Good morning!
Hello from St. Pete! My mom’s birthday flowers are still in full bloom. What a beautiful thing to look at as you eat breakfast, no?
Today’s breakfast included blueberry-topped protein oatmeal (oatmeal prepared normally with a scoop of chocolate protein powder stirred in at the end) served with a side of mixed nuts.
My mom and I came up with a genius idea to combat my pecan rampage through the big jar of mixed nuts yesterday. Apparently pecans are my mom’s favorite nut as well and she happened to have a bag of unsalted pecans in the freezer that we dumped into the mixed nut jar. Now pecans are flowing freely again and they’re nice and salty, just the way I like ‘em.
I actually ended up incorporating a few nuts into my bowl of oats for some added texture and crunch.
And now for a topic I’ve been meaning to address for a while…
Sometimes Healthy Living Means Saying No
I often receive comments and emails from you guys praising me for my healthy attitude and my ability to indulge “whenever I want” without a thought otherwise. This makes me happy in that I feel like living a truly healthy life definitely includes indulgences.
But, on the other hand, I get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach because I feel like I may be misrepresenting myself and healthy living as a whole.
Don’t get me wrong… I eat foods I love every single day and say yes to dessert if it is offered to me, but I think that sometimes, in the healthy living blogging community, people never want to talk about moments when they said “no” or walked away from indulgent food for fear of people saying that they’re “depriving themselves.”
But the truth is healthy living is saying “no” sometimes.
This morning, as I stared into parents’ pantry, Raisinets and peanut butter M&M’s stared back at me and my body and cravings wanted to eat them for breakfast. Saying no to candy in favor of wholesome oatmeal was a healthier decision and one I was happy I made in the end.
But it’s not something I’d normally blog about.
You better believe I say “yes” when I probably should say “no” quite often. I eat a third slice of birthday cake. I opt for the side of fries instead of fruit sometimes.
But not all the time.
I don’t want to misrepresent myself or healthy living on this blog and just felt the need to clarify that sometimes I do say “no.” If I pass on dessert because I ate half a loaf of bread from the bread basket, that isn’t deprivation. That’s me trying to be a little healthier.
I guess another way to view this thought is that healthy living is saying “yes” on occasion. Not all the time. But sometimes.
Sometimes it’s a good idea to pass on another cookie. Sometimes it’s not. It’s all about daily decisions with the end goal of living a healthy and satisfying life.
I just wanted to make sure you guys don’t think I’m out there saying “Bring it on!” to every indulgent meal that comes my way. That’s simply not true… though some days it is. Hello, cake for dinner!
Question of the Day
- If you’re an active blog reader or blogger, do you think there’s apprehension to talk about moments when you “said no” in the healthy living blog community?
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I almost feel the opposite way – especially as a dietitan; sometimes I hesitate before posting about my indulgences. I think it all comes back to an overall healthy, balanced, lifestyle… and saying “yes” to more wholesome foods than junk food.
as a dietitian, i can definitely see how people would think you need to be “perfect” all the time. i think you’re right about it all coming back to living a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Very well stated ladies! I completely agree with everything coming back to balance. It is interesting because as a dietitian, I react completely differently to these pressures. I often find myself saying “yes” to treats (especially in the workplace) because people will give me a hard time (for being too “healthy”) if I always say “no”. I still consider myself fit an healthy but I find myself eating treats when I don’t really even want them… This is something that I have to work on but isn’t it interesting the pressures that are placed on dietitians to eat a certain way?
Interesting post Julie! Haha I’m not a dietician but I get comments from people around me quite often if I’m eating very well and healthily, b/c they want me to “indulge” and be unhealthier in their terms, but it doesn’t bother me.
On the other hand, when people who know me really well see me eating (grazing) on a bunch of pastries, then they’ll give me a funny look and say something like, “whoaaa you sure do have a sweet tooth! I didn’t know that!” And I know that they don’t mean it in a bad way either! They’re just not used to those things.
My point is, like you said, balance is important, and yet no one will ever be pleased with what we do 100%. However, I find that lately several people are asking me more and more to help them work out and eat “healthier”! And this is a privilege in my opinion. I’m not an expert, but still learning 🙂
AWESOME post! In fact, one thing I never discuss is how sometimes (just sometimes) I am glad I am gluten intolerant because that makes it easier to say no to a lot of things when I’m out at a party or something and would say “yes” otherwise. Am I cop’ing out by just “saying” I’m gluten intolerant? Absolutely not. However, I can assure you it makes things easier sometimes!
Please, please don’t take this the wrong way, i dont eant to offend anyone, thisnis simply an observation that has bothered me. a lot of the healthy living bloggers I read are “gluten free”…A TON… And sometimes I wonder if this is often used as an excuse to deprive themselves without coming off disordered. I’ve been through seven horrible years of anorexia/over exercising and I would try to come up with medical reasons as why I couldn’t eat something. So when I read about yet another gluten free blogger, I have to wonder…what percentage is actually gluten free versus looking for a coverup??
No, I definitely understand, and sometimes I wonder this too. In my case, however, it is definitely a medical reason for me not to eat gluten as I have been advised by a doctor to eliminate it after testing! I think some people look at it now as a “diet fad” or a “trend” – I think that there is some gluten that ALL people should avoid (think highly processed white, bleached flours) but gluten ingeneral should not be avoid unless there is medical reasons to back it up!
YES! I totally agree, i try not to eat highly processed foods too but not in a million years would I use the excuse of going gluten free. There are two bloggers that I normally read that recently claimed the whole gluten intolerance bit and I think it’s just like you said, a trend. And then a couple weeks later nothing was ever mentioned again. that annoys me a little, to be honest. I love bloggers like you, chelsea (although i dont have a blog so i hardly comment) and Julie who don’t jump on the bandwagon and stay true to who you are.
I think you’re right, Heather. I don’t want to accuse anyone, but there is weirdly a lot of bloggers who have some kind of intolerance that makes them give up some kind of food … Eden called them The Excuse Whores, lol.
As someone who is currently struggling with anorexia nervosa (hard to type that), I agree about the wave o intolerances that some food bloggers claim to have. Since I am trying with all my might to get better, I always stop and re-evaluate the blog at those times (are the exercises extreme, does the blogger look unhealthy, does it trigger ED thoughts). If it has any of these aspects, I unsubscribe immediately. It’s not just about making sure I stay on the path to reovery, but by me unsubscribing I am making these unhealthy blogs lose readership, which reduces the likelihood that these unhealthy messages will reach more vulnerable people.
Haha, YES, I love Eden!! Having had an eating disorder it’s easy to spot others who are disordered an anytime someone gives up a food group, i grow hugely skeptic. I like these honest blogs where people can say yes to food but also No. I like to think they really ARE healthy!!
I’m glad you went there on your blog!….I sometimes feel that we get so caught up in being positive that we aren’t simply real all the time…. I totally understand where you are coming from….. However, I always say YES to SPRINKLES! 🙂
Very good point. The hardest part about feeling good and maintaining a healthy weight is determining when it’s ok to say “yes” and when you must say “no”.
and saying “no” can be the hardest part about healthy living, in my opinion!
Wow Julie! Thanks for being so honest. I’m not going to lie I didn’t think you really ever did say no that often. I mean obviously I know you have had to say no at some point but it does sometime come across that you don’t. It never mde me love you any less…it kind of made me envious but I feel really good right now knowing that even you say no sometimes. Making the conscious decision to be healthy versus just having it come to you naturally. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and enjoy your day with the family!
Yes, yes, and yes to this post!!! I’m right there with you that I will happily eat what I enjoy but also know my limits as well. Thanks for putting it into words Julie.
And THREE WEEKS from today we will have a whole weekend together. Cannot wait!
WHEEEEEE!!!! 😀
Great topic! You are such an inspiration/motivation – I feel like your blog represents all aspects and don’t think you are leaving anything out – it’s awesome to read it! Have a great day!
Thank you for this! I do think that we tend to write about the times we do indulge because it’s fun and delicious…but I do say no too- if I didn’t, I would not be the size I am and I wouldn’t feel good inside. Love you for your honesty! Check out my first giveaway if you get a chance 🙂
I do think there is that apprehension because you think you’ll be judged or accused of having an eating disorder. But in reality, it’s important to be honest and let readers know how you really interpret your own healthy living lifestyle.
Great post! 🙂
exactly.
very well said lindsey!
I couldn’t agree more! I sometimes feel a little nervous when I blog about eating Wendy’s once in a blue moon, but I feel more comfortable doing that rather than saying “I really wanted frozen yogurt tonight, but I just said no” because then people assume that your definition of “healthy” is “deprivation”. My biggest motto is “everything in moderation – even moderation.” 🙂 Great post, Julie!
I think its SO easy to misinterpret (mainly if you’re looking for it) someone saying no to mean they’re depriving themselves. It’s difficult to talk about your decisions, defend them, and still come off as a normal healthy person. I think you did it famously 🙂
I don’t naturally have a sweet tooth (I have a bit of one now that I’m 34 weeks preg, but it’s unusual). I’ve actually found myself ordering dessert before that I don’t really want to prove that I don’t deny myself. How silly is that? I enjoy eating healthy, and when I’m splurging I prefer french fries and nachos, not cake. However, I’ll still order it sometimes to prove… what? I’m not sure, but long story short, yes I’ve felt pressure to prove I don’t deny myself. How silly!
I think there is a fine line when saying yes or no to certain foods. Alot of my friends do not eat healthy or care too but my family does. Its hard but sometimes saying no makes you feel better in the end 🙂
I totally get what you’re saying! I do think it’s alright to be honest, but I kind of presume that you’re turning down stuff because you’re /not/ eating chocolate for lunch every other day, ya know?
I used to read a blog which talked about saying no but in a very restrictive/disordered way. Not my place to judge her, but since it was triggering for /me/ I had to stop.
Sometimes as healthy living bloggers (SPECIFICALLY after the Marie Claire scandal) we can sometimes think that posting about choosing fruit over the cake can be misinterpreted as disordered or guilt eating. For a while I chose the cake every single time, just to prove to myself (and my brain) that I wasn’t sick. But I ended up feeling really gross after a few weeks. My body LIKES fresh foods and whole foods, and while I do say yes to desserts nearly every day, it’s not because I feel like I HAVE to. I just like dessert. I also say no every once and a while, but it’s not because I’m trying to deprive myself.
Sometimes, the fruit IS dessert. And it pisses me off, so much, when I see other bloggers say ‘fruit is not dessert.’ When you’re maintaining a 70 pound weight loss, or you’re in the middle of losing it, fruit can be the only option you have. Such a great post, Julie! 🙂
“My body LIKES fresh foods and whole foods…”
I think this gets at the heart of what “intuitive eating” is supposed to be about. When you’re in tune with how different foods make your body feel, I believe that it’s easier to make better choices without feeling deprived. If I know I’m going to feel gross after eating french fries, then it’s not a difficult decision to order broccoli instead.
I completely agree with this. Like you, Julie, I let myself “indulge” pretty often, but definitely not at every single meal. There’s nothing “healthy” about eating crap all day every day—-but there’s also nothing healthy about depriving yourself of this stuff 100% of the time, either.
Ever since I started eating healthier (about five years ago), I started to realize how different foods make me feel. I LOVE sweets, and I enjoy them in moderation pretty much daily, but too much sugar literally makes me sick—I get a major headache, and I start to feel nauseous. On the other hand, a piece of fruit has never made me feel sick afterwards. It’s all about listening to your body and giving it what it wants and respecting it enough to say, “Enough is enough.”
i love all THREE of your comments.
Thanks for bringing this up Julie! It’s not always easy to make healthy decisions and often it feels like I’m the only person making them!
I do think there is some apprehension because of society. With everything being all about bigger, better, more and having everything be as easy access as possible, sometimes people do not understand if you do not eat something you want. There is the thought if you are not eating something you want then how can you presume to say you are happy and emotionally healthy. I get comments like that a lot.
Then, there is sometimes the opposite. Where people say good job. I’m jealous of your discipline. You never eat anything unhealthy. Which is not true either.
I think you hit it right on when you said no desert if you eat the bread before dinner. It really is everything in moderation, and a little give and take. We all talk about finding balance and that is all it really is. Balancing the “yes’s” and the “no’s” everyday so that you feel good.
Great post! You’re so thin and fit it’s hard to believe you indulge at all! Maybe you’re also lucky to have great genes too.
I would say that it doesnt seem like the blogging community says no, but more when they cave in to a craving. It would be great if we all showed our strength to say no in terms of just being healthier to show that it’s not easy to always walk away from dessert!
I don’t talk about what I eat often on my blog, but I can say every day for me is about saying no. Or trying to. It’s hard to maintain my weight and I’m not good at it – because I also say yes a lot. So, basically everyday is about me trying to get better at saying no.
I never really thought of it before, but it’s true…bloggers don’t generally talk about that. At least the ones I read. Maybe it’s because they are too busy talking about what they said yes to.
Perfectly said. There is quite the double-standard on those of you with popular healthy-living blogs. You will receive unkind comments for saying “yes” to unhealthy foods, and you will receive (more?) unkind comments for saying no. And what you said is absolutely correct, and I think you are a great example of someone who lives a balanced lifestyle
Hearing when people have to “say no” to a weakness just motivates me because I feel like I’m not alone. I write a lot about things I indulge in, but it’s nice to also be praised for “being good.” There just has to be a balance. I don’t want to read a blog about someone who refuses any indulgences and is preachy about it. That just makes me feel awful when I cave in a little. But it’s also nice to know people aren’t super-human!
i agree! it makes me feel much less “alone” when i hear that other people stuggle with “saying no” sometimes. if i “said yes” all the time, i’d be a walking ice cream sundae.
I love your line about saying “yes” on occasion. Good way to think about it. “yes” is positive and thus can make people feel like they’re getting something vs. losing out.
Well said Julie! I have a HUGE sweet tooth, my downfall has always been sweets (ice cream in particular). I have to constantly say no because if it were up to me I’d have sweets at every meal. It’s all about finding a balance.
Hi Carolina! I have the exact same problem! I would eat ice cream all day, everyday if I did not learn to say no sometimes. I still have a treat though. I balance saying no to ice cream, by eating greek yogurt with a few berries instead.
amen! i swear i would have NO qualms about eating ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I’m glad you went over this, Julie! I think it’s great that you let people know that it’s definitely ok to say no, even in the “everything in moderation” approach, you don’t always have to “give in” to something indulgent just to look like you’re in complete balance – you’ve got nothing to prove to anyone 🙂 You live a lifestyle suited for YOU and that means saying either yes or no regardless of what others may say or think.
Thanks for this post, it’s good to clear things up, for sure, sometimes people get the wrong impression from reading blogs, they don’t see the whole entire story!
Enjoy your day, girlfriend!
I’m so glad that you shared this experience Julie, I think it’s important (helpful) to relate your own struggles to stay on a healthy track.
Although it’s not always easy to share my deepest struggles on such a public forum I do when it comes to still having urges to return to very unhealthy habits (I am a recovered bulimic). I think so many readers can relate and appreciate that someone shares why these urges come back and how I deal with them and move forward.
Very well said 🙂 I feel sometimes people think that i am depriving myself, when like you said it is only make trying to make healthier decisions most of the time. I prefer to keep treats/dessert for when I really want them. Example – I am not a cake fan (crazy I know!) so often I pass on cake, only because I know I wouldn’t enjoy it enough for it to be worth it. I would rather have ice cream or a cookie later 🙂
and i think you should not be criticized for that AT ALL! if you don’t want the cake, that’s OKAY! 😀 and i agree – ice cream > cake.
I completely understand what you’re saying and I don’t think you’re misrepresenting yourself at all. I think that’s what the blog world is all about – seeing how, when people DO say yes to treats and things, they balance it out (with other healthier meals/exercise/etc.)
I think we all understand and know that you CAN eat whatever you want, but that doesn’t mean you’re ALWAYS eating whatever you want and disregarding nutrition. It’s like Bethenny Frankel says “you CAN have it all – just not all at once!”
LOVE that quote! bethenny is the jam.
Thanks, Julie! Saying no is definitely the hardest part especially for someone who is just getting into eating healthy and trying to live a healthy lifestyle. My family looks at me like I am crazy if I turn down icecream (after having it 2 days in a row before) or ask for a smaller piece of pie. I don’t feel like I am depriving myself but I am very concerned about what others think. It’s great to hear when others say no and that it’s OK to say no.
This is such a great post! Now that I started my blog its funny when I’m out and I do get something “unhealthy” and my friends will say, don’t put that on the blog. Of course I will! Like you said, it’s all about healthy living, if you say no to the bread basket, have the frozen yogurt, balance it out! I do feel pressured if I say no to something that everyone else is ordering, like a big dessert, its sometimes a hard decision to make but it’s just not worth it to me sometimes.
I definitely think that there’s hesitation out there in the healthy eating blogging community to talk about the times they’ve refused dessert and indulgences. We all, as healthy eating bloggers, share something in common and that is to live a healthy life fueled by truly healthy eats. While that’s true, I think it’s safe to say that we ALL indulge here and there sometimes and that’s A-OK! But since a lot of blogs I read are all about health foods and healthy eating, I can see why a lot of bloggers don’t include all the details about the times they do “let their hair down” when it comes to indulging. Maybe it’s because they don’t want to lose the “trust” of blog readers by making it look like “hey, I don’t practice what I preach, look at what I’m eating today!”
Probably a confusing reply, but not sure how to put what I feel into words. Great post, Julie.
Thanks for this post Julie. I read a lot of healthy living blogs, and I’m working on trying to lose over 100lbs. When I read some of these healthy living blogs and I see all the cookies, and treats I sometimes see them eat, I get a bit jealous thinking “why can’t I eat that way?”
No don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to deprive myself while loosing weight, but I have to be a bit more strict with my food intake then someone who is at a healthy weight.
However, your post made me realize that you maintain your weight because you do, in fact, say no to things all the time. I would go out to dinner before, indulge in the bread basket and have dessert! Navigating around situations where maybe the best choices aren’t always easy is something I like to read about in healthy living blogs. How does someone navigate a party when they are living healthfully? Becasue I’m not quite doing it right myself right now.
I think that this post, and what you show every day is about having a healthy relationship with food, which is the most important thing when trying to live a healthy lifestyle (which can include indulgences!)
Sorry for the long post 🙂
i love long comments. 🙂 and believe me, you’re not alone in thinking “why can’t i eat that way!?” i think we ALL know people who can eat cheetos all day long and not gain a pound, but that doesn’t mean that’s healthy.
I agree! While I know that this blog focuses on “everything in moderation” and healthy, whole foods most of the time, every once in awhile I’ll see you eating fro yo more than once a week (not judging at all here, I am all for froyo 😀 ) and I’ll think aaaaaaaaaghhhh I WANT TO DO THAT TOO. This is just another reason I love PBF, Julie! You keep it real. You are totally honest about loving sweets and having a weakness for them, but I’m so glad you opened up that you do say no when it makes sense to say no. Rockin. Love it.
Thanks for the honesty, Julie! It’s so refreshing to read posts like this. I totally agree with you — sometimes you don’t want to write about how you said no, because then people will think you’re a food nazi. It’s nice to show that moderation is key, and that moderation sometimes involves saying no to things you might want.
I think this is a great post. So often on healthy living blogs I read about indulgences (FRO-YO anyone?!hehe) but I think its also true that there are a lot of instances where all of the healthy, happy, bloggers turn down foods they know aren’t providing much nutritional benefit. BUT I do think it’s important to talk about the delicious indulgences when they do occur, because part of being healthy is being happy, right?!
Great post Julie! When I committed to being healthier & trying to pay more attention to what I was eating, I definitely had to say “no” more than I was used to! If you’re truly trying to live a healthy lifestyle, you can’t say “yes” to every single indulgence… it’s about balancing the two! (Like your bread basket/dessert reference!)
I love that you say that you had to say no more than you were used to. I think for someone trying to lose weight, it’s *really helpful* to see examples of bloggers who know when to say no — because we ALL know that we don’t need someone telling us to go ahead and have that ice cream, haha. The constant positive attitude toward saying yes to treats is awesome because it teaches us that deprivation isn’t a healthy approach to life, but it can also be misleading or tempting…where you don’t realize that a blogger said yes to ice cream because she said no to the second half of her sandwich earlier in the day.
I think there is definitely a taboo in admitting you say no, especially if you are a thin, pretty white woman. People are quick to judge. But I think you nailed it here; pretending you are never tempted is a misrepresentation and might send a message that you HAVE to say yes to every treat to be “balanced.” I think people get really freaked out at any hint of dieting or deprivation.
I totally agree with you. I feel like a lot of the time when a blogger, especially a popular one, talks about how she didn’t eat X, there is all sorts of backlash about how she ran X number of miles and she shouldn’t deprive herself.
A lot of these bloggers have come from a place of weight loss and frankly, in order to maintain that weight loss, sometimes you can’t eat everything you want. Sure, I love to eat Doritos and sometimes do, but the sole reason that I don’t eat them every day is because they aren’t healthy and that is an okay reason.
Not sure if this makes sense. It’s something that I think about a lot though.
I think it’s hard talking about what you eat in general, and when people expect you to eat one way, you don’t want to “let them down” or even embarrass yourself.
My sister and I both recently lost a boatload of weight and I get a little jealous of how much more she lost than I did. Sometimes I feel embarrassed telling her about my meals and indulgences. In my crazy, crazy fits I forget that I’m about 3 inches taller and I took on weight training and she did not!
In reality, I know I’m the only one who gives a hoot about what I eat.
As for occasional treats, I thank sweet baby Jesus for the mini-dessert fad. I indulged in one last night to celebrate my boyfriend’s finishing the bar 🙂
beautifully put.
now, i just need to work on balancing the “yesses” and the “nos”.
This is an interesting topic — I am the same way: sometimes I have dessert, or 2 drinks (or more) and sometimes I say no. It all depends on the day and I think it is up to me to figure out when to say yes and when to say no.
And yes, sometimes saying “no” to cake is the healthy thing to do, and sometimes saying “yes” to the cake is healthy too!
As a 20-something girl, I feel like I have to hide the fact that I sometimes say “no” not only in the blog world, but in my real life! Our culture seems to be caught between disordered eating on both ends of the spectrum, and no matter where you fall, people will criticize you for the choices you make. OH well, as they say, haters gonna hate! Love this post – thanks for broaching the topic!
As a blogger, there are times when I feel I shouldn’t delve TOO much into how many times I say ‘yes’ vs. ‘no’ when it comes to me having a treat. But, when I do bring it up, I generally explain myself; “the reason I couldn’t finish half my entree was because the bread and appetizer were so filling”! Something like that 🙂
I think bloggers are afraid to say that they turn down indulgences because they don’t want to be seen as depriving themselves. I think that it’s sad that making healthy choices is almost frowned upon in this way. You must have an ED because you said no to that cake or those french fries. It’s kind of an oxymoron to say that you “deprive” yourself of an “indulgence.” An indulgence is just that – it’s excess; you don’t need it.
There’s definitely a line there – say no too much and you’re flirting with an eating disorder, say yes too much and you’re thoughtlessly indulging. Definitely a double-edged sword, but I think *most* readers understand that we don’t write about every single thing that we eat, and that a light meal might be finished a little later with a snack, or that we made room for a huge dessert with a salad earlier. It’s hard to accurately portray things without documenting every single freakin’ thing you eat, but at the end of the day, I think we all understand that yes and no both have a place!
I feel like sometimes, if I only mention the “NOs” that I said when I used to blog on tumblr, I’d end up getting a LOT of support from the UNhealthy living folks (aka those with EDs that loved to see people successfully depriving themselves) so yes, I definitely can see the risk in too much focus on the NO. But I think that the non-tumblr community, at least the ones I read, are a lot less disordered in their thoughts about food and a lot more supportive of truly healthy living, which is a game of balance in the end.
So happy to see this post! I’m not a blogger (yet 🙂 )- but I get bored at work a lot so I have about 15 different “healthy living” blogs on my google reader that I’ll scan through.
I was just thinking to myself yesterday how silly it is that all of these blogs are written by really fit/thin women, yet the majority feel the need to talk about how they eat sooooo much candy and ice cream and chocolate and beer. and i just feel like calling BS on it – b/c no one could eat as much junk as they portray and maintain a healthy lifestyle. (BTW, i don’t include you in that group)
I think some healthy living bloggers are so afraid to be called out for eating too little or not giving their body enough nutrients to match their activity level – that they exaggerate or misrepresent the amount of things they do indulge in, which is just as damaging to readers trying to have a balanced diet. q: “why can they run five miles and then eat a whole bag of swedish fish and not gain a pound”. a: “they can’t. you wouldn’t burn nearly enough calories to balance that out – they did not eat the whole bag – don’t believe everything you see on the internet” 🙂
Vanessa, I think you explained this REALLY well! It’s probably not always intentional, but I have definitely picked up on what sometimes feels like a need to exaggerate the “bad” stuff so as not to be criticized for the healthy stuff.
For example, last night I went to a beer and bacon pairing — haha. I could just mention that I went and give the details of the event (5 different beers paired with 5 complementary “flavors” of bacon) and leave it at that to show that I know how to “indulge.” BUT, that wouldn’t take into consideration the fact that I had a giant salad full of veggies and a little bit of quinoa for lunch. I was a little hungrier a little earlier in the evening than usual, but I was fine with it b ecause I knew I’d be treating myself to a fun and more indulgent dinner than usual.
Sorry for the long-winded response, but in summary, YES! You said it very well 🙂
I definitely have apprehension to talk about moments of saying “no” to indulgent treats. As a nutrition student, I feel like I get judged all the time for eating “healthy” food. In the past people have said things like, “you’re not gonna eat that cupcake, are you?” or “your’e so healthy, you don’t eat sweets do you” which made me want to say “YES” to sweets even more, just to show them that I DO eat dessert even if I’m a nutrition student. Sometimes it’s a lose-lose situation, since if I opt to say no, then they think I have an eating disorder. I’ve learned to ignore such judgments and comments, but it’s still hard to say or talk about saying “no.”
I blog about healthy living but I don’t post pictures of everything I eat. However, I do try to maintain healthy choices on a daily basis with 1-2 indulgences a week. Basically I try to follow a 85-90% clean diet.
This week I was sick and was craving fast food after skipping meals during the day. When I posted that I ate a roast beef sandwich and curly fries for dinner (which I usually never eat), my husband commented that “I should not post that on a healthy living blog”.
I told him that I am not perfect and I want my blog readers to know that too. I eat healthy because my body feels better when I do, because I am setting an example for my children, and to inspire others to make healthy choices. But I still indulge, I still have cravings and I think it is important to share that with my readers.
Such an interesting post! I’m so happy that you covered such an important topic. I think that it is important to be honest on your blog whether you said no or otherwise.
Great topic Julie! I agree that there is a bit of hesitance for me when I’m around people that know I’m conscious of what I eat. Not all of my friends know I have a healthy living blog, but regardless of whether they do or don’t, I’m always conscious of the fact that when I say no, they might be interpreting it as me being too strict. I do like my indulgences on some occasions, but I think making those occasions just once in a while is what makes them more special.
Great post and such a good point. I think it’s a point that most people forget about …or just like to use as ammunition against healthy living bloggers or just people who are trying to be more healthy in general. I know when I started eating more healthy and turned down certain foods (like a fried group appetizer) or just took a limited portion, some people were so quick to point it out and mention how i was depriving myself to lose weight…Well, duh, I’m gonna limit my intake of stuff that isn’t so healthy for me!