Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? When and why did you start your blog, Cait Plus Ate?
I started my blog in September 2011 as a result of graduating college that May, starting a new job, and feeling like my passions were unfulfilled. I considered starting the blog right after graduation but couldn’t think of a good name. Then my friend Rachel tweeted me her idea – Cait Plus Ate – and I jumped on it IMMEDIATELY. I purchased the domain from Wordpress, and when it wasn’t taken, I knew it was fate and I had to start the blog! As soon as I started it, I felt more whole. Constant excitement about what to “cover” or share next invaded my thoughts all the time and it still does. I just love the blog and love having it to literally live out my enthusiasm for new media marketing.
Can you tell us about your health journey? Have you always been into healthy living and working out?
That’s a big NO! I was always SUPER picky, I literally only ate carbs until I was 15 (I would eat bananas and carrots but no other fruits/veggies) and always had a MAJOR sweet tooth. My mom was always into healthy living and kept a careful eye on my dessert intake, so whenever I had the chance, I tended to go dessert crazy at events like parties and holidays. I finally started eating meat in high school but still didn’t eat much, just plain burgers. I went to college and my palate definitely expanded, but to all fatty foods like wings, extravagantly topped pizzas, mexican food, etc. I gained about 10-15 pounds (I was NEVER overweight) and decided to start working out (also had never done that before and had always avoided most forms of movement) and eating healthier to “tone up”. Unfortunately my journey took a turn for the worse when I became far too engrossed in the should’s and shouldn’t’s of dieting and fitness. I lived my life by strict rules that still encroach on my brain today. However I have come a long way since my worst point and now I am just trying to focus on balance, health, and enjoyment.
Being such a foodie, how do you balance your diet with healthy food and the occasional splurge?
Kind of continuing off the last question, my philosophy now has been focused on eating what makes me feel good both mentally and physically. I truly love my daily salad beasts, fruit/cottage cheese snacks, and banana with PB workout fuel. I also truly love wine and unique, interesting dishes like fried alligator. It would be a shame to miss out on ANYTHING I love! That’s what I try to tell myself whenever I’m feeling guilt over ordering a “splurge”, like a martini or a pizza topped with sausage. I focus on unique eats that are special, and so even if they are indulgent, the fact that I have the opportunity to try them is “worth it” to me! I also am aware that the healthy eats I consume daily make me feel good and energized. So I go for the mental enjoyment and the physical energy, and it ends up balancing in the end! I hope that long, rambling explanation made sense.
You also review restaurants and bars on your blog. What are some of your all time favorites and what restaurants have the best healthy options?
I actually did a post on my top chain restaurants and healthy options factor into why they are my favorites (except Red Robin…they do have chicken burgers, but what really tastes the best there are the beef burgers and the FRIES). Chili’s has many heavy menu options but their healthy ones actually taste good. Ruby Tuesday’s has that AMAZING salad bar, and such a fantastic and diverse array of healthy sides! Their seafood is also wonderful – try it with sauce on the side, it makes a huge calorie difference and you can ask for something like pico de gallo or mango salsa to flavor it in a fresh way. Carrabba’s has really good Italian food. I don’t recommend skipping the white bread, you’d totally miss out, just dip it in their delicious oil instead of using butter. It’s better that way, trust me. It’s also one of the few chains I’ll order a grilled chicken dish at (I try to avoid things I can just make at home) because they really do a fantastic job cooking it. Finally, this isn’t a widespread chain, but Bertucci’s has so many options that can be easily modified to be lighter, like asking for light cheese on their thin crust wheat pizza or olive oil on their whole wheat pasta with fiber. But again don’t skip their rolls. WORTH IT!
Eating out can be a big dieting pitfall for a lot of people. What are some tips and tricks to make sure you still eat healthy when eating out?
- Ask for light cheese or cheese on the side. Also, opt for a more flavorful cheese like goat, feta, or gorgonzola (if you like them) because you’ll need way less and get way more flavor!
- Ask for dressing on the side. Even if it’s a vinaigrette! Most places SLATHER it on there.
- Ask for your veggies or meats to be cooked in oil instead of butter.
- Dip your bread in oil over butter.
- Ask for sauces on the side or get something lighter like a fruit or tomato-based salsa to flavor your food.
- Go for a whole wheat option if it’s available!
- For alcohol, go with wine, a lighter beer, or a simple cocktail (less ingredients the better, and the less ingredients that are fruit juices, the EVEN better).
- Try to limit to 1-2 rolls or a few chips before your entrée comes. Once it comes and if there’s room for more rolls and/or chips, go for it!
- Eat whatever you are looking forward to most or craving most first. If you save it for last and are full by the time you get to it, you’ll probably eat it anyway. So quench that craving while you’re hungry for it!
- Get dessert if you can’t recreate it at home. PB-flavored mousse? Yes please. Brownie sundae? Meh, I can make that in my kitchen.
What is your workout schedule like and what are your favorite ways to work out?
I actually need to work on adding MORE rest days because I average only about one a week, and even that will tend to be an active rest day with yoga. I am still trying to get over the fact that taking a rest day is a GOOD thing! That being said, I work out about 6 days a week and try to do a mix of cardio and strength. I’m a bit of a cardio junkie though and even if I’m doing strength, I like to get in at least 20 minutes of cardio to work up that good sweat. I adore the Stair Master for how efficient it is at kicking my butt (and letting me read a magazine while doing it – treadmills lead to bounciness that prohibits reading from happening) and I LOVE group fitness classes like Spin, bootcamps, and step classes. There’s something about following choreography and instruction, even if it’s just “DO SQUAT JUMPS!”. that is enjoyable to me and makes me perform at my best.
What’s on your current workout playlist?
I listen to a LOT of top 40 stuff when I work out because a lot of it has great beats for lifting weights. I love Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, Drake, Karmen, Demi Lovato, Lady Gaga…it goes on and on. I also like listening to some of the faster songs from one of my favorite shows, “Smash”!
What does “healthy” mean to you?
Healthy means eating, moving, sleeping, and enjoying (the four pillars of FitFluential, for whom I’m an Ambassador). It means feeling good physically AND mentally. It means being kind to yourself for reasons other than the fact that you feel like you “should” and “shouldn’t”. Remember, it’s one thing to live a healthy lifestyle, but what’s driving you to live it and why you’re doing it…those are important things to consider to! So keep those in mind and when in doubt, just do your best – that’s all anyone can ask!
For more food, fitness, fashion, and fun with Caitlin, check out her blog Cait Plus Ate!
