June 24th, 2011 
LeeAnn Have you looked at any of the healthy living blogs out there? There are hundreds of them. The majority that I have seen are done by women in their 20s – and they are amazing. The women are attractive, motivated and incredibly organized. They blog once or more a day and they share each of their meals, their workouts and some even include their outfit for the day. I started getting interested in the blogs for the healthy recipes. I also enjoy the workouts.
One of my favorite blogs to follow is the Peanut Butter Runner – it is on my blogroll and can be found at Peanut Butter Runner. She is impressive. In my twenties, I was trying to keep my head above water. I was adjusting to a demanding job and an exhausting social schedule. My two main food groups consisted of beer and bar food. Not Jen. She has a beautiful meal, three times a day, the vast majority of which are prepared by her. I thought I worked out a lot – her schedule is awe-inspiring. I found another similar blog, called Peanut Butter Fingers, which is located at Peanut Butter Fingers. Another very attractive, healthy eating, incredibly physically active young woman, who documents with photographs all of her meals, every day. These women share a love for peanut butter and, as you can see in their blogs, eat it often. Julie of Peanut Butter Fingers named her blog after her favorite habit of sticking her finger in the peanut butter jar. I used to do that when I was younger. This is what I looked like when I did – chubby:
I have been struggling with a new blog topic this week. I am stressed – big deal closing at work, ailing dog, insomnia, long car rides traveling back and forth to the mountains, etc. When I was leaving the mountains earlier this week, my sweet sister-in-law asked if I wanted to borrow a book on tape. “No, thanks. I use the time to come up with blog topics,” I responded. Apparently, that was the kiss of death as the only thing I could think about for the six-hour drive was how much I wanted a Dairy Queen.
As I was looking at the various blogs in the middle of the night, trying to take my mind off of the $30 million deal that I am in the midst of closing, I was feeling very inadequate. My posts are not as interesting as theirs, my pictures are pathetic in comparison, and MAYBE I will prepare a “pretty” meal once a week – NOT three times a day. I try very hard to be healthy. For the most part, I plan meals and make sure to get vegetables, fruit and protein. There are days, though, that I completely fail. I am in the midst of a few of those days. It occurred to me that if I post my meals from today, it might make you feel GOOD about your day and your choices, as opposed to feeling inadequate. Please keep in mind that I am by myself (with my sweet Gracie, but no other humans – my husband is in the mountains), have very little free time this week and am feeling sorry for myself because of the stress and the issues with my sweet Gracie – AND, I am in no way recommending this type of eating. With those caveats, here are my meals from today:
I started with this fast and easy breakfast:
Although delicious, my breakfast did not last very long and by lunch time I was ravenous. I had to run home to give sweet Gracie her medicine, didn’t have any groceries in the house since we have been in the mountains, and was feeling virtuous because I did NOT have a Dairy Queen the other day, so I had this for lunch:
I feel it necessary to point out that it was no fat and no sugar added vanilla yogurt, no fat chocolate yogurt and coconut (it’s a fruit!). Oh yeah – and chocolate chips. It looked funny without them. And yes, I ate it in the car, while driving (that is the steering wheel that you see). Bad, I know. But at least I didn’t text.
I went back to work, accomplished a lot on my deal, came home to meet with the vet with Gracie (she is doing a little better, thank you), and then mowed the lawn and blowed the front and back of the house, since I am going back to the mountains on Friday. Did I mention that it is a heat index of 108 degrees in Savannah and thick with smoke from forest fires? I was exhausted when done and knew I had to eat something, but did not have the energy to prepare anything. I capped off my day by having this for dinner:
Feel better about your day?
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You are CRAZY! And, for the record, I would have gladly shared with you my Nature Valley Chewy Fruit & Nut Trail Mix bar and York Peppermiint “pieces.” To answer your question, I am NOT feeling better about my day; I am feeling very unhealthy and will now go hunt down some Reese peanut butter things. Perhaps then I will feel better…..
Ellen – you crack me up!!
I love those blogs because they are inspiring and often funny. But I think we all have to realize that nobody is perfect and we shouldn’t compare ourselves. We do our best for ourselves every day and that’s all we can do (though my lazy self says I need to get back into running). I’m a late 20s licensed attorney (not practicing) and have so much more to figure out in life! So, I say to enjoy what you have and all your success and not worry about how your blog or life compares with any others. We’re all so different, so there’s a place for all of us. 🙂 Congrats on being Freshly Pressed! Also, hi from Michigan! (I see you were from here in an older post.)
Katie – thank you so much for posting and the kind words!! As for the comparison issues – I absolutely agree with you. And I miss Michigan!!
Keep it up! You are making a difference. Your post about “Can you change a personality trait?” was on the Freshly Pressed front page of WordPress. I went to it and as I said in my comment on that post, I really needed to hear that. So keep writing. Your words are reaching people even if you don’t know it! Namaste.
Thank you so much for posting and the kind words!! Namaste.
Hello — I found your blog while browsing around WordPress as I’m sitting captive in the Atlanta airport for five hours before my flight departs for home. I enjoyed reading your posts and found your candor so refreshing. Your lunch hits on a few of my favorite food groups: chocolate and coconut. 🙂 Yummy. I hope your sweet Gracie is ok. I have a sweet little girl named Grace and it would be very stressful to have all the things going on that you describe. Hope tomorrow is better!
Thank you so much for posting and the kind words about my sweet Gracie! I hope you made it home safely to hug your sweet Grace.
Tunie, Tunie, Tunie….I have no idea how those other women bloggers do it….believe me, most of the women I know are more like you…and me! My friend Joanne (who is a fabulous cook by the way) every now and then takes herself and her two kids to Dairy Queen for a dinner of….BLIZZARDS! And lunch for me is often the crusts of Amanda’s sandwiches…re-smeared with peanut butter and honey (or Nutella!!) Life is messy.
Jenny – life would be very dull without Dairy Queen. I agree – I think we just need to embrace the messy life!!
I love your blogs! You’re the reason I started blogging more. In fact, it’s why I switched to WordPress–SO much easier to navigate than where I was before!
I’ve gotten great recipes, good laughs, and a bit more “LeeAnn” from your blog posts, which is awesome.
As for your meals yesterday, I love that pink flower garnish. 😉
My Kiwi Jenn – thank you for noticing my pink flower garnishes. : ) Miss you!
I couldn’t NOT comment on this post. Lee Ann, please know that what you read and what you see of my life is what I choose to share on the internet. While it might seem that I go, go, go at a ridiculous pace while eating healthy and being happy, I struggle too. I drink my fair share of wine and have a pretty serious sweet tooth. I wonder how I can possibly maintain this pace…because it exhausts me. Thank god for my husband who picks up a ton of responsibilities that I can’t even get to around the house because I’m always committed to doing something other than being at home.
You have an amazing career that is demanding. I think you’re doing a pretty great job at maintaining balance. While I appreciate your honesty in this post, please do not feel inadequate. I am scared and feel inadequate about things too. Every day I worry about what will happen to my overcommitted life when we have a baby. I’m very unsure about my ability to be a good mother. There are many other things that I could list too.
Hugs to you and hoping that you had a good day. Enjoy the weekend.
Jen – I am humbled that you took the time to respond to my post. You are amazing. I have full confidence that you will work through those issues just as you approach and accomplish your other goals. Sounds like you have an incredible husband who will help you (I am lucky to have one of those too). Hugs back to you!
I enjoyed reading your blog~and appreciate your transparency. Some blogs I read (authored by people I actually know) leave me exhausted because they are more “performances” than thoughts. I guess that sounds very critical.
Anyway, thank you for the book suggestion, too. I’ll be ordering it this week and reading on a plane next week.
Lots of other thoughts to share but I’ll save them.
Hope your deal closes w/o a hitch!
Keep writing!
It seems I either don’t have the time or the energy to cook most days. I like the Amy’s brand because they are reasonably healthy and tasty. So hey – you did a good thing for dinner!
I hope your pup continues to mend.
I love this post! It is humorous, true, and I can relate. I just checked out PB Runner, wow, she is impressive! I was thinking, are these blogging girls for real? How do they have (make) time everyday to do ALL of that. Anyway, love your blog, enjoyed the post! 🙂
[…] This is a great blog ! Love the 40′ish perspective and different ideas. Have you looked at any of the healthy living blogs out there? There are hundreds of them. The majority that I have seen are done by women in their 20s – and they are amazing. The women are attractive, motivated and incredibly organized. They blog once or more a day and they share each of their meals, their workouts and some even include their outfit for the day. I started getting interested in the blogs for the healthy recipes. I also enjo … Read More […]
I loved this post. Reminded me strrrrongly of uhm, well, basically me everyday. I so don’t get it how anyone is able to prepare an adequate meal three times a day, at all. I am incapable. But I’d love to do be able to one day and am dreaming of some kind of golden future where my hubby and I manage to maintain a picture perfect nutrition plan. Won’t happen, yeah, I know, but I love the dream nonetheless 🙂
“Never was a cornflake girl,” myself. I love peanuts, but peanut butter is for those that don’t have a taste for grit. Here’s to Clif Bars and having a life.
Hi, I am new here. I stumbled upon your blog since it was on the home page. Don’t despair! I loved reading it. Not much of a peanut butter groupie myself, but hey, if it provides others with writing material and funny titles, why not? I can’t go on without at least one “you should’ve” so here it comes: You should have taken that book-on-tape from your sister, who knows, it might have inspired you with future topics. I think you are very lucky already. You are cooking a $30 million deal, you just visited your sister, you are going to the mountains, and above all, sweet Gracie. I think you deserve an ice-cream bar. Enjoy.
Love this post. I also read a lot of healthy living blogs and some of them I’m SO impressed by, but others I honestly can’t figure out why they have traffic at all. I just don’t know how people can look at a bowl of someone else’s oatmeal day in and day out! 🙂
Thank for this post! I just started my blog and have only shown in to a few people since I feel I’m not a great writer, but would like to better my skills. This actually did make me feel better–knowing that other people feel the same way. Hope you have a great day today!
Em from Today’s Letters says to write because you love it, not because people notice. It’s a great thing to keep in mind when thinking about what to post. I try to keep the perspective of looking at others’ blogs to be inspired, but not to compare. Easier said than done. All the people who love you just enjoy reading about what’s on your mind so we can know you better- getting freshly pressed is just icing on the cake! xoxo
Let’s just face it, the young people have better role models than we did. You have tapped an important vein by showing others how not to do it. We all have our shortcomings, the key is to reduce the shame in yer game. Honesty and openness while sharing is a good place to start in changing not only yourself, but the world. I was thinking of writing a book on how not to do it, but I suspect there would be too much to write about.
It appears here you have a following, you must not be that far off the mark-Keep on Truckin’
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