It’s slightly annoying that I have to write this. Especially since no one has really directly asked me to share why I’ve changed how I eat or changed how I workout. They just go on “hate blogs” to talk about me and other people in this community. It’s a very strange thing. People care more about what others are doing, how others are eating or how those people look, than they seem to care about their own diets, figures, and well, lives. I get it. Those people have boring lives. They do. I will look at instagram and see some of the top female CrossFitters post pictures of their jacked bodies and people talk sh*t about them. Right there. They say “I wouldn’t want to look like that” or “Why would you want to look like a man?” Oh, you know what’s crazy? That is THEIR life. Their non-boring life. Not yours. Theirs. People are entitled to eat what they want, drink what they want, workout how they want to, and really do whatever the eff they want to do. But people just have to voice their negative opinions?
I hate negative people.
I went off on a tangent there, so let me get to why I’m writing this. I recently came across a forum saying things like I have disordered eating or I don’t really eat paleo anymore and I should be living up to the brand I created, and things I posted in the past don’t live up to how I live my life now. And that I should post about why these things have changed. They didn’t come to my blog and request that in the comments, they just posted it on a hateful website. Makes sense, right? It’s ok, I get it. They’re scared. So I’ll help those scared people out and post this blog post.
I used to compete in CrossFit, I used to do 2-3 workouts per day, I used to restrict my diet because I was gaining weight and couldn’t figure out why, I used to say I didn’t mind getting bigger because I wanted to compete at a high level, I used to constantly talk about my frustrations with my body, etc, etc, etc. And recently, I stopped talking about all those things. I stopped talking sh*t about my body, I stopped posting what I ate in a day in blog posts, I stopped working out multiple times a day. I stopped all of it.
In my 26 short years of life, I’ve come to figure out that people seem to talk more about the things they are insecure about. Their relationships, their bodies, their jobs, their diets. Whatever. So I constantly talked about my body and appreciating it because I was trying to cover up all those insecurities I had and come to terms with how I looked. When I was competing in CrossFit, I put on 30 pounds. I wasn’t comfortable at that weight or with how I looked. I didn’t care what other people thought, but I wasn’t comfortable with it. I didn’t fit in my clothes, I didn’t feel sexy, I just didn’t feel like me. So I constantly wrote blog posts trying to come to terms with those insecurities.
I would look to other competitive CrossFitters who were jacked and shredded and even though I could beat some of them in workouts, I didn’t look like that. And I was really insecure about it. And frustrated. So I would try to eat completely strict, restrict my intake of fat, carbs and protein, and just drive myself crazy with restrictions. It was so frustrating. I was looking everywhere for control: In my workouts, in my diet, everywhere.
When I look back, I was completely overtrained. I worked out way too much for my body, I didn’t eat enough, and because of all of this, my hormones were out of control. I finally injured myself (my shoulder), was forced to cut back, and slowly over time started to live a more normal lifestyle. I worked out once a day, I cut back on weights to work on my form and I decided that cutting portions wasn’t working and started eating more of the foods I wanted. My hormones began to level out more, my body felt way better than it ever had, and I lost some of the extra weight I had gained from working out too much.
My body is different than every single other person in this world. Completely different. I could workout the exact same, eat the same, sleep the same and do everything the same as one of my jacked competitive CrossFit friends, and I would look nothing like her. That’s because my body is different. And my goals are now different than they were. Before, I wanted to compete. That’s it. I did that and then I changed my mind so I could live a happier lifestyle. I didn’t think I would ever stop training and stop competing, but I did. Have you ever thought you wanted something and changed your mind along the way? If you haven’t, you’re boring.
So here’s the conclusion for all the a**holes out there that want to talk sh*t behind their computer screens on a website dedicated to hating people: you’re right. You can pat yourself on the back. I’ve had disordered eating habits in the past, along with probably 80% of the female population. I’ve tried all kinds of things to feel better about myself like dieting and excessive working out, along with probably 80% of the female population. I would absolutely love to say that I’m 100% cured and will never have those feelings again, but I think that is a really childish thing to say. I can’t see the future, can you? I can’t see how my body will change, can you? I can’t see the battles I will face someday, can you? Answer: no.
I am absolutely happy where I am now. I sometimes workout 5-6 days per week (I usually do my CrossFit workouts lighter now but sometimes feel like going heavier) then I sometimes take lots of rest days when I feel like it (like the 4 days off last week I took). I’m not as strong as I used to be and I’m ok with that because I’m more comfortable in my skin, but I’m also better with some of my skills like muscle ups since I don’t constantly obsess over them. I eat when I’m hungry, I eat gluten free breads that don’t upset my stomach, I eat a paleo cookies when I want to because it doesn’t upset my stomach like a normal cookie would, and I try to live a life of moderation. Like eating the wedding cake I had this past weekend. It wasn’t paleo, it wasn’t gluten free, it was just delicious and covered with icing. Did I feel bad about it? Nope. Not in the slightest. I want to live a happy life at the end of the day. Not a life of restrictions.
So here’s what I recommend to everyone. Live the life that makes YOU the happiest. Whether that’s paleo, gluten free, pure gluten, CrossFit, jazzercise, marriage, single, muscular, skinny, really whatever. I don’t care. It’s your life. Do what makes YOU the best kind of person. Not because other people do it, but because you love it. And while you’re at it, try to keep your negative comments to yourself. No, don’t try. Just do it.
And that’s how I feel about that.
I was just discussing this very idea with someone yesterday. I turned them on to paleo eating & they have taken to a place of legalism… I think that is where failure kicks in… It becomes a “diet mentality” our focus is not on a joyful life, or health but this “diet”. It becomes a false idol… & false idols always fall. When I was all about “the rules” I was at my heaviest weight. Why? Because my focus was on food, not joy. It consumed me. Now I have found success is in balance. I generally eat 75% paleo & 25% whatever I want. I work out 3 times a week & love my body (on most days). It works for me! Paleo is a great way to eat healthy, keep carb consumption low, etc. However, sitting on my front porch with my guitar and a large glass of sweet tea (& maybe a few bites of blueberry pie) is ok too. Life is about love & joy… Not about rules & perfection. Thank you for this post! People need recipes & tools to improve their health, not another set of diet rules to adhere to. Way to promote food freedom!!!
Thank you. You’re amazing.
Awesome post. Thank you for being a real person.
I love you Juli. High fives for getting that off your chest. I see those nastygrammers on Instagram and I wish there was a button for me to punch them in the face. People are so hateful! If it’s any consolation, you’re not the only one – I see so much negativity and hatefulness on so many Instagram accounts, and really, it’s like, people just don’t have lives, or they have such miserable lives they have to take everyone down with them. Find comfort in all of us who adore you and your recipes and your use of cheese and everything you do. <3
Boom! Thanks so much for this..it’s relatable on so many levels. Be your best self, no one else’s.
You are the best! Well said! And totally totally true!
What is WRONG with people??? I would bet that most of the people that read this blog don’t eat 100% Paleo all the time. I certainly don’t but I treasure your blog so much for the 90-95% Paleo lifestyle that I aim for. I recently joined instagram (following you of course) and witnessed some of the hate comments…I just don’t get it. Eat and post all the non-paleo food you want! I do want your abs though 🙂
So….I agree with you on how you view life/food/diet/exercise etc. That’s a great attitude! But here’s where I have trouble with this post – it’s a lot of anger. You, as a blogger, choose to put your life out there for public review, consumption and comment. That is a choice you have made. You’ve also branded it as a paleo lifestyle. Now, I don’t care at all how you choose to eat or workout – whatever works for you, truly! But I do see how the non-paleo stuff could be seen as disingenuous branding. You tout paleo as such a healthy lifestyle, but you don’t actually live that lifestyle. And that’s OK! I’m not paleo. But maybe you need a new blog name.
Honest question – it seems like Juli eats paleo a good 80 – 90% of the time (from at least what she shares on her blog). What exactly is the paleo lifestyle to you? Do you have to eat paleo 100% of the time for a certain amount of weeks before you call yourself paleo? Everyone seems to have a different definition and this is where the confusion and purists come from.
Not that Juli needs me to defend her… but I find your comment inappropriate and unnecessary.
All of her recipes are paleo… that is the main gist of her blog. But she also chooses to share her real life with us all… she doesn’t say “I did this today, so you should do it too” it’s merely an insight into the life of someone who eats paleo the majority of the time and how it works for her.
If people don’t feel she’s paleo enough, they have the right to choose to NOT follow her blog, instagram etc.
What you DON’T have the right to do is to tell her how to live her life or blog. Those opinions should be kept to oneself.
I’m paleo… 90% of the time.. and I can say I’ve NEVER been offended, put off, unmotivated or any other negative thing by a single blog post, picture or comment of Juli’s. She’s nothing but inspiring… and damn funny too.
Kudos to her for telling the negative people to F off… this is HER blog… that is HER right.
Now, now…I don’t think it was inappropriate. I was very respectful and agree that Juli has every right to do whatever she wants. But making a whole brand around the paleo lifestyle and not following it can seem disingenuous. That’s all. One wouldn’t say “I’m a vegetarian, but I eat steak” would they? Or “I am gluten free, except for pasta”? Yes, paleo is super restrictive, but people place that label on themselves. They can’t place that label on themselves, use it as a brand to develop a successful business, then be upset if people point out discrepancies between their business proposal (paleo = health) and their actual activities (not eating paleo). This is why I had to stop being paleo – the label stress was too much. I never said I found Juli unmotivating or anything like that. I’m just suggesting that if being uber-paleo isn’t working for her personally, maybe she should also make authentic shifts to her blog/books to reflect that (god knows, I wouldn’t mind some recipes with cheesey-goodness!).
that’s exactly what i do. i post strict paleo recipes on my blog and cookbooks for people who follow that lifestyle then i post recipes on my instagram that include other things like gluten free breads that work for me to give ideas to other who don’t follow as strict of rules
Her recipes are paleo. Do you own either of her cookbooks… they’re paleo. Not sure how that could be any clearer.
As far as the paleo label… all the research I did before changing to this life… I never found the “label” to be super strict or stressful.
In fact paleo is just the opposite… it’s a list of guidelines to help you eat the cleanest way that works for you. I find it to be the easiest way of eating! Sure there is the 100% pure way of being paleo… but that maybe works for a small subset of people. But the great thing about paleo… is that it’s flexible. Does dairy work for you… great, add in some whole fat, grass fed dairy to your diet. Allergic to nuts… ok, then try tapioca or coconut flour for the occasional baked treat. No where in my research did I see “You must do A, B & C to be paleo”… and based on my research, what Juli is doing is 100% right. She doesn’t need to change her name because you think it isn’t right. Sucks that paleo didn’t work for you… but that doesn’t mean you should dictate the right way to Paleo for others.
Her name is accurate… her blog is wonderful… her recipes further more are delicious and easy! That’s what PaleOMG is all about.
I totally get it and get why people get frustrated. but i disagree with you about the changing my blog name. my blog recipes and my cookbooks are COMPLETELY paleo. every single recipe on my blog is paleo (minus probably 3 that use raw cheese, which can easily be removed) but I do not believe that I should change my brand name when everything that is represented in my recipes are paleo and when I do talk about my diet in the “about me” section as more of an 80/20 approach.
Juli – hi! That was sort of a tongue-in-cheek suggestion, but really…if paleo isn’t working for you, what’s wrong with expanding? I know that I (as a reader) wouldn’t mind recipes that included other things. The disingenuous part, to me, isn’t about what is in the book – it’s selling something that you don’t really use. But again, that is your choice. It’s ok…but you seemed furious in this post and I wanted to point out, rationally and certainly not in a mean way at all, that perhaps there was something to be learned here, from potential consumers of your product, right?
She’s finding balance. Being honest about 80/20 isn’t disingenuous or selling something she doesn’t use. She does use it. 80% of the time. Which is probably a reasonable-to-exceptional reflection of the vast majority of her targeted demographic.
Because she’s not 100% super strict doesn’t invalidate her lifestyle. 80/20? It’s an admirable, attainable, sustainable form of the Paleo lifestyle. Have your cake. Eat it. Eat more cake.
i completely understand. that’s why i create and share some of those “outside the paleo box” recipes on instagram so other people outside paleo can benefit. but changing my brand name isn’t what i want to do. just being honest with people and sharing what foods work for me is what i want to do. thanks for the suggestion though!
I’m pretty sure if you read said post again, she’s angry because people ( at this point you could probably insert yourself here) are being assholes and being judgmental. If you don’t like her blog or have a problem with it, then don’t follow it and keep your mouth shut. The “strict” paleo you so speak of is mostly whole30 paleo in which you restrict everything and go back to basics, then after Whole30 you reintroduce some normal some altered foods to your bodys design. Again if you have a problem, take you hatefullness elsewhere.
Someone needs to tell Ashley to bug off. What a little flea. II’ll do it, “Bug off, Ashley”. Go be self righteous on somewhere else, don’t mess with our JB. She’s perfect. Her blog is perfect. Her recipes are perfect. Now Shoo.
That’s like saying someone can’t have a website full of vegetarian recipes unless they’re vegetarian, or a blog about cakes when they don’t eat only cakes – aka ridiculous and pointless. Juli never said “EAT ONLY PALEO, ALL THE TIME”, ever, as far as I can remember. She posted delicious recipes, and kindly gave us a little window into her at-times hilarious life. And that’s it. It’s a recipe blog. Get over it. Also anyone who thinks that posting about your life on the internet is like putting a sign on your head saying “Judge me” is likely contributing to the problem of judgemental BS on said internet – I don’t care if you think you don’t, because you totally just did. Think about that for a minute, before you go judgy-judging people again missy.
I know I’m late to the party, but whatev’s. You rule, Juli, never change – unless you want to 🙂
I disagree with changing the blog name too. It’s the most clever one I’ve ever seen. I’m just saying… 🙂
Disingenuous branding? Take a look at her tagline up in the header. “Real Food, Real Life, Real Simple”. In what way has she strayed from her brand?
Furthermore, just because someone chooses to put their thoughts, feelings, recipes online does not give anyone the right to bully or badger them.
I completely, completely agree 100%. You said it exactly.
Great post. Love it and your attitude. Mad love for you and Jackson!
You go girl!