Around the time I graduated high school, I started loving and practicing all things health & fitness related. I held on to those habits through most of my college career, and reading healthy living blogs is actually one of the things that inspired me to create my own.
But as my life progressed – especially by moving to New York – my interest in those things began to fade. While I still aimed to live as healthfully as I could, things like forwarding my career, having a fun social life, and building a life in a new city were much higher on my list of priorities. And, well, they still are.
But recently, I’ve found that I’ve sort of been re-falling in love with a healthier lifestyle. I think I’m reaching a point in my life where I’m craving structure and just feeling my absolute best.
…but that’s not the only reason I try to be healthy. And if I’m going to start blogging about health & fitness-related topics, I want to always be 100% real about it. Some people may genuinely love a healthy lifestyle because how it makes them feel, or because they truly love working out.
I’m not that person.
Yes, a healthy lifestyle does make me feel good, and I do really love clean, nutritious food.
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…but the real reason I aim to be healthy?
I want to age well. I want to look good. I want my body to be in shape not for the sake of being in shape, but so that I can enjoy the rest of my life even more than I already do.
I guess what I’m trying to say is I don’t think I’ll ever be that person who is genuinely passionate about running, yoga, or Crossfit.
In fact, the thought of doing more than 30 minutes of cardio terrifies me.
I love vegan food, but tofu grosses me out.
I eat lots of bacon and meat without calling myself Paleo.
Sometimes I lift weights, and sometimes i just do the NYC girl workout.
I eat Lean Cuisines and all their gloriously strange ingredients like, a lot.
I try to eat less gluten, but I’ll never say goodbye to gluten-filled New York bagels.
I will always - and I mean always - choose quality of life over being healthy.
So does that make GML a healthy living blog? I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I don’t really care. I just know that if I’m going to be posting about my life, it should include everything – the healthy, unhealthy, and everything in between. And hey, maybe the blog world needs a dose of that reality…
What does “healthy living” mean in your life?
What are your favorite healthy living blogs?
Ohhhhh you know my thoughts on this. AKA, why GMH became GML and UVS is no longer. Weirdly, the less I consciously focus on health, the healthier choices I innately make- and I know that is something you can relate to. For the record you look awesome, and there’s a glow in all your pictures that I know from experience does not come from marathons, yoga and protein on protein. Miss you!
I couldn’t agree with this more! We have all come a long way. Healthy is a way of life, NOT something that must be achieved through studying nutrition facts or depriving yourself. It’s all about balance and what makes you feel good. I think you’re doing a great job of it and you inspire me because I can relate to you!
G!!!
Thank you for this comment and your sweet words 🙂 Miss you so much!
Steph says
That is such a great way to put it. I feel the same way actually! I love healthy food, eating for a healthy body (and future body), and staying fit - but I splurge for quality of life. I think it has something to do with food holding memories. Like when I smell pumpkin pie I always think of making it with my grandma, so I never say no to a slice. Makes total sense 🙂
Choosing ‘quality of life’ over being stringent about food is a priority of mine, too - love this post!
I think the best way to live a healthy life is to work out and follow it up with a crumbs cupcake :o) I need to re-kindle balance because if you’re unbalanced, you will FEEL unbalanced. It’s all about making yourself feel good!
Love this…be YOU girlfriend. That’s why I love your blog. Not because you’re like me or anyone else in HLB land. Balance is crucial. Great post!!
You know what’s even more important than eating healthy if you want to age well? It’s avoiding stress and sleeping enough. I had a very difficult year (the two people I loved most have died and I had money issues because of theft) and I aged 10 years in less than one year’s time because of this even though I ate healthy.
couldn’t agree more with avoiding stress and sleeping enough!
i’m so sorry to hear about your difficult year, truly hope things are looking up for you!
I guess I’m a newer reader, but I never really thought of GML as a healthy living blog, more of a lifestyle/personal blog at least in terms of the “fit blogger” template. I created my own blog after reading many fitness blogs, and found that I wrote about a lot of things besides fitness and healthy foods. Because that’s who I am- a real person with interests and activities outside of the gym. Too much of anything is not good, and I believe in having a well rounded life and that is reflected in my topic choices. And that also means that while I love overnight oats and avocado, I also love baking delicious treats. It also means that despite falling in love with weight lifting, I hate cardio and won’t do it anymore- unless by cardio you mean dancing like a lunatic to a Start Making Sense coverband.
I think honesty is always the best policy, and nobodies handing out awards for who can live the healthiest, blandest life. Balance is way more important- and more fun. And anyway, a one dimensional life will always fall flat. 😉
Yes - GML included much more “healthy living” content back in the day! It actually was originally girl meets HEALTH, and I changed it about 6 months in when I realized I wasn’t as passioate about health as i thought, haha (best decision I ever made).
Couldn’t agree more with your thoughts about balance! Thanks for this comment, Cassie 🙂
Life’s too short to stress over every little health detail. I’m with you on living healthy, but enjoying yourself. To me, healthy living means one thing, balance. 🙂
I can say as your roomie and bff - you are pretty good at being healthy!
thanks dood
Loved reading this post! The “is my blog a healthy living blog” question always goes through my head. It’s not what I initially wrote about but it’s something that’s always been important and continues to become more and more important to me. Of course, I think it’s a double edged sword and it’s easy to become too obsessed with “being healthy” that it becoming UNhealthy. Healthy living to me is finding the balance between eating whole, nutritious foods and enjoying life to the fullest (which often can include champagne and cupcakes!) xoxo
I know we’re on the same page with this! Personally, my idea of “healthy living blogs” is a lot broader than most, and it would include yours and mine in the sense that living a healthy life is so much more than just what you eat and how you move! thanks for the comment babe xoxo
I love this! I definitely think my attitude towards healthy living is changing more towards how you view it. Friends and family and LIFE should be our first priority, and if that involves eating a giant bowl of ice cream while on vacation with said family, then I’m going to enjoy the ice cream 😉 Life is all about balance and I truly believe we can have just about anything in moderation.
I just found your blog and really love it, especially this post! I started a blog and have been toying with how much fitness and health I want to focus on because I can totally relate to choosing quality of life over working your entire life around health and fitness! It’s all about the balance and living with joy and intention 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Hi Julia! Thanks for this comment, glad ya stumbled upon GML 🙂
Amen, sista! You inspire me to just let loose and have fun. Not everything has to be so structured and conforming to what’s expected. Do YOU!
it DEFINITELY is. 🙂
I just wanted to say that the picture of you in that bed thing is beautiful. It’s just such a happy picture! Love love love.
thanks lady! that’s from my trip to LA in april 🙂
Amen, Sista! I’ve “fallen off the wagon” since I graduated high school, and I don’t feel like myself. I need to get back into a healthy groove, a natural groove, not a forced one, because those always fail immediately.
Nikki says
Maybe it’s not a healthy living blog per say, but it certainly is a happy living blog! 🙂
Nicole @ not before my tea says
I love this. And honestly, I couldn’t agree more. What’s the point of living longer if you’re not enjoying it? You gotta look ahead but this, right now, this IS the life you’re preparing for… celebrate it while you can!
I definitely think your blog shows a realistic, healthy approach to life-both inside and out!!! I agree with Nikki- your blog is a happy living blog!
Yes!! I’m a big fan of moderation, and if I eat a cup of ice cream every day (some weeks, I do), then so what? The blog world does need more of these viewpoints, I agree!
love this! healthy living is about spiritual, emotional, social, AND physical health- but all of those things are important. Not necessarily one more than the other, and your blog is great because you bring up important aspects of living a ‘healthy’ aka FULL life 🙂
I love your approach to life and I’m glad that you wrote about it! I am absolutely the same way, especially after moving to NYC. I can’t help but feel that constantly striving to “live healthy” and “eat clean” etc. etc. gets in the way of truly living life, for me at least. The thought of missing out on all the amazing food/restaurants that New York (and the world!) has to offer makes me completely sure of my resolution to never let healthy living interfere with enjoying life. I love salads and fresh, healthy foods too but I would never pass up dessert or some delicious meat dish because it “doesn’t fit my lifestyle.” Great post, Gracie!
Agreed - missing out on the amazing NYC restaurants is just NOT an option!
Thank you for this - SO refreshing and relatable.
You’re so welcome, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Whitney @ Massifornia says
Wow! So many comments. So awesome. It’s interesting timing I read this post after just writing myself about being honest about who we are, or airing our dirty laundry. I think it’s so important for “healthy” women to be honest about their relationship with exercise and food. I think so many women who are struggling with their weight or health think that the “beautiful” people enjoy being healthy and fit. Although we may enjoy it, most of us don’t enjoy GETTING there. If the people struggling knew it was a struggle for us too, maybe they wouldn’t be so hard on themselves and find inspiration in our mutual “non-love” for working out and eating healthy (at least some of the time). And hallelujah to choosing quality of life! Im 100% with you!
I love this! Thank you for being real. Earlier this year I had younger roommates move in, and they and their friends were always counting calories and obsessive about it and I was like…whatever, man. I want to eat a cupcake, so I will. I do want to look good and feel good, and that’s why I do try to eat healthy. However, I don’t think eating a cupcake now and then is going to hurt me, either. And my exercise is mostly walking…not gonna lie. Quality of life is so important. I want to enjoy my life, and that comes first. I do want to stay thin and I’m always trying new beauty products and stuff to be sure I age as well as I can. But I can’t spend every waking moment obsessing over it, either, because that’s just not fun 🙂
I love this post! Who cares what is “healthy living” and what isn’t, all the things you do in your life, the healthy and the unhealthy, all combine and balance out to create a darn good life. 🙂
I love how you summed up your quality of life. I would much rather enjoy a healthy life, rather than making poor choices or making healthy choices that I hate. I would rather find the things that make me happy, and that will still keep me healthy.
I was a reader before GMH became GML. Like you, I went through a pretty aggressive “healthy living” phase in college (around the same time I started reading yours and other food/fitness blogs). Also like you, I’ve come to realize that healthy living is about so much more than “clean eating” and how many miles you rack up on the treadmill. That’s why I appreciate the honesty in this post - it’s so relatable. I haven’t been good about keeping up with your blog lately (I’ve been busy with grad school) but want to make it a point to become a regular reader again. Thanks for this, Gracie. It was really refreshing.
Thanks for this honest perspective! What good is 110% “perfect” healthy living if you can’t enjoy your life, anyway?
Love, love, love this! Such a refreshing take on healthy living, thank you!
Alex says
Refresshing post, i really loved your photo’s
Pat, College Student says
I totally agree with you that it does make you feel good, however it is truly expensive to be healthy. It cost a lot and some people only live on so, much like me. I love a good healthy meal, but it’s hard to come by sometimes. I did enjoy reading your blog though, you have some good ideas.
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I just found your blog not too long ago and I love it! Thanks for being blunt honest about being healthy. How it is a lifestyle, not just a diet or exercise program. It really is about the balance.
Hey Anna, thanks for this comment! Glad ya found GML 🙂