The blog world is a great place; it really is. Fabulous people. Delicious food. What more could you ask for? But, as with pretty much everything else in life, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Oh no sir-ee. Under that seemingly sunny exterior lurks a beast so vile that it strikes fear into the hearts of…
Err … sorry, I’ll stop being all melodramatic now…
No talk of beasts or vileness. Promise. But I do want to shed some light on an issue that I think needs to get a little bit more attention, and that issue is:
The unhealthy influence of “healthy” living blogs.
Chia seeds are no stranger among healthy living blogs, but I find them kind of… strange.
Now, I use the term healthy in quotation marks because many blogs that label themselves as such actually display extremely unhealthy habits. Over-exercising. Under-eating. Labelling food as good and bad. A plethora of disordered thoughts and behaviours that become masked behind the veil of “health”.
Sneaky.
And it’s not even necessarily a conscious thing – a lot of people genuinely believe that what they’re doing is healthy, even if it’s the complete opposite. I know that was the case with me when my eating disorder began to take over – I started eliminating certain foods from my diet and exercising to get “healthier”, became vegan and eliminated even more foods to become “even healthier”, and ultimately ended up almost dead. Go figure. And the real kicker? I honestly thought I was doing the right thing, when in reality I was just giving into disordered thoughts and feeding my growing problem.
But nevermind that for now.
The point is, I’m not perfect, nor am I claiming that I am – I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and I’m not trying to point fingers or accuse anyone. Mmmkau? Just wanted to put that out there.
Steel cut oats with baked apple, raisins, and almond butter.
What I am trying to do is warn people to be careful with how they approach the information they come across on healthy living blogs, because it’s incredibly easy to become negatively influenced by it…
“Oh, this girl only eats X amount, I guess I’m eating too much”
“Oh, this girl doesn’t eat so and so, I guess I should avoid it too”
“Oh, this girl exercises for X amount, now I feel like a lazy bum”
Sound familiar? Yeah. And you’re not alone – I openly admit that I fall victim to the comparison trap too. Even after spending years going through the hell that comes with an eating disorder and finally healing my relationship with food and exercise, I still occasionally catch myself comparing my habits to those that I come across on the blog world and thinking “Huh… Maybe I should try and…“
No. Stop.
Maybe I shouldn’t. In fact, I know I shouldn’t. Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. It no longer fits.
Everything tastes better in layers.
The truth is that no matter how good something looks on the screen of your computer, you never see the whole picture. Sure, someone may eat very little, exercise excessively, and still appear to have a life that’s all sunshine and rainbows, but you don’t ever hear about the darker side… and believe me, there is one.
You don’t realize that the person has no energy to do anything once they finish their workout, or that they need 8 cups of coffee or cans of Diet Coke to get through the day. You don’t realize that they can’t stop thinking about when and what their next meal will be, or that they choke down their egg white omelettes when they’d really kill for bagel with cream cheese. You never hear about the sleepless nights, the missed opportunities, or the health scares. But they’re there. They’re there and they’re very much the result of what happens when you fail to take care of your body properly – it breaks down, just like anything else. It may not happen instantly, but over time, the abuse and neglect will catch up to you, guaranteed.
Pumpkin Chili Mexican Scramble with salsa, guac, and cottage cheese.
Now, I’m not telling you to run away screaming or to be suspicious of disordered behaviors wherever you go. Not at all. The blog world can be a great source of information and healthy ideas, and there are a lot of bloggers who do set a truly healthy example. But there are also those who don’t, so just…
Be careful and be aware.
Don’t try and follow someone’s example if it doesn’t work for you. When I was trying to heal the unhealthy relationship I had with food and exercise, I had to give up reading certain blogs because of the negative influence their lifestyle had on my mindset – it’s a lot harder to do the right thing for your health and your body when you surround yourself with those who very obviously don’t, especially when they try and pass of their disordered behaviors as “healthy” ones.
. – . – . – .
I’d love to hear your thoughts 😀
Edit: Jenny and I are totally on the same page…
A very interesting topic that I have been looking at, I think this is one of the most important information for me. And I’m glad to read your post. Thanks for sharing!
So I’m WAY late to the party on this post but I just want to say…. I LOVE it. It’s awesome that you addressed this issue & I completely agree with everything you said. You are a talented writer & blogger. You’re officially on my top-blog-check-everyday list! 😉
oh my GOSH i literally JUST realized that you are “back” and i have to say that your blog was the absolute favorite of mind and NEVER EVER triggered me! I am so glad you are back and i will be feverishly catching up on every singly blog post and i love you and i am glad you are back and HI!
gosh, HI amanda! and just so you know, you are beyond beautiful and so are your words!
xooxx alexandra!
and omg i agree with this post completely. you said it so perfectly, it’s sick.
Just came upon your blog…love how you addressed this difficult issue! It’s been so hard to push myself NOT to compare – but easier now that I can catch when my mind starts going that way
Just came upon your blog…love how you addressed this difficult issue! It’s been so hard to push myself NOT to compare – but easier now that I can catch when my mind starts going that way
What a great post! I could not agree with you more!
I have fallen into the comparison trap too!
Obviously no one wants to hear doom and gloom all the time, however your article has inspired to write more authentic posts.
I had a really rough year last year and I didn’t blog about any of it until recently. It felt artificial but I wanted to make my life/relationship appear perfect just like the ones I read about in other blogs.
I just wrote a post very similar to this yesterday! You make valid points that I failed to mention. Thanks for sharing, I am glad I have clawed my way out of this trap.
I just wrote a post very similar to this yesterday! You make valid points that I failed to mention. Thanks for sharing, I am glad I have clawed my way out of this trap.
I definitely think that everyone has to do what is right for them!! That is one of the hard things about our genre of food/exercise/life blogs!! They can trigger a lot of guilt patterns/ guilt talk, if we arent aware of it and prepared!! I am learning more and more that I have to do what is right FOR ME and me only. And that might not be going to the gym… that could just be hiking and walking, and occasionally doing weights….. not taking spin classes 4 times a week, or running marathons! 🙂
I definitely think that everyone has to do what is right for them!! That is one of the hard things about our genre of food/exercise/life blogs!! They can trigger a lot of guilt patterns/ guilt talk, if we arent aware of it and prepared!! I am learning more and more that I have to do what is right FOR ME and me only. And that might not be going to the gym… that could just be hiking and walking, and occasionally doing weights….. not taking spin classes 4 times a week, or running marathons! 🙂
yet another pose i could have seriously written myself! YES amen to everything girl!!!!!!!!!!
yet another pose i could have seriously written myself! YES amen to everything girl!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE THIS POST. but I don’t have enough brain cells to write a coherent response, plus you said it all so well! 🙂
<3
n
ahhh YES! FINALLY!!!!! I have been thinking this for so so long and biting my tongue on this issue for months now! Thank you for saying what desperately needs to be said! Noone is perfect and no eating style is perfect for everyone! and the undereating, good and bad labeling and over exercising has goooot to go! it makes me cringe! all the judgement that people pass on one another for eating different things has go to go too. omg!
The main reason behind me starting WIAW was to show that even though I went to school for nutrition — I still eat normal things! and I also eat what I want and what makes me happy — and encourage others to do the same! I purposely don’t talk about my “classification” either. Vegetarian/carnivore/vegan/pescatarian…ugh enough labels!!! I do what is best for my body and follow my intuition and I don’t want to subliminally make someone feel guilty about their choices — so I keep my status to myself 😉
ok i’m obv. rambling — this post is amazing girl! thanks for saying what i’ve wanted to say with all my heart — you did a great job and it came out FABULOUS <3
ahhh YES! FINALLY!!!!! I have been thinking this for so so long and biting my tongue on this issue for months now! Thank you for saying what desperately needs to be said! Noone is perfect and no eating style is perfect for everyone! and the undereating, good and bad labeling and over exercising has goooot to go! it makes me cringe! all the judgement that people pass on one another for eating different things has go to go too. omg!
The main reason behind me starting WIAW was to show that even though I went to school for nutrition — I still eat normal things! and I also eat what I want and what makes me happy — and encourage others to do the same! I purposely don’t talk about my “classification” either. Vegetarian/carnivore/vegan/pescatarian…ugh enough labels!!! I do what is best for my body and follow my intuition and I don’t want to subliminally make someone feel guilty about their choices — so I keep my status to myself 😉
ok i’m obv. rambling — this post is amazing girl! thanks for saying what i’ve wanted to say with all my heart — you did a great job and it came out FABULOUS <3
This has to be one of the besst posts I’ve ever read. Honestly, it is so true. People don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. Blogs are like reality TV – we only see what the writer wants you to see. I’ve falledn into comparing myself with other bloggers sometimes and thought “oh well if she can do it, then so can I”. Um… no! I know I need to fuel and love my body so I am not tired, cranky, and lifeless! So, no thank you!
This has to be one of the besst posts I’ve ever read. Honestly, it is so true. People don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. Blogs are like reality TV – we only see what the writer wants you to see. I’ve falledn into comparing myself with other bloggers sometimes and thought “oh well if she can do it, then so can I”. Um… no! I know I need to fuel and love my body so I am not tired, cranky, and lifeless! So, no thank you!
SOOOOOOO so so true. I do this ALOT, and I dont even mean too!! I seriously am motivated by bloggers when they post their food and workouts, because it makes me think well if they can do it then I can do it too!! Of course then if I can’t do it, I feel bad about myself. Why can she run 8 miles and I can barely run 2? It’s hard to remember that we are all DIFFERENT, and we all react to different things. Maybe she can run 8 miles, but I can probably jump higher. I just try to remind myself everyday that I don’t want to be HER, I want to be the best ME
SOOOOOOO so so true. I do this ALOT, and I dont even mean too!! I seriously am motivated by bloggers when they post their food and workouts, because it makes me think well if they can do it then I can do it too!! Of course then if I can’t do it, I feel bad about myself. Why can she run 8 miles and I can barely run 2? It’s hard to remember that we are all DIFFERENT, and we all react to different things. Maybe she can run 8 miles, but I can probably jump higher. I just try to remind myself everyday that I don’t want to be HER, I want to be the best ME
you are soooo right!! in some ways it totally motivates me to read other blogs, but on certain days it feels oddly defeating if I am not doing what they are. great post!
you are soooo right!! in some ways it totally motivates me to read other blogs, but on certain days it feels oddly defeating if I am not doing what they are. great post!
AWESOME post again!! I did a post like this (called The Comparison Trap funnily enough!) and it is SUCH an important issue!! It really REALLY used to affect me, but now I just don’t read blogs that I know will have a negative effect on me. And haha I TOTALLY know what you mean about the WIAWs too!! 😛
For me, the biggest thing that bugs me is the measuring and control! Like exactly 3/4 cup of cereal, or exactly 1 tbsp of PB. Yeah I just pour out my cereal and spoon/finger straight from the jar! 😉
AWESOME post again!! I did a post like this (called The Comparison Trap funnily enough!) and it is SUCH an important issue!! It really REALLY used to affect me, but now I just don’t read blogs that I know will have a negative effect on me. And haha I TOTALLY know what you mean about the WIAWs too!! 😛
For me, the biggest thing that bugs me is the measuring and control! Like exactly 3/4 cup of cereal, or exactly 1 tbsp of PB. Yeah I just pour out my cereal and spoon/finger straight from the jar! 😉
SO true!! Thank you for posting this. I used to fall into the trap of comparing my meals/workouts to other bloggers until I realized they’re most likely not sharing everything they eat or even do with us. Heck, I only share about 10% of what I actually eat in the day! Plus, if they are suffering from exhaustion during workouts or whatever, most won’t admit it to appear healthier than they may actually be. Reader beware, for sure.
you are so inspiring and it’s so true! I love this post! Everyone is different and we all need to fuel our bodies differently and yeah I read others blogs and go wow maybe I should be vegan to be “healthier” but that’s not healthy to me. I feel like it would do more damage at this point than good. Such a great post! This is why I always come back to your blog to read 🙂
you are so inspiring and it’s so true! I love this post! Everyone is different and we all need to fuel our bodies differently and yeah I read others blogs and go wow maybe I should be vegan to be “healthier” but that’s not healthy to me. I feel like it would do more damage at this point than good. Such a great post! This is why I always come back to your blog to read 🙂
Great post! I’ve been reading a lot of blogs lately where bloggers keep trying to compare their daily intake of food to others. Just do what works best for you. Everyone is different. I thought about vegetarian once until my bf made me realize that I was doing it because everyone else on the blogging world was doing it and not because it was what I wanted.
Great post! I’ve been reading a lot of blogs lately where bloggers keep trying to compare their daily intake of food to others. Just do what works best for you. Everyone is different. I thought about vegetarian once until my bf made me realize that I was doing it because everyone else on the blogging world was doing it and not because it was what I wanted.
agreed. Healthy living blogs can be such a trigger…
i TRY not to read them sometimes…. i never though about it how you wrote it… but it makes complete sense…
I eat an apple for breakfast… where is used to be oatmeal apple, protien powder, and PB… I MAKE my breakfast… but i just end up ditching it…
and its all exactly what you posted.. * she eats only X amount so that means I should too, or even less!*.. etc..
i am trying so hard.. its why I stopped blogging for so long… I miss blogging though.
I have NEVER ate oats.. but since blogging, its my go to… i havent had them in over 2 months.. 🙁 i dont know whats stopping me now…
anyways..
xoxox LOVE this post. <3
I relate to this Devon.
And you know what?
I’m literally at a scary scary low weight. I can’t bear to stand up or move or even type on my computer. I can’t touch my body or look at myself in the mirror. At night, I worry my heart my fail.
I’m mad.
So. Very. Mad.
I’ve destroyed my body. I used to run half-marathons and was revered by my community and friends as awesome.
And now? Nothing.
And admittedly, Blogs were a huge factor in that…I compared and compared (like to my sister also)…the ‘no-grain” fad, this and that…I listened to others and NOT to myself..
So how do I forgive myself Amanda?
How do I forgive myself?
Because I am now literally on bed-rest. Bed rest for maybe a full year or more. I’ll never run again.
How do I forgive myself?
Right now, I just pray to live. Every day. A selfish prayer. But I hope. To truly avoid hospital and to cm by cm make it better each day. WHile I lie in bed or sit in my chair.
Quite literally.
agreed. Healthy living blogs can be such a trigger…
i TRY not to read them sometimes…. i never though about it how you wrote it… but it makes complete sense…
I eat an apple for breakfast… where is used to be oatmeal apple, protien powder, and PB… I MAKE my breakfast… but i just end up ditching it…
and its all exactly what you posted.. * she eats only X amount so that means I should too, or even less!*.. etc..
i am trying so hard.. its why I stopped blogging for so long… I miss blogging though.
I have NEVER ate oats.. but since blogging, its my go to… i havent had them in over 2 months.. 🙁 i dont know whats stopping me now…
anyways..
xoxox LOVE this post. <3
I relate to this Devon.
And you know what?
I’m literally at a scary scary low weight. I can’t bear to stand up or move or even type on my computer. I can’t touch my body or look at myself in the mirror. At night, I worry my heart my fail.
I’m mad.
So. Very. Mad.
I’ve destroyed my body. I used to run half-marathons and was revered by my community and friends as awesome.
And now? Nothing.
And admittedly, Blogs were a huge factor in that…I compared and compared (like to my sister also)…the ‘no-grain” fad, this and that…I listened to others and NOT to myself..
So how do I forgive myself Amanda?
How do I forgive myself?
Because I am now literally on bed-rest. Bed rest for maybe a full year or more. I’ll never run again.
How do I forgive myself?
Right now, I just pray to live. Every day. A selfish prayer. But I hope. To truly avoid hospital and to cm by cm make it better each day. WHile I lie in bed or sit in my chair.
Quite literally.
I am so right here, as I am trying to recover from an eating disorder. I am using my blog to get out in this amazing community and learn more and figure out where I fit in with this all. I would always be open to someone telling me that I am not being healthy. I mean hell, I know I am still in recovery, and this might need help every now and then. I do have to be careful on reading other foodie blogs though.
I know that this might not be proper, but I am very desperate and I just am needing to reach out to the blogging community. Please read this blog-the second issue addressed-to understand. http://divinelyvegan.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/very-important-post-help-needed/
I am so right here, as I am trying to recover from an eating disorder. I am using my blog to get out in this amazing community and learn more and figure out where I fit in with this all. I would always be open to someone telling me that I am not being healthy. I mean hell, I know I am still in recovery, and this might need help every now and then. I do have to be careful on reading other foodie blogs though.
I know that this might not be proper, but I am very desperate and I just am needing to reach out to the blogging community. Please read this blog-the second issue addressed-to understand. http://divinelyvegan.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/very-important-post-help-needed/
This is brave and brilliant. I feel the #1 thing ladies need to understand is that no matter if you are the most real and raw blogger, or one who just puts up the pretty stuff, its still ONLY a computer screen and there is ONLY so much you can share when in reality minute by minute of individual lives is so much more complex than what you may have an hour to type out each day!
Thanks so much for this post. It’s a real reminder to the truths we know and only think we know. Be you, be happy, and look for inspiration – not perfect models of health. Thanks again!
Thanks so much for this post. It’s a real reminder to the truths we know and only think we know. Be you, be happy, and look for inspiration – not perfect models of health. Thanks again!
I will probably repeat all the 50+ comments before mine but yes, that’s the truth – in the blog world healthy is way too often anything but healthy. I remember reading blogs where everything was organic, seasonal, almost raw, vegan, fat-free, gluten free, manically planned while running the daily 10 miles, cooked in between the yoga class and the gym session and topped with a miserable square of 100% organic dark chocolate from Nicaragua because, yes, healthy-living people can enjoy their sweet treats, too. I felt like crap because organic food was either not available or too expensive, I couldn’t live without milk and cheese and one square of chocolate or five almonds were never enough. I believed that all of my junk food cravings would send me straight to hell although trying to live on photosynthesis had already created my personal hell. Now it doesn’t bother me that much because I realize that my needs aren’t the same as those of other people and that other people have the right to choose the healthiest way to ruin their health but I can choose something different for my life and give my body adequate nourishment for all the crazy things I make it do 🙂 .
Now excuse me, but I have some more almonds to eat before I go to bed and no health blog in the world can make me stop before my tummy says it’s enough 😛 .
add on: but in a way i also feel like ppl can be too critical… like okay they had egg whites or okay they had a sandiwch thin.. like theres nothing wrong with it as long sas the person is still getting enough for their body and isnt obsessive and doesnt eat the same thing and all the Ed behaviors.. i mean not everyone who eats ‘diet products’ has an ED so in a way i think ppl can be too critical!
Very true. But the ones I was thinking of are those who eat egg whites and bagel thins and don’t eat enough for their bodies.
Yes yes! i definitely agree with you on that!