Over the past week, I have been thinking more and more about what I want to do on Oh She Glows. I have come to the conclusion that I want to write about the topics that I feel passionate about- body image, self-esteem, eating healthy, finding a balance, motivation- just to name a few.
For example, I think somewhere along the way I started to focus more on the number side of things with my workouts (e.g., distance, calories burned, etc) rather than how working out makes me feel, how it makes you feel, and why we do it.
How do I feel when I enjoy a good hike in the woods or after a run that doesn’t leave me feeling winded? How does it feel to be able to hold a side plank for 20 seconds longer than I used to be able to? Or climb 3 flights of stairs? Or train for my first race when I used to not be able to run more than 1 minute at a time?
And I don’t want this to be the case. I do realize that many of you find the details of workouts to be helpful, and I will continue to post much of the information, but at the same time I also want to focus more on the big picture.
Which brings me to this afternoon’s topic. Last night I was a bit upset about a comment that I got in the survey, I’m not going to lie. I am a sensitive person and things like that do hurt me. However, I take it with a grain of salt because we are all unique and we all have our different opinions. The amount and/or what I eat will not be suitable for everyone. Yes, I do eat a lot, and I am proud of that fact. When you have struggled for years like I did and suffered from low self-worth, low self-esteem, and poor body image, the ability to eat freely is a huge bright spot in my current life.
I don’t try to assume that what I eat will be the same amounts that you will need for yourself. I just show snippets of my own life and what is working for me! I don’t expect you to eat dandelion, green monsters, veggie burgers, or herbal tea. What I do want you to get out of OSG is a way to challenge yourself to change up your current routine and to try new things. Maybe for you that is getting a bike and hitting some roads or trails instead of biking at the gym on a stationary bike. Or maybe it is trying a class at the gym when you have been scared to for the past 5 months. Whatever it is, I hope that this blog will make you think differently about the way you view ‘static’ things in your life.
I received a beautiful email today that I knew I had to share with you all.
Hi Angela,
I am relatively new to reading your blog, but am loving all the different facets of healthy living you talk about: exercise, eating, cooking, body image and care, attitude, etc.
As someone who follows a few different blogs to get ideas on continuing my own healthy lifestyle, I really appreciate your honesty, especially with eating.
Your post from yesterday, about your snacks, was really good for me to see. I workout every day and try to eat very healthy meals, but sometimes I feel like I must be overeating if I’m hungry for lots of snacks between meals. I feel like I’m always eating (which I don’t mind, but I don’t want to overdo it either). I don’t have any weight to lose, so I’m sure it’s fine (in fact, my boyfriend is constantly telling me to eat more), but seeing your post about snacks helped to reassure myself that it’s okay. My body needs fuel if I want to workout and lead the hectic lifestyle I live (I’m a high school teacher). I eat before I workout every morning (4am), then have a bigger breakfast afterwards (which is at 6:30 am), eat a snack at 9 am to hold me over to lunch at 11:00 am. I then end up eating another two snacks, at least, before dinner, which is usually around 6 pm. Sheesh. Doesn’t that seem like a lot??? Anyways, thanks for grounding me in the fact that if it’s healthy food (which it is!!!), then it’s okay! Sometimes I need that reminder–and I’m sure many other young women need it too. I just needed to take the time to say thanks for being a great role model!
M*
I am so glad that M* emailed me and told me this. I think it can help a lot of people. It is easy to look at food blogs and think ‘Gee I must be eating way too much!’ and then feel down about yourself. I don’t want this to be the case on OSG. That is why I did that post yesterday because I realized that I don’t often talk about the snacks I eat during the day. I eat a lot of food that doesn’t get shown on the blog. Some days I am plain old hungry and when I am hungry I eat. I don’t deprive myself anymore.
In my reply to M*, I said:
It is crazy how women deny themselves with such basic things, isn’t it?
Do you ever hear the men in your life complaining because they eat too many snacks or have too big of an appetite! Not usually! It’s usually something like, ‘Wow look at his appetite! He eats like such a man!’ In fact, I used to feel a bit strange when I would eat more than Eric. And to be honest, many days I do eat more than Eric! Guess what? Eric sits all day at his day job and doesn’t workout. Guess what I do during the day? I exercise almost daily and I am often on my feet baking. Our calorie needs are not the same which is why we shouldn’t compare what we eat to anyone else but ourselves.
I used to deny my hunger for many years. After I began my road to health, I slowly started listening to my body.
You know what I finally realized?
Hunger is NOT a bad thing! If you are truly hungry, you do need to eat. There is no other way around it. I know, it’s not rocket science, but when you deny your true hunger signals for so long it can seem like a foreign concept, right??
This is what now works for me:
When I feel true hunger pains, I eat. There is no denial. Sometimes, it is trickier to discern whether it is true hunger (or whether it is dehydration, tiredness, etc) but for the most part my body does a good job of letting me know when I need some fuel. We need to stop denying ourselves and start listening to ourselves.
Our bodies are amazingly smart machines that are extremely efficient. It’s only when society started to put pressure on women (yes, men too more and more) that we started to have problems with eating disorders, negative body image, and the like.
Do you ever notice that people who don’t diet also don’t binge? My urge to overeat only stopped once I finally gave up calorie counting and denying my body what it needed.
I think if we started listening more and over-analyzing a bit less, we would lead much more content and full lives. Get back to the basics with your health and simplify what you are currently doing.
Your body will thank you for it.
How are you with listening to your body and hunger signals? Are you trying to improve how you listen to your body? Is it difficult for you? What works for you?
See you tonight for a baking recipe + how to!
I think it’s horrible people were commenting on how much you eat. First off, everyone is different, and secondly, everything you show is healthy, so who cares if you eat a lot of healthy foods? You’re active – you have to eat a lot of the good stuff! Many people think calories are the enemy….in college, our nutritionist told us we weren’t eating ENOUGH calories (I was a college athlete). If you’re working out, you have to fuel and then replenish your body. Just this morning I found out from a friend that she burned – get this – 2,000 calories running a marathon!!! Obviously she had to eat a lot before AND after to achieve her running goal.
Kudos to you for sharing what you eat. Don’t let silly haters bring you down because you’ve got a lot of positive support right here.
Well said!
I’m definitly not at that point yet..although I wish I could be..I have many many years of feeling guilty to let go of..
No matter what size I was…in my house…eating usually made me feel guilty..With a mom who prides herself on being skinny (and wants a skinny daughter) it was hard.. and lead me to a binge eating disorder.
But as of late I have let go of some of these things and am learning that it is just going to kill me (literally) if I want to starve myself just to please others… I’m going to eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner AND MAYBE even more snacks! and if that only leads to losing one pound every week..or every other week..then so be it…I’m in this for the long run and being healthy is something that I am doing for myself..not for anyone else.
With that out of the way.. I have added your BBBC to my website/blog because I’d like to start following it along with my other workouts :)
Wonderful, wonderful post, Angela. We can tell you put your heart into it, and we are so appreciative. Sorry I’m speaking for everyone! :) What you’re saying is so true…food is good and food is fuel. We deserve it! One of the things I have trouble with is determining when I am actually hungry…do you have any tips for that?
www. HelpMeghanRun .com
a million thank yous goes out to you for this post, Angela. Honestly – I can not tell you how much of an inspiration your blog is to me… and no, not because I love to mimick the exact foods that you eat – thats not why i read.. I read because i love the girl behind the food… the girl who drinks the green monster because she ENJOYS THEM because they MAKE HER FEEL GOOD.. for so long i lost sight of what it means to enjoy food and feel good about what you’re eating – and you remind me of that, girl. Thank you for this empowering and honest post … it helped me more than you will ever know.
all my love,
Jenny
I love this post and you are so right that everyone is different. When I first started running I was discouraged I couldn’t run 3 miles at a time. I realized that I am not there yet, and it takes time. I used to snack on 100 calorie packs and not be satisfied and not understand. I realized I was just feeding myself empty calories. I finally stopped counting calories and started eating whole healthy food when I am hungry. I think it is ridiculous that someone commented on your eating habits, you are very active and obviously nourish yourself with pure healthy foods!
I am really excited about the future of your blog! I love this post :) I put in the survey that my favorite part of OSG is when you write about this kind of stuff. I forget what the option that I picked was called, but keep it up :) Have a great day Ange!
Great entry Angela. After reading Eating Intuitively, my whole outlook on eating changed. It wasn’t a “quick fix” from the binging and depressive state that I was in this winter. But I kept taking small steps toward accepting my hunger, honoring my fullness, and not denying my body what it was craving. The small steps have really added up over the past 2 months and I am in the best state I have been in for years!
I’m sorry someone hurt your feelings! I’m super emotional too and take things very personally so I understand. These are my favorite kind of posts from you where you just write your feelings and are 100% REAL. (Not that you aren’t normally but it shows a more honest side) I love your blog and if someone has a problem with it then they should say it nicely or stop reading!
BTW I eat sooo much more than my boyfriend!! lol he always looks at me like I’m crazy.
I’m just another gal like you. And sometimes I feel like, geesh, all I get done doing is eating I must be such a pig. But hey, every day I’m riding my bike and walking and numerous other exercises and I’m just fueling my body so I can keep up with all that exercise.
I think there’s a unhealthy mindset being created in magazines with all these 1200 calorie diets. 1200 calories is made to be normal when really it’s abnormal. I don’t our bodies were meant to run on 1200 calories. I have to remind myself that all the time.
Keep that healthy appetite, your not the only one out there that has one!!! :D
Angela,
You know from my almost constant commenting that I absolutely adore your site. I love that you focus so much on the emotional aspect of things as opposed to the amounts of things and calorie counting. I absolutely love your site, and especially what a supportive blogger you are!
Oh my gosh. I totally agree with you. I become so frustrated with many women at the “all or nothing” mentality that comes along with eating. Most (or all) of the women I know believe that the only way to manage their weight is to completely restrict themselves from certain foods, and sometimes they eliminate entire food groups!
I often find myself needing to change the topic. I become so frustrated with the “diet mentality” that I just can’t even talk about it. Then, I have to step back and realize that not every woman knows that their eating pattern is disordered. In our society, we are raised and programmed to believe that diets are the key to happiness. I forget that not everyone has been through 2 years of treatment for an eating disorder, and not everyone has been taught to have a healthy perspective on the topic.
People are not taught to eat foods as close to nature as possible. They’re not taught to cherish the foods that they can obtain which have been grown closest to their own homes. They are not taught the danger of artificial preservatives and chemicals in their food. In my opinion, this is a terrible disservice to everyone, especially with chronic disease and obesity on the rise.
I am thankful every single day that I learned how to appreciate myself, food, and my body in such a way that I’m not afraid to feed myself. Eating what your body needs is not something to be ashamed of. Your message on Oh She Glows is one that everyone should hear. It makes me sad that the negative comment you received maybe caused you to doubt yourself. I know personally that there are times when comments like “you eat so much” or “you eat all the time” are very damaging.
You just have to find calm in the fact that you are happy, healthy, and feeding your body what it needs. Wholesome, delicious food!
I’m sorry this is a book…you hit on one of my passions. =)
Forget about that negative comment on your survey. They are just jealous. You are awesome and I love your blog!
Hey there!
Thank you soooooo much for this post! I just got finished with a six month battle of anorexia. It happened after a huge tragedy that occured in my life. I guess I just started to panic and it was the only way I could cope…that and over exercising. But through your blog and Eatliverun.com I’ve really been able to battle it without treatment. I use to only eat three small (like 100 calories each) meals a day and exercise for hours until exhaustion.
One morning I woke up…went on the scale and noticed that I lost 20 pounds in the matter of 2 months. That woke me up BIG time. I decided to be proactive and fix it on my own! Anyways…I could go on and on. But I just wanted to say thank you very much for being a role model for me. I recently became a self proclaimed foodie and I pratice a healthy vegetarian lifestyle now. I even started my own food blog and I love to cook. I think its completely stupid and silly to deprive yourselve just to be a size zero. If I’m hungry I’m going to eat!! I’m not perfect…at times I do want to revert to my old ways but everytime I see how healthy and balanced you eat..it motivates me to keep persuing a good wholesome life and stop depriving myself. Thank you sooo very much again and keep it up!
Maggie
Ha, I also eat a lot and sometimes think it’s hilarious how much containers with food I bring to the office and sometimes I wonder if I just eat too much, especially compared to colleagues who eat a lunch and no snacks (well, they don’t eat snacks they brought with them, they eat cookies and stuff…). But I workout a lot, I bike to my work and I am not getting any bigger, so I guess it’s working for me. So I try to accept I just need a lot of food (and most of the time, I actually am quite happy I can eat so much, buhaha). And I, too, often eat more than my boyfriend!
About the negative comment about (I guess) what you eat,; don’t worry about it. You have inspired a lot of people to drink green smoothies (and if that person would try one, she or he would know you can’t actually taste the greens…), and you made me want to try dandelion greens. :-) And since when are veggieburgers and herbal tea weird?! (Ok, well, they were, once upon a time, but not any more, right?)
i hate to break it to whoever commented that 2,200 calories is ‘a lot’ that it is NOT a lot of calories for a regular and active women to eat.
i am having some serious issues with social comparsion on the blogs lately. it’s making me mad and making me crazy.
I WILL NOT LET MY FOOD BLOG TURN INTO A DISORDERED EATING BLOG. And you should not let yours turn into one either (i don’t think it’s even close, just an FYI). asshole anon. comments who are PRESSURING us to basically developing eating disorders can suck it.
i’m having a bad day! LOL
I am confused, touched and horrified all by your post.
I stumbled upon your blog probably a little over a month ago and I have been hooked ever since. (Okay, lets be honest, i’m a bit obsessed but in a good way.Imitation Is The Best Form Of Flattery, right? Reading your post, seeing your pictures, videos, etc brings fresh ideas into my life.
I am not sure if someone implied you eat too much or too little. Since reading your blog I have never once thought you did either. I think you eat intuitively, listen to your body and lead a very active life. I also think you are a stunning individual–yes, you glow :) and what ever you are doing, if you are happy with it, keep doing it…because it is working!
I agree with the refocusing of the blog. You change as a person..your blog may or may not have changed with you. This site is your outlet, your domain. Approach it and portray it how you see fit and enjoy, not how you think us readers think it should be.
Okay, that was long.
Happiness Awaits
You eat a lot? Oh honey. I could eat you under the table any day of the week. ;-)
I think people might look at a big volume of salad or soup or veggies and think “wow that’s a lot of food!” but it’s like 1/2 the calories of the cardboard lean cuisine they’re eating that has two mouthfuls of food in it!!
I feel sad for the person who felt the need to try to harm you with his or her criticism. They must be hurting very much over their own relationship with food that they felt the need to bring some angst into your life. I hope that they are able to learn from your writings. Or maybe they just forget that the person writing this blog is a real person — not some reality tv star created for consumption and evisceration by the viewing public. In any case, their comment reflects on THEM, not on you.
Angela – THANK YOU for your honest snack post and for this post in response to your nasty commenter. It is so refreshing to see an active woman fuel herself properly. So often, magazines provide you with “what to eat” plans that max. out at 1500 or 1700 calories. For so long, I have been setting a mental maximum of my “allowed” calories at those amounts, which led to binges when I felt that I had failed at this perfection. This was ALSO when I was training for a half-marathon, which obviously requires more food.
Now that I can finally (most of the time) listen and heed to my hunger cues and my cravings, the disordered eating has stopped. I refuse to feel bad for anything that I eat and I realize that over a period of days and weeks, it will all balance out. You obviously have it figured out for yourself, and while we are all different with caloric needs and food preferences, I am so glad that you are candid about what you eat. Especially treats!!
This was a beautifully written post. Thank you so much for writing from your heart on this one. Everyone has different points of view and being healthy is different to everyone. Take those mean comments with a grain of salt like you said. I get the same ones and they really bother me, we are healthy yound women who are doing what is right for us, not for everyone else out there.
And I just want to say I love Caitlin’s comment. So honest and so true.
Happiness Awaits