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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this is why I started reading your blog, your honesty and your attitude towards life! You make life seem so fun and yet keep things so well balanced it really is the meaning of wellness and I have been learning that for myself as well. Thank you for your blog, I enjoy reading it and seeing your family grow and watching you be a rock on mommy! Sending you lots of love, Courtstar
You by far are my favorite blogger and no matter how crazy my life gets I make time to read your posts. I don’t have a baby but a couple of months ago I got a new, much more demanding job. In my old job I had the time to get 1-2 hour workouts in every day – to kick my butt and be in the best shape ever. But my new job doesn’t allow all of that time so I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that some days my workout is a walk around the block with the dog or my lunch is whatever happens to be catered during my meeting…life’s too short to be so hung up on what the perfect version of heath is. Do your best and enjoy it!
I adore your blog.
Thank you for sharing this. I’ve enjoyed following for years, as you’ve gone through many stages, and I’m sure you’ll continue to develop and evolve as I continue reading in the coming years.
Good for you! I actually had to stop reading your blog (and a number of other healthy living blogs) for a while because I was starting to become a little too obsessed and disordered with my eating. I’m so glad that you have found your balance because let’s face it – life without enchiladas every once in a while is just sad!
Lots of love to you Gina! Glad to read this and see that you’re not as strict about everything you eat. You’re right, you’ve got to eat for your soul too 🙂 I love your blog more and more each day xoxox
I started reading is blog YEARS ago (how can that be…!?) and you really inspired me to get healthier, strength train consistently and try sooo many new foods ( including seaweed…ew…:) ) I think it’s important as a mom not to be too strict with food.. Our babies are always watching and absorbing !
This is great. I had a daughter last year as well and I am with you 100% on the ‘aint nobody got time for that’. It’s also awesome to see someone be active and at a healthy weight eating real food. Not that what you were eating before wasn’t ‘real’, but the elitist way many food bloggers eat can be so pretentious. You’ve become much more of a REAL person to me since having your daughter (REAL meaning relatable and more down to earth). I hope I didn’t offend, didn’t mean to in any way, just appreciate this post and the direction the blog has been going. I’ve been a long time lurker 🙂
Meant healthy living bloggers and not food bloggers, my bad.
I know you have a LOT of comments on this post, but I just have to say how much I love this post. Best yet, Gina! Thank you for being so real. I love the balance you have found, instead of the confusion, between being healthy and allowing yourself to enjoy all there is to enjoy in life. So many moms these days are under such incredible pressure, its great to see a mom say “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.” I think that’s really the essence of what being a mom is, especially to a little girl in today’s world. I want to post that somewhere for a good reminder.
Thanks, Gina, for putting yourself out there!
XO!
Great post! Love your attitude and honesty 🙂
I agree that it’s so much healthier to just treat food as food– not an obsession. Funny how having kids changes our priorities. I think 99% of the damage we do to ourselves with food is by restricting it.
Last night my daughter (13) was bemoaning that she was hungry but couldn’t eat food because her braces were hurting her teeth. I told her to have a bowl of ice cream for dinner. She said she’d get fat. I had to explain that 300 calories of ice cream is the same (for your weight) as 300 calories of chicken and broccoli. And neither ‘dinner’ is going to have any long term bad or good effect on your health, if you don’t do it daily. But not eating when you’re hungry does cause damage.
I love how open and honest you are no matter what’s going on in your life. It def shows through your writing. I think too many bloggers get caught up in creating the perfect meal or the perfect workout. But perfection doesn’t exist. We are all human and can relate to normal everyday food. I think everyone has a definition for what healthy means to them.
Gina, your blog is the only one I’ve read consistently for the past 4+ years. I always find you so honest and inspiring, and genuine, which is apparent through your writing and lifestyle. This is the third article I’ve read today about letting go and just doing what’s best for you, and I have to say, it couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Thanks for sharing and inspiring day-by-day, I always love stopping by and reading what you’ve been up to <3
Hi Gina!
I’m one of those “anonymous” readers who reads your lovely blog every day, but doesn’t have a blog of my own so you don’t often hear from me. I just had to comment on this post because it is so well-written, inspiring and truly reflective of a wonderful woman, mama and wife 🙂
I just want you to know that of all the food blogs I read (I’m a bit of a health nut and have followed health blogs for years–hoping to start my own once I graduate from college in 4 days and have some time!), yours comes across as absolutely the most sincere, charming and humble in the most delightful way. I love everything about this post and the attitude that you convey in this post and all of your posts (“some of the things I used to do make me give myself the side eye”) LOVE IT! Just had to pop in and say thanks for your candid, hilarious and adorable blog and keep doin what ya do!
XOXO Laura B
your comment (along with all of the other amazing ones) warmed my heart so much. thank you, laura <3
I’ve been reading your blog since the Valdosta days, and though your style has evolved over the years, I admire that you have always done your best to be transparent and honest with us readers. It’s what makes you so relatable and keeps us coming back. I myself have lost a substantial amount of weight and understand what you mean by side eyeing prior habits. I do this too, but at the end of the day, it’s part of the learning and growing process. There is so much information out there and it’s almost unavoidable as we all want to be our best. But alas, things change, and along with that often comes a shift in priorities. I admire your current view on food, hope to get there myself some day, and am proud of you for coming this far.
thank you so much, sheena <3
This post is why your blog is my FAVORITE/MOST INSPIRING. Thank you so much for your honesty and motivation. 🙂
adored this post!
This is a refreshingly real post, and I enjoyed it. It seems like everyone wants a label for their eating habits, even if their “best” diet is really a mix of different eating styles. People want to talk about how they eat and my answer is pretty much “a little bit of everything, with extra veggies thrown in” 😉
Do you keep an eye on your intake of things like sodium or cholesterol? I’m asking because I’m tracking my food on My Fitness Pal to prep for my upcoming wedding (I know this goes against the whole eat anything post! sorry 🙂 and if I even have two eggs, it says I’m over my daily cholesterol. I know you often have eggs for breakfast, so I was wondering if this is even something to worry about or if I should just relax and not focus on those numbers. Thanks! 🙂
i wouldn’t worry about it at all. i have at least two whole eggs per day- if it’s real food, i wouldn’t think twice about it
Gina, I just think you’re amazing. Personally, I love it more reading a blogger who shows that he/she is growing, learning, adapting – because so am I! Perfect is boring and usually unrealistic, so as much as I know that there are those bloggers out there, I love you because of your growth, your change, and the fact that it seems that you choose to educate yourself first and then decide. That, to me, is what makes a person’s advice or lifestyle worth emulating – if dairy and gluten works for you (and you’ve done the research on them and how they affect your body) then I say get down with your bad self! So keep doing what you’re so great at doing, and I think that your sweet little girl is going to grow up with a great food role-model 😀
You have instilled such a healthy perspective into my life. I really, truly thank you for that. I look forward to reading your blog every day, and it gives me a little dose of “normal,” in the midst of my own personal food/diet struggles.
I hope to one day have such a healthy perspective! I’m getting there 🙂 Thank you <3
I looooved reading this post. It’s so not worth sweating the little stuff – much, much more important to be true to yourself! Thanks for the dose of honesty, and for never being afraid to put yourself out there 🙂
I absolutely loved this post, and I just wanted to say thank you so much for writing it. I had gotten sucked into the whole fitness and “clean eating” craze a few months ago and followed all these blogs devoted to (at least what I thought) was a healthy lifestyle. So many of them posted daily logs and pictures of what they ate for the day, entries about what to eat and what not to eat, etc. It got to the point where I had information overload and started labeling food as “good” or “bad.” Now, I have an unhealthy relationship with food, and while I don’t blame it on these blogs (which I no longer follow), I do attribute it to trying to make what worked for other people work for me. It’s so refreshing to read about someone who values health and fitness but isn’t afraid of eating a bagel! Please continue to write as you’ve always written! Yours is one blog I started following months ago and will continue to follow for as long as you write! 🙂 🙂
Love love love this post. I can totally relate to evolving eating habits – I’m a former vegetarian and a former Michael Pollan worshipper (I literally wouldn’t eat a single processed food for months on end). Becoming a stepmom and now new mom-to-be has really changed my perspective on food and wellness. It’s nice to see that someone I admire and look up to (even though I’m older than you haha!) has had the same experience.
Thanks for sharing this with us!
What’s the recipe for that quinoa burger?! Looks so good.
Gina, thank you so much for writing this. I am not a mama yet, but when I do have children (especially girls) I want to show them that food is fun and nothing should be off limits because of fear. I also want to be a role model for fitness. My mom was overweight my entire childhood and unfortunately, not intentionally, didn’t give me the best body image or ideas about food. Everything for her was “this food is bad (unhealthy) you can’t have that or you’ll get fat like me.” My mom tried, but her struggle definitely affected my sister and I. Now that she’s lost over 100 lbs and gotten healthier, she says I inspire her with my running and healthy eating habits. I hope I can do that for my children. You don’t need to explain yourself with your food choices – everyone changes. It’s part of growth! Go girl! Keep up being an inspiration to all of us readers!
You are awesome! I love this post. I think that throughout our lives, we change a lot and our diets just evolve along with us.
Gina, this post was so eloquent and thoughtful. About 2-3 times a week I indulge in a little ice cream, a slice of cake at an office celebration, and/or several trips to the bread basket while dining out. I’m glad to know my “fitness role model” does the same. So many fitness bloggers I follow don’t seem to do so, and I always wondered if I was messing up somehow. Thank you for always being so honest with your readers. It is because of posts like this one that makes your blog my favorite!
Love it! Since I diagnosed my dairy allergy, I also feel like anything else is fair game. I feel like I’ve already had to give up so much, so as long as I’m reasonable and eat in moderation, I’m not going to say no to dairy free dessert :).
Really enjoyed this post. This is why I keep reading your blog, you are down to earth and you keep it real. I have to tell you your blog is #1 on fav blog list. So keep being you and enjoy that beer.
Have a great week and beautiful picture of you and the Pilot.
Thank you for writing this post, Gina. Impeccable timing, because I just adopted that same attitude. I have been a crazy person in the last few years with the whole gluten-free thing. Like you, I have sensitivity but not complete intolerance. I am also lactose intolerant. But, I’ve had enough with the “all or nothing approach” as well.
I now enjoy real bread, ice cream, yogurt, pasta ….not enough to make me sick, but enough to make me smile. 🙂
You’re blog is so real and relatable – it really gets motivates me and makes me feel like you’re a “friend” who says: “go on, and enjoy that cupcake, girl!”
Other bloggers, take note. This is how you blog- honest, approachable, well written. Gina is human, and not afraid to show it!
Thank you Gina! This kind of thing keeps me reading. Thank you for being so transparent with being a human interested in changing!!
Love this post! I 100% agree. I spend a lot of time reading blogs & health/fitness stuff. I find I will try something and because i’m honest and want to share with my readers, I will tell them what I am trying. I feel weird when I just stop eating a certain way. For quite awhile I was not eating any meat other than fish, but recently have introduced chicken in my diet. It was becoming quite difficult to always be coming up with new recipes that eliminated meat(I feel kinda lazy, but life is busy) and also making something for the husband with meat. He was a wonderful sport and more often than not ate the same meal. But I felt he was pressured to follow along. I almost felt guilty tho, and not because I made the choice, but I told my readers I started eliminating meat.
I love your blog and love your honesty. It is something we should all try and do daily.
I love this post and all of the positive comments along with it! It’s wonderful to read so many healthy attitudes towards life, motherhood and eating! What a truly special community you have grown your blog into Gina!
Great post! You are a wonderful mother for wanting to give your daughter a healthy relationship with food. My mom is a rock and I love her deeply but she has been a calorie conscious woman for her entire adult life. With my personal struggles with an eating disorder, I have been able to easily identify that she is a very restrictive eater which can be a huge trigger for me. It’s easy to compare myself to her and wonder why it takes so much for me to be satisfied but how she can go 7 hours without having more than a latte. I know this is going on a rant, but I want you to understand how important it is for you to own that peace with food so that your beautiful little girl never has to compare herself to you in a negative way. Again, my mom is an absolutely amazing woman but this portion of her life has been difficult for me personally. Thank you for sharing so honestly–this post has allowed me to understand my relationship with my mom in a different way. Love to you and your family!
Becca
Hi Gina!!!
You are a daily inspiration to me – no matter what you eat,how often you work out – I LOVE your energy and your crazy sense of humor!!! Your blog is the only one I read faithfully every day. It’s refreshing to read a blog written by someone who brings so much honesty to the interwebs! Stay classy – Love from your friend Gina in Massachusetts!!! * you ROCK!
jealous of that bagel! as a celiac and actual scientist, i always bite my tongue when i hear about the snake oil spit test. i’m a huge advocate of doing things as naturally as possible but even in allopathic medicine there are limitations to properly diagnosing gluten sensitivity or intolerance. i’m glad you are finding what works for you and the perspective that your choices very much influence your child. my mother basically ate ONLY bread/cheese and i hardly saw a piece of fresh produce until college. no wonder i was such a scrawny kid and sick all the time!
I loved this post! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Gina!
I echo what all of your other fabulous readers are saying- that we love your blog and your honesty. Let’s be real too, if you weren’t changing, evolving, trying different things, and blossoming more- what a boring blog this would be! As someone who hasn’t had kids yet- but sees it in the not-so-distant future- seeing someone who has become comfortable in her role as a mother with a serious sense of fun, balance, and calm is inspiring.
Gina,
I am a long-time reader of your blog, and we met briefly at the Chicago HLS a few years ago 🙂 (Side note–that’s when I was lucky enough to snag one of your famous ‘roons! haha)
Way to go for writing such a heartfelt, honest post. Food and exercise is so personal, and our individual journeys change throughout the years. I think lots of people go through phases where they are hyper-focused on particular food/health goals or standards (often self-set!). These phases can be full-out unhealthy, concerning behaviors or not. Though I’m not a mother, I can see how your priorities have shifted. As they should! Food is just food. Exercise is good, whenever you can fit it in. There are so many other important things to focus on, which is why I laughed at loud at “ain’t nobody got time for that.” So true! Yeah, I try to get to yoga a few times a week, but if it doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world. If I get to dinner planning on having a salad, but actually want a burger, I honor my craving.
Olivia is lucky to have you as a mama, and I’m a reader who will keep coming back to read the stories you choose to share about your life! 🙂
Love your blog and love this post! For me it’s all about balance!
I feel like you’re one of the few bloggers who REALLY understand balance. You’re transparent with us readers, which is so appreciated. Your honesty is so admirable! Not to mention, you’re a great example of what overall well-being really is. Food is only one small part of that <3
xoxo.
Love love love.
I definitely have intolerances to a few food groups (corn, gluten, dairy), but lately all but gluten haven’t been such a big deal. Yeah, sometimes my stomach hurts when I eat ice cream. Yeah, too many tortilla chips can be killer. But honestly? I don’t care too much anymore either. It takes too much time and energy to look up the ingredients of EVERY SINGLE THING before I eat it.
The only one I consistently do avoid though is gluten. Even if I have a smidgen of it (like seriously, a bite), I get a horrible migraine. And if I eat any more, my stomach goes wonky and I get a horrible rash.
Plus, with two baby girls on the way – “ain’t nobody got time for that” is RIGHT!
What a great, honest post. Such a refreshing and real perspective within this little blog world. 🙂 So glad to have found your blog back during the Valdosta days, when I was an AF girlfriend trying to make sense of THAT world.
I really needed this post, Gina! Thank you so much. It is so refreshing to see someone with such a mentally and physically healthy relationship with food.
I honestly love that you have gotten more lenient with your food choices because it shows to readers and women in general that you can be a fitness/health focused person and still have some fun & flexibility in life. Sometimes in blog land I feel the pressure to be vegan or vegetarian, but I know if I’m doing what’s right for me, that’s what’s best. Thanks, Gina! 🙂
So well written Gina! It’s refreshing to see you eat ice cream or have a beer sometimes because it reminds us that you are just like us and while most of the time, you eat really healthy, that its okay to indulge every once in awhile. I think that Liv will grow up having such a healthy relationship with food & that she will have a positive body image bc she learned it from you! 🙂 love reading your blog – and I’ve been a reader for 3+ years now 🙂
Such a refreshing and freeing post:)! I live in Tucson and am also an instructor/pt. One day I hope to meet you and have a glass of wine with ya…. Whole foods has an awesome bar:) you are one cool Chica!