Tag: nutrition

Greek Yogurt Cheese Cake Bites

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I don’t know what has been going on but I have been CRAVING cheesecake (and peanut butter!) and these are a nice healthier alternative. Crush up some graham cracker and mix with a touch of water to help it mash and clump together on the bottom of a cupcake baking cup. Mix together some vanilla Greek yogurt with zero sugar cheesecake pudding powder and scoop over the graham cracker crust. Mix up some PB2 (or use really peanut butter) and add a spoonful on top of cheesecake yogurt. Spoon some no sugar added pie filling cherries on top and place in freezer for a bit to set. A great snack in between meals with the added benefit of getting in some protein as well. I don’t really measure anything so just work through each step until it looks/ tastes good to you!

Balance

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I have been shooting for 30-40 grams of protein per meal (I don’t always make it but that’s ok!). When I am in a pinch/ rush, I grab a protein bar and a Bubbl’r and I am on my way. I do personally feel as though getting your protein through healthy foods is a far better way to go when you can but a supplement every now and again can be helpful– especially working the busy corporate mom-life. Certainly, it can be better than the unhealthy alternatives out there.. although there is nothing wrong with indulging in a snack either. It’s all about the balance!

BBQ Flat Bread/ Breakfast Ideas

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BBQ Flatbread:

  • 1/2 Lavish Bread
  • 4oz Cooked Chicken Breast (shredded)
  • 1/2 cup G Hughes’ Smokehouse Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce – Original
  • 1 Cup Mushrooms
  • 1/4 Cup Onions
  • Handful jalapenos
  • 1/4 Cup

Low Broil crust for a few minutes. Spread 1/4 cup bbq sauce on crust. Mix the rest of bbq sauce in with chicken breast, mushrooms, onions, and jalapeno. Spread out on top of crust. Sprinkle cheese down over. Broil until cheese is melted.

Breakfast Today:

  • 1 Slice Venison Bacon
  • 4 Tbs Egg Whites, mixed in light mushrooms and onions
  • 1 Slice of Bettergoods Keto Friendly Honey Wheat Sandwich Bread made into French toast with 2 tbs egg white, 1/2 packet Splenda, cinnamon
  • Small amount of SF syrup

Brunch Break Snack:

  • 1/2 Cup Vanilla SF Greek Yogurt
  • 1/2 Single Serve SF Chocolate Pudding
  • Lightly Salted Rice Cake
  • 1/3 Cup Strawberries

Homemade Bagels

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This easy recipe was amazing! I will call out that in the above picture, I missed showing the baking powder and 1 egg used.

  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1 Cup Cottage Cheese (any %, I used 1%)
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1/4 cup Shredded Cheese (you could go with more here)
  • 1 Egg
  • Everything Bagel Seasoning
  • Fresh Jalapeno (if desired)

Mix the cottage cheese, flour, baking soda, and shredded cheese together, kneading into a ball. Some mention blending the cottage cheese but I did not do this. Separate into 4 portions and form into little bagels. Brush the tops with some egg and season with everything bagel seasoning and a sprinkle of additional cheese. I added fresh slices of jalapeno to the top of two of them (I love spice!). Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. I didn’t use parchment paper which was mentioned in the various videos where I have seen these made and they still turned out amazing! Nutrition is below per bagel. I did not even find myself needing butter or cream cheese on mine.

  • 13 Grams of Protein
  • 25 Carbs
  • 3.5 Grams of Fat
  • 188 Calories

Progress

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The past few years, I really put myself on the back burner and I was feeling it— sleeping horribly, no energy, not caring about what nutrients I put into my body, drinking more alcoholic beverages than I should, sick a lot, etc. etc. I decided to finally do something about it at the start of December. I first started working out a couple of days a week at the start of that month. After the holidays, I attacked my diet which meant upping my protein by A LOT. My workouts became a regular 4-5 days a week with 20 minutes of cardio and 40 minutes of lifting— focus on strength: a flip from how I used to pursue fitness in the past.

The main pic below is a progression from end of December (already a month into working out), to end of Jan, to just this morning. Weight lost from my core, starting to tone things up and feeling great! The thing I most want to share is that I haven’t joined some expensive group or program to accomplish it. Just working out at home, logging my macros with a free app BEFORE I eat to make adjustments if I’m not hitting what I need, and protein powder in my cold brew coffee— nothing fancy, bought at Walmart. Any other protein I get is through the food I’m consuming which is how I prefer to get it. I’m eating a lot of great stuff too!

My goal at the start of December was to feel a lot better by our family trip in late April to Colorado for the first time since my husband and I eloped there. I felt that setting something 6 months out would help make it a lifestyle change vs a quick sudden one that wouldn’t stick. I’m psyched that I still have 2.5 months to build muscle and strength and feel that much better!

One Thing At a Time

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I take two baths a week— Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. This image somehow feels counterintuitive when I look at it.. energy along with my relaxation. This used to be a White Claw and I’m good with my replacement.

As I look at my day, the reliance on caffeine is still there. It was long before my son but became more prevalent certainly after him. It’s something I’d like to tackle but if there is one thing I’ve learned as I get older it’s this— one thing at a time. As I’ve been sharing here lately, I’ve been working hard on my daily diet and exercise. This one might topple me over the edge. As we do the work, each new habit takes something of ourselves to achieve— to make into a way of life and not just a passing attempt. These things don’t just happen overnight as I feel like they once did in my 20’s when I might change a habit at the mere thought of a single positive. There is no one particular way. No definitive path. It’s different for each of us. The important thing is that we’re working towards something that betters ourselves.

Turkey Meal Options

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Another week down hitting my fitness goals for protein and a more balanced diet as well as working out 5 days out of 7. The images above show just a few of my meals this week. Image 1 is where I replaced my pasta with zucchini noodles and used turkey sausage instead of burger as my protein. I also found this great sauce option where Ragu partnered with Hot Ones and I do love spice! So far, I have tried the middle option and it was amazing (ordered a new set already to have a spare one ready to go when this set is gone). No special replacement health wise but not everything needs to be swapped and some things just need to be enjoyed! Around 400 calories, including a half slice of sourdough and 25 grams of protein. I also included mushrooms down over the zoodles.

Image 2 was something I saw made online that required smashing 4oz of ground turkey onto a low carb tortilla and frying this on the stove. Toss tomato, onion, and spinach with some vinegar and seasonings and put some down over the burger. Add some tzatziki sauce down over, fold into a taco and enjoy! I also had a side of baked broccoli seasoned with salt/ pepper and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. 350 calories, 30 grams of protein. Certainly, room to bump this one up with a side of potatoes. I ended up also having some fresh fruit after dinner.

The last image is a simple Turkey lettuce wrap made with ground turkey, onions, jalapenos, and laughing cow spreadable cheese. I also threw a little chipotle ranch on there. I had a cup of fat free cottage cheese to go with it. Around 400 calories with 43 grams of protein.

The Most Important Thing

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I took this image a little over a month ago of my breakfast, feeling pretty good about my veggies and cold brew. Not a lot of calories right there– eating healthy! I’ve spent the past couple of months working on my health. Working out is something that used to be very important to me but when my son came along in 2020, I just didn’t find the time. The last thing I wanted to do was get up earlier than 4am to make it happen before work or hop on the elliptical as soon as I got home and was already concerning myself with what was for dinner and how we were going to go about the bedtime routine that night.

Flash forward a few years and I was struggling! Not so much in the way of weight– yes a little extra around the middle but I am 37, have given birth, and my body is not the same as when I was 27. Mostly, I was feeling tired all the time, sleeping terribly, and getting sick A LOT (partly can’t be helped when you have a little one in daycare). So, I started working out about 10 weeks ago.. a little at a time with cardio first, followed by weightlifting built in more and more each week. My work outs are now flipped from 10 years ago with cardio making up about 1/3rd of it and the rest strength training.

Next came my diet. Breakfast is what you see above when I initially started working out but if I am going to build muscle, this won’t work. I wasn’t getting much out of it. I have now turned my focus to proteins and building those in where I can. The cold brew now contains protein (it was initially difficult for me to wrap my brain around adding calories to my coffee). I now put together a breakfast bowl of a cup of hashbrowns, an egg, and something lean like venison to create a balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fats. I have been also trying a lot of new recipes and foods for lunch and dinner and will likely share some here as I continue my journey.

I think what I am really hoping to articulate is that I have not done anything super special. I have not joined any groups, hired a personal trainer, bought expensive special supplements aside from my protein powder (not expensive – from Walmart) and making sure I take daily vitamins. I have not gone all in from day #1 as I used to be able to do in the past when I was in my 20’s and I had more time (and energy) to just focus on myself. I have eased into a new way of going about my day and it is becoming my new normal.

Most important of all, I am doing this for me. Yes, I love watching as my 4.5-year-old son comes to hang out with me and “work out” alongside me. He is my biggest cheerleader and I hope he is viewing how important it is that we take care of the body that we have. I love sitting with him in the quiet of our living room on Saturday morning– me with my protein coffee and he with his “coffee” (actually milk) in his little yellow mug– just the two of us, chatting about the start of our day. I love all of that but at the end of the day, through some of these moments in life, I have found the hardest person for me to love has been me and yet, it’s one of the most important things I can do.