Sometimes it’s easier to put up a facade and hide imperfections than it is to be honest about how things really are. Today’s post is inspired by a post that Bri over at Run. Lift. Yoga. posted last Thursday, Are Wellness Bloggers Doing More Harm Than Good? One of the points that Bri made is that so many wellness bloggers are so careful to only photos of their healthy meals and workouts, so it seems like they’re 100% healthy 100% of the time.
I think sometimes we’re tempted to curate our lives, especially on social media, so that they look pretty or look glamorous, but they’re rarely the truth. I want to make sure that every person who reads fitness blogs knows that the vast majority of us eat foods that are “bad” for us (side note: no food is intrinsically good or bad) and skip workouts and do other things that are considered “unhealthy.”
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I’m a firm believer in the 80/20 rule, although sometimes it’s more like 70/30 or 60/40. I try to eat healthy and exercise most of the time, but I allow myself to indulge. I try to put good foods in my body most of the time, but I’m not perfect. I try to get in some exercise most days of the week, but I’m not perfect. Sometimes I just want to sleep in. Sometimes I want to have an extra drink with a friend. But, when I indulge, I don’t think to myself that I’ve messed up and there’s no point in trying to follow a healthy lifestyle.
I know that there’s an ebb and a flow to everything, and the world isn’t going to end if I go a week or two without working out. I know that if I eat like crap for a few days or a week, that doesn’t mean that I give up on trying to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s about keeping perspective and understanding that as long as you try to follow a generally healthy lifestyle, you’re ahead of the pack.
My personal outlook on health and fitness is also why I’m really in love with Carla Birnberg’s book, What You Can When You Can, and I would highly recommend reading it if you haven’t already. The entire premise of the book is that you should do the best that you can to do the things that you need to do or that you know that are good for you, and don’t stress if you can’t do everything.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try to take the steps that we know lead to good health, e.g. eating enough fruits and veggies, getting enough exercise, and so on. But, don’t dwell on what you can’t or didn’t do so much that it derails your goals, whether that’s generally living a healthy lifestyle or trying to accomplish something else in your life.
It’s okay to not be perfect. It’s like the old saying goes, it’s better to strive for progress than perfection.
I like to think that I do a pretty good job of just being myself on my blog. Sometimes I think that people see my life as more glam than it actually is (but, as you’ve seen, I’m a big ole mess!). But I try to be as real and authentic as I possibly can. Because otherwise, what is going to happen when I pull back that curtain?
Haha, I just had a mental picture of your head giant and floating all Wizard of Oz style and it was awesome. Thanks for being unapologetically you, Suz. 🙂
Love this Beth!! I especially love this: don’t dwell on what you can’t or didn’t do so much that it derails your goals. I tell my clients that ALL the time, and need to remember to live it, too.
Amen. There’s a fine line between being uninspired and unmotivated and being so overwhelmed by the feeling that you’re not doing it right that you give up. Have to find that sweet spot.
Yes! I believe that my job is to promote the truth, and the truth is that life is awesome in moderation. There are so many ways for us to enjoy this world, and while you shouldn’t take life too seriously, you should also take care of yourself. I think one of life’s biggest mysteries is figuring out what that balance is.:)
Yes, it’s absolutely all about moderation. Moderation is one of the best things that we can ever learn if we’re going to live happy lives.
Oooh I love those quotes! So great on a Monday Morning!
Thanks, Liz! Hope they helped you find some motivation for the week. 🙂
Those quotes are wonderful! And good ones to keep in mind. Living life and being happy needs to fit in with health – sometimes I think we get so focused we forget we need to treat ourselves sometimes.
Thanks, Alexandra! Glad you liked them, too–they really spoke to me this week. It’s really all about balance. 🙂
Youre back! Not that you were ever gone, but you’re back on my Bloglovin. Yay! And good points for sure.
I am! I’m not sure what happened, but somehow Bloglovin’ decided it liked my RSS feed again. Maybe they got tired of me sending them emails…
I could not agree with this more! Especially with some recent things I have been going through. It is so easy to get wrapped up in social media and what people choose to portray and forget that we are human and sometimes (most of the time) things are messy. We are all perfectly imperfect and that is beautiful 🙂
Aaaaaa-men. Even people who aren’t bloggers carefully choose what they put on social media. You never get the full story. Love that phrase, “perfectly imperfect.”
The biggest compliment I receive on my blog and FB page is that I “keep it real”. I sugarcoat nothing. What good is that to anyone? Sure, it makes you look good, but that’s not reality.
Love it! Keep on keepin’ it real, Wendy. 😉
Hi Beth! I love this, and you’re so, so right. In general, a lot of healthy living bloggers don’t post the “bad” days. The first time I ever met a reader in person, I ordered a side of sweet potatoes and she goes “oh my gosh, you’re not a robot!” Haha. Of course not! I had no idea readers looked at my eating habits from that perspective. From that day forward, I vowed to feature my healthy recipes and workouts, but also include what I’m up to on the weekends… including a lot of what I ate. I think this has helped with the perception that I’m not 100% healthy 100% of the time. I couldn’t agree with what you wrote more! xo
*sweet potato fries… and a hard cider, lol. Whoops!
Even better!!
Aw, I love that. It’s such a good thing to be honest with who we are and what we struggle with–something I think you excel at as a blogger. 🙂