A Skinny Superbowl

It’s easy to binge at parties..ESPECIALLY Superbowl Sunday. I lahhhh wings, potato skins, mozzarella sticks, and beer w the bros. My father owns a bar in harrison Off the Grid [great place to go with friends] and the food is amazing! I always end up getting there starving. I don’t eat alll day so I can “save” my calories for a Harley burger [burger and coleslaw and russian dressing on a grilled cheese] and a few beers. By the end of the burger I can barely  move and I just want to crawl back in bed after my binge and sleep forever.

But wait…

How am I saving calories by eating 3x what I normally eat?

TIP: Eat BEFORE you go out.

Seriously. Eating beforehand helps stop the binge. Instead I’ll snag a bite of someone else burger [what boyfriends were made for,obvi] , grab a mozzarella stick and a few fries. And throw down a shot or two of jack.

WAYYY less fat/carbs/cals everything.

AND you won’t feel like shit after/hate yourself for eating like a pig.

Enjoy the parties this weekend 🙂

xoR

Juice Cleansing. WTF is that?

I’m so excited!! Why? I’m starting my juice cleanse tomorrow 🙂 The first time I ever cleansed I had ZERO clue what I was doing. So I decided to do a little post on the 411 of juice cleansing. [click here for before and after juice cleanse pics from last time]

What is a Juice Cleanse? A juice cleanse is a detox diet or method to rid the body of toxins and shrink the stomach.

Why do a juice cleanse? It’s main purpose is to DETOX although not necessarily used to lose weight… the pounds will melt off [ they may or may not stay off depending on how you eat after the cleanse/ how long the cleanse is]

What to do before a juice cleanse.. Try not to binge before had 1. you will just add extra pounds that will need to be lost [yuck!] 2. your body will have a harder time detoxing as it come down from the [chocolate/alcohol/bread/anything fried] high — Just eat healthy, go light on the alch and remember 1. your bod will look super fine after the cleanse 2. think of how AMAZEEE you will feel

During the cleanse… Avoid coffee [try tea- seriously you will live for 3 day] and any animal byproducts [eggs/milk/cheese] . You can have 6oz of lean protein [shrimp/chicken/most fish] and all the veggies you want!! Also, remember to HYDRATE LIKE A MAD WOMAN!

After the cleanse… 1. pat yourself on the back  YOU DID IT 🙂 2. eat light LIGHT LIGHTTT! you don’t want to end up with a tummy ache [worst after a cleanse!] 3. keep it low on the fries/sugar/carbs/alch — && most of all >> treasure your post cleanse bod..

happy cleansing

Bikini Bootcamp

So… If you’ve been keeping up with my continuous ramblings I call a blog I’m sure you’ve noticed I’ve said I’d keep updates/posts on lots of things.. This is me keeping those promises..

As I mentioned here, My new years “resolution”/goal is to do a bikini competition sometime during the summer. A REAL FITNESS bikini competition, not some weirdo wet t-shirt thing in miami. Anyways, I clearly don’t look like one yet (please refer to picture A and B) and I’m sure many [including myself] are asking ‘sooo… how eff that gonna happen?’ here’s how…

PHOTO A

PHOTO B

Your body takes about 3 months to “transform” from regular to competitive state IF you are used to competing. In my case, I need and additional four months to get into shape and then the three months to transform my body. I am spending the next four months building muscle and burning fat to just get my body in better shape and to get used to the habits of training.

What to do in the first four months:

*Exercise: make a weekly plan for exercise, mine looks like this:

Monday [weight training 1 hour]

Tuesday [kickboxing {weights AND cardio} 1 hour]

Wednesday [weight training 1 hour]

Thursday [ weights 1 hour/ yoga 1:15]

Friday [cardio 30/ yoga 1:30/ Abs 30]

Saturday [weights 1 hour]

Sunday [rest]**most days I still do yoga

-Why is there no cardio you ask? It can actually make your muscles smaller which is not the look I am going for. Think long lean sexy and muscular.

-Weight training changes every day. Each day I focus on a different part of my body. I try and split up the days the best that I can. Weight training mainly depends on what I feel I need at that moment- everyBODY differs- make up[or have a trainer make up] your own regimen.

*Nutrition: This is the hardest part for me since I LOVE LOVE LOVE to eat everything carbs and cheese.. especially carbs covered in cheese..or cheese covered in carbs [mozzarella sticks yum…] … like I said it’s been hard…

-Eat five to six meals a day made up of [protein, veggies, and good carbs] This is my modified version since it obviously needs to be modified in 4 months closer to competition (remember this is to ease me into the process and get me in training shape)

Meal 1. Eggs w/ tomatoes spinach and goat cheese

Meal 2. Protein powder and strawberries blended w/ ice

Meal 3. Grilled chicken salad w/ veggies [squeezed lemon as dressing]

Meal 4. Mixed nuts & raisins & chocolate milk// OR// soy chai latte & fruit cup

Meal 5. Lean protein [fish/chicken/turkey] w. whole wheat pasta w. veggies [(or if you are GF like me corn/rice pasta or quinoa)]

So… this is a lot to digest. Literally and physically. I was so FULL by meal 3 the first few days I felt like a disgusting mess trying to eat meal 4 and 5. Hence why I felt the need to start training now..

Above all remember: Do what fits YOUR needs first nutritionally and in your exercise routine. This is what works for me.

For more info on competitive prep click here

Frosty the snowman is cute but not sexy.

If you’re like me, you stuffed your face this holiday… and now you’re suddenly realizing “I’m shaped more like a snowman than a sexy snow bunny for New Years.” Yeah… we’ve all been there there are leftovers in everyone’s home and many have a tendency to eat eat eat because that’s all you’ve been doing. And of course everyone wants to look hot brining in the New Years.. So why not start now rather than waiting to count down to midnight?

Heres a few ways you can end the year right:

Exercise&Sweat:: I spent yesterday hitting the gym hard with weights and cardio then spent a nice sauna sesh to get out anything that was making me feel frosty. Today I’ll be hitting the hot yoga room. SWEAT as much as you can, it’s what will debloat you the fastest, just remember to drink lots of aqua.

Drink Champagne:: Yes. Cut out the vino and vodka and pick up a glass of champagne. This has to be my FAVIE skinny tip yet. Ever heard of the Champagne Diet? Google it now. You will thank me =] (ps add ice for a longer sip and to add some water to keep you hydrated, especially nye, so you can dance the night away)

Avoid Sugar& Gluten:: Not forever, but at least until you squeeze into your favie LBD and count down with someone special. Why Gluten too? people don’t realize it but breads also contain lots of sugar… nutritionally packaged they are labeled as carbs, but when your body breaks it down… goes straight to your butt/thighs/tummy. Plus it’s four days… you can do it get overt.

Read more skinny tips&motivate yourself:: here & here & here

*** also I will be starting a juice cleanse January 2nd… NEW YEAR NEW YOU. if you would like to order a juice cleanse please contact me for more info

xoxoR

Cooking Essentials for Dummies

Growing up in an Italian cultured home I’ve been around homemade cooking and baking all my life. Whether it’s Christmas, or Tuesday there was a woman in my home cooking. If I wasn’t eating a homemade meal, my father was bringing us to one of his friends restaurants whom usually studded culinary in the Swiss Alps or someplace else totally impressive and ridiculous all at the same time. At 6 years old I was ordering ship cocktails to start and lobster tails and my main entree. [yes I’m surprised I’m not 500 pounds either] I’m a foodie, not because I love food, well I do, but also because the culture of food makes me smile. Imagine everyone gathering around a table to enjoy something you prepared, and the joy of accomplishing or perfecting a recipe. For me there’s nothing better than sharing a meal with the ones you love.

I slowly started cooking and baking with my mom, then baking alone for family holiday parties, then eventually I lived alone and taught myself [in full] how to cook to avoid eating hot pockets on the reg. Since my taste buds has been incredibly spoiled I had to go beyond the idea of cooking consisting of pasta and Ragu sauce, not to mention my “health freak” tendencies made me actually want to make meals like my mother did. So began my journey of learning how to cook. Many of my friends are always telling me I must teach them how to cook but have no idea where to start. So here’s where to start:

1. Olive Oil– if you don’t have olive oil or some type of cooking oil [if you have no idea what cooking oil is start with Extra Virgin Olive Oil]  STOP RIGHT NOW get in you car and drive to your nearest store by it.. I’ll wait. Olive Oil is basically used for everything from dressings to sautéing. Seriously, if you don’t have olive oil give up now.

2. Spices– Of course you can go without spices but what is the fun in that? Also many spices help aid digestion AKA helps your metabolism and who doesn’t love that? Things you definitely should think about getting: Salt and Pepper grinders [yes grinders, way fresher and yummier that way], Garlic [powder works, I also like having the already minced garlic you can put in the fridge for sautéing foods or adding directly into pastas], Basil, Chilli Powder, Cumin, Thyme, Cilantro, Rosemary. These are a few of my personal essentials, remember before you cook to actually look at the ingredients and buy what you’re missing before you start cooking. If this is way too much to handle for say a meat dish McCormick makes these awesome trays of spice that you just dump in with chicken and BAM its a meal. Here is their spices 101 for more info.

3. Measuring Cups & Spoons– Since you most likely have no idea what you’re doing you’ll probably need to measure your olive oils and spices until you can eye how much a tablespoon is. This avoids making something to greasy or garlicky or whatever else you’ve ever done wrong while cooking

4. Cutlery & Cutting Boards– Cutlery means knives. This is for cutting stuff. I have 3 cutting boards and more than 10 knives. Different sizes of different things is good in the cooking world, mainly because everything is different consistencies so they require sharper/bigger knives. Many stores sell these items together like this, and this.

5. Pots & Pans– Also sold in sets, start with something like this and maybe one bigger frying pan like this one as well. You need these for obvious reasons, like to cook which is the main goal here.

Lastly, you need a recipe, don’t go crazy thinking you know what you’re actually doing, lets be honest if you did you would’ve already had cooking oil in your home already. Rachael Ray is cliche and really overplayed herself but she actually had no idea what the hell she was doing when she first started cooking. Literally this chick made up stuff and called it a recipe and served it where she worked [a supermarket ] when really it was the food on sale that week, great selling technique turned career.

Happy Cooking! -R

 

tis the season to be jolly, not bloated.

If you’re like me, you over ate and over drank on Thanksgiving. I let go of my gluten free ways and went crazy at the dinner table… actually two dinner tables [my family’s and Amedeo’s]. I didn’t feel guilty about it until yesterday, imagine this: Ten minutes to get food and get to work what are my options? A. Run into a&p grab some chicken salad and fruit and self check out B. Burger King

A or B?

While sitting in the drive through, I realized how convenient it was that I didn’t need to step out of my car and be cold… then I realized how lazy I was being at that moment.. then I realized I had been lazy for an entire week. Yes and entire week of no workouts, not even a lousy crunch or squat to keep up my physique I have worked super hard for the past couple of months. It’s not soon before the bloat becomes a bulge that has to be super hard work to take off again. THANK GOD I know how to detox and fast! Here are some quick tips to bounce back after a holiday splurge::::

1. Hot Water & Fresh Lemon Juice– I cannot stress how amazingly significant this is! Hot water with lemon balances your acidic level  while working as a natural detox to flush your system when you drink it first thing in the am before breakfast. Not to mention you can check one cup of water off for the day before you even take a bite of food. [ps. this is also supper yummy especially on cold winter mornings]

2. HYDRATE– Possibly the best way to get rid of bloat is to flush it out of your system. Bloat mainly happens when one does not have enough water in the body so the body stores it, to break that cycle you should have 8 cups of water a day this helps water constantly move through your body without storing it. If you’re super bloated you may even loose 5 pounds [water weight] just by following this trick!

3. Avoid the Alch– Yeah I know it sucks, but think what do you want more? a flat tummy or a jack and coke? If you are in a pickle like me and have tons of holiday events coming up stick to clear alchs like vodka/gin, pinot grig, and champagne.

4. Remember to Eat Well– Be careful what you eat, many things can bloat you even things you thought were ‘okay’ to eat. Such as artificial sweeteners, grains (gluten–>read why here), and dairy. Some[meaning most] sexy bods, even if you’re not allergic, can still have major issues digestion these devilish foods leading your intestines to bulge and your tummy feeling like a balloon. So cut out the crap for a while and load up on greens like asparagus, broccoli, and brussel sprouts which are all good veggies that assist in detoxing the system, your body will thank you.

5. Green Tea– Unless you’ve been stuck under a rock the past 10 years, you should know Green Tea has TONS of antioxidants as well as adding speed to your metabolism (yay, double yay!!). Oh and did I mention it’s a DELISH way to hydrate, just make sure to have it unsweetened.

6. SWEAT– As much as effing possible. Sweat is basically all the toxins coming out of your body. Try a hot yoga class, sit in a steam room, get on the treadmill, dance in front of your mirror in your underwear.. whatever you do just do it!

7. Be Positive– Don’t give up because one day of 80 glasses of water and 3 hours on the treadmill just made you tired and you don’t see a difference, give it time. Sexy isn’t just about the way someone looks, it also has to do with confidence. Be proud of yourself for DOING something for your body rather than just whining about it or putting it off til tomorrow.

This is what works for me… any other tips? COMMENT!

x0/R