eating everything
I always think it’s so weird to write about eating and eating habits. Part of me can’t help but think that it’s silly that I think anyone should care about how I choose to feed myself, but at the same time, I feel like it’s important to be transparent with my readers, especially when things change.
For quite a while now, I’ve been eating everything.
Not beef or pork -I haven’t had those as a staple in my diet since I was about 7 years old- but there’s been gluten, cow’s dairy, candy, fried and beer in my life.
It’s been pretty awesome.
So you’re probably wondering what the heck happened to my gluten and dairy sensitivities? I still have them, but they were never huge issues -I’m fortunate to be sensitive to them instead of full-blown intolerant- and I still find that if I have too much dairy or gluten my digestive system and skin start to freak out. It still bothers me physically, but I can handle the reaction.
To be totally real, I just don’t care that much anymore.
Since having Liv, I’ve developed a serious “ain’t nobody got time for that” attitude as far as food goes, and getting a meal on the table is a feat that I’m proud of. If people make or give me food and there’s no pork or beef: I eat it. Last week, nana brought over a dozen bagels. I had a white jalapeño bagel with a smear of goat cream cheese and it was freaking amazing.
The main reason I initially cut most gluten out of my diet was because my naturopath said that it interferes with ovulation and that my test results indicated that I was sensitive to it. Since I really wanted to get pregnant, I was happy to cut it out since it made my stomach hurt and I usually felt bloated after eating it. I did everything my doc told me to do because I really wanted to have a baby, which included taking boatloads of nasty and expensive supplements. Now that I have the little love of my life, and have no plans to get pregnant again for a while, I figured some gluten here and there is NBD. The same goes with dairy. I don’t have it very often, but sometimes I want a cheese enchilada or some gelato… and I eat it.
My eating habits have changed so much since I started the blog, and I’ve changed a lot too. I like to think (hope?) that I’ve grown up a lot on the blog -it’s been almost 5 years!- and things that used to matter so much… well, they just don’t anymore. After I lost the initial 40 lbs, I continued to educate myself on health and fitness, and while I know in my heart that I had the best intentions and wanted to be as healthy as possible, some of the things I used to do make me give myself the side eye. With all of the things I learned about health, I started removing more and more from my daily life. I didn’t feel deprived since I had so many other things to choose from, and if you go without something for long enough, you don’t miss it anymore. I don’t miss eating donuts every morning before school, but I did miss my mom’s enchiladas. As they say, hindsight is 20/20.
I’ve never claimed to be perfect, and I’m sure we all have things we wish we could change about ourselves. I wish I could have started the blog immediately knowing what works for me as far as fitness goes, but it’s been a long journey, and I’m grateful to all of you who have been on the ride with me. Along with all of the recipes and workouts I share on the blog, it’s also been a form of online diary with an incredible community behind it. When I first started blogging, I really got into food, which I think came from the trend of taking photos of every single morsel that went into my mouth. Since I stopped posting all of my meals a few years ago, it’s been freeing to not think about food all the time.
I often feel the pressures as a blogger to be “all or nothing,” but in my life there are so many grey areas. I’m a stay-at-home mom, a work-from-home mom, a work-away-from-home mom, I used breastmilk and formula, cloth diapers and disposables (but mostly disposables), I have goals pulling me all over the place… the list goes on and on. With all of the grey areas, and everything I have going on, I think I’ve finally found what health and balance mean to me.
I want Liv to have a healthy relationship with food. I encourage her to try and eat anything she wants, and everyday endeavor to set a good example for her.
I won’t be a mom who’s afraid of having ice cream or cake with her daughter.
I want her to see a woman who’s confident, works hard, fuels her body with nourishing foods for her body and soul, but most importantly, one who loves her family more than life.
Thank you for following along with me through all of the craziness, the grey areas, and the eating changes. Nothing will change about the blog from here on out, but I just thought it was worth mentioning, in case you see me have a beer or something 🙂
Love to you all <3
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I can definitely relate to feeling like there is often an all or nothing mentality in the blog world, and I tend to respect the hell out of those who can just be real regardless of that mentality, so major props to you lady. Now go enjoy a beer and some Livi cuddles. 😉
I love this and how real you are! I think that a lot of people need to just CHILL when it comes to food and remember all the good things about it. Sure there are a lot of risks, allergies, sensitivities, etc out there but letting those things rule your life is no way to live. Thanks for sharing this! <3
Good for you, Gina! Great post and perspective. Cheers to eating everything! 😉
I really loved this post. 🙂
Good for you! The whole path to healthy living is a full life’s journey, and that journey is different for everyone at different times in your life. Thank you for sharing that truth and show that its ok to learn, grow and develop your healthy lifestyle.
What a great post.. It means a lot to ur readers that u shared this. You have an amazing blog that I enjoy reading all the time!
I love this. It’s so easy to want to be all or nothing but I think the grey areas are the best 🙂
You definitely aren’t crazy! I love that you are authentic and just go with what feels right. That makes you a wonderful blogger 🙂
This is the reason I’ve followed your blog since I started reading it 2 years ago. Thank you. You go girl!
As a ‘stalker’ of your site for about 6-12 months now (first time commenter), you resonate with so many of us due to your honesty about ‘finding your own way’ in health & happiness. You should be so proud of yourself for recognising the important role you have in reinforcing a positive relationship with food and fitness with your wee one. Great Post! – as usual 😀
Wow, way to put things in perspective! I love reading your blog. It inspires me to live my life in a healthy way, and keeping up my relationship with all sorts of food. Thank you for your writing, your inspiration and your advice, you’re amazing at it!
Liv is so lucky to have you as her mother. I’m a bit older than you, but I feel I’ve been on a long journey similar to yours it’s just taken me a bit longer to get there. Like you, I hope I now set a good nutrition balance and example to my children. I fully believe in the saying that a little bit of what you fancy does you good.
I loved your post, thank you for taking the time to write it. <3
This is a great post Gina! I’m sure everyone experiments with their diet from time to time (I went through a phase where I cut out red meat) but being a blogger makes it harder because all your decisions become public and readers may question or make assumptions about your choices. So it’s great that you’re just doing what works for you regardless of what others may say! 🙂
Gina, you’da best. I’ve read your blog on and off for about 4 years (wow almost the whole time!) and have taken the same journey with food as you have. Restrictive/vegan for health reasons, to now just ain’t got the time for that, and enjoying life! You’re a great role model for your baby girl and a beautiful person. Be well!
I love this post. To me, being healthy starts and ends with being happy. If you’re torturing yourself to be a certain way, I don’t know how it could be classified as healthy! You are an amazing woman who has spread her knowledge to so many people, and allowed herself to grow throughout the whole process. I think you most certainly deserve a beer to celebrate that 🙂 Thank you for all you do, Gina! <3
Absolutely lovely post. 🙂
I love that I can follow someone who follows a more “normal” diet, without many restrictions. I am NOT saying those who follow certain diets or food restrictions are not “normal” (I follow all types of fitness and health blogs, regardless), but most of us hope that we can still eat the things we love and be healthy and fit at the same time.
Wonderful post.
P.S. as a full time working mother (outside the home), of two little boys, you get an AMEN for “ain’t nobody got time for that”! WORD!
FANTASTIC post, Gina. How boring would life be if we weren’t constantly learning and growing and evolving and changing? I adore your blog- thanks for letting us into your life!
Love the post and the authenicness of it. We all try things, adjust, modify, and learn along the way – there are somethings some people have trouble with and hopefully can learn to live without. An alcoholic for example has to learn they can’t have one beer, even though millions of people can – they can’t. Me, I’m a diabetic and a sugar-aholic and after 29 years being diabetic and thinking I can have just one sweet and a week/month later having binged, I have come to the decision that I can’t just have one. It’s been 2 years and I know I cannot have just 1. Can’t say it’s easy, but it’s my life and I feel better, and want to be around for those I love now and those to come. That’s what it’s all about! Love life! Never think you have the right answer for everyone. It’s about individual’s and what works for each of us! You have a great blog and I feel that is how you live, honestly!
I love this post. Eating habits change all the time as we get older, and what worked a few years ago may not work now. Even those of us who are nutrition and/or fitness professionals change our philosophies on food from time to time. Five years ago I was a vegetarian who drank diet coke and now I eat lean meat and avoid artificial sweeteners. It’s hard when people scrutinize your eating habits when they change. It’s not anyone else’s business!
Thank you for your post, I appreciate you sharing your current switch to “eating everything.” It helps to know that other women go through phases in their eating, too. You seem like an awesome mom and your daughter is lucky to have you. Happy Mother’s Day!
AMEN! I love this:
“I won’t be a mom who’s afraid of having ice cream or cake with her daughter.
I want her to see a woman who’s confident, works hard, fuels her body with nourishing foods for her body and soul, but most importantly, one who loves her family more than life.”
You. Are. Awesome.
Well said! You are a wonderful role model, for your daughter and for your readers. Have a beautiful weekend!
Love it. You are honest, confident and just downright lovely. This is why I love your blog.
One of the reasons I love reading your blog is that you aren’t extreme! I love that you mostly live a healthy lifestyle but you allow yourself to try yummy treats or have a glass of wine. Isn’t that what life is all about? It’s all about balance and being happy. If you were entirely straight edge, I probably would’ve stopped reading. You keep it real and I love that!
I love this post Gina, and so much of it hit right at home for me too- motherhood has changed my perspective so much in regards to food- anymore I just want to raise a happy, healthy baby and not stress out so much about what I eat! I used to limit what I ate and crossed into the territory of being overly restrictive. Ever since giving birth to my son in August, that has just not crossed my mind and I am so much happier for it! I am so happy to read that you’ve struck a good balance for you 🙂
Can I just say you’re awesome for writing this? I’m in recovery from an eating disorder so my own personal story/history makes me biased and has a big role to play in why I think this is a great post, but it’s so refreshing to see bloggers that are healthy without sticking to hard and fast food rules. I’m not trying to knock those who do, it’s a personal choice and I understand and respect that, but as our lives change, sometimes our food preferences do too. Olivia is lucky to have a mom who values being healthy and physically fit but also knows that cake and ice cream are awesome and fine to include in your diet. Thank you for sharing your life and eats with us!
I love this post and this one of the big reasons I love your blog. You’re so at peace with food now and a fantastic role model- I really hope that I find that same balance.
Thank you for sharing 🙂 xxx
Great perspective Gina – life is too short to get hung up on all the small things! I’ve been cutting out a lot of foods that I thought were making me bloated (wheat and dairy specifically) and felt so guilty every time I cheated… lindt chocolate is my downfall! But you’re so right – “ain’t nobody got time for that!” – i’m going to go with the flow and if I cheat a bit here and there, so be it 😉 Thanks for sharing!
AH! What a PERFECT post. SO needed this.
I feel the same about my daughter- I want her to have a healthy relationship with food…and how is she going to learn it from me if I don’t have one??
Thank you so much for writing this. I really think it was EXACTLY what I needed today!
I love your balanced attitude… I think it’s all about finding what’s right for you, no matter how long that takes , and realising that what is right at one time can change.
Really enjoyed your post. Sounds like you’re healthy, happy and enjoying life, what more could we ask for! x
This was refreshing to read. I am a big fan of everything in moderation. Funny how having kids shifts your attention, isn’t it? Before kids it’s all about you and after kids it’s all about them. And there just isn’t time to obsess about stuff that really doesn’t matter. Thanks for writing this post.
I absolutely love this post with my whole whole heart. You are such a great mom, wife, friend and blogger role model. XOXOXOXO
I love your blog and I think it is great that you can go back to earlier posts and see how you’ve grown or changed opinions about what healthy means to you and your family. It is a great feeling to be free of the self-judgement that so many (including myself) feel about food. It is exhausting to constantly think about what you’re going to eat, and to add on top of that what all of your readers are going to think must be overwhelming. But you are brave and you show your life in ways that are true and kind, not braggy or exploitative.The important thing is that you are setting an example in some ways to the many readers who find your blog because they are trying to define for themselves what healthy means. I found your blog at a time when I was so unhappy in my job, and considering getting certified to teach fitness. It was definitely helpful and gave me that extra push I needed to just go out there and do it.
Just do you, we love you for it!
xoxo Erica
I appreciate this post a lot and think it’s great. My only qualm with it is that the way you have approached and spoken about gluten/dairy sensitivities is the exact reason why those who ACTUALLY have sensitivities and/or allergies to these and other foods get ridiculed and looked at funny for eating differently. “It’s in your head” they’ll say or “you ate it before…now you’re just on some bandwagon diet”. That’s what you’ve kind of made it…gluten-free a bandwagon diet.
For many…it’s not. Bandwagoner gluten-free-ers are the reason it’s scary for those who actually have celiac disease to eat out…why would the staff care to really cook the food separately when people come in who don’t really have these intolerances and make it known…
I’ll say it again – I appreciate the post – because it’s real and it’s a breath of fresh air to hear a woman say she eats EVERYTHING. BRAVO and bravo for being a good role model for your beautiful daughter!…but the rest is still true.
i agree. really, it was a huge learning process and learning point for me. i still prefer to eat gluten-free, because it makes me feel better when i don’t eat it, but a little here or there doesn’t affect me as much. i noticed it’s the cumulative effect of eating it where i really start to feel terrible. some of my celiac friends are grateful that so many people have stopped eating gluten, because the demand for gluten-free foods has shot up and there are so many choices available now for those who truly cannot eat gluten, ever. but, i agree that it makes it scarier those with celiac to eat out and for that, i feel badly.
Thanks for this post! I love your relaxed approach to fitness and health. It makes healthful choices feel more like part of a balanced life and less of a focused effort. I love this.
I’m wondering if you might have any weight loss advice (I see you’ve lost 40+ lbs!). I lost 30 lbs last year (150 down to 120 – I’m 5’4″), but it did it the wrong way. Countless hours upon hours of exercise daily, combined with a VERY low cal diet. The weight just fell off. I maintained this for about 6 months before I just couldn’t take it anymore (both mentally and physically). And as you can imagine, it all came back in record. I gained the 30 lbs back plus another 5. I feel miserable in my skin. I so badly want to feel fit again. I eat well: whole foods, mostly veg, balanced meals; and now work out 4-5 days/week, 30-45 min per workout – a combination of cardio, HIIT, and weights. I can’t seem to lose any weight. It’s been nearly a year since I started putting the weight back on, and nothing seems to help. Have I just messed up my metabolism? Any suggestions?