Year in Review: Eat the Gains in 2021  – a look back on 2021 with everything that happened, the most popular recipes, and what’s to come for Eat the Gains!

I think we can all say 2021 was another hard year of ups and downs and a lot of uncertainty. And at the same time, this year was a blur – it went by so so fast. But looking back, it had a lot of positives as well too!⁠

I have done year-end reviews the last couple of years and enjoy looking back on the year. So here is what happened on Eat the Gains in 2021 – I’m going to recap some things that happened for me personally, along with some business things, some favorite recipes, and what’s to come.

Here are the year’s previous reviews —> 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020

I’ve realized that looking back helps you realize how far you have come and all the progress and what you have accomplished over the year(s). It’s so easy to just keep pushing forward and trying to get to the next goal or milestone, especially when running a business. I am super guilty of this and missing all the good actually happening in front of me.

So let’s get into it all of 2021!

Life happenings

1. Snow in Texas! While this was not the ideal way to get snowed in (we lost power for 3 whole days and didn’t have internet for a week), we were very forntunate that we didn’t have any damage to our house.
2. Tried out wake surfing (only once, but loved it)⁠ – I definitely want to get into more outside adventures next year.
3. Trips to Galveston, Cleveland, Scottsdale, and Miami⁠ – we headed to the Texas beaches for the first time, went to see a Browns game in Cleveland, attended a beautiful wedding in Scottsdale, and a had a quick trip to Miami for our 3 year wedding anniversary.
4. Another trip back east to see family and living at the beach for a few months. We did this last year and were able to do it again since Michael is still working from home. It honestly might be a yearly thing! It was a welcoming change of pace and nice to spend so much time with family.
5. JMU reunion⁠ – went to a JMU football game and tailgated with a bunch of friends from college. It was great to catch up and also crazy to see how much things have changed over the last decade.
6. Continued education – I did a mindset course and also learned muscle testing⁠, which was super interesting.
7. Feeling like I really found my stride with my food freedom⁠. It really feels almost feels effortless. Most of y’all know I track my macros, but I’ve been the most flexible I’ve ever been. Taking lots of time off tracking, enjoyed vacations without stressing about food or working out, eating all the foods with restriction. It feels really good to be in this place.
8. A few home updates⁠ – updating the guest bathroom and got a Cowboy Pool (Michael is building a deck for it as we speak) to name a few.
9. Pizza Friday EVERY FRIDAY (yep!)⁠ – we started a new tradition and we went strong with it!

Eat the Gains in 2021 – the content

This was another year where I didn’t share a ton of recipes (2020 was similar). The last 2 years have been a balancing act of my blog and also nutrition coaching. I just don’t have the same time I used to have to be pumping out a ton of content. It’s been a little bit of a struggle (more on that below though).

That being said, we did share some good posts this year.

Let’s get into the most popular post this past year!

Top 5 recipes/posts posted in 2021:

1. Pickled Beets
2. Greek Chicken Meatballs
3. Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl
4. Buffalo Chicken Soup
5. Steak and Sweet Potato Skillet

I was very much surprised by this list!

5 most popular recipes overall for 2021 (from a reader’s standpoint):

1. How to get your Period Back Naturally
2. Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
3. Air Fryer Boneless Buffalo Wings
4. Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
5. Burger Salad

My top 3 favorite posts of 2021:

1. Buffalo Chicken Casserole
2. Philly Cheesesteak Skillet
3. Creamy Vegan Pasta

Michael’s top 3 favorite posts of 2021:

1. Buffalo Chicken Casserole
2. Honey Mustard Potato Salad
3. Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

Eat the Gains in 2021 – growth

To be honest, I felt a little lost in my business this past year. Do I focus on nutrition coaching or my food blog? Should I just niche down and do one?

It was a constant pull of going back and forth and trying to balance it all. I felt super overwhelmed at times. Lots of things were pushed to the back burner and I felt like I couldn’t do everything I wanted.⁠

I didn’t see as much growth this year as I have seen year over year from an analytics standpoint. The past few years my blog has grown tremendously year over year so it was a little bit of a bummer to see this year didn’t follow as much as previous years.

My nutrition coaching did grow a ton this past year! I have enjoyed it so much and it really is so rewarding to help people in their health and wellness journey.

Despite this year feeling a little off in some areas, in the end, I still have a very successful and thriving business. And I am so grateful for that.

What is coming in 2022

I’m excited for next year, but also a little uncertain. What do I really want with my business and my life? While I would love to see Eat the Gains take over the world (kidding, kind of lol), I don’t actually need that.

At the end of the day, I want to live my best life. I want to be the best wife and dog mom. To travel places and explore. I want to start a family one day and have freedom and flexibility in my schedule.

As I mentioned, year after year, I really want to start sharing more content than just recipes. My most popular post is how I got my period back and I feel like that is definitely a sign.

I love food, but it’s not my whole life anymore. And there is so much more to health than just eating well. I’m really hoping to hone in on voice even more and do what feels good. Sharing more educational, approachable, and real-life content.

I am also doing a little rebrand and refreshing my site with Grace + Vine and I am SO EXCITED! This site hasn’t changed much since I started blogging in 2015 and it’s very much needed. I think it’s going to really help me find my voice even more.

And I’m also hiring!! I am BEYOND EXCITED about this and it is very much needed. As I mentioned, I felt super overwhelmed and burnt out at times this past year. Bringing someone on is going to help take some things off my plate and really help me focus on what I am good at.

I would also love to do more video content as it’s something I enjoy doing and also consuming.

Nonbusiness-wise, I would love to travel to new places (if the circumstances allow), continue to work on balancing work and life, and enjoy more time with friends and family.

THANK YOU!

Last, but certainly not least, and most importantly, I want to thank every single one of you for supporting Eat the Gains in 2021.

Everything you do – from trying my recipes, leaving comments and ratings on recipes, sharing my website with your friends and family, commenting and messaging me on Instagram, and more – it doesn’t go unnoticed.

This community is seriously the best and I can’t thank you guys enough for supporting me. And I wouldn’t be where I am without you. I’m so grateful for each and every one of you and it really is you that helps me continue to push through when I feel a little off. Your support does not go unnoticed!

Also, a huge thank you to Kaylin for helping me with Eat the Gains! She does so much behind the scenes to keep ETG up and running. And of course Michael, my family, and friends for supporting me along this journey!

Now here’s to a new year and kicking some ass 2022!! READY TO ROCK IT!

This post may contain affiliate links and I may make a little bit of money if you click on and purchase the products through the links. It doesn’t cost you any extra money. The compensation helps with expenses to keep ETG up and running. I truly appreciate your support!