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Eating Disorders, Nutrition, Self Care, Stress

Wellness Is A Lot More Than Food & Exercise

February 20, 2018 By Robyn 42 Comments

Hannah, one of the Real Life interns is guest posting today…I hope you guys enjoy! 

Here’s a thought and a question for you (and for my former self)….what does wellness look like to you? What does actually taking care of yourself feel like without focusing exclusively on food and exercise?

In my past, I believed that practicing self-care and pursuing wellness meant that I needed to go to the gym X days a week and eat only foods that were classified as “clean” in today’s society. I thought that, through eating in a certain way and exercising a certain number of times each week, I was doing great. I thought I was taking care of myself, maintaining a high level of wellness, and being wholesome.

The truth was that eating only certain foods (and later counting calories/macros) stressed me out and caused me to feel deprived. It also caused me socialize less and to never go out — whether that meant to a party at night, or to brunch in the morning. It left me tired, isolated and more unhappy. Going to the gym and feeling like I had to do specific exercises and a specific number of minutes on a cardio machine wasn’t helping me care for myself — it was helping me become obsessive about “consistency” in working out, the gym locker room scale, how my body looked, and how it compared to others.

Eating in a way that I thought was clean and exercising in a way that I thought was best didn’t contribute to my wellbeing at all. Instead, it negatively impacted my self esteem, mental health, and emotional stability. My perception of wellness was distorted. And didn’t leave me feeling “well” at all.

In no way has it been an an overnight process, but as I’ve pursued recovery and freedom from those disordered food and exercise habits, I’ve realized an approach to wellness that rings much truer for me — and it has a whole lot less to do with food, nutrition, and exercise than before.

Now, when I think of wellness, I think of it as doing something that makes me happy, relaxed, and less stressed. We all already have so, so much going on in our lives — we’re busy, we might be tired, and we may very well experience stress. So when we do take time for self-care and our wellbeing, shouldn’t it be through doing things that alleviate and not add to our already stressful lives?

Shouldn’t taking care of our wellbeing decrease (or at least not maximize) our anxieties and stressors? When I finally wrapped my head around this, I began to slowly let go of the idea that my pursuit of wellness had to be based upon my food and exercise habits. Releasing this idea, this judgement, this pressure that I had on myself, out into the world, was such a key part of recovery me. It felt so….relieving.

These days, thinking about food and nutrients is just…not interesting to me anymore. There are so many other interesting parts of my life. I’ve come to embrace my body for the way that it wants to exist in the world, and because of that, the need to control my food and exercise intake and constantly, obsessively be thinking about what I’m going to eat next or cook next week has slowly, yet naturally, ceased to exist.

There is a place and a time for food to be relaxing, wonderful, and enjoyable. In fact, there are many places and times for this to happen. But I don’t believe that we need to be pursuing cauliflower as pizza crust and cleanses and Whole30 as if these are the answers to our problems, and as if these are the golden gates to find well being and health. Because I know in my heart that they are not. These tendencies, ones that I very much used to partake in, cause more stress than anything else. And I know that anything that piles on more stress is not, actually, contributing to my wellness as a human being.

Of course, I should say that food and movement do still play a part in how I care for myself. I still love heading outside for walks, doing a Barre3 video at home, setting aside time to do PT exercises for my knee, and picking up a yoga class. I still like to cook tasty foods, make baked goods, and feed myself satisfying meals in order to feel satiated and well-nourished. As a busy college student, the simple act of feeding myself with filling, satisfying, and happy meals every day that don’t take too much time to cook (or let’s be honest…eating out when life’s just too much for cooking, which is all good too and part of my self-care) is also key. It’s fantastic. It’s a way that I can support, respect, and take care of myself. And that feels sooooo good.

Food and moving my body definitely still have their place in my version of wellness and self care, but I no longer feel the need to strictly control when I’m going to exercise, what I’m going to eat, meticulously plan meal-by-meal for the sake of calories and paleo, take pictures of every single thing I consume, or pursue restrictive cleanses/keto/real food only styles of eating. I’ve discovered there is so much more to health!

Calorie restrictions, strict workout regimens, cleanses, and obsessing about only eating “real” food add nothing to my overall health. With that being said, aside from food and nutrition, there are many other routes to wellness that, through recovering from disordered eating, I’ve learned that I LOVE. Maybe they will resonate with you like they have with me! Wellness does not only need to be about what we’re eating and how we’re exercising. In fact, I think that some of the things that have had the most positive influence on my health had nothing to do with food or exercise.

So what are those things?

Painting with watercolors. I turn on a podcast or music and just paint on a blank sheet of paper — I never have a plan or a “vision” for what I’m going to paint, and nothing I’m not making paintings I’d sell on Easy. I just do it because it’s super relaxing for me and because I think watercolors are pretty.

Journaling. It’s so needed for me. And my soul. Putting words to paper is like ahhhhhh. I am really into these Moleskine journals

SLEEEEPPINNNG a good amount every night.

Talking on the phone with my mom, dad, or sister.

Keeping flowers in my room. The simplicity of a fresh flower…love it.

Lighting candles while I get ready for bed or getting ready for school in the morning. I’m loving these Magnolia candles from Target right now. They smell awesome!

Painting my nails with the Sally Hansen gel stuff — it stays for a few days longer than regular nail polish does. Win!

Getting my eyebrows threaded. Maybe this is weird. But I love it.

Listening to books on Audible. Right now, I’m alternating between Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness and You Do You by Sarah Knight.

Having casual wine nights (in PJ’s or leggings because what is better?) with my best friends or roommates. Even better if it’s with my best friends and roommates.

Listening to podcasts that have absolutely nothing to do with food or health. Some of my favorites include: The Daily, Up First, Pod Save the World, This American Life, TED Radio Hour, and Reply All (this one has such interesting tech talk!)

Taking morning or afternoon walks with my friends — my favorite thing is when we find a coffee shop and grab some while on our walk. Iced lattes are my JAM.

Laughing at funny memes, TV clips, or YouTube videos. Laughing in general, too. It feels so good to laugh…like really, deeply laugh.

Making a list of reasons why I am proud of myself that week. Does that already make you feel uncomfortable? It did for me too in the beginning.

And finally, talking to friends — and not having just surface-level, froo-froo conversations. Actually talking to my best friends about what I am going through at that point in time – the good, the bad, the difficult, the happy. Let’s get vulnerable. I’m learning to be better about asking for advice and taking that advice, as opposed to exclusively feeling the need to give, give, give to others all of the time (without ever asking for help for myself). It’s okay to be needy. We’re all human.

Maybe this list sparks some ideas for your own journey to wellness (without food being the primary, obsessive focus), or maybe not! Either way, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you do to pursue wellness without engaging with diet culture. It’s something that is still relatively new to me, and in no way am I perfect at it, but I’ve found so much peace, freedom, and happiness through working towards this way of life and this way of simple, impactful self-care.


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Filed Under: Eating Disorders, Nutrition, Self Care, Stress

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Comments

  1. Kristen says

    February 20, 2018 at 7:45 am

    Great post! Very needed. FYI: Nutrisystem is being advertised.

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:35 pm

      Thank you so much for reading, Kristen!

      Reply
  2. alisha says

    February 20, 2018 at 8:50 am

    AWESOME post!! Brilliant, actually. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:36 pm

      Aww thank you, Alisha! SO glad you enjoyed the post <33

      Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:36 pm

      Aww thank you, Alisha! So, so glad you enjoyed the post <33 Have the best day!

      Reply
  3. Taylor Filaroski says

    February 20, 2018 at 9:36 am

    Agree with the non-diet podcasts! My brother and I both looove horror movies, so we listen to the same horror movie podcast and then get together to watch horror movies and talk about movies/the podcast. I have hobbies that I do on my own but this one is extra fun to share with one of my best friends!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:36 pm

      Aw that sounds like so much fun!! Especially because you get to share it with your brother. Love that!

      Reply
  4. Trista Johnson says

    February 20, 2018 at 11:44 am

    This is exactly the reminder I needed today… I was starting to slip back into diet mentality over the weekend. Love this post!!! <3 <3 <3

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:37 pm

      Aw Trista, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! xoxo!!

      Reply
  5. Kaitlyn @ Powered by Sass says

    February 20, 2018 at 12:08 pm

    It’s wild how much of a woman’s life is inundated with the diet mentality or ways to get healthier/skinnier, as though we care of nothing else but having abs or glutes that can support a champagne glass, etc. A huge part of health is wellness and I never feel well when I think I’m not good enough. One person’s “healthy” can be another person’s nightmare, so it’s important to row your own boat when it comes to this topic. It’s individual. Thanks for sharing! – Kaitlyn | http://www.poweredbysass.com

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:38 pm

      I couldn’t agree more! Thank you for reading, Kaitlyn.

      Reply
  6. Allison says

    February 20, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    Such a great post! Wellness is so much more than nutrition and exercise.

    I just put up a new blog post sharing some of my favorite recipes I’ve found on pinterest!
    https://www.reallifewander.com/blog/2018/1/26/pinterest-recipes-tested

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:38 pm

      I agree! Thanks for reading, Allison!

      Reply
  7. Hannah says

    February 20, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    So SO good! This passage

    “These days, thinking about food and nutrients is just…not interesting to me anymore. There are so many other interesting parts of my life. I’ve come to embrace my body for the way that it wants to exist in the world, and because of that, the need to control my food and exercise intake and constantly, obsessively be thinking about what I’m going to eat next or cook next week has slowly, yet naturally, ceased to exist.”

    THAT is what I want, striving for this!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      February 20, 2018 at 6:09 pm

      I’m at this place now too and it’s amazing. It’s so freeing to not think about food constantly and to not keep justifying how it’s in the name of “health” and “wellness.” I’m glad you’re there too!

      Reply
      • Hannah says

        February 21, 2018 at 3:39 pm

        Right?! It is SO freeing. It’s incredible!

        Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:39 pm

      Thank you so much for reading and commenting, Hannah! Lots of LOVE to you.

      Reply
  8. Megan @ A Continual Feast says

    February 20, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    Good stuff, Hannah! It’s so true that “health” involves SO many things and I feel like stress is something that we like to just sweep under the rug sometimes. Love all your practical tips, too!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:39 pm

      So, so true!!! Amen to that. Thanks for reading, Megan!

      Reply
  9. Nicole @ Laughing My Abs Off says

    February 20, 2018 at 7:23 pm

    I love this so much! And agree with a LOT of your own wellness points. For me wellness involves journaling, getting enough sleep, iced almond milk lattes or perfect dark roast black coffee (preferably drunk while on a walk with a friend), listening to wellness podcasts like Chasing Joy or That’s So Maven, reading before bed, anything Harry Potter, cooking/baking/eating food that nourishes my bod AND my soul, and moving my body in a way that feels good that specific day. 🙂

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:41 pm

      I love a good iced latte! And journaling, ah yes, it’s so key <3 Thank you so much for reading Nicole! xoxo

      Reply
  10. Christina says

    February 20, 2018 at 8:05 pm

    Fantastic post with so many good reminders! On my list I would add reading and finding a way to give back to the community with time, money, connections, advice, etc. it brings me so much joy.

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:42 pm

      LOVE those additions. Community service of any kind is so life-giving and important <3 Thank you for reading, Christina! xoxox

      Reply
  11. Amy P. says

    February 20, 2018 at 11:54 pm

    I love this healthy dialogue as it pertains to everything about who we are as women…as we are not the sum of our parts, nor are we the calories we ingest. That the conversation is around intuitive consumption of things that provide us with nutrition (that is required physically), but also nutrients for the soul (flowers, music, movement, conversation) is illustrative of a movement I wish were around many years ago.

    Hannah, so happy to see you continue to share your journey with us!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:43 pm

      Amy, you sum it up PERFECTLY! Thank you so much for reading and commenting! Lots of love to you <3

      Reply
  12. Sydney says

    February 21, 2018 at 12:05 am

    Hannah,
    I Love you said podcasts that have nothing to do with food. I am a huge fan oh Christy Harrison and such but once I started listening to podcasts that sparked my interests outside of nutrition/dietetics/ and even IE, I felt a huge shift. Thanks for the great post— these are all things I realized too over the past year love it!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:44 pm

      Yesss I totally agree! It makes a huge difference and you realize that you have hobbies outside nutrition/exercise, which is super cool. Thank you for reading, Sydney! xoxo

      Reply
  13. Emily Swanson says

    February 21, 2018 at 1:34 am

    Hannah I seriously love how you broaden it out to so much more than food and exercise. It’s so true that as recovery happens those things become so much less important!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:46 pm

      Aww thank you for reading Emily!! Lots of love to you!! Have a wonderful day <3

      Reply
  14. Megan says

    February 21, 2018 at 1:59 am

    Great post Hannah. In recovery . Your insight and reminders are so spot on for me right now so thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:46 pm

      Aw Megan! I am so happy to help. So much love for you!

      Reply
  15. Connie says

    February 21, 2018 at 2:05 pm

    Hannah I love this! I love walking and grabbing a coffee on the way too- hopefully we can have an intern date soon and chat about live giving things. You rock and I’m so happy to be a co-intern with you!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      February 21, 2018 at 3:44 pm

      Awwww CONNIE!! You’re the best co-intern that ever did exist <33 Thank you so much for reading! I would absolutely love an intern date soon so we chat about all those things. So much love for you.

      Reply
  16. Meghan Dillon says

    February 22, 2018 at 8:02 pm

    Great post, great message, love it! You are wise well beyond your years, lady. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Hannah Liistro says

      February 27, 2018 at 2:16 pm

      Thank you SO much for your kind words, Meghan!! Xoxoxo

      Reply
  17. Alexis says

    February 24, 2018 at 4:46 pm

    This is a great post. Thank you for sharing. I redefined what wellness meant to me last year and I haven’t looked back since. It’s about enjoying the little things, taking care of my body and my mental health, reading too many books 🙂

    http://simplehealthstyle.com

    Reply
  18. Anna says

    February 25, 2018 at 6:51 pm

    SO SO GOOD. Really needed this reminder today, thanks so much for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      February 26, 2018 at 3:53 pm

      <3

      Reply
  19. Molly @ a la Molly says

    February 27, 2018 at 3:17 pm

    Love this post!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Weekender 2/25 - Oats & Rows says:
    February 25, 2018 at 4:29 pm

    […] Wellness is A Lot More than Food and Exercise via The Real Life RD Are You Low Key Dieting? via Rachael Hartley Nutrition How to Balance Heart-Friendly Foods with Intuitive Eating via Zen & Spice Intuitive Eating 1o1 via The Sassy Dietitian Calories In vs. Calories Out is BS via The Fuck It Diet […]

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  2. Eating More Than You Think You 'Need' - Beauty In Christ - The Book says:
    February 26, 2018 at 9:25 pm

    […] One of Robyn’s interns writing about how she learned that health is SOOO much more than food and exercise. […]

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  3. 4.0 GPAs and Dieting Have a Lot in Common - Curious Center says:
    March 14, 2018 at 1:56 am

    […] you! Hannah here. Today, I want to chat about a topic that’s been on my mind for the past couple of weeks […]

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A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

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I have yet to experience postpartum myself, but I've had many clients and readers that have been through that season of life. Or perhaps you are currently living through the postpartum period. Every woman's body is different, therefore every woman's experience after giving birth will be different. What works for one woman, might not work for the next. While one woman might go through postpartum and adjust to newborn life quiet seamlessly, another woman might find it much more difficult. She might need the support of medication, therapy, extra help and many other things. One way is not better than the other - they are simply two different ways of navigating the postpartum period. I hope this post helps you better care for yourself, whatever that means for you. There's no right or wrong way to care for yourself as a mom or your new baby.

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