Tips

Tips

Interviews, Tips

RFFMBT Q&A

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

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Dinner, Tips

Dining Out Guide

Sometimes it can be really tricky to have a social life while losing weight and staying on track with healthy eating. Whenever I get together with friends or family, we end up going out to eat. So many of my social interactions revolve around food. While trying different restaurants and getting dressed up to go out to dinner with friends is always exciting, it can end up being really stressful when you are trying to stay on track with your diet. Since most of our social gatherings are restaurant related in our day and time, you can’t really avoid it all together.

I used to have a really hard time going to restaurants with friends because I had no idea where to begin. Should I not eat all day and then get a “normal” meal with my friends? Should I only order a side salad without any dressing? Should I eat my own meal at home and only order an iced tea at the restaurant? Going out to eat quickly went from one of my favorite events to a stressful and anxiety filled situation. I started to dread going to restaurants with friends and started avoiding birthday dinners, celebrations, and get-togethers because I just couldn’t handle it.

I realized that I was less happy not hanging out with my friends and celebrating their birthdays than going out to dinner and being stressed. I decided that it was time to figure out a realistic approach to reduce stress and anxiety when dining out. I started by checking online menus and nutrition facts online before going to the restaurant. This way I knew exactly what I would be eating and know how to ask the waiter to prepare it. I also started to become more familiar with what portion sizes looked like so that I could easily eyeball how much of my dish to eat. After I started using this approach, dining out with friends finally became fun again and I no longer had to worry about getting off track. Here are some of my tips and tricks to dining out and staying on track!

  • Check restaurant menus online and plan what you will order ahead of time.
  • Take your time and look up nutrition facts beforehand.
  • Don’t skip meals to “save calories” before dining out. If you starve yourself all day you will end up consuming way more than you planned because you are so hungry. Trust me on this one!

  • Say no to bread baskets and chips. If you know you will be too tempted, ask the waiter ahead of time to not bring it. If others dining at your table would like bread and you have no choice but to have it at the table, ask for a side salad with balsamic right away so you have something to nosh on.
  • Remember that you have been through harder things than this.
  • Remember that you are in charge of what you eat.

  • Don’t feel bad or embarrassed to make special requests, like asking for sauces on the side, steamed, no oil, etc. People have elaborate orders all day everyday.
  • Look for foods that are grilled, baked, steamed, roasted, or broiled.
  • Avoid foods that are fried, crunchy, crispy, creamy, breaded, or sautéed.
  • Split an entrée with a friend or order from the appetizer or kids menu.
  • Skip dessert or stick to a 3 bite rule. The first bite you are fully present and excited to taste it, second bite you get to take it in and enjoy it, and third bite you get to savor. After that, it’s alllll the same.
  • Pay close attention to condiments and dressings. Some of them have a lot of fat, sugar, and calories.
  • Get a half order instead of full order when available.
  • Ask for a salad, steamed veggies, or fresh fruit on the side instead of fries.
  • Always opt for water or unsweetened tea instead of soda.

  • Keep portion sizes in mind:
    1 cup= baseball
    ½ cup = yoyo
    2/3 cup= tennis ball
    ¼ cup= egg
    3oz= deck of cards
    1 Tbs = poker chip
    1 tsp = quarter
  • Pace yourself. Your meal is not going to sprout legs and run away. Eat slowly, and put your utensil down between bites.
  • Take sips of your beverage in between bites.
  • Ask for a “to go” container up front and automatically put half of it away before you start to eat.
  • Don’t associate fullness with being overly stuffed or bloated. Eat only what your body needs. Give your stomach at least 15 minutes to tell your brain it’s full.

  • Remember to enjoy the experience and eat what you want. Dining out should be a treat and shouldn’t be stressful.
  • One meal won’t make you fat, skinny, healthy, or unhealthy!
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Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snacks, Tips, Vegetarian

Road Trippin’ Rabbit Food Style

Sam and I headed out of Houston on Monday morning at 7am in route to Los Angeles.
The first day of driving was long, but so much fun. We ended up getting to Tucson around 9pm and were so happy to get out of the car and sleep!
Tuesday was our final stretch, leaving Tucson at 8am and arriving in LA at 3pm. So hoppy to be home! I slept like a baby last night.

Road trips can be really challenging to eat healthy. From state to state you are surrounded by fast food joints, mini marts, and all-American diners off of the highway. We made it our goal to eat as healthy as possible on this road trip and I have to say it was a success!

In preparation to leaving, we went to the grocery store to buy some Larabars, bananas, apples, and water bottles to have on hand. We  made a few stops for meals along the way and I did my very best to stick with my Rabbit Food guidelines!

Our first stop was at Dunkin’ Donuts in Houston. I am obsessed with coffee, but beyond obsessed with Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. It is so good! When people say “Dunkin’ Donuts has the best coffee!” you better believe it. It’s the best. Hands down. Whenever I visit Sam in TX, we always grab coffee at DD because we don’t have it in CA! I always stock up on K-Cups for my Keurig coffee maker, and this trip was no exception. For some reason, Dunkin’ Donuts only sells their K-Cups in stores, so if you live in CA, good luck! I usually fly home, so I don’t have enough space in my carry-on to bring K-Cups, but because we were driving back, we had tons of room for my purchase of six 24 packs! Yes, you heard that right, and yes there is photographic evidence! DD needs to either A) Change their slogan from “American runs on Dunkin'” to “American run’s on Dunkin, unless you live in CA” or B) Open up a franchise in CA. Did you hear that Dunkin’ Donuts? COME TO CA! So jealous of everyone who has a DD near them.

 I started my day with a nonfat latte, all bran muffin, and a fuji apple. I didn’t have any nuts or other plant based fat options, so I struck out in that category. I’m sure that muffin contained some fat though… after all, it was from a donut shop!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: fuji apple
Whole Grain: all-bran muffin
Protein: nonfat milk (in the latte)
Plant Based Fat: 0

 The next stop on our trip was for fuel & lunch in a small town before a long stretch of open fields and no civilization. The only food option was either a mini-mart or Dairy Queen. We decided to scope it out and to my surprise, DQ had a salad option. It came with crispy fried chicken on top and even after asking for a salad sans-chicken, they didn’t really understand. I’m probably the first person to ask for a salad without chicken at this location haha. No worries, Sam ate the chicken for me anyway! I didn’t have a whole-grain option to work with so I also struck out in this category, but overall it wasn’t bad for Dairy Queen.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: iceburg lettuce and tomato
Whole Grain: 0
Protein: cheese
Plant Based Fat: balsamic (olive oil based) dressing

 During an extra long stretch in the middle of New Mexico, I ended up snacking on a Cherry Pie flavored Larabar which falls into the plant based fat (almonds) and produce (cherries & dates) categories.

Right before arriving in Arizona, we stopped to refuel and grab some dinner at Subway. I opted for a 6-inch veggie delight with pepperjack cheese, olives, and red wine vinegar on whole wheat. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to use as my plant based fat (avocado, black olives, or olive oil – with vinegar). I ended up choosing black olives and red wine vinegar as my dressing instead of oil since the olives count as a plant based fat. It was yummy!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: lettuce, spinach, tomato, onions, bell peppers, pepperoncinis
Whole Grain: whole-wheat bread
Protein: pepper jack cheese
Plant Based Fat: black olives

Sam even ate some RFFMBT approved snacks along the way including his first Larabr. He chose Apple Pie. The Verdict? He said nothing compares to his Granny’s Apple Pie recipe, but it was pretty good!

 After 2 days and 24 hours of driving, we are happy to be in CA!
It may seem tricky to eat healthy while driving across the country, but it’s not impossible! With the right knowledge and guidelines, it can be done!

Now time to rest up before we go to Body By Design OC Bootcamp with Kandace!
Health & Happiness

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Breakfast, Recipes, Snacks, Tips, Toast Tuesdays, Vegan, Vegetarian

Peanut Butter & Banana Toast

Happy Toast Tuesday to all of my little bunnies!

Sam and I  are on the last leg of our road trip making our way from Tucson to LA! Yesterday we drove  15.5 hours, so we are really excited for the shorter drive today. In the past couple of days I have been smothered by a countless number of incredible emails and a plethera of new readers, pinners, Facebook fans, and Twitter followers. I love reading your stories and seeing your DIY photos! Thank you soooo much for continuing to read my blog everyday. Your support means the world to me. Because I have been attempting to blog via my iPhone (appologies for any awkward autocorrections and spelling errors!) in the middle of the dessert on my road trip, I haven’t been able to respond to emails as promptly as usual. I love chit chatting with readers and really appreciate the time and courage that goes into so many of your emails and I like to do the same for you! I’ll be emailing everyone as soon as I can, you are so important to me! I love you little bunnies!

Now onto the toast! Not only is this toast a classic, but it’s the perfect post workout snack with a purpose.

It may seem counterintuitive to eat after you have just exercised, but this is the best and most important time to eat. Your body needs protein and carbohydrates to repair muscle tissues and replenish glycogen stores, which are depleted after a strenuous workout. You can avoid cancelling out the calories that you just burned by eating the correct combination of foods to meet your body’s fuel needs.

After a sweat session, you want an ample protein (nut butter) combined with a high-glycemic carbohydrate (banana). By adding a complex carb like whole-grain toast, you are getting extra fiber without empty calories to make a more substantial post-workout meal. Eaten together within 45 minutes after a workout, this combination will go a long way to help your body repair and restore.


Peanut Butter & Banana (PB&B) Toast
Serves 1

1 slice whole-grain bread
1 Tbsp unsalted peanut butter
½ banana

Toast the bread and slice up half of a banana. Spread the toast with peanut butter, and top with banana slices.

| 4 Comments
Fitness, Fun Facts, Tips

FitFluential

Exciting announcement!

Because YOU visit, email, comment, tweet, pin, and share my blog, I have gained an incredible following with thousands of viewers per day. With every click of your mouse, YOU have helped me to gain exposure by top fitness magazines, health food companies, and blogging communities! Thank YOU, because without my readers, this blog is nothing!

I am soooo beyond excited to announce that I am an official ambassador for FitFluential! I will be joining a family of fitness fanatics who spread a positive healthy message year-round. FitFluential is a “nationwide network of fitness enthusiasts sharing their journey both online and offline through multiple social media outlets.” Being an ambassador of FitFluential is such an honor, and I am so thrilled to be joining a growing company with such positive impact. I cannot wait to work with their incredible sponsors and partners! Thank you so much to Kelly Olexa for the incredible opportunity!

A little while ago, I mentioned how I was frustrated and stuck in my head battling a vicious cycle of poor body image and lack on motivation to keep up with my healthy lifestyle. I’m not perfect, and like many others, sometimes I can’t resist a piece of carrot cake, and sometimes I wake up and don’t want to exercise. My goal as the author of this blog is to be honest with my readers and share both my successes and struggles. My journey of losing and maintaining weight has had it’s share of ups and downs, and I want to influence others to stay motivated, on track, and reach their goals. Thanks to the tight knit community of bloggers and my very own readers and friends, I was able to regroup and remember why I changed my lifestyle in the first place: to be healthy and fit. I will be working with FitFluential, to share this same goal by practicing what I preach, and encouraging others to get healthy and fit!

#FitFluential starts now! After you finish reading this post, close your laptop, turn off your computer, lock your iPad, and head out for a 30 minute walk! Don’t feel like leaving the house? That’s fine! Instead, do 30 pushups on the hour, 30 squats every time you talk on the phone, jumping jacks during commercial breaks, or 30 lunges as you text your friends, whatever it is, get moving! The excuse “I don’t have time to workout” has just been removed from your dictionary of phrases. I’m sure you could squeeze in some sit-ups while you’re waiting for water to boil on the stove. There are so many little opportunities to squeeze in some reps throughout the day! You don’t need to go to the gym to tone up those arms. Grab some canned vegetables and do some tricep extensions! Just because you’re not at the gym, it doesn’t mean you’re not getting a decent workout!

I’ve been slowly coming back out of my fitness rut and back on track. I’ve been going out on walks, taking the stairs (malls, apartment buildings, office buildings), and doing squats as I cook. This week I will be starting one of my toughest challenges yet: vacation. I will be packing up my running shoes and visiting my boyfriend in Texas, but this time, I refuse to give in to vacation mode and delicious southern cooking. I will be staying #FitFluential with the help of Sam, who is pumped and has already planned out daily runs in every park in the surrounding area (I know, he’s amazing). I have been treating everyday like it’s a vacation, but it’s time to focus on myself and my health, because I know that when I am eating well and exercising, I feel great, and am so much happier with myself physically. Since Sam is helping me stay #FitFluential while on vaca, it is my goal to help you guys stay fit and healthy whether you are going through finals, celebrating graduations, or starting to slack off for summer.

I’ll be checking in from time to time to share updates and progress, and to see how you guys are doing! I’ll let you know when my official tip page is up on their website! Eeeeek, squealing big time right now!

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