I’ve noticed a trend in healthy living blogging. It goes a little something like this:
Oh, this blogging thing is neat. I’ll share my mom’s famous chili recipe. Oh, but it has red meat. That’s unhealthy, right? I’ll make it with beans instead! Oh wait, did the beans come from a BPA-Free can? Wow, those BPA-free cans are expensive. This would be more cost effective if I bought them dry and hydrated them myself. Ugh, dry beans come in a plastic bag? Plastic is bad. I need to buy them from a bulk bin. The only store with bulk bins is 30 minutes away? Oh well, I’ll make the drive. Oh wait. what about my carbon footprint? I should just grow my own beans. …can you grow beans? Oh wait, aren’t lentils healthier than beans? Should I use those?
Sound familiar?
I’m not exempt. As I strive for the healthiest life for myself and my family, I sometimes feel pressure to be more. This may come as a HUGE shock to y’all, but I’m not perfect in all things health. I know; pick your jaws up off the floor. 
If you’ve been reading a while, you know I started the blog back when I was a health coach. Clients would ask me what my day to day looked like with healthy living, so I decided to write about it.
As far as helping others make lifestyle changes to live a healthier life, yes, I’m pretty good at that, but it doesn’t mean I’m perfect in every aspect of health in my own life. I share with you my experiences and research that I’ve done and learn from you as much as you (hopefully) learn from me.
About that P word… I hope that I don’t seem to come across more “perfect” on the blog than I truly am. It’s true that I do eat a lot of healthy food. I love whole, unprocessed foods and feel best when I eat them, but I also enjoy margaritas, chips and salsa without guilt. I buy organic often, but not always. I enjoy being active, but struggle with staying interested in the gym. This sometimes leaves me wondering if I’m being honest or hypocritical.
Can I be an advocate for buying local when I buy some groceries at Target?
Can I stress the importance of exercise when 3 miles can feel like a marathon to me?
Can I praise moderation and balance when last Saturday I woke up with a killer headache from too much wine?
I hope so.
Being a healthy living blogger can be a slippery slope of comparison. It starts with wanting to add fancy toppings to your oatmeal and the next thing you know you’re mixing everything with protein powder (by the way, what is the obsession? Protein frosting? Really? WOOF).
Sometimes I just need to check myself and make sure I’m on track with my mission- to show that healthy living doesn’t have to be extreme. And my version of healthy living isn’t. It’s about balance (how sick are you of that statement?). There is always someone who will eat cleaner or exercise more than I do, and I’m OK with that.
It’s balance. It’s doing yoga and enjoying a glass of wine. It’s eating greens during the week and wings during the game. It’s progress, not perfection.
What does healthy mean to you?
Ever get caught up in the comparison game?
Erica says
Such a well written post! After I was a few months into my blog I started comparing myself, my blog, my exercise to *every* other blogger I came along. I finally quit reading them for a while so I could remember why I started mine in the first place (since it surely wasn’t to feel bad about myself!)
nicole @ making good choices says
It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparision trap… but I love your blog because you are so REAL and we are alike in our “healthy living” beliefs.
blackhuff says
I saw this too in the blogging world. One need to make your own rules regarding healthy living. I fell into the comparison trap before and let me tell you, it was stressful beyond measurement. I just had to let go a little and decide what really is important.
Parita @ myinnershakti says
Love this! I’ve been thinking about this a lot as well and not just with blogging but other aspects of life too. At the end of the day, I think we all have to do what is best for us (something else people are prob sick of hearing). In this case, healthy living should not come as a cost to our own happiness.
Brittany says
Great point, Parita! Happiness is a such a key component to health 🙂
KaraHadley says
O’m’gah! Yes to all of that. It can make me feel crazy trying to keep up AND all the healthy living blogger staples — Chobani, fancy raw nut butters, a dozen gluten free flours, all local and organic berries, Crossfit and yoga memberships, new workout gear — are ridiculously expensive! It’s a bit of a trap.
So I love that you’re not “perfect” because I’m not either and that’s what makes reading your blog fun instead of anxiety inducing.
Kellie says
I love this! I love that you are keeping it real on your blog. That is why I love reading what you write. We can only strive for what works the best for our family. Everyone has an opinion and what works for you may not work for others and I love that you don’t push your views on anyone. You just share what is working for your family in this season of life. Thanks for a great blog. I learn a lot as I am new to the clean healthy eating world!
Hanna says
I’m a competitive person and I often find myself doing the ‘all or nothing’ game with being healthy, which is silly. I’m a busy working mom and I can’t be super mom, even though I want to be. Eating healthy for me is making sure I eat veggies and fruit every day, drinking water instead of coke, and finding time to just sit and unwind everyday (for my sanity!). It’s hard to find time and energy to fit in exercise. I know it’s doable, but I’m still adjusting to being a mom of two (7 months and 3 yr old).
Brittany says
Oh Hanna, you have no idea how worried I am about the idea of having 2 kids, so HUGE KUDOS to you. Please send me all your tips when the time comes because it sounds like you’re doing an amazing job!
Shannon says
What a well-timed post. Wonder if there’s something in this nice fall air that’s been blowing in?? I’m not a blogger but I read several, and lately, I’ve been getting a little down on myself. “Wow, those women have it all together.” “Gee, maybe I should just throw in the towel, I just let MY basil plant shrivel up and die, and HERS yeilded amazing end of summer pesto..” “Um, I haven’t bought or sworn NOT to buy a can of pumpkin yet and it’s mid-October!! Where do I stand on the canned pumpkin debate??” It becomes a little overwhelming. But I’ve always enjoyed your blog because I feel you are honest and it IS about the BALANCE that we all find for ourselves within these healthy living topics. And hey, I subbed out the oil for a mashed banana in that brownie mix I was craving last night. And I’m training to run my first half in less than a month. And hey I’ve got a lot going for myself, too! Thanks for the reminder this morning!
Brittany says
“where do I stand on the canned pumpkin debate” – hahahaah! seriously, laughing out loud (though I refuse to write lol ;))
Thanks for the kind words Shannon and I’m so glad we’re on the same page! And good luck on your half- that’s amazing!
Brittany says
Great post!! You are truly inspirational, and your family is lucky to have you!
Katie says
So so true! It can be such a slippery slope!
Brooke@BittersweetBrooke says
This is all so true! I feel like a lot of bloggers talk about “balance” but I only see green smoothies and salads and not the oops I had too much wine night or I ate one too many pieces of cake. I think we are all seeking balance in our lives and its hard to feel like others are better at it than we are. So thank you for being real because I just can’t get myself to buy a pumpkin and cook it instead of carve it to make pumpkin bread. The canned kind is fine by me!
Sam says
I don’t read very many so-called “healthy living” blogs for the very reasons you describe up front, but I love your blog. I read it every morning when I sit down at my desk. Your approach to health and fitness makes so much sense to me, and you have created a balance in your life that I am trying hard to emulate. You are doing health and fitness the absolute right way, and I look forward to reading lots more about it!
Maria says
Yes! Blogging felt so much like “Keeping Up With the Jones'” to me. I’m not a vegetarian, vegan, or marathoner and there were times while writing a “healthy living blog” that I thought I should be. Crazy talk. Really happy with the direction of my new blog, even though I forget I have it some days!
For the record, I’ve NEVER read your blog and thought “good gosh, that Brittany is losing her mind with the expensive nut butters and mixing protein in her salad dressing”. All of your meals/recipes look appetizing and are real. Just like you. That’s why I keep coming back 🙂
p.s. Blend in May? I’m still trying to figure out if I am going to make it, but am certainly going to try!
Lisa says
Is chips and salsa your guilty pleasure!?! i consider that a balanced choice when portioned correctly;)
Lisa says
Yep, sounds familiar! I can get caught up on these things…even just from reading blogs before I started one. I just need to realize what works for my body and not care what others are doing. Especially when I notice people doing destructive things. It makes me sad to think people are looking up to them for advice. Great post and it sounds like you have a great balance going on!:)
Sarah says
I feel like a lot of the competition/comparison in the “healthy living blog” genre stems from the fact that it’s dominated by young women. I found my early 20’s to be chock full of comparing myself to others as a means of figuring out who I really am as an adult. It’s not a bad thing and was definitely a learning experience for me.
But now that I’m almost 30, I think I’ve moved past it a bit and feel more confident in a firm position of “moderation” like yourself. I also gravitate toward reading blogs, like yours, where the writers aren’t just trying to keep up with the HLB trends, but are sharing their own firmly established habits and guidelines.
Kinley @ Better Off Barefoot says
Just had to say I love this post! I got totally sucked into thinking everything had to be perfect to be “healthy” but that’s just too darn stressful!
Better not Best is my motto with everything 😉
Lindsey @ Pas de Deux Blog says
Thanks for this great post, Brittany! I am constantly reminding myself to focus on progress and balance, not perfection.
As a pretty new blogger, I’m still trying to find my *place* in the blog world–are we a recipe blog? healthy living? what’s the difference? does it matter? I love this space you have created, and think you are doing a fabulous job of showing us balance in many areas of your life!
Brittany says
I know exactly what you’re talking about and I could go on and on about this topic but I’ll try to keep it short!
While I love blogging and reading everyone else’s blogs, I do find myself feeling competitive with what others are doing – whether it’s exercise, eating, or even just writing blog posts in general. It’s definitely a “girl thing” to constantly compare yourself to others. At one point several months ago, I found myself forcing sentences into my posts about what I did for my workout that day. I felt like I had to justify my eating habits (read: excessive sweet tooth haha) and show how much I run/workout. I read so many healthy living blogs where girls talk about their exercise that I felt like I needed to share too. Then I realized that it is just simply not “me” or what I wanted my blog to be about. I am all about moderation and balance, like you said, but I started my blog to be about recipes and food. I need to keep it that way and not let the comparison game get in the way of my goals. I think it is just important to remember what your own blog is about and keep true to that. I love how real you are in this post, and honestly you have always come across as very real and honest to me. I think all of your readers would agree 🙂 “Perfect” does not exist. All we can do is live our lives the best we can, as balanced as we can, making sure to save room for cupcakes and wine every once in awhile 😉
Kelly @foodiefresh says
Comparison is an easy trap, but sometimes I think it’s because we’re wired that way — to see everything we’re not in the people (and blogs) around us. I think anyone who really reads regularly knows you’re not perfect not are you trying to say that you are. You are balanced and that word is thrown around so much because it is what we’re all striving for if health is our goal. It’s what I’m striving for anyway.
Kelly @foodiefresh says
*nor — not “not”. My life needs spellcheck.
Simone says
I just started my blog a few weeks ago and already I find myself double thinking everything just incase theres a healthier option… its good and bad for sure.
healthy living to me is all about 80/20, I crave healthy yummy food most of the time but if I want to go for burgers with my boyfriend i’m not going to loose sleep over it!
Danica @ It's Progression says
That last sentence is exactly why I started my blog–to show that being “healthy” doesn’t mean being a marathon runner who only eats vegetables. It’s about making a lot of little healthy choices that add up to an overall healthy life! I’ll openly admit that WAY too often I fall into the comparison trap though. Writing and reading healthy living blogs can be both a great thing (most of the time) and a stressful/nasty thing (some of the time, when I start to compare in a negative way). “Finding balance” is definitely said a lot but it’s the truth!
Giselle@ahealthyhappyhome says
Awesome post! I totally agree and while I haven’t been blogging that long, I notice myself doing some of the same things. Great reminder to keep it real and show that healthy isn’t always an extreme way of living but a way of creating a balanced life. There’s that word “balanced” again 😉
Toni says
Love your blog! It is because you eat normal foods and it motivates me to be more balanced. I had subscibed to many health blogs a long time ago and yours is one of the only ones I always read everyday! Thank you for the inspiration!!
Lauren B. says
Everything you just wrote is why I love reading your blog everyday!
Kayla says
great post! so true! sometimes you just have to focus on yourself and what you believe in and forget the rest..
Emily B says
I realise this is a bit late but in Australia we have this ‘healthy campaign’ called “swap it”, the line being: That you don’t have to stop chocolate cold turkey – just swap the serve to something smaller. I’m lucky in that I have no interest in alcohol – it all seems to taste like cough syrup, even vodka in coke! – but sadly, broccoli will never taste indulgent like chocolate biscuits . . . not even with cheese and olive oil:( However an orange and cherries may just cut it lol:)
Emily B says
By the way, I love the approach to healthy living you have. I’m not vegetarian, have no interest in becoming vegetarian in the near future and sometimes I feel like healthy-living blogs ban all animal products and make omnivores look like the bad guys. That being said your dishes are still plant based which is great. I really enjoy reading your blog:)
stampylisa says
I HEAR you sistah! I am also starting health coaching & am halfway + through the IIN program…..don’t blog that much since I use facebook mostly for my current audience. I feel hypocritical when I advocate some sort of meat, I eat mostly vegetarian, a lot of raw foods, much of it unprocessed, but then i eat non-gmo tortilla chips with my mashed up avocado. Lately though cause of my blood type, I’ve added some chicken, turkey and salmon back to my diet, but quietly. I need to embrace the waves that have tipped my topsy turvy life. I can’t even think of Balance. Too old for that. *smirk* But I strive for As Healthy As I Can Be.–right now. in this moment.
Jess says
This is a great post! I think that people get too wrapped up in being “healthy” to the point that it is really unhealthy! Really, having balance is what makes you healthy. So what if you eat a poptart for breakfast some mornings or eat an extra slice of cake on your birthday. I think that being healthy is not being perfect with your food choices but being realistic! I think you are doing a great job and again love this post!
jodie says
Yours is one of my fave blogs. Pb2 sauce and protein frosting…all that is odd to me. Normalcy is healthy. An 80/20 balance. And fun.
Heather @ For the Love of Kale says
Beautiful post, Brittany! Really. At the end of the day, I personally view my plant-based lifestyle as a spiritual practice. What will allow me to go inside myself and feel totally and completely “one” with my body (i.e. whole)? This might seem hokey but it’s totally transformed me. I listen to my inner guide. Most of the time, it’s veggies, legumes, and seeds galore. But sometimes, it’s wine and coconut milk ice cream. And that’s fine! It’s all about OUR version of balance – OUR personal story. That’s what is so beautiful about the blogging community. We can read so many different perspectives and stories and take what we need and leave what we don’t need along the way. 🙂
Erin / yum yum yum says
Yes! Great post. I’ve been struggling with this lately. I feel really awkward when people direct questions toward my children! “Will your mom let you eat this?” My sitter has even told me that my friends swear her to secrecy when she babysits for them. Gah! I hope that I’m not putting out a perfection vibe – that’s definitely not my mission. I love that you wrote this.
Tiff says
So true. It’s hard to know where to draw the line. One thing that always brings me back to my reality: I planned to make lentil “meat-less”balls for dinner with organic pasta sauce. I asked the hubby to pick out what pasta he wanted at the grocery store. Last night when I was cooking it all, I see that he purchased regular white pasta despite my endless preaching about whole wheat. Sigh… at least he keeps me grounded! You’ve just gotta go with it. 🙂
Carrie @ Season It Already! says
Well said! Being healthy isn’t being perfect. It’s about being aware and making the best choice possible in the moment. And sometimes the best choice is not-so-healthy, too, because we all need a splurge once in a while. 😉
Hemrid review says
Healthy life is good for all. But it will be perfect by perfect moment. This post is good for decorate one’s life perfectly. Thanks for sharing this post.
Mary @ Fit and Fed says
Yup. And I cook for an entire family, not just me. That creates balance and compromise right there. Mine have all developed a love of healthy produce (whew) but that doesn’t mean they are going to stand for a house without chips in the cupboard.