Hi everybunny!
This weekend was super busy and aside from working/blogging, I managed to spend a lot of time outside! Yesterday started off with a walk through town to the local bagel joint with my mom, Sam, and my family’s two dogs Teddy (corgi), and Elin (Yellow Labrador). After we walked back home, Sam and I picked up my best friend Lauren and Trevor for some kayaking. We ended up kayaking around the bay for an hour and managed to survive, sunburn free! Great weekend!
Now it’s back to work on this hoppy Monday! I’m really excited to share my first ever Q&A! Last week, I mentioned that I have been flooded with amazing emails from readers and after getting quite a few repetitive questions, I decided to do a Q&A of frequently asked questions! Thanks for all of your questions on Facebook and Twitter, you guys came up with some great material for today’s post!
Where can I buy your “EAT MORE RABBIT FOOD” shirt?
I handmade the shirt that you see pictured on my blog! By popular demand, I am in the process of having shirts screen printed! I’ll let everybunny know when they are available!
How long did it take you to lose the weight?
It took me a total of 10 months to get from 192lbs to 112lbs (-80lbs). In the beginning of my weight loss journey, I was consistently losing 10lbs per month, but once I started to get closer to my goal, the weight started coming off slower and required more exercise. Remember that everybody loses weight at different paces, so don’t get discouraged if it comes off slower. Plateaus are a part of the process, and I am proof that they don’t last forever! If you stay focused on your goals and eat clean, it will happen! Remember that the way our bodies look are 80% diet, 10% exercise, and 10% genetics. Abs are created in the gym and revealed in the kitchen!
How do you stay motivated to eat healthy?
I eat healthy because I love the way it makes me feel. This always keeps me on track and helps me from binging on junk food because I remember how terrible junk food makes me feel afterwards. When I eat clean ‘n’ green like a little rabbit, I have more energy, am free of digestive issues, and just feel better overall.
Are you a vegetarian or vegan?
Neither. My diet is basically 95% vegetarian. I never cook meat at home, so I am what I would like to call a “kitchen vegetarian” because if it comes from my kitchen, it’s vegetarian! I like having a plant strong diet because of how healthy it makes me feel, and love the challenge of cooking vegan meals, but I will occasionally eat white meats such as turkey or chicken while dining out, but it is pretty rare. Any of my recipes can be altered to your liking. For instance if you are vegan, use ½ cup of beans and legumes for your protein serving, or if you eat meat, use 3oz of meat.
What is your favorite exercise?
As you know, I’m obsessed with The Bar Method! It’s a great full-body toning workout that is based on interval training and uses mostly your own body weight (except for arm weights). I’m not a huge fan of cardio, but when I feel like I need to get my heart racing even more, I will hit the elliptical for 30 minutes, or go out for a 30 minute run.
What motivates you to run?
This is usually how I de-stress. I run because I can get my frustration out and not be bothered by anything else at this time.
How do you get yourself out the door for a run on days where you are not motivated?
We all have those days. If I told you I didn’t have this problem… that would be a blatant lie. I usually throw on a cute running outfit that I feel confident it, and then I tell myself that I’m only running 15 minutes out. I turn on my iPod, and set an alarm for 15 minutes and once my alarm sounds, I run back (15 minutes). This way I can talk myself into “only running for 15 minutes away from my house” but in reality the entire run is 30 minutes because I have to get back!
What is the difference between juices and smoothies? Is one better than the other?
Blending fruits and vegetables keeps the fiber intact, which acts like a scrubbing mechanism to clean your digestive system. Since smoothies take out the “chewing aspect,” this makes it easier for your body to digest. Juices are stripped of the fruit and vegetables’ natural fiber, easily providing your body with a flood of nutrients without having to use the digestive process. Juices allow your digestive system to rest while using energy in other parts of the body. I don’t think that one is better than the other, and it really depends on the situation and the person. I personally like smoothies more since they keep me fuller, longer!
I want to do a juice cleanse, where do I start?
Joe Cross from the documentary “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” has a great website for juicing/juice cleanses. It’s called Join The Reboot, and has tons of tips, recipes, and a guide on how much juice you should drink for your specific needs. If you are worried you won’t like the taste of certain juices, build your own starting with a base of your favorite sweet/fruit juices and then add veggies form there. You probably won’t even taste them!
I don’t have a juicer, can I use a blender?
You could use a blender but I don’t recommend it because you do not get as much juice from the fruit/vegetables as you would with a juicer. To make a juice in a blender, you would have to blend all of your ingredients and then strain it very thoroughly with a nut milk bag or cheese cloth. I suggest investing in a juicer before trying to extract juices from a blender. Amazon, Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Costco have great deals so keep your eye out for sales!
How can I eat healthy on a budget?
For one, start cooking at home! Make your kitchen your new favorite restaurant and you will definitely start saving money. I shop at all different stores from regular grocery stores like Ralph’s, Vons, and Kroger to specialty food stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, and even places like Target, Walmart, and Costco. Yes, organic can be great, but if you don’t have the budget for it, that’s ok! When I buy fresh items at Costco, it challenges me to make as many meals as possible with the particular item before it goes bad. This way, if I buy a huge bag of spinach, I will make it a goal to include it in as many meals as possible so it doesn’t go to waste. I recommend using fresh fruits and vegetables, but canned (unsweetened, and no salt added) could be used in substitution in some recipes. Make sure to always choose whole-grain items, and don’t be afraid to buy non name-brand items. The ingredient list is the most important party about buying any type of processed or prepackaged food. Look for short ingredient lists, and words that you can actually pronounce!
How do you plan your meals?
I tend to get obsessed with certain meals, and I will eat them over and over again everyday for a couple of weeks until I get sick of them and want something else. Sometimes I will want something different every single morning of the week, you never know! I try to make Sundays my prep days. I like to wash and chop up veggies so that they are easily accesable and ready for cooking. This takes a lot of prep time out of meals when you are in a hurry or don’t feel like cooking. Then half of the work is already done and you have no excuse to not eat healthy!
Most Sundays, this is how I prep for the week!
Step 1: Select breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for Mon-Sun.
Step 2: Write the exact ingredients needed for each meal
Step 3: purchase the required ingredients on your list
Step 4: Pre-wash and chop veggies/produce (that don’t spoil) for the week
Step 5: Cook any type of grain (quinoa, rice, pasta, beans, or anything else that takes a while to cook) and store it in the fridge for the rest of the week
What is a normal day of meals for you?
I try as hard as I can to stick with my Rabbit Food Pyramid, but I’m not perfect and some days I just need a second snack or a slice of pizza. Some weeks I will eat the exact same things everyday, and some weeks I will get strange cravings and want a different meal every day of the week! For the most part, oats, quinoa, and greek yogurt are daily staples that remain the same!
Breakfast – Cashew Butter Oatmeal + Apple Soy Smoothie
Produce: 1 apple
Whole Grain: ¼ cup rolled oats + ½ cup water
Protein: 1 cup soy milk
Plant Based Fat: 1 Tbsp cashew butter
Oatmeal: cook the oats with water on the stove. Stir in cashew butter.
Smoothie: blend the apple and soy milk together.
Lunch – Greek Stuffed Pita
Produce: 1 cup romaine, ½ cup chopped onion, ½ cup chopped tomatoes
Whole Grain: ½ slice whole-wheat pita bread (1 pita pocket)
Protein: ¼ cup nonfat feta cheese
Plant Based Fat: 10 olives
Directions: Toss all ingredients together with balsamic vinegar and stuff inside the pita. Add fresh black pepper if desired.
Dinner – Lemon Garlic Quinoa
Produce: 1 cup asparagus, 1 cup broccoli
Whole Grain: ½ cup cooked quinoa
Protein: 1/2 cup chickpeas
Plant Based Fat: 1 Tbsp olive oil
Directions: Cook quinoa to package instructions. Chop broccoli and asparagus into 1 inch sections. Place vegetables in a microwave safe bowl, cover, and let them steam in the microwave for roughly 2 minutes. In a blender combine ½ clove of garlic, olive oil, and 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, and blend until Smooth. In a separate bowl, combine quinoa, chickpeas and vegetables. Add the dressing to the bowl and mix until quinoa, chickpeas, and veggies are evenly coated.
Snack – Banana Almond Butter Roll-Ups
Produce: ½ banana
Whole Grain: 2 whole corn soft taco sized tortillas
Protein: 6oz cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Plant Based Fat: 1 Tbsp almond butter
Directions: Spread the tortillas evenly with almond butter. Top with banana slices, sprinkle with cinnamon, and roll up into wraps. Enjoy with a side of Greek yogurt.
I had so much fun reading and answering all of your questions. You guys inspire me each and every day and I am so in love with my blog and followers! I cannot believe I only started blogging 3 short months ago! I have been so blessed and smothered with incredible opportunities!
What did you think about my first official Q&A? xo
emilie
June 25, 2012 at 3:01 pm (12 years ago)great !
Laura
July 3, 2012 at 10:50 am (12 years ago)I just found this site from Pinterest! It has got me very motivated to eat better and exercise! I would love to see more menu options. As someone who is new to “plant strong” eating I’m not always sure what is the best option. Plus the Q&A was helpful!! 🙂
Catherine
July 3, 2012 at 11:10 am (12 years ago)That’s a great idea Laura! I’m so happy you found my blog! Health & Happiness xo
Lindsay Nice
April 15, 2013 at 5:06 pm (12 years ago)I love your blog and fallow you all the time i think you are great insperation and it’s even better that you are a real person lol. do you ever answer specific questions via email? or do you have a section of your blog where we can ask you specific questions?
Astra
August 11, 2012 at 8:59 pm (12 years ago)Still obsessed with this site!! However, looking forward to a cold winter here in illinois and know I will be craving soups, stews and WARM meals. Any chance of seeing some winter recipes on here? I know that juicing and eating raw won’t work very well for me when the tootsies get cold!!
Thanks,
Astra
Catherine
August 11, 2012 at 10:16 pm (12 years ago)Hi Astra! I will definitely be making some healthy warm soups and comfort food for fall and winter! xo
Lilly
June 25, 2012 at 7:46 pm (12 years ago)Love it! I would love to see more daily menus! 🙂
Mariah
June 25, 2012 at 10:18 pm (12 years ago)I love this!! I cannot believe you just started blogging 3 months ago too,,, so happy to have your blog to read!! Thank you! Loved the FAQ series 🙂
Catherine
June 26, 2012 at 12:10 am (12 years ago)Thank you so much Mariah! I am definitely going to have more Q&As in the future 🙂 xo
RoannBenjamin
June 26, 2012 at 12:20 am (12 years ago)Only discovered your blog this weekend thanks to Pinterest, but loving it so far. Loved the Q&A and looking forward to yuor future blogs.
Catherine
June 26, 2012 at 1:31 am (12 years ago)I’m so happy you found my blog via Pinterest! Lots of fun recipes and tips coming soon! Health & Happiness xo
Gabrielle
June 26, 2012 at 6:22 am (12 years ago)Thanks so much for the Q&A Catherine! Keep on cooking because your recipes are great 🙂 I’m going to try the Lemon Garlic Quinoa for dinner!
Catherine
June 26, 2012 at 10:59 am (12 years ago)You are very welcome I’m glad you enjoyed it, let me know how the recipe turns out! xo
fabiana
June 26, 2012 at 8:46 am (12 years ago)loved the Q&A…really helped!xoxo (p.s. and keep them coming!)
Catherine
June 26, 2012 at 10:58 am (12 years ago)Thanks Fabiana! I hope to do another Q&A soon! xo
Larissa
June 26, 2012 at 6:30 pm (12 years ago)Love, love, love your Q&A! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer all of these questions in detail. It’s very informative.
Catherine
June 26, 2012 at 6:38 pm (12 years ago)Aww thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Chelsea
June 28, 2012 at 6:14 am (12 years ago)I am in love with your blog! It’s nice to see a woman as vertically challenged as me (5″2) so you understand that 10l
Chelsea
June 28, 2012 at 6:17 am (12 years ago)Sorry, my baby hit the enter button!
As I was saying, it’s nice to see someone that’s like me and understands that 10lbs means a LOT on a shorty.
It would be awesome if you posted some grocery shopping lists. I have no clue what to buy when it comes to starting to eat cleaner.
THANKS AGAIN!! your amazing!
Catherine
June 28, 2012 at 11:37 am (12 years ago)Hahah Chelsea, I love that your baby hit “submit”! Too cute hahaha I have been getting quite a few questions about grocery shopping so I will be doing a post soon! I’m so happy you found my blog Health & Happiness xo
emilie
June 28, 2012 at 9:35 am (12 years ago)I do love your T shirt 🙂
Chicken
June 28, 2012 at 2:22 pm (12 years ago)I LOVE this post! I found your blog today through Pinterest and I’m pretty sure I’m in love, or at least serious like, with you. Your recipes look fantastic. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Your rabbit food pyramid is going on my fridge TODAY! Thanks!
Catherine
June 28, 2012 at 3:10 pm (12 years ago)Awww thank you so much! I am so happy you found my blog 🙂 Health & Happiness xo
Jenny
June 28, 2012 at 7:26 pm (12 years ago)Have you ever thought about writing a cookbook complete with menu planning? I really appreciated your meal planning answer because this is one area in which I struggle.
I would buy a cookbook for sure!!!!!!
Catherine
June 28, 2012 at 9:02 pm (12 years ago)You just made my day! I would LOVE to write a cookbook! I am hoping that my blog can turn into that one day 🙂 Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll try to write some more meal plans soon 🙂
Jenny
June 29, 2012 at 12:10 pm (12 years ago)I was also thinking that it would be nice to have a list of pantry and refrigerated items you always keep in the house so you are ready to cook.
Catherine
June 29, 2012 at 2:36 pm (12 years ago)That’s an excellent idea! I’ve been getting tons of questions about food preparation and grocery shopping, so I am thinking about including that in the next Q&A!
Jessa
July 1, 2012 at 10:59 am (12 years ago)I found your blog today and i have been searching and finding many awesome ideas through it! It is very inspiration and got me going on my weight loss journey! I cannot wait to read and learn more about ways to help myself get to my goal!
Catherine
July 1, 2012 at 11:30 am (12 years ago)That’s great Jessa! So happy my blog could inspire you! xo
Alyson
July 1, 2012 at 5:02 pm (12 years ago)Do you ever count calories anymore? Or do you just eat based off your food chart and worry more if it’s healthy?
Catherine
July 1, 2012 at 5:41 pm (12 years ago)I don’t anymore because it became to obsessive. Now I build my meals of of serving sizes and portions Health & Happiness xo
Chelsey H
July 3, 2012 at 8:54 am (12 years ago)I am SO HAPPY to have found your blog! Since 2010 I’ve lost 40lbs (still have 30 to goal weight), and I have been a vegetarian since October 2011. The last year I have struggled with maintaining and continuing to lose weight, and also with trying to keep motivated. Thanks for all the info, recipes, FAQ’s and experiences, it’s all so helpful.
One question I have though – in your beginning stages of weight loss, did you count calories/portions or was eating healthy enough for you? Or have you always tried to stay with the 4 pyramid meals a day?
All the best, from one bunny lover to another.
Catherine
July 3, 2012 at 11:15 am (12 years ago)I Chelsey! I am so happy that you found my blog too! Congratulations on your 40lb weight loss so far! That’s amazing and you should be so proud! I try to not count calories because I can get really obsessed, but I do know that with the serving sizes of each of my meals, they add up to a good amount to lose weight and not be hungry 🙂 Health & Happiness xo
Whitney
July 3, 2012 at 1:58 pm (12 years ago)I love your blog! On your food pyramid page, you recommend 2 servings of veggies at lunch and dinner. Below that you list serving sizes. Is 2 cups of fresh veggies the total serving for lunch or dinner, or would you double that to make 2 servings?
I hope that makes sense… I guess I’m asking if your lunch would have 2 or 4 cups of fresh veggies.
Thanks!
Catherine
July 3, 2012 at 2:58 pm (12 years ago)Hi Whitney! Lunch should contain 2 servings of veggies (2 cups fresh), and dinner should contain 2 servings (2 cups fresh) totaling up to 4 cups of fresh veggies for the day! You can divide the servings into as many different vegetables as you would like, as long as you end up with 2 cups total for each meal! Of course more veggies and leafy greens are always welcome! xo
If you use frozen, canned, or dried veggies, these would be the measurements for 1 serving!
1 cup frozen
½ cup canned
¼ dried
Victoria
July 3, 2012 at 1:59 pm (12 years ago)I love your blog! I recently fell off the wagon on my Low Carb diet. It’s just too hard to not enjoy things I love. I love that you also have bread in your diet and you’ve really motivated me to start a “clean” diet. I know everyone above has mentioned wanting more menus but I can’t tell you how helpful it is what you posted above. I know you have one serving of bread.. but is that per day.. per meal… I’m trying to follow your “plan” at least until I get the hang of it. Thanks for everything! Love it 🙂
Catherine
July 3, 2012 at 2:55 pm (12 years ago)Hi Victoria! Thank you so much for the compliments, I am so happy that you found my blog! I am definitely thinking about posting more daily menus to give everyone a better idea of what a complete day looks like. I know that I cannot live without carbs, so I make sure that my carb servings are whole-grains whether it be pasta, quinoa, rice, bread, oats, or pita! You can have one serving of any whole-grain for every meal. That means, one slice of bread at every meal if you want! I tend to use oats a lot in my diet. I love how versatile they are from oatmeal, to smoothies & cookies! Just remember that 1 slice of bread is one whole-grain serving which means, sandwiches are either open faced, or one slice cut in half for the top and bottom of the sandwich 🙂 I hope this helps! I will most likely do a post about this soon! Thanks for your awesome question! xo
Yvonne
July 4, 2012 at 5:19 am (12 years ago)I recently found your blog through pintrest and I’m so very glad that I did. Thank you for sharing your life and experiences with us. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to write to us. This helps me, and I’m sure I can speak for many others, so very very much! May God continue to bless you with a healthy life! I look foward to reading more fun and clean eating tips! Thanks again!
Catherine
July 4, 2012 at 9:52 am (12 years ago)Thank you so much Yvonne! I am so happy that you found my blog and i cannot wait for you to try some recipes! Health & Happiness xo
Brooke
July 5, 2012 at 3:25 pm (12 years ago)I love your blog!! I’m just wondering if you are able to recommend any great whole foods cookbooks? I’m also looking for a 7 day or or one month eat plan, so that eating this way is easier off the bat 🙂 Any ideas on where I might go? Many thanks so much B
Catherine
July 5, 2012 at 3:45 pm (12 years ago)Hi Brooke! My blogging calendar is packed with new recipe and healthy tips posts, so I am trying to fit in time for more daily or even weekly meal plan ideas! As for cookbooks, I really only own 1 so far called: “1,000 Low-fat Vegetarian Recipes” which has some great ideas! I’ll let you know if I stumble upon any other great ones 🙂
Stephanie
July 7, 2012 at 1:18 am (12 years ago)I am in LOVE with your blog. I have been reading EVERYTHING for the past two days and am starting my weight loss/ lifestyle change journey on Monday!! I am wondering a couple of things. What can I do for breakfast ideas that don’t contain eggs or milk products? I am severely lactose intolerant and don’t like eggs!! Also, do you drink one of your smoothies as a meal or a snack? I made your carrot cake smoothie (which was AMAZING!!) and it really filled me up.. Can that count as my lunch???
Thank you SOOO much for everything you do!!!
Catherine
July 7, 2012 at 12:48 pm (12 years ago)Hi Stephanie! Thank you so much for the compliments 🙂 For a milk & egg free breakfast you could make oatmeal with nut butter & berries with a glass of soy or nut milk on the side, or a smoothie with fruit, oats, nut butter, and nut milk. Any of my recipes with dairy milk can be subbed with nondairy milks 🙂 Banana Bread Breakfast Quinoa could be a great option for you! As for smoothies like the Carrot Cake Smoothie, that would count towards either your breakfast or snack/dessert meal! My day consists of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one snack/dessert meal. You can find the guidelines for each meal in the Rabbit Food Pyramid tab! Health & Happiness xo
Lisa
July 8, 2012 at 7:28 am (12 years ago)Hi Catherine! I’ve been reading your blog for a few months now. I’m fascinated with the plant-based nutrition and clean eating concepts, but I just keep shoveling in fast food when I’m rushed and high fat foods when I’m cooking at home. My weight has always fluctuated greatly, my lowest weight being 128, highest now at 208 (post culinary school). I think it’s time for a RFFMBT diet overhaul! Today I have already begun emptying the kitchen of all the processed foods and taking part in the Sunday meal planning you suggested above. In addition, my boyfriend and I have just set up profiles on myfitnesspal to keep track of what we eat, and to hold each other accountable. Wish me luck! Thank you so much for your motivating and encouraging words on here =) You are beautiful!
Catherine
July 8, 2012 at 11:09 am (12 years ago)That’s great Lisa! I am so excited for you and your bf to start your journeys to healthy! The first couple of weeks can be the hardest, but just think: you are strong and have been through things much harder than this! You can do it! After two weeks your going to start craving healthy food! I cannot wait to hear about your success! Health & Happiness xo
Sally
July 8, 2012 at 9:01 am (12 years ago)I am absolutely IN LOVE with your entire website and style of life. It is all so inspiring! I’d love to email you and maybe share a favorite recipe of mine that I’m sure you would love and could maybe clean it up a bit for your style of life. But I cannot seem to find your email address! Where can I or maybe what is it?
Catherine
July 8, 2012 at 11:03 am (12 years ago)Hi Sally! I am so happy you found my blog, and thank you soooo so very much for the compliments! Due to an extremely high volume of emails per day I am no longer accepting personal emails, but you could send then via Facebook Twitter, or in comments on my blog! Health & Happiness xo
Stephanie
July 8, 2012 at 8:04 pm (12 years ago)I have 2 questions…
Do you reccomend any of the bars that are on the market.. Larabar, Luna, Clif??
Also, do you have an email address we can use to ask questions??
Catherine
July 8, 2012 at 11:28 pm (12 years ago)Hi stephanie!
I love Larabars because they are composed of pure natural ingredients with no additives or preservatives. With the rabbit food pyramid one Larabar would count as a serving of produce (fruit), and plant based fat (nuts), so you could enjoy a bar with some yogurt (protein) and oats (whole-grain) or a glass of milk and a serving of whole-grain crackers to make it a complete meal 🙂 Luna and Cliff bars have tons of added sugar if you look at the labels! Yikes!
Due to a really high volume of emails I was receiving per day, I am no longer accepting personal emails, but you are welcome to ask questions in comments or on Twitter or Facebook! Health & Happiness xo
Stephanie
July 9, 2012 at 10:08 am (12 years ago)Thank you for the help Catherine!!! I’m loving your website.. I’m starting my 5 day juice challenge today!!! Love all the juices so far!!!! Thank you for being such an amazing inspiration!!!!
Catherine
July 9, 2012 at 10:58 am (12 years ago)Thanks Stephanie! Happy juicing! xo
Alina
July 10, 2012 at 6:48 pm (12 years ago)Just wanted to let you know that your blog is fantastic. I really enjoyed reading about your story! You have the kind of attitude that I look for in a role model when it comes to living healthy. Your blog is very easy to follow; the pyramid page is very organized. I also love that most of the meals are very simple to make; Sometimes I come home pretty late from the office and the last thing I want to do is workout for an hour and then eat dinner at 9pm because I spent almost an hour cooking.
Question for you – you mentioned that you per cook your grains on Sunday. How long do they stay fresh in the fridge? Do you have to re cook again in the middle of the week?
I look forward to seeing more of your posts!
Catherine
July 10, 2012 at 11:57 pm (12 years ago)Hi Alina! Thank you so much for reading my blog and for all of your compliments! I’m happy that the Rabbit Food Pyramid is reader friendly and easy to understand, since my goal is to make healthy eating as easy and fun as possible 🙂 My grains will usually last throughout the week, but sometimes I do need to remake batches if I need more or the end of the batch gets a little dry! Health & Happiness xo
Allye
July 13, 2012 at 10:09 am (12 years ago)Love this website!! I work for a non-profit sports organization and we all found this blog inspiring and helpful! One question, do you drink a protein shake after your workout?
Catherine
July 13, 2012 at 11:26 am (12 years ago)Hi Allye! That’s fantastic! I do drink either a protein shake/green smoothie or a slice of toast with nut butter and fruit after a workout depending on the day and what I did! xo
Jillian
July 16, 2012 at 12:21 am (12 years ago)I’ve read comments about how you should make a cookbook & I certainly agree…but have you thought of making an app? An app would serve many of ideas that users are asking about; grocery lists, recipes, meal planning, etc. Just thought I’d put that thought out in the world 🙂
Catherine
July 16, 2012 at 10:17 am (12 years ago)Thanks Jillian! A few readers have brought up app ideas and I think that would be a great addition in the future 🙂 xo
Kait
July 19, 2012 at 5:43 pm (12 years ago)Hi Catherine! I just recently found your amazing story on pinterest, and just had to check out your blog…especially because I had a pet rabbit for 7 years, I love rabbits! Your blog is amazing! I’ve been through all your posts already and wrote down the recipes so I can start eating more rabbit food haha 🙂 I went to make your greek stuffed pita today, only to realize I was all out of olives, pitas and feta! So i chopped pickles instead of olives, used cottage cheese instead of feta and pilled it on whole grain toast along with the other ingredients from your recipe, and it was delicious! Made it an extra great day at work! Thank you so much for your blog, your a big inspiration to me and I’m looking forward to more amazing posts 🙂
Catherine
July 19, 2012 at 6:19 pm (12 years ago)Oh my gosh your little stuffed pita story was so cute! I love that you were able to make healthy meal with such awesome swaps! I am so happy that you found my blog and cannot wait for you to try some recipes! xo
Sina
July 24, 2012 at 1:47 pm (12 years ago)Hi Catherine
I found your blog on pinterest today and it is soooo inspiring!
I’ve been trying to lose weight for a long time now, I was down 16.5 lbs but then I regained 5.5lbs and ever since I can’t get ride of em anymore! So I hope I can change that with the help of your blog.
I am currious, are you still 112lbs? Because in one picture you wrote that it was your lowest and it somehow made me feel like you were scared of how skinny you’ve got. Maybe it’s just because I’ve read and didn’t hear you say it, but I just got that feeling.
Anyways, congratulations on what you’ve accomplished and best of luck for your future!!!
Catherine
July 24, 2012 at 2:04 pm (12 years ago)Hi Sina! I am so happy that you found my blog! Losing weight can be so tricky and frustrating, you are not alone! I am no longer 112 lbs, it was very hard for me to maintain without obsessing over everything that I ate and I actually felt too skinny. I didn’t feel healthy and fit. Once I stopped restricting and worrying so much about food (while still eating healthy) my weight went up a bit and has stayed around 130. I have recently been dealing with some health issues and have seen my weight fluctuate a lot in the past month and it has been really frustrating, but I am continuing to eat healthy and not stress too much! Health & Happiness xo
Willow
August 9, 2012 at 1:29 am (12 years ago)Hiya I have only recently started reading ur blog and I’m loving getting all ur recipes! The problem I’m having is that my boyfriend is not on a diet and likes to eat pretty fattening foods for dinner (lots of carbs, potatoes ect) and it means we are having to cook separate meals which is really akward! Do u have any tips of what we can do?
Thanks
Willow
Lou-Anne
October 10, 2012 at 8:45 pm (12 years ago)Hi!
I was thinking about trying NutriSystem to kick off my new diet but I was wondering how long you were actually on it before you went back regular dieting?
gina
March 24, 2013 at 3:45 pm (12 years ago)I also saw your site via Pinterest…I’m a single mom of a teen-ager at home. 40 and 50lbs overweight. I work 2 jobs 6-7 days a week. I don’t watch TV usually. I’ve been wanting to cut out processed foods but eating healthy is so expensive and I don’t know if I can afford it. I want to exercise more but lack the motivation to get started (I guess not being able to breathe in my jeans isn’t motivation enough). Sleep is a luxury.
I don’t know where to begin. When I have a couple hours home from work I curl up and sleep….any pointers would be great.
Judith
May 29, 2014 at 3:52 am (10 years ago)Hey Catherine! I love to read how you prepare for the week. Healthy eating justs takes more time and prep. I read somewhere ‘Think about how many unhealthy options there are available around where you take a lunchbreak (~10 for me). Now think about how many healthy options there are that meet your requirements (1).’ Even though this is improving now with the health trends, this really made me realize that you have to provide for yourself by preparing in forehand, and not be dependent on what is offered somewhere.
For me the issue can be that I am really chaotic and not always prepared enough, which compromises my eating goals, because I end up grabbing something easier. I am definately going to try the ‘sunday preperation day’. I was wondering, how do you plan for a whole week? I understand how you do it for one day with the rabbit pyramid, but in a whole week there has to be more variation right? For example, the colours of veggies and fruits, like one day using yellow and the next day red or something? (Since the colour is a good indication of the different nutrients). Or one day plant protein (tofu) and another day animal-based (yoghurt). Do you think this is important, or do you see it more day by day? Long story haha, but I am curious how you decide on such week variations!
Greetings
Judith