipe of her’s on Facebook. So basically all the healthy living blogs I’ve come across, she has had linked on her blog.
I just wrote a post about this too! My first was HEAB; I don’t remember how I got there, though.
I was on some magazine’s website (Glamour, maybe?) and they posted Gina (Fitnessista)’s recipe for the breakfast cookie. The rest, as they say, is history!
I grew up with Beth from http://www.bethsjourney.com . She had sent out a link to her blog out in Facebook. I immediately loved he blog and was led to a plethora of healthy living blog and he rest is history
The first one I found was ohsheglows on fitsugar and then shortly after I found you on there too!
I (still) love your first post. “holla!!!”
i am such a cornball. where did that even come from!?
I found my first healthy living blogs through my sister. I am not sure how she found them. Your’s came to me when Janae from HGR had you as a guest blogger. Been hooked every since! Thanks.
The Kidless Kronicles
The first blog I stumbled upon was PBF! ! ! ! I think I was searching the web for healthy snacks involving peanut butter, and then boom there was your blog the disney land of peanut butter snacks! 🙂
After totally stalking your page for a couple weeks and reading blogs of those who comment on yours, I decided I was going to give this blogging thing a try. Now I’m hooked 🙂 Thanks Julie!
i think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my blog – “the disneyland of peanut butter snacks.” 🙂 ha!
That’s too funny! I found your blog via Krista’s blog http://www.healthyberg.com/ which I found thru an article on MSN! I did the same thing where I read the article and saw her blog linked at the bottom of the article!
I loved and could relate to Krista’s desire to be healthy and up and down battles with weight. I eventually would like to start my own blog about my eating habits and exercise but just reading you and other healthy living blogs have been a great inspiration!
On a unrelated note… I’ve been addicting to thebloggess ever since you posted the link for “would like to buy a monkey?”!!
the blogess cracks me up!!
I was searching for recipes & came across ohsheglows. I think that I discovered PBF through a guest post. I have a vizsla too so it was love at first sight 🙂
Actually your blog was the first healthy living blog I ever came across! Well, actually I guess it was “fitsugar” and I found you through there. But, yours was the first personal healthy living blog. I think I read your blog for like a year before I ever commented haha. And then I finally took the plunge and started my own. I had wanted to for a while, but I just kept thinking “why would anyone care what I have to say”. But, then I realized that it doesn’t matter if they don’t care…I care! Thanks to you, I now have something tangible in my life that I’m passionate about :).
i always care what you have to say! 😀
Thanks Julie! 🙂
I’ve realized that one of the best things are all of the comments that my readers share!
I was actually looking for ways to fuel for a morning long run and stumbled across Allie @ Live, Laugh, Eat. That’s when the explosion of healthy living blogs hit me and I love it!
You were the first blog I started reading, and honestly I don’t know how I found you. I think I was searching for something online or possibly through Stumble Upon. I’m glad I found you because now I have my own blog and I love being part of the blog community!
My first discovery was very similar to yours. I was reading a magazine and saw a photo of Angela from Oh She Glows with a quote and a link to her blog. I checked it out and the rest is history! Best use of company internet time ever! 😉 I am so happy that I discovered this wonderful community and am now a part of it. Going to HLS was such a reminder of how supportive and wonderful fellow healthy living bloggers can be.
Gosh I’m not sure, I think it may have been Kath’s ??
Lots of great Healthy Living Bloggers out there…
If only we could take over the world! 😀
The first I stumbled upon was EatLiveRun about two years ago after a friend recommended I read food blogs to help me cope with my eating disorder during my first few years of college. While I certainly can’t say the same about ALL the ones I read, many of the healthy living blogs I began reading religiously opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed: where women nourished their bodies, ate real food, weren’t afraid to indulge, and lived their lives to the fullest. They taught me the importance of loving my body for what it is and how important it is to not only nourish it, but celebrate it through sharing meals with friends and family (whether it’s ice cream with girlfriends or healthy homecooked meals with your parents).
Today, Peanut Butter Fingers is the very first I check in the morning 🙂 Thanks for the wonderful reading (and photos), Julie!
this is a GREAT testimonal for blogs! 🙂 i’m so glad blogs helped you in your recovery. that’s so wonderufl.
I discovered my first healthy living blog through Spark People. One of my friends posted a link to the blog she started on WordPress so I checked it out and it of course took me into the world of healthy living blogs thanks to all of the comments she was getting from other bloggers. Eventually I decided to take the plunge and start my own.
I’ll admit, my route to reading HLBlogs was a little more roundabout. When I decided to get serious about Weight Watchers in March 2010, I started a tumblr strictly as a way to track my points, keep up with my exercise, and find a support network.
It wasn’t until well into my tum-blogging that I found these whole “wordpress” style blogs. Julie, I think yours was the first to resonate me, primarily due to the cups that say R and J (the initials of my beau and me.) I figured it was fate.
Less than a year later, I met you IRL, I have my own blog (though haven’t ever gotten those cups) AND the rest is history.
The first healthy living blog I ever came across was actually YOURS! A friend at work was eating some chocolatey overnight oats and confused about what the weird looking brown stuff was, I asked her about it. She told me she got the idea from a blog called pbfingers and I immediately checked out your blog. I’ve been hooked ever since! And now that you’ve been blogging about HLS, I’ve been keeping up with a lot of the other healthy living bloggers you talk about and I love all of them! But PBFingers will always be #1 in my eye! 🙂
haha that’s too funny! now you can join in on eating food that looks like poo! 🙂
First healthy living blog I found was Caitlin’s! I don’t even remember how I found it but I was soon addicted and branched out from there!
The first blog I found was PBF! I had no idea what healthy living blogs even were and now I’m totally hooked. I was searching ways to cook spaghetti squash and I believe you have a post about cooking it in the crock pot? It was probably the fifth thing that came up on my google search! I’ve been reading ever since and yours is still my favourite!
It’s funny because I always think about how I came across certain blogs and I’m not really sure.
All I know is that I started reading Eat Like Me in college and was OBSESSED! After reading that for a while I found Kath’s and Tina’s and Jenna’s and I’ve been pretty much hooked ever since!
Gosh, I don’t remember how I found it, but SkinnyRunner’s blog was one of the first I discovered. From there, I checked out Run, Eat, Repeat, and then the rest is history.
Now that I know just how many great bloggers are out there, I can’t stop discovering them, which is totally awesome for my Google Reader 🙂
Tina was my first-ever healthy living blog to find too!
I was a member of sparkpeople and looking to lose weight and one day a member posted a link to Tina’s blog and I clicked over. I was instantly hooked and from there I found KERF, HTP, and then yours! Now, I follow hundreds of blogs and love love love the blogging community! Then back in January of this year I decided to do what I had wanted to do for a while and start my own! My favorite part of my morning is catching up on recent posts, I feel lost now without it!!!
While google searching for something random, maybe fueling a workout or awesome oatmeal recipes, I discovered Kath’s blog. Then the healthy living blog world opened its arms to me and I was hooked! Now I read you and other like minded bloggers for inspiration and support.
Plus it’s nice to know I’m not crazy when I crave a good workout and tons of peanut butter! Thanks Julie.
The first healthy living blog I found was Hungry Runner Girl and I honestly have no idea how I found her! I found your blog from your guest post over there and I’ve been addicted ever since! Both of you actually inspired me to get into running again! And I’ll be doing my first ever 5K on Thanksgiving day! And I’m also so excited about your blog talk tuesday’s posts! I’d almost given up on blogging (although I’m switching things up for a new blog I have in mind) because blogger is terrible!!! So I’m thinking of switching to wordpress and downloading the writer program! LOVE PBF!!
yessss. wordpress & WLW save the day!
I first discovered healthy living blogs from a friend while at college. We were both bored during a science class and were on our laptops, I looked over and saw PBF on her screen and was immediately curious, I’ve since started my own and continue to read more!
hahaha i LOVE this!
Your blog and Une Vie Saine were the first two I found online. I used to do Weight Watchers but didn’t love all the fake fiber and processed foods they used and promoted so I literally googled “healthy living” and found some great blogs written by girls around my age and it inspired me to not eat to lose weight but fuel my body with what it needs to be at it’s best. Not to say I don’t have those I hate my (whatever body part) days but overall I’m much happier so thanks for reading this far and being so inspiring!
Your blog was actually the first one that I stumbled upon and I don’t even remember how that happened! All I know is that from what started as just reading your blog became reading tons of others and eventually starting my own! Thanks to your inspiration and email push!!! Thanks again Julie! 🙂
A couple years ago, I had a new years resolution to eat less processed foods. I always ate fairly well and was in good shape, but I wanted to eat less crackers, pasta, etc and eat more whole grains and veggies. I was googling all kinds of things for inspiration and at one point must have searched “real food” and came upon Kath Eats Real Food and the rest is history 🙂
I can’t for the life of me remember HOW I stumbled on Emily from Daily Garnish’s blog, but I got there and was hooked. I devoured her blog in marathon sessions and then discovered there was an entire community that she was apart of. From there I saw Caitlin’s HTP and just spent days reading all the other blogs I found as a consequence. <3
My sister actually discovered YOUR blog first when she was looking up bachelorette party ideas and your blog popped up on google. She continued to occasionally read up on pbfingers, and eventually shared it with me! Anddddd my love for healthy living blogs (obsession really) began! The rest is history 😉