Oct 17

Pumpkin Pie Two Ways: Protein Pumped or Light & Low Calorie

As I said in one of my last posts I love pumpkin!  Pumpkin itself is actually very healthy-full of fiber and great for your skin and hair too!  I know a lot of people get excited about fall and pumpkin everything so I wanted to share a couple variations on pumpkin pie I made.  Thank you to my friend Andrew for the inspiration on this!!! I love pumpkin pie but the traditional version isn’t necessarily great for you.  Of all the pies pumpkin is one of the best options but it could still use a bit of improvement on the sugar and fat content.  I have made many, many healthier variations of pumpkin pie over the years but here are two of my favorite ones thus far.  One version packs a nice protein punch so it creates a more balanced dessert that isn’t just simple carbs and fat.  This is amazing for those who are trying to add extra protein into their diet.  The protein is undetectable I promise!!  I also have a variation that is a lower calorie & lower sugar version.  Perfect if you just want a dessert that you can eat everyday and still get or stay fit and healthy.  I hope you enjoy these 😀

 

The ingredients are very similar for both of these so just read the starred notes on how to modify for whichever version you are making

*Protein Pumped Pumpkin Pie

***Light & Low Calorie Pumpkin Pie

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Crust Ingredients for Protein Pumped Pumpkin Pie

-2 tablespoons almond flour/meal

-1 tablespoon stevia for baking

-1.5 teaspoons virgin, unrefined coconut oil

-2 teaspoons liquid egg whites

-2 Quest protein bars (see note below)

 

Crust Ingredients for Light & Low Calorie Pumpkin Pie 

-1/2 cup almond flour/meal

-1/2 cup fiber one original cereal (not pictured)

-1 tablespoon stevia for baking

-1 tablespoon virgin, unrefined coconut oil

-1 tablespoon liquid egg whites

 

Filling Ingredients 

***For Light and Low Calorie version leave out protein powder

-1 teaspoon ground ginger

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

-pinch or few grinds of sea salt

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-3/4 cup loosely packed Truvia brown sugar blend

-1 large egg

-2 large egg whites (from eggs not liquid)

-12 ounces evaporated fat free milk

-15 ounces pumpkin purée

-1.5 scoops vanilla protein powder (I prefer casein but whey or egg protein would work fine too!)

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 400 if making the Protein Pumped version or 425 if making the Light & Low Calorie version.

 

First prepare crust.  Spray a pie pan with nonstick spray.

*For the Protein Pumped version you will use 2 Quest protein bars as shown above for the crust.  I used almond vanilla but the cinnamon or coconut  Quest bar would be excellent in this pie too!  This crust is a variation of one featured on the Quest blog so not 100% my idea 😉.  Break Quest bars into small pieces and cook on a nonstick sheet pan for 5 minutes in 400 degree oven.  Turn the oven up to 425 after you cook the Quest bars!!!  Cool for 10 minutes.  After cooled place pieces in small food processor or blender along with the stevia, coconut oil, liquid egg whites, & almond flour.  Pulse until everything is mixed and looks similar to graham cracker crumbs.  You will need to scrape blender and stir mix once or twice to really incorporate everything.  Press into pan evenly. Mixture will be very sticky and it’s ok if it has some pieces that didn’t totally crumb 😊

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***For the Light & Low Calorie version first turn the cereal into crumbs using a food processor or small blender.  Then mix all ingredients in your pie pan and pat evenly on bottom.

 

FYI oven should be at 425 now for both versions 😊

 

To make filling simply blend all filling ingredients in a large bowl using hand mixer on low until it’s all incorporated.

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Place pie pan on a baking tray or a piece of aluminum foil before pouring filling into crust.  The pie will be very full and this will prevent any potential oven messes later haha!

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Place pie on lowest shelf in oven.  Bake in oven at 425 for 10 minutes then turn oven to 350 and bake another 50-60 minutes.  Leave pie in oven when changing temperature!  Check to see if pie is done by inserting a knife in center.  If it’s pretty clean then it’s done and if it’s very wet cook 5-10 more minutes.

 

Cut each pie into 8 slices & enjoy!!!  Top with low calorie whipped cream & cinnamon if desired 😊

 

*Nutrition Info for Protein Pumped Pumpkin Pie:

203 calories

15 grams protein

4 grams fat

34 grams carbs

5 grams fiber

 

***Nutrition Info for Light & Low Calorie Pumpkin Pie:

163 calories

6 grams protein

5 grams fat

31 grams carbs

4 grams fiber

 

 

 

 

Sep 29

Final Week of Mini Cut: Food & Fitness Info 😀

So I will be photo shooting next week and this is my final week of cutting, shredding, dieting….whatever you want to call it haha!  I am NOT looking to come in super tight, striated, or super shredded.  I was looking to lose 5-8 pounds or so and mission accomplished already.  I am pretty much already looking exactly the way I want to look like for the shoot so stay tuned for my photos next week.  For the record I lost 6 pounds.  I may lose an additional couple pounds but I am totally happy with these results.  I mostly just tried to make sure I was eating 40% protein daily and I did drop my calories a little and up my cardio.  That was the most important aspects of this cut.  Keep in mind I also try to lose weight so I can allow for gaining some back while on trip.  That way I can still look and feel good but also indulge some.  I do not think I was at a bad place before I started this cut but I wanted to be leaner for this trip.

 

Once again I share this process so people can see that you don’t have to be restrictive to lose weight.  You can cut or diet in a lot of different ways and it doesn’t have to be shakes or pills or super bland food.  In fact being balanced & eating a variety of foods is the best way to do it.  The most important thing is to be mindful of what you are eating, measure out portions, and move more!  I have tried out lots of different dieting approaches and I can say from my experience they all work if you actually follow through ☺️

 

So here is a general idea of what I am eating this week

 

Meal One: egg whites scrambled in nonstick spray with spinach served inside a high fiber pita pocket with a little low sugar ketchup plus 2 slices of uncured bacon and coffee with a little cream & stevia

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Meal Two: Puffed kamut cereal with cinnamon & topped with cashew milk with a little protein powder blended into it

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Meal Three: Cookies & Milk-kinda haha! (4 mint slim cookies with a protein shake mixed with cashew milk-BTW if you love mint Girl Scout cookies you MUST try these cookies by Goodie Girl-so good and great nutritional stats!!)

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Meal Four: egg whites with low sugar ketchup & 2 slices light/thin sliced bread and sugar free jam

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Meal Five: Giant Caesar salad using romaine, spinach, and spring mix with grilled chicken, Parmesan, & low calorie dressing plus side of fresh strawberries and raspberries 

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Meal Six: Apple with cinnamon, turkey pepperoni (Applegate Farms has a great version that is uncured and nitrate free), and baby carrots 

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So there you have it!  Certainly not depriving myself lol!  I will post more when I return as far as what I did exercise wise.  I meant to do it earlier but I forgot.  I have notes on everything I did though.  I like to track my fitness so I can see where I am and what works so I will post an example of my exercise routine when I return,  If you follow me on social media I will be posting photos from my trip and of the beautiful bikinis from Mio Bikini I will be modeling.  Thanks for reading! 💗💗💗

 

 

 

Sep 27

Pumpkin Maple Sugar Baked Donut (gluten free, low calorie, & low carb)

l love pumpkin and I actually eat pumpkin purée year round but when fall comes it is a great excuse to get super pumpkin crazy!!  So this baked donut is a delicious combo of pumpkin, maple syrup, & it is topped with coconut sugar-so yummy!!  Oh and if you have been following me you know I have a big bikini photos shoot coming up so it’s also very easy to fit into a healthy diet plan.  It is gluten free but if you want a different variation I have some substitutions below that you can use if you don’t want the extra protein or want to use what you maybe already have on hand.  This donut is really similar to a cake donut but with much better macros.  It is only 100 calories so give it a try.  You won’t regret it and feel free to eat 2 or 3 like I did haha!!

 

Ingredients:

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* 1/2 cup almond flour/meal

* 1/2 cup (equals 2 level scoops or 56 grams) Quest unflavored baking protein powder (OR use an equal amount of whole wheat pastry flour OR gluten free baking mix-you will need to adjust macros (nutrition info)  on recipe if you use these FYI)

* 1/2 cup stevia for baking

* 1 tablespoon Truvia brown sugar blend (sorry forgot in picture 😬)

* 1/2 + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

* 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 

* dash of salt (also forgot in pic!)

* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

* 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (plain pumpkin not pie filling)

* 2 large egg whites

* 1/8 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla cashew milk)

* 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce

* 1/2 teaspoon maple extract 

* 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (if you want to save a few calories use something like walden farm maple syrup but seriously real maple syrup is worth it in this instance-yummmm)

* coconut sugar or raw sugar & additional cinnamon to sprinkle on top

 

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a donut pan with nonstick spray for baking and set aside.

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl with whisk.

In another bowl mix all wet ingredients with a whisk.

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Add wet ingredients to dry and mix just until incorporated.

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Evenly add mix to donut pan.  I like to to use my fingers to pat it in bc it is easier for me to make sure it’s even but do it whatever way you want!  If you wanna get real fancy you can pipe it into the pan but I’m wayyy too lazy to do that haha!

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Bake for 9-10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

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Loosen them from pan while still warm and flip out onto parchment, wax paper, or rack

 

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Measure maple syrup out and use a pastry or basting brush or just a spoon to evenly add to the top of donuts.  Immediately sprinkle with a little sugar and lots of cinnamon 😍😍😍 Enjoy!!

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FYI eat them within a day or two or store in fridge bc they have no preservatives and will go bad quick if you don’t!

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Per donut with Quest Mix:

100 calories

9.4 grams carbs

0.9 grams fiber

3.5 grams fat

11.4 grams protein

Sep 22

My Diet 2 Weeks Left on my 4 Week Mini Cut

So I am 2 weeks away from bikini photo shooting in beautiful Punta Cana in Dominican Republic.  My diet has changed up a bit.  I am still eating roughly 40% protein 35% carbs & 25% fat daily but I dropped my calories a little bc I am not quite where I expected.  What I do when I am cutting is weight myself daily (first thing in morning on empty stomach) then take the average for the week at end of week.  This is NOT a good idea for someone who has disordered eating to do but I personally am not too tied to my weight bc I feel comfortable in my skin if I’m 10lbs bigger or 10lbs less.  I can be subjective with what the scale says bc it is just a number and a gage to me.  Self love takes a long time to develop in some people & I wasn’t always do casual with the number on the scale.  If you are trying to cut & weigh ins can be an issue I suggest picture comparison & measurements bc those are very accurate no scale ways if seeing progress.  I actually rely on these too along with weigh ins 😀

 

So anyways I am still eating a good variety of foods and do not feel deprived in any way.  I have cut out any refeed or treat meals as of last week.  I can eat plenty of refeed or treat meals in Punta Cana haha!  I have lots of energy & can see more muscle cuts than last week so I should come in exactly where I want to.  Keep in mind I am not looking to be all striated & cut up.  I just want to see nice ab & leg muscle definition with a flat belly & to have my skin looking great.  When I eat less healthy I personally can see it in my skin as it looks duller & sometimes breaks out a bit.  By cutting out certain treats I usually allow weekly (candy, cupcakes, French fries 😜) it makes my skin look more glowing for my photo shoot too so that’s another reason I do a mini cut with healthy foods in mind.

 

So here is what I am eating this week.  I bet you can’t even tell it’s actually 100 calories less than last week!

 

Meal One: egg whites, kale, toast, with grass fed butter & 2 cups coffee with a little plain cream and stevia (pretty much same as I have been eating!)

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Meal Two: tuna mixed with coconut vinegar, salt & pepper, asparagus, and baby carrots 

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Meal Three: oatmeal with a little protein peanut butter on top & tons of cinnamon

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Meal Four:  Pizza omelette (egg whites scrambled with spinach and topped with low sugar pizza sauce, low fat mozzarella, turkey pepperoni, garlic powder and Italian seasonings.  Place in oven until cheese melts then enjoy!  So filling!!)

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Meal Five: 1/2 a papaya with low fat cottage cheese

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Meal Six: Cherry Almond Protein Ice Cream (1 scoop vanilla protein powder, frozen cherries, a little almond extract, ice cubes, stevia, and 1/4 teaspoon xantham gum all blended until smooth) topped with lots of sprinkles (love sprinkles!!!) & a cherry 😍

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Sep 20

A Few of My Favorite Weight Loss Supplements

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So I want to make it clear that I am a natural athlete.  I try my very best to use only things I feel good about using.  I am not perfect but I do not use any fat burner pills or anything crazy like that so if your looking for my advice on that It is not going to be in this post lol!  The following list are things I use every single day I workout (working out 6X a week while cutting if you have been reading my posts).  Some of these I use daily even when not working out which I will explain below.  These really help aid in weight loss in my opinion  I know for sure they help me and as I said they are all natural non toxic or scary items so why not give them a shot as they may help you too!

 

 

Sweet Sweat Workout Enhancer

*This is one pf my favorite products and I have recommended it to quite a few people who have seen good results also.  This is NOT a magic product and I am not sponsored in any way by them!  It rids your body of excess water and this can really be a problem for a lot of women.  It also makes your muscles feel great wherever you put it so it helps you workout harder and longer.  I love to use it everytime I workout & I generally use it with the waist trimmer also made by Sweet Sweat.  You can see me rocking it in all my sweaty glory in the photo above haha!  Sweet Sweat works with or without the waist and thigh trimmers but I like the waist trimmer.  More on why I like it and additional info in this blog post I previously wrote

Waist Training, Cinching, and Corsets: My Two Cents 😉

 

 

Green Tea

*This is something I drink daily when I am trying to lose weight whether I am working out or not.  I drink 3 cups throughout the day.  I am not picky about brands but some taste better than others and I like organic whenever possible.  Green tea has been shown in many studies to be vey good for you because of the antioxidant content.  It has a slew of health benefits but it also can help stabilize blood sugar which can help prevent those crazy cravings we get when our blood sugar is too low and it contains high amounts of EGCG which has been linked to assisting in fat loss.  If nothing else it will help you drink more fluids, feel fuller, and prevent you from grabbing more food at least temporaily.  A top diet staple for me!

 

 

 

Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar or Coconut Vinegar

*I add this daily (1-2 tablespoons) either to foods or straight up do it as a shot followed by lots of water.  It is not super yummy but it will not only kill cravings (bc of the strong taste) but vinegar also helps digest food and lowers blood sugar similar to green tea.  Well digested food equals a flatter belly!  Enough reason to add it in.  If you can’t stomach a shot of it try adding it to a salad or something else that would benefit from the super tangy taste.  If you have acid reflux issues this is not a good choice for you to try though bc it can definitely flare up those issues.

 

 

BCAA’s

*Branched Chain Amino Acids are the main components of muscle fibers specifically Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine.  By supplementing with BCAA’s you can experience quicker recovery, retain more muscle while dieting, and it is also a delicious addition instead of soda or another unhealthy high sugar drink.  This is  very simple explanation so feel free to search all the benefits online if you want more info. I can 100% attest that it helps me with recovery.  Since I started taking regularly several years ago I have had a huge improvement in my soreness and recovery after training hard.  There are a lot of great brands and as far as supplements go this is a fairly low cost item that I think is worth investing in while dieting down.

 

Lemon Water

Another daily dieting staple for me!  I drink several glasses of lemon water (both hot and cold) to help with digestion and cravings.

 

Hope you found this article interesting!  Feel free to comment, like, or share on social media or here.  Thanks for reading!! 🙂

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