There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page!
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​Protein Milkshake was kind enough to send me a few of their chocolate flavors to sample again. I love their protein so much because it’s fairly low calorie, so it’s easy to fit into your macros while still providing the protein you need to stay satiated.

Their flavors are also so fun, and I love seeing how I can recreate some of the flavors’ inspiration with their protein powders.

Protein Milkshake sent me chocolate cake and chocolate mousse flavored protein recently. My birthday is coming up next month, so we’ll be saving the chocolate cake for that!

But first, I wanted to whip up a tasty treat for anyone craving pie this fall, but maybe isn’t a huge pumpkin fan.

(And if you are a pumpkin fan, they have seasonal flavors too like pumpkin spice latte, so you could totally do this with whatever flavor you wanted!)

Today, we’re making a super easy, no-bake pie. A chocolate cream pie, to be exact! This is protein packed and only requires three ingredients. These are personal sized and are perfect for a pre-portioned out treat.

When you mix your chocolate mousse protein with Greek yogurt, it makes for a great, well, mousse! I used a vanilla yogurt so the chocolate flavors could really shine, rather than be overpowered by a fruit flavor.

But if you wanted to go for a chocolate-dipped strawberry vibe, this would pair nicely with strawberry yogurt too.

I only needed to mix the powder in to the yogurt for about a minute. The result was perfection and it made enough for two mini pie crusts!

Ingredients:

• 1 serving of chocolate flavored protein powder (recommended: Protein Milkshake’s chocolate mousse flavor)
• 2 mini pie crusts
• One 5.3 oz container of nonfat Greek yogurt (recommended: vanilla)

Instructions:

• Put yogurt into a medium sized bowl.
• Add protein powder and mix for about a minute, until the powder is fully mixed in to the yogurt and is smooth.
• Add yogurt to mini pie crusts, evenly dividing.
• Optional: add toppings, like chocolate chunks (I used Lily’s Stevia-sweetened chocolate), whipped cream, fruit, nuts, or sprinkles.
• Serve and enjoy! If not immediately serving, store in the refrigerator.

Stay tuned for a birthday cake for breakfast recipe in November!
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TW: mention of eating disorders 

Hey everyone! I wanted to share a rather raw, real, and vulnerable post with you before I move forward any further with this blog. 

When COVID-19 happened, the world shut down. Everything changed as we knew it. And thus it was a great opportunity for introspection, especially in regards to our health.

I reached a point in my weight loss journey where I realized it was never enough. After losing nearly 75 pounds, it still wasn't enough. I kept trying to lose just five more pounds. And as I discovered in quarantine in early 2020, it ended up costing me my metabolism.

While a lot of fitness professionals will harp about how killing your metabolism isn't real, what I can tell you is that it can certainly adapt. If you consistently eat a very small amount of calories and overexercise, your body will do everything in can to make sure it doesn't die. 

Metabolic tests confirmed this. My cortisol levels were through the roof and my RMR was very low. 

So, I spent some time making sure I ate enough. More than I had in the past. And that meant gaining weight. 

I did a lot of unlearning of what I learned in Weight Watchers meetings. I did a lot of reading on anti-diet approaches to health and health at every size. 

I discovered that I suffered from orthorexia. I fit it to a T. Orthorexia is when you develop an obsession with healthy eating, to the point where your social life suffers and it's all you think about.

I think this blog is living proof of that, no? 

So, with that being said, I wanted to apologize if I ended up leading any of you down a similar path. I've gone back and deleted some of the more harmful stuff on here, including diets that I worked on as part of an influencer campaign that recommended far too little calories to people.

However, there's over five years worth of content and many of you have expressed that this has helped you in a way that hasn't been as unhealthy or extreme as my weight loss journey became. So I will be leaving them up. Just know that they will not be updated further. This blog is not my full time job, and unfortunately I simply do not have the time to really go through everything. I will, however, be pinning this post to the top of my homepage so it's there for those who are new or may not see this. 

So, what does this all mean for the future of this blog? 

I still love health and fitness. I just know now that what I learned on my weight loss journey was certainly not sustainable. I know now that diets don't work in the long run (I'm sorry, they just don't... the statistics don't lie!). I know now that diets are actually designed for us to fail and gaslight us into believing it's our fault. And I know now that weight stigma is so much more harmful than being a bit overweight (in fact, recent studies have shown that people in the overweight category live longer than those in the normal BMI category... but either way, BMI is a racist, sexist, and outdated practice with no real basis in health).  

So I will still be sharing my favorite healthy-ish recipes. I'll be sharing my favorite foodie finds at Walt Disney World (and Aulani, where I recently visited). I'll be sharing my favorite ways to stay active. And I'll be sharing my favorite nerdy things throughout Central FL, especially with conventions popping back up. 

I thank all of you for understanding. If you don't want to hang along for the ride anymore, then that's okay. I totally get it. But if you do still want to stick around, then I'm looking forward to our future here! 
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(These are Amazon affiliate links. This means I'll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

These are books that I read over the last year and a half that have helped me learn more about health at every size, the history of diet culture, and anti-diet approaches.

• The F*ck It Diet
• Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works 
• Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fatphobia
• Fat is a Feminist Issue 

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There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page!
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I have been on a major oats kick lately! From overnight oats to baked oats and even birthday cake, I’ve been having way too much fun making my own oat flour and using it to bake different things. 

If you haven’t tried using oats to make your baked goods a bit more filling (yay, more fiber!), then I highly recommend it. This oat bread base is great for muffins, donuts and more!
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​You can use this oat base to customize your recipes. Feel free to play with this and experiment with your own recipes!
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• 2 cups old fashioned oats 
• 1/2 cup sugar or stevia
• 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 
• 2/3 cup almond milk (can also use cashew or oat) 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

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• Run oats through a blender or food processor
• Mix all dry ingredients together
• Add wet ingredients and mix well
• Pour into tin of choice
• Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

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For donuts, I recommend adding some protein for additional flavor and topping with melted chocolate and sprinkles! I love to use Choc Zero chocolate. You can also use reduced fat cream cheese and vanilla Jordan’s Skinny Syrup to make frosting. 

For muffins, I love adding chocolate chips and cinnamon to the mix as well. 

How do you like to eat your oats? Let me know in the comments!

​There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page!

​Summertime means I’m on a strawberry kick! And to be honest, I’m always on a strawberry kick. Strawberries are definitely one of my all time favorite fruit, and any dessert with strawberries in it is an automatic favorite of mine.
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Protein Milkshake offered me to try out their newest flavor. When I saw that it was Strawberry Shortcake protein, I was beyond excited! So, naturally, I had to make strawberry shortcake with it… and this version is totally acceptable for breakfast because it’s oats in disguise! Thank you again to Protein Milkshake for mailing me these samples to try out.

​You cannot beat Protein Milkshake’s macros. It’s exactly why they’re on my list of best protein shakes for Weight Watchers. Their flavors are all around 110 calories each (including this one), and they clock in at 1 SmartPoint per serving if you're following any of the myWW plans! 

Unlike some proteins, they’re very smooth and the flavor is strong. Thankfully it’s not sickeningly sweet, but the perfect balance. 

The strawberry shortcake flavored  protein gave these baked oats such a lovely flavor. This truly did taste like a shortcake! When I opened the package, it even smelled just like a strawberry cake!

Ready to make cake for breakfast?
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• 1 egg
• 0.5 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp honey (you can also use a light maple syrup)
• 0.5 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 serving Protein Milkshake protein powder
• Frozen strawberries

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• 1 tbsp 1/3 fat cream cheese
• Stevia to sweeten to your liking 
• Sugar free vanilla syrup

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• Blend oats in a blender or food processor until they are ground like flour.
• Add oat flour and all other ingredients for the baked oats into a blender. Mix until well blended. This should have a similar consistency as a thick pancake batter. 
• Coat 3 ramekins (or a muffin tin if you don't have ramekins) with nonstick spray. Divide mixture evenly.
• Air fry at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes. You can also bake it, but your oven times may vary! 
• Mix all ingredients for frosting and top it onto one ramekin when you’re ready to serve. 
• Optional: top with extra strawberries!

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​If you’re making your baked oats in advance, you can store them in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave. They should only need 30-60 seconds in the microwave (depending on your microwave strength).
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If you haven’t seen it already, there’s a viral TikTok snack hack going around: pasta chips!

Pasta chips are essentially just air fried pieces of cooked pasta. This is best when done with a smaller shape, like penne or bow ties. But I’ve seen some influencers like The Korean Vegan do this with ramen noodles, too! So your options are limitless.

​One of my favorite TikTokers is Steph Grasso, a clinical dietician who tried this with chickpea pasta for an added protein boost. I absolutely love Banza’s chickpea pasta and pizza crust, so I knew I had to try this!
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Banza’s chickpea pasta is just made with chickpeas (plus a little tapioca and some xanthan gum). It packs 22g of protein and 8g of fiber per serving! So it’s much more filling than standard pasta.

I tried Banza for the first time when I participated in Veganuary. Their products are vegan and gluten-free, so they fit the bill for a vegan substitute. Anthony and I both really loved it and found that there wasn’t really a flavor difference from regular pasta. And calorically, it’s similar (190-200 calories per 1 cooked cup).

When making my protein pasta chips, I had seen a ton of recipes with Italian seasonings and Parmesan cheese. But I wanted to try something different. At the time, I was really craving cool ranch flavored Doritos!

So I whipped up some seasonings that I had and found that this totally hit the spot. It made for a great pre-workout snack! I used penne pasta and it reminded me of Takis.
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• 1 box Banza chickpea pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Paprika, to taste
• Garlic salt, to taste
• Onion powder, to taste
• Ranch seasoning, to taste (I used half of a Hidden Valley packet)

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Don’t feel like making your own? Here are some of my favorite protein chips:

• Quest makes protein chips and protein tortilla chips that are a great grab-and-go option.
• Peatos makes protein snacks. These are very similar to Cheetos and Funions! They use pea protein to give their snacks a plant-based protein boost. I love their nacho flavor.

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​​You can do this with any seasonings whatsoever, but again, this totally gave me Doritos vibes! If you try this seasoning combo, be sure to tag me in your creations of Instagram - I’d love to see them.

​There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page!
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It's been a while since we've made an anime recipe! But now that Mugen Train is available on Funimation, I knew I had to whip up Rengoku's bento box.

Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is one of my favorite anime. Yes, it's newer, but it has some absolutely beautiful animation. I've already made a very simple version of Tanjiro's udon from the anime's first season. But now we're going to set our heart ablaze with this dish from the flame hashira Rengoku!

This recipe is probably not exactly what Rengoku had. This is definitely a tad Americanized, and I wanted to make it vegetarian-friendly since I don't eat beef. However, aesthetically it's similar and the flavor is pretty close to what he would have had in Mugen Train! It's also very easy to whip together.

​The recipe and ingredients list were put together based off of what I could see in the screenshot from the film; I'm not sure if an official recipe exists out there somewhere. Either way, this is a protein-packed meal that is fit for a demon-fighting hashira.

You can use real beef if you are not concerned about making this dish vegetarian.
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• 1 bag of Gardein beef-less meat (you can use the tips or the Szechuan strips without the sauce)
• 1 green onion
• 1/2 small sweet onion
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp red pickled ginger, cut into strips 
• 6 oz tofu
• 1-2 cups of white rice (depending on how much rice you want your food to sit on; I used 0.5 cup per serving since our bento box was smaller, but you can use 1 cup per serving as well)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil 
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin

• Press tofu to drain water. Set aside if you're wedging it between two heavy objects like I do!
• Hard boil one egg. Cook to your desired yolk texture, though I recommend aiming for 8-10 minutes to replicate the texture of the anime's,
• Cook white rice. Once it's ready, set aside 0.5 cup or 1 cup of rice per bento (depending on how much you made & the size of your bento). 
• Once tofu is pressed, cut into strips or cubes and pan fry with sesame oil until all sides are golden. Add to your bento.
• Cut ginger into strips and add to your bento next to the tofu.
• Cut your green onion stalk into long strips and place on the other side of the tofu.
• Cut sweet onion into strips. Add to a pan with Gardein beef-less meat.
• Add hoisin sauce and mirin to the "beef" and onion mixture. Cook until onions are caramelized and "beef" is fully cooked, about 8-12 minutes. 
• Add 1/2 of the "beef" and onion mixture to the bento. 
• Add the egg once it's ready to the same side as the tofu. 

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Despite being super easy due to being made largely with premade ingredients, this tasted amazing! There was a great balance of light sweetness (from the sweet onion and the mirin) and savory (from the beef). I can definitely understand why Rengoku was chanting, "umai!" when eating this on the train. 

Since it was incredibly simple and delicious, I'm ranking this a 10/10 for both ease of replication and taste. 

Have a food from an anime that you want me to try to recreate? Let me know in the comments below! Plus, follow me on TikTok to see the behind the scenes of how this was made.

There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page!
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Amazon Prime Day is here! This event lasts June 21-22 this year and is exclusive to Amazon Prime members. This year is actually the first time they're making it a 48-hour event!

If you don't have an Amazon Prime membership but want to take advantage of the discounts, you can try a 30-day free trial so you don't miss out.

Similarly to Black Friday, there are a ton of great savings - mostly on Amazon devices and tech products - but there are usually fantastic deals on kitchen appliances or health and fitness products.

Here are some of the best Amazon Prime Day deals in the health & fitness category this year. This list is perfect for Weight Watchers, foodies, weight lifters, and for anyone working towards achieving their fitness goals!

Up To 50% Off InstantPot Cooking Appliances
InstantPot is offering up to 50% off their products, including their 9-in-1 cooker, 11-in-1 cooker, toaster oven, and air fryer.

I use my InstantPot for everything: slow cooking, pressure cooking, and as a rice cooker for the perfect sticky sushi-style rice. Plus, Weight Watchers even has an entire cookbook dedicated to InstantPot recipes! This is a must-have if you're cooking a lot at home.

Save 20% On a RENPHO Smart Scale 
When you're focusing on fat loss and muscle gains, it's important to not let the number on the scale be too much of a hang up. Using a smart scale, like this one by RENPHO on sale for Prime Day, can help you paint the full picture of your body composition.
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Discounts on Various Smart Watches & Fitness Trackers
From FitBit to Garmin, there are a ton of different fitness trackers and smart watches currently on sale. This is a great way to track your workouts, no matter what your preference is.

Up to 45% Off Orgain Vegan Protein Products
When I participated in Veganuaryearlier this year, Orgain was my go-to brand. They offer a great tasting vegan protein that I've found to be less chalky compared to other brands. If you're looking to add more plant-based options into your diet, now is a great time to give their products a try.

​Don't Miss The Savings!
All of these deals are for Amazon Prime members only, so be sure to try a  try a 30-day free trial if you don't already have a membership. 

View all available Prime Day deals here. They update them throughout the day with added flash sales, so be sure to keep checking back!

There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page!

​Whether you've been running for years or just picked it up, there's one thing that gets a really bad reputation: the treadmill. I've even heard it referred to as "the dreadmill" since it can be fairly boring compared to running outside. 

And for those who think it is boring, they have a fair point: you likely don't have as many surroundings to look at if your treadmill isn't near a window. 

I started running more on the treadmill when I'd go to the gym to start weight lifting. It was an easy way to incorporate HIIT cardio. Plus, you have a flat surface that is completely in your control.

But I didn't want to ever look at it as the "dreadmill." So I experimented and now, I actually prefer treadmill running over running outside!

Here are seven ways to make the treadmill less boring and indoor running more fun. 
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First person POV videos are a fantastic way to make the treadmill less boring. 

The treadmills at my gym offer a service called RunTV, where you can pick an interactive workout. These will show a specific scenery and match the incline to simulate running the beach or mountains. 

You don't need a fancy treadmill for this, though - a tablet or phone will do just fine! There are tons of YouTube channels out there that offer first person POV videos designed for running on the treadmill or pedaling on a stationary bike.  Just look up "treadmill videos" and you'll find a bunch.

This one is one of my favorites from World Nature Video:
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Running to music that transported me somewhere else was how I fell in love with running in the first place. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I used to love creating playlists that were themed around the runDisney races.

I had a Disney music playlist for when I was training for the 2018 Princess Half Marathon. I also have used my Star Wars playlist a few times when training for the multiple Star Wars race weekends I've participated in. 

Need some workout playlists to get you started? I've created a few on Spotify!

• Star Wars running playlist 
• Anime workout playlist
• Disney running playlist 
• LOONA workout playlist
• Halloween workout playlist

Challenge yourself by seeing how much you improve! If you stick to the same speed and/or incline every time, you'll probably get bored a lot faster.

Set a goal so you can head into the gym or onto the treadmill with a plan. Looking to increase your mile time? Start slowly increasing the speed to see how fast you can go. Want to get a feel for training at different heights? Start to increase the incline!
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If you've been meaning to catch up on some reading or a favorite podcast, the treadmill is a great time to do so. You can easily walk or run to these safely on a treadmill. No need to worry about your surroundings!

​Just listen, enjoy the entertainment, and the workout will fly by in no time. This is a great way to burn some calories while also being able to stay up to date with your reading challenges or book clubs.

If you've been doing steady state cardio on the treadmill and are starting to get bored, try HIIT! HIIT (high intensity interval training) is a great way to burn some fat and can definitely help mix things up. Start by running at intervals or playing with the speed on the treadmill. 

Studies have shown that HIIT training does help improve your VO2 max compared to other ways of training. VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen that your body uses when you work out.

Not sure where to start? There are a bunch of treadmill HIIT workouts you can follow along on YouTube! Check out this one from IBX Running.
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Treadmills aren't limited to just running or walking. If you want to feel the burn, you can add some calisthenics to your treadmill workout. Set the incline to zero and start at a lower speed until you get used to it to be safe!

Some workouts you can do on the treadmill include:

• Lunges
• Glute kickbacks 
• Side gallops 

Try doing these movements for 30-60 seconds at a time and alternate between these with running or walking for 30-60 seconds. 
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One of my favorite things to do on any piece of cardio equipment - whether it be the treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike - is to catch up on television shows.

​Since I go to the gym five days a week, and I aim for a 30 minute cardio session, I get to enjoy about one episode per gym session. I've been able to quickly catch up on the shows and anime that I watch this way (the photo above is from when I was catching up on Naruto!). It makes the time on the treadmill fly by since you're focused on the show.

When I was training for half marathons and had to get a long run in on the treadmill, I'd even put on a movie! I trained for the Star Wars Half Marathon a few years ago by watching Rogue One on the treadmill, since it's one of my favorite films in the franchise.
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Having the right running equipment makes a huge difference. Even though treadmill running provides a more smooth, even, reliable ground, you still want to have the right gear for ultimate support. 

Here are some of my favorites: 

• Shoes: Hoka One One has provided me the most support so far. I've tried a lot of running sneakers, but I love their Bondi and Rincon models. I have tendonitis in my ankles and find that these shoes provide a great amount of support without being too heavy.
• Headphones: I love Aftershokz. They don't plug into your ears, but are actually wireless bone conductors. The part that plays music rests right next to your ear on your jaw. You can hear the music, but the people next to you can't - plus it allows you to be aware of your surroundings. These aren't my favorite if I'm in a gym that already plays music, but I do love having these for when I run races so I can pay attention to any on-course announcements.
• Socks: Balega brand socks are the best, in my opinion. I've tried a few brands of running socks that promise no blisters, but Balega has been the only brand that delivers on this for me.
• Headbands: I have long, thick hair. It can be really hard to find a headband that actually stays in place while you run! I discovered SweatyBands at a runDisney expo and have been hooked on them ever since. They stay in place and are super lightweight, plus they have a bunch of really cute designs. Sometimes I even forget I'm wearing it!

​I'm currently undergoing an eight week fitness challenge hosted by 1UP Nutrition! Be sure to follow me on TikTok to follow along as I share daily mini-vlogs.

There are affiliate links throughout this blog post for your convenience, where I can earn a small commission. I never support a product or brand I don't personally use and enjoy, but if you'd like to learn more, you can head to this page!
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This anime recipe is equal parts protein-packed and comforting! Demon Slayer (aka Kimetsu no Yaiba in Japanese) is one of my favorite anime. Even though it is newer on the scene, it has quickly captured my heart with the lovable characters and absolutely stunning animation. 

In honor of the movie making its way to the United States, I whipped up Tanjiro's udon dish that he orders in the first season of the anime. This udon looked delicious and it absolutely was. The flavor combination here was so wonderful. I took some creative liberty with the broth and focused more on the toppings and plating for screen accuracy. 
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The key to getting your sunny side up egg to cover nearly the entire bowl without the extra yolks? All you have to do is add extra egg whites when you're making it. The toppings rest on top of the soft egg with the help of the thick noodles in the broth beneath it.

Udon noodles, if you've never had them, are the ultimate comfort noodle. They're thick, a little chewy, and absolutely wonderful in a hot soup. They're also great stir-fried for a yakiudon style dish! This dish would also be great with soba noodles, but the thickness of the noodle does help support the egg when plating.
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• 0.5 cup roast chicken breast (optional) 
• 4 cups cooked udon noodles

Broth:

• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp miso paste
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 0.5 cup sweet onion 
• 1 tsp minced ginger

Toppings:

• 1 egg  + 0.25 cup liquid egg whites
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Nori sheets, thinly sliced (I recommend using snack-sized sheets so you can just quickly cut them with scissors and save a little time!) to taste
• 1 tsp wasabi paste or avocado 

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• Let all broth ingredients simmer in a pot. I recommend using a slow cooker if you have one and letting it sit for at least 5 hours. I find that the longer it sits, the more flavorful it is.
• Cook udon noodles. Add 1 cup of noodles into four bowls.
• Add broth over noodles then add roast chicken.
• Cook your egg sunny-side up. To enlarge the egg to look more like the anime, you can add 0.25 cup liquid egg whites to surround the existing egg. 
• Add the cooked egg to the udon. Top with wasabi paste (or avocado if you don't like wasabi), sliced green onion, and sliced nori. 
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

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This dish was so tasty and the flavor profiles all really complemented each other. It was super filling and definitely had a good deal of protein thanks to the egg and chicken combo. I rate it a 10/10 for flavor.

I'd definitely make this again! It was super simple to make, too. If you don't want to roast your own chicken, you can buy Perdue chicken pre-made in your grocery store. They're in the refrigerated section, usually near bacon and deli meats. This gets a 10/10 for ease of recreation, too!

​Have a food from an anime that you want me to try to recreate? Let me know in the comments below! Plus, follow me on TikTok to see the behind the scenes of how this was made.
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We're making a Naruto recipe today that has me a bit nervous, but also excited... the Curry of Life! The Curry of Life makes its appearance in Episode 153. Rock Lee loves the Curry of Life, and this curry is even known to revive people from unconsciousness or heal them from the brink of death due to its extreme spiciness. 

​What we'll be doing is adding our spicy element after we've already made our curry, so that way we can have some not-spicy-curry available in case it's too much. Then, you get to customize your heat levels each time.
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