I’m making a pretty good dent in my 30 Healthiest Foods Challenge. Check barley off the list! š
Breakfast
For breakfast this morning, I enjoyed Oats In A Jar made with rolled oats, barley, canned pumpkin, soy milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, chia seeds, and an extra scoop of peanut butter.
FYI: Barley rules. I love how chewy it is!
And, as always, I drank a glass of iced coffee with breakfast.
Disclaimer: If you are currently struggling with an eating disorder or in recovery, and weight is a sensitive issue or may trigger you, please skip the rest of this post.
So, I haven’t been totally honest with you guys about my weight. I’ve actually been sort of afraid to talk about it on Carrots āĖN’ Cake. Sometimes, I feel like weight is a touchy subject in the blog world, especially for those of us who are not overweight, which, for the record, I know that I’m not. I’m also not happy with my current weight.
I’ve always tried to be open and honest on my blog, so I realized that I should talk about something that I am struggling with. You probably have noticed some small changes in my daily lifeāāless sugar, more strength trainingāābut you don’t see everything that happens in my life.
Last week, Skinny Runner wrote a post about food blogging that really made me think. In her post, she said: āBlogging’s reality but it’s more like reality TV, which is so true. You only see what the blogger wants you to see. Likewise on CNC, you only see the meals and snacks that I photography and publish. You don’t see my food struggles or every single morsel that goes into my mouth. I’m not trying to hide anything. A lot of the time, I’m just too lazy to snap a photo of my food. Food journaling is A LOT of work and sometimes I just want toĀ eat like a ‘normal’ person and not take a picture of my food before I eat it. I can honestly say that document about 90% of what I eat each day, but there are plenty of times that I don’t bother to snap random eats, which can range from a piece of Swiss cheese to a dozen chocolate chip cookies.
Since last August, when I started training for the marathon, I’ve gained nearly 10 pounds, which is likely from simply overestimating that the amount of calories I could consume during training. Eating calories above and beyond what my body needed likely led to my weight gain, which I wrote about here and here. I know the scale doesn’t tell the whole story, but the fact that my pants don’t fit bothers me. I also realize that it took me five months to put on the weight, so it could take me the same amount of time (or longer) to lose it. I just need to be patient and stick to my healthy habits. (I don’t have a goal weight in mind, I just want my pants to fit again!)
Ok, so, now it’s out there. I feel so much better letting everyone know that I am not at my happy weight and I’m trying to do something about it. I won’t bore you with numbers and stats, like I did for Lose the Dough, but I will use my blog to more honestly document my daily eats to help keep me accountable. I mean,Ā there are days when I don’t want to eat healthily, but knowing I’ll have to post photos makes me think about what I’m eating. Plus, having the support from the blog communityĀ will keep me motivated.Ā
With that saidāĀ¦
Question of the Day
Has social media (blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) helped you lose weight? If so, how?
311 Comments
Your body is just really efficient!
I lost my weight (over 90 pounds) on SparkPeople, so I can definitely recommend it. I joined it four years ago today actually and posted a blog about that today.
I’m just on the cusp of “overweight” and I would love to be “normal” but I agree that the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. You know what you did to gain the weight and you certainly know what it takes to lose it. You can do it!
Tina, we all have our internal struggles and “issues”, that is for certain, so I commend you for being honest about what you’re grappling with presently… While I am recovering from an ED, I can still understand (and am not triggered by) the issues others face when it comes to weight loss or weight gain. We’re all in this together, whatever our personal challenges might be.
For the record, I think you look amazing, and you are actually an inspiration to me to not fear gaining some more weight, but doing it b/c I’m exercising wisely, PLUS enjoying foods I love. š
I just want to say… Tina, YOU ROCK!!
Thanks for sharing. You’re going to own this no matter which way you attack it. And it’s totally inspiring for me to see because I struggle with those last 10 pounds even though I run & workout tons!
I’m going through the same thing right now. Since last July, I packed on 15-20 lbs. I was finishing up my last leg of school, things got stressful and it just went downhill. All my clothes are tight and it sucks, there are even some pants that just will NOT go past my thighs =(
I’m trying trying trying to eat healthier and get in at least 3 really good workouts a week, but I struggle so bad with sweets that I find myself mindlessly getting a soda/candy bar from the vending machine and downing it before I even think about it. I try not to pay attention to the scale, but when I step on it every so often and see it hasn’t budged, it makes me feel 10 times worse.
But, we just have to keep on going! I’m trying to not feel guilty about eating badly like I used to. My goal is to fit comfortably into my size 6/8 clothes by May! =) I’ll send good thoughts your way that you reach your goal and soon.
You’ll get there Tina! Hang in there, be normal and enjoy your life too, so what if you forget to tell us you ate some cookies? We’ll still come back and love you. I know warmer weather and being outside will motivate you also, it will be here soon.
Tina~I really appreciate your honesty for the public to see! Being new to the blog world, I always wondered really how much more REAL one could be if there wasn’t so much fear of criticism and vulnerability…I believe that after starting to read blogs a few months ago, I’ve naturally lost weight b/c my body has been so much more in tune and healthily fueled! My stomach has been digesting better b/c of whole foods, and therefore I DID lose weight as a result–although that wasn’t my ultimate goal from the beginning. It was just to keep my body detoxified as a lifestyle. I hope this makes sense! You see, it’s not easy for me either to always love how I look, etc., but as I eat healthily and get inspired by bloggers to make and cook YUMMY healthy food, I’ve come to appreciate the health aspect of my body rather than the looks. Obviously, this isn’t always the case but it’s finally starting to take the back seat in my life and going out the window for me. Hopefully! š Take care and I’m sure you don’t care what I think but I think you’re beautiful in so many ways Tina! Much love <33
I think 90% of us struggle with this. I know I do. You are an amazing woman. Don’t forget that!
Tina – Great post. I read your blog daily but have never commented… today is the day I guess! I really like this post because I can relate to almost everything you said. Thank you for being so honest. I just signed up for my first marathon. Training starts next Monday and the race is in June. I have been loving all your posts about training and you’ve been my inspiration for signing up, so thank you š I have run dozens of half-marathons but never thought I could handle a full. I am really excited… but I am really nervous about fueling during training. It sounds like you didn’t think you did it the right way… do you have any tips for what you would change for the next time? Again, love love your blog. Thank you for all the great posts! š
You should be so proud of yourself! You have accomplished so much in a healthy manner, and I have no doubt that you will continue to do so. I use the blog world and now my own blog as motivational tools to help me make better choices. To be honest, when I first started reading your blog as well as some others, I wanted to be just like you guys and do everything you do (diet, workouts, etc.). Over time I started realizing that we all have different bodies, different metabolisms, etc, which led me to view my blog reading obsession as a way to learn new things. However, I still need to create my own path that fits my life and goals.
thanks for always being so honest with us tina. i think you look great as well, but i know how you feel. if i put on a few pounds and my clothes get a bit tight, then i just don’t feel good about myself. it’s good to be self aware and body conscious, but sometimes it comes at a cost. i still struggle with it.
Hi Tina,
I appreciate your honesty. I really do believe that no matter what the numbers say or what we have to loose, each of us has our own particular struggle. I welcome more discussion about the struggles as well as the success. I think that would benefit so many people. I enjoy reading healthy living blogs. However, there are some I’ve recently moved away from. When reading their blogs, I don’t get a real sense of “the process”. No one eats perfectly 100% of the time. Yet some present a picture that is misleading. I too struggle with how much to share on my blog. Still, I feel the content should be reflective of the peaks and valleys. That being said, I found your post so refreshing. I have more than 10lbs to loose. But it felt good reading about someone who has moments of humanity and eats a cookie : )
The healthy living community has given me so much helpful information and it’s helped in a lot of ways. In order for it to continue helping me, I’m more selective of the blogs I read. You should know I read your blog daily. I appreciate your openness.
Stay strong Tina. I 110% understand how you feel. I gained about 10 pounds over the course of 3 months (Oct, Nov, Dec) and it sucks. I am by no means overweight but I am Korean. And in most Asian cultures, being over 110 pounds (50kg) means you’re…dare i say…fat. I know it is absolutely outrageous but this is the culture that I am heavily influenced by. I am a christian, so I am taking part of a christian accountability bible study on eating and body image. Blogging may be a good outlet and source of help for you. If you are emotionally eating, binging, overeating when not hungry….I would suggest Geneen Roth’s book “Breaking Free from Emotional Eating.” You are not alone in this battle…there are millions of other women who struggle with the whole “weight” issue. Have strength!
I just ran my first marathon too – it was great to follow your blog while doing so. I, too, gained a bit of weight over training – it’s easy to be super hungry on a more intensive workout schedule – and around the holidays there are lots of unhealthy options available. However, after finishing the marathon, I feel so strong and healthy – even with those few extra pounds – that I’m having a hard time being down on myself for gaining weight. After the race ended, I’ve cut way down on sweets and alcohol, so I hope that helps take off the weight.
This is why I read your blog. I am human too and as much as I don’t want to admit to myself that I’m not at my happy weight, I know I am not. I fear of talking about it on my blog because everyone says weight doesn’t matter, it’s about how you feel. Well, sometimes I feel blah about my weight.
Anyways, I think blogging is making me GAIN weight. I love to cook and show off new recipes and no matter how healthy they are, they taste good, so I eat too much of them. Normally, before blogging, I’d be happy with a simple salad for dinner, but sometimes blogging pressures me to make elaborate meals, which leads to more indulging.
You will get there Tina! Weight loss is such a huge battle for a LOT of us! You have lots of support and often when you have such a small amount to lose, it can be the hardest for your body to do it! You are doing it the right way and you should feel good about that! xoxo
Why, why, why do we gain weight while running? I trained for a half marathon (a real stretch for me) and managed to gain 6 or 7 lbs. You would think with all that mileage and calories burned that the scale would go the other way. It frustrates me to no end!
Patience is a virtue! I too think it’s hard to document everything you eat and it’s so true that blogging can be more like reality T.V. I try my best to have my life documented on my blog be a 100% true but sometimes as a health blogger you don’t want people to know that you ate 3 cookies or tons of pasta. We’re only human though!
I think it’s great that you shared this personal story–I’m sure it was tough to write…
I used to log calories on Livestrong.com, but it was more about the calorie counting than the social networking for me at the time.
You keep me motivated to stay on track! And knowing you feel the way I do at times HELPS! I know you don’t document everything you eat, you shouldn’t have to. And running a marathon was your goal, and YOU DID IT! Now you can work toward a new one š
Tina – what an awesome post. Thank you so much for your honesty!
Your so thankful, I had to comment! We all have runs where we need some motivation…YOU ARE AWESOME!!! DON’T FORGET THAT š
I’ve been struggling with the same thing, and it’s so good to hear that I’m not the only one that struggles.
I wish there were some secret.
Thank you so much, it means a lot that you shared. Keep going!
Jess š
I appreciate hearing the struggles of others. Not that I appreciate that you’re struggling, but it’s nice not to be alone in the journey. And to know that people who look perfect to me, still have their own struggles. Cheers to you losing your ten and me losing my thirty! š
I ran a marathon in December and am now dealing with the same issue. I never lost weight during training, but I used post-marathon bliss as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted. (not to mention the holiday season came right after I ran it!) Now I’m sitting here with 10 extra pounds that are not wanting to come off!
One of the problems I have is that I’m still at a healthy, decent weight and my friends and family don’t understand when I don’t indulge in the same choices they do. “Oh you don’t need to watch what you eat!” and other similar refrains come out of all of their mouths. Only I know how this extra weight makes me feel, and how tight my jeans really are!
I think everyone is allowed to eat extra cookies when it’s cold and snowy out! I know I’ve been baking more than usual but I know that when the weather is warmer again I’ll be more interested in playing outside than snacking inside. Don’t feel bad š
I’m so glad you wrote this post — I recently gained 15 lbs from a summer in Europe and have been trying to lose it since September. Blogs have definitely been helping me but I also joined Weight Watchers since I really beleive their plan works. It has been hard to attend the meetings and tell others that I want to lose weight because i look “skinny” but they don’t realize that this is not the weight i feel comfortable at and like you, my jeans do not fit. Thanks for sharing your feelings – I know that I am not alone!
First, thank you for being so honest about an issue that affects many of your readers. As a person who has lost over 125 pounds, I can see how many people would be quick to point out that it’s “only 5-10” pounds. I am also a person who is trying to lose the last 5-10 pounds to get to my goal weight, and I get comments ALL the time from people suggesting that maybe I’m already at my healthy weight. It makes me so frustrated because I know internally what I want my “happy weight” to be. I think you are very brave for putting this issue out there when sometimes the healthy living blogs make being healthy seem picture-perfect. While you do make the choice to live openly, no one (I hope) expects you to put your whole life out there. If I had to share every time I over-indulged in cookies, I would probably crawl into a hole! š
Hugs to you! Thank you for being so open and honest about your issues. You are not alone! I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. Im so glad you wrote this post becuase it helps me realize I am not alone in this never ending battle.
Hug! I’m going through something similar, and it’s pretty typical to fluctuate up and down over the course of a year, in my case. Especially with the holidays and the cold winter months. It can be really frustrating and its easy feel upset about it, but I know that by being a bit more mindful of what I put into my body and by making an effort to move more, I’ll be back to where I want to be. I know you will be too.
This is such a good post, Tina!
A little while ago I decided to let go of the last 10 pounds. I let go of the calorie counting that was consuming my life (and in turn causing me to binge eat even more) and decided just to live and eat and exercise. It hasn’t always been easy but every time I start to get discouraged or fret I think “when I’m on my deathbed, will these 10 pounds really matter to me?” – the answer (for me anyways) is no.
Good luck. I really, really enjoy your blog AND your honesty! XO
Amber – waita but it into perspective girl š
WOW Tina thank you for posting this; I feel exactly the same way about myself. I understand the way you feel!
Thanks for sharing!
Tina- I just want to say that i really appreciate your honesty! I am sure that blogging your food every single day can be A LOT of work and can get very tedious and sometimes you just forget! I definitely still struggle with food issues myself- I keep a food journal (instead of a blog) that helps but sometimes I feel like I am actually “helpless” without it and I feel anxious if I don’t write down what I eat:) Just last night, we went to a a superbowl party, and even though i told myself “don’t overeat- just have a bite of the stuff you don’t normally have, etc” – I still felt like I overate and experienced some food guilt afterwards. I met you at the healthy living summit this past summer and I think you are a really inspiring person and a beautiful person as well. I have followed your blog for over 2 years and it is a source of daily inspiration! I salute your honesty and appreciate your daily life stories- thank you!
-Renee
I think I’ve learned about a lot of great foods and ways to prep foods (ie, quinoa, overnight oats, green monsters) that I wouldn’t have otherwise from “healthy living” blogs. But I will say I’ve found myself becoming annoyed with some blogs for either converting to ALL sweets (and still managing to be skinny and fit) or being so obnoxiously healthy (a square of dark chocolate for dessert–really?!).
I ADORE reading this blog because you keep it real. You have a reader in me, for as long as you keep it real and keep on doing what you’re doing!
I know I’m late to the commenting party here, but I had to let you know that I understand completely where you are coming from. I started reading your blog when I started losing weight and being mindful of healthy eating and exercising (coming up on 2 years ago(!)). since then I had gotten healthier and happier with my body and mindset as I lost 60 pounds. Since this past summer I have gained about 15 back and my clothes don’t fit right and it is really discouraging. I have been ‘recommitting’ myself every other day to take care of myself, and then when I don’t follow what I planned my emotional state gets even worse. I have been reading your blog every day in the last two years and I look up to you and your lifestyle. Reading this today has been helpful to me because you are only human, I am only human, and we inevitably make mistakes. And while these are not mistakes of life or death, I really dislike the funk I’ve been in recently, (due to my weight) and I want to change it. And the fact is-only I can change it. I plan on continuing to read your blog (of course!) and focus on my health and how I can create a positive change for myself-by sticking with what I know works-eating right and exercising. I don’t have a blog, but I will be more honest with myself, and it’s good to know someone else is in a similar position. Thank you for this post. :).
I just made quinoa porridge for breakfast! Almost as healthy as barley, right?
… Except I added a quarter cup of milo to mine. Which probably made it slightly less laudable.
I have found that blogging about food helps me stay accountable and eat healthier. I am also (trying) to eat as clean as possible. I get a lot of good nutrition, and dont get the carb cravings. (again Im working on it haha)
Struggling with the same issue. I’ve lost a few pounds since Christmas, but with things like the Superbowl, I’ve had some setbacks too. I don’t have a specific number to lose in all honesty, but I’m about halfway there I think.
i just want to say that i too echo the sentiment of appreciating your honesty + openness, and that while i totally support you, i also think you still look fantastic. <3
Hey,
I went/am going through the same thing. I gained 10 lbs training for a marathon last year (I ran 4 halfs and a full marathon between May and December… I was hungry ALL the time). I know part of it was overestimating what I needed to eat, and part of it was me justifying poor food choices with long runs (I ran for 3hrs = I will indeed eat this cookie-the-size-of-my-face). Part of it was also that I wasn’t getting enough protein… my bad!
Anyway, all that to say I haven’t lost my mara-pounds yet (post-marathon lethargy did nothing to help the weight loss) and, though healthy, I certainly don’t enjoy the deep lunges required to stretch my jeans out everytime they come out of the wash… So, post on! There are a ton of us in this boat so we might as well go it together!
I can definitely relate to you. I haven’t been happy with my weight for a long time, even though I’m not overweight. I struggle with binge eating, which has caused me to put on about 10 pounds. Being 5’4, I know that 130 pounds is not overweight by any means. But I have a small frame & that extra 10 pounds definitely shows, especially in my midsection. My jeans are also pretty tight on me now & I have a muffin top.
For me, SparkPeople is really helping to keep me accountable for what I eat & like you, documenting what I eat for others to see definitely makes me want to eat healthier. There’s also a lot of support there because everyone is trying to lose weight &/or become fit & healthy. I’m glad that you opened up on here about your issues with weight because so many of us can relate. I have faith that you’ll stick to a healthy lifestyle & get back to the weight that makes you feel comfortable! =)
I feel like there is so much pressure in the healthy blogging community to eat clean, run distance races, eat intuitively, enjoy treats and make delicious looking pretty food all while being a certain size. And the reality of it is that it’s a hard thing to manage.
I gained roughly 10 pounds when I ran a marathon too.
Hi Tina, I just wanted to let you know that you are such a sweet & genuine person. I’m so glad I found your blog. You have no idea how you have inspired me amongst many of your readers to be healthier. Like you, I ran a marathon with my hubs in Dec. I NEVER thought I could do that but you inspired me to keep going & all your blog tips really helped. I talk about your blog with my husband from time to time so a while ago he asked “Did you ever think you would run a marathon before Tina?” I just smiled and said no way! Thanks for being so honest and sharing so much with your readers, I know it’s not easy. We really appreciate who you are & for sharing your life with us. I know you already have tons of comments about this but you do look great no matter what weight you currently are. š
I totally get what you mean about not documenting everything on the blog…it is easy to create a “persona” and not stick to every little detail….and it’s hard when you’re not at your “happy weight”…keep on truckin’….you can do it!
I am so glad you shared this! It is refreshing to read such an honest blog post. I think it is perfectly ok to want to manage your weight and be unhappy with weight from time to time. As someone who has been up and down and up again over the last couple of years, I am glad not to be alone! I’d really like to see what works for you to get back to your happy weight:-)
Hi Tina!
I read your blog daily and very rarely post, but this was such a heartfelt post I felt compelled to respond to the question. Yes, blogs have helped me sooo much! I am very lean and at my feel great weight, but ONLY because of the blogs! (so thank you). Last year I started doing 30 day no sugar challenges, each one got easier and easier and I still have that giant piece of cake, etc. about 1x every 6 weeks, but I no longer need it daily or even every other day. At age 41, as long as everything I eat is super clean, I can eat as much as I want and stay lean. I love sweets and so eat at least 9 ripe bananas a day, and my nightly sweet treat is bananas chopped up with dates and a drizzle of tahini, and, this is going to sound incredibly strange, but I eat this yummy, clean snack while looking at dessert blogs of the most amazing looking desserts!! In some strange way it makes me not want the high sugar foods that my body can no longer tolerate well.
Out of all the healthy living blogs I read, yours has always seemed the most real to me. Posts like this are exactly why! I love that you are open about your struggles because most of your readers go through the exact same things.