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Quick Workouts & Postpartum Journey Updates 😊

  So wanted to give a quick update on how I’m progressing post baby. Btw Cameron is doing great!! Gaining lots of weight & bringing me so much joy daily. I love him so much!! Today marks 7 weeks post partum. My weight loss has actually stalled since about 4 weeks after I gave birth …

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Baby Brockner Month 9, Labor Cookie Recipe, Birth, & Postpartum Comeback

(L-R top to bottom- 3 mths 4 mths, 5 mths, 1 week postpartum front, 6 mths, 7 mths, 8 mths, 1 week p.p. side)   So I had every intention of writing a blog post close to labor and taking a final 9 month photo closer to the end of the 9 months however my …

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Baby Brockner Month 8: Weight Loss, Heartburn, & Stretch Marks

  So sorry that once again this is late.  Between moving & some additional chaos I just got a bit behind on these lol!  These last few comparison pics will be from my new house so they aren’t going to be exact as far as lighting, angle, etc since it’s a different location but should …

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Baby Brockner 7 Months: Gestational Diabetes, Swelling, & Other Body Woes

Sorry this post is a bit late.  I am actually almost into the 8th month of pregnancy but life has been a bit hectic so my updates are a bit behind!  We just purchased a house and are trying to get ready to move in a couple weeks & also do all the last minute …

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Baby Brockner Month 6: Bye Bye Abs 😀

  Some interesting things have been happening lately!  So far in my pregnancy I have generally been able to hide my bump when/if I felt like it but that is pretty much not happening anymore lol!  I am getting asked pretty regularly if I’m pregnant so I guess there is no hiding this little guy …

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Quick Workouts & Postpartum Journey Updates 😊Baby Brockner Month 9, Labor Cookie Recipe, Birth, & Postpartum ComebackBaby Brockner Month 8: Weight Loss, Heartburn, & Stretch MarksBaby Brockner 7 Months: Gestational Diabetes, Swelling, & Other Body WoesBaby Brockner Month 6: Bye Bye Abs 😀

Jul 03

Red, White, & Blue Mini Cheesecakes (low carb, low calorie, high protein, gluten free, super easy, cute, and yummy!!)

Categories:

Fast & Fit: Ready in a Flash, Recipes

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These mini cheesecakes are perfect for 4th of July or any other summer event.  The triple berry combo is delicious and beautiful for presentation.  This recipe has been around so I can’t take total credit for it but this is my variation that I wanted to share with you all 🙂 These are a great option for a dessert as they are low carb, low calorie, and protein packed so they are wayyy more filling & figure friendly than typical calorie and sugar laden sweets!  Read on for this super easy & minimal ingredient recipe!!

Ingredients:

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1 egg

2 egg whites (from eggs not the liquid egg whites)

16 ounces (2 blocks) 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened-you can pop in the microwave for a few seconds at a time to soften quicker if you need to)

1/2 cup stevia or another zero calorie sweetener suitable for baking

2 tablespoons erythritol (Truvia brand is the cheapest & easiest to find)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I love the butter vanilla kind if you can find it I highly recommend as it will give this a richer taste-can find in Michaels or AC Moore cake section)

1/2 blueberries

1/2 cup raspberries

6 strawberries

fat free whipped cream or cool whip (not pictured and optional but highly recommended)

 

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Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners & spray with nonstick spray.   Add all ingredients onto a mixing bowl except the berries.

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Beat everything (except the berries) in a bowl until smooth and creamy.

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Fold in raspberries and blueberries.  Evenly distribute mixture between 12 muffin tins.  Bake for 20 minutes.

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Once cheesecakes are baked let them cool then refrigerate them (overnight is great and the flavors meld the best but several hours or just until chilled is fine too!)

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Cut each strawberry in half.  Top each cheesecake with a little fat free whipped cream and half a strawberry to serve.  Enjoy!!!

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Makes 12 cheesecakes

Per serving:

112 calories

8.6 grams fat

4.4 grams carbs

0.5 grams fiber

4.0 grams protein

 

 

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Jun 25

The Best Summer Salad (aka my mac or potato salad swap that is low carb, low calorie, gluten free, filling, veggie packed, and delicious!!)

Categories:

Fast & Fit: Ready in a Flash, Recipes

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Summer for me is always filled with grilling, parties, picnics, hikes, BBQ’s and other forms of get togethers or outdoor activities.  Potato or macaroni salad is something that I love and is always a popular item as a summer side dish.  This recipe is something I have been making for years to add a different variation on it.  While there are actually no potatoes or macaroni involved this version still has all the great flavors of a traditional macaroni or potato salad but not all those pesky carbs.   I have nothing against carbs btw but I just find it is wayyyy too easy for me to overeat them & my body looks and feels better when I limit my intake of the carbs from potatoes and pasta most of the time 😉  So read on for an excellent accompaniment to grilled meat, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, veggie burgers, or grilled fish just to name a few!

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Ingredients:

1 large frozen bag (16oz) or 5 cups fresh cauliflower

3 large hard boiled eggs

2 tablespoons mayonnaise (the olive oil one is so yummy!)

1 tablespoon plain fat free Greek yogurt

1/3 cup chopped red onion (or sub in green onion (chives) to make a milder onion flavored version)

salt and pepper (to taste)

1 slice cooked bacon (not pictured & optional but oh sooooo good!!!)

 

Cover and cook cauliflower in microwave or whatever method you prefer.  Do not overlook it please!!!!   I cooked mine from frozen and only cooked it for 5 1/2 minutes of the listed 10-12 minute cooking time.  You want it to be softened but not mushy.  Mine was actually still a little cold when I pulled it out.

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Drain cauliflower on paper towels.

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Chop up hard boiled eggs.

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Chop up drained cauliflower.  I like it to be pretty small so the dressing coats it better 😉

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Add cauliflower, eggs, onion, mayo, and yogurt into a serving bowl.  Stir then add generous amounts of salt and pepper & stir well again.  I used pink salt bc I am super fancy like that haha!  Use whatever kind of salt you want though but you do not want to skimp.  I started with15 grinds of salt and 9 of pepper then tasted and added several more grinds of each if you want a reference point.

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As my final ta-da I am topping mine with a slice of chopped & cooked bacon.  You can leave this off but it tastes delicious and looks pretty IMO 🙂

 

Makes 4 servings

Per serving:

137 calories

9.1 grams fat

6.5 carbs

1.5 grams fiber

5.9 grams protein

 

 

 

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Jun 22

Play YOUR Game!

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Motivation & Inspiration

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May 28

Quick & FILLING Flax Muffin (an easy, low carb, low calorie, vegetarian, gluten free recipe :-)

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Fast & Fit: Ready in a Flash, Recipes

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Flax microwave muffins are not something I created but I wanted to share this because it is a great recipe I use a lot.  You are basically making your own little serving of bread & that is super fun I think 🙂  If you have never had one you should try it mostly because they are really FILLING and will tide you over for quite a little while!!  Flax is jam packed with lots of healthy stuff for you body, hair, and skin including fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and lignans which is a powerful antioxidant.  This recipe is so quick plus low carb, low calorie, vegetarian, and gluten free.  I know some people do not like the taste of flax so feel free to add garlic and lots of other herbs which will help mask the flax taste.  Also if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you may have seen my new purchase of a flax and chia blend in coconut & cocoa flavor.  I tried it out in this recipe and it was really nice so feel free to make this version sweet too by reading my options below 🙂

 

Ingredients:

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1 large egg

2 tablespoons of flax meal (or 2 travel flax packets or use a sweet flax blend as pictured below)

1 teaspoon of oil (extra virgin olive oil is great for a savory version and extra virgin coconut oil is delicious for the sweeter one but any kind of oil will work or butter)

1 teaspoon baking powder

non stick cooking spray

1-2 teaspoons of herbs & spices or zero calorie sweetener of your choice (optional but a really nice addition)

*Here is the flax/chia blend I used to make a sweeter muffin.  It is really yummy with a little extra coconut oil on top, a little coconut almond butter, some melted semi sweet chocolate chips, or with some berries and a little whipped cream on it to make a shortcake type dessert-yummm!!

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To make flax muffin spray a microwave safe bowl with nonstick cooking spray.  If using butter or coconut oil melt it in microwave in the bowl for a few seconds.  Add all ingredients to bowl.

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Whisk or stir with a fork really well so it is fairly smooth and no clumps.

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Microwave for 60-80 seconds.  It should be cooked on top but it is ok if it is slightly damp looking.  Let sit in bowl for a few seconds then use a knife to slide all around the edges.  It should very easily pop  out of the bowl.  I like to flip it onto a plate.

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This one I topped with an over easy egg but you can scrambled egg whites, ham, bacon, sausage, veggies, cheese-anything your heart desires.  Or use the sweet toppings I listed above if you made it that way.  So simple, healthy, and satisfying 🙂

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Makes one super filling muffin

Per muffin:

160 calories

13.8 grams fat (healthy fat!)

4.0 grams carbs

4.0 grams fiber

9.0 grams of protein

 

 

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May 14

Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Dip (low fat, low calorie, high protein, vegetarian, gluten free, super quick & easy)

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Fast & Fit: Ready in a Flash, Recipes

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This recipe is a great party appetizer or family snack to enjoy with no guilt!! I promise you will not know this is low fat and it is packed with lots of flavor and filling protein.  Enjoy it with some healthier chips, crackers, pretzels, toasted bread, on top of some egg whites for breakfast or on fish or chicken for lunch/dinner or even stuff this dip in some mushrooms for another idea.  This is an extremely versatile recipe and is ready in only 20 mins.  You can make it ahead then heat it just before serving to make it even quicker and you also can reheat it in microwave super easily 🙂

 

Ingredients:

 

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2 cups 1% cottage cheese

1 (5.3 ounce) container nonfat plain greek yogurt

1 jar (6.5 ounce) container marinated artichoke hearts

1.5 cups fresh spinach (loosely packed)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese

several dashes on Mrs Dash onion & herb seasoning

several dashes salt & pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Using a food processor, blender, mini blender add cottage cheese, yogurt, 1 cup of the spinach, garlic, seasonings, and the marinade from the artichokes.

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Whirl everything together to combine.  (You can skip this step and just hand mix it if you want or need to.  It will still be great!!)

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Add the blended mixture to a small heat safe dish.  I will use my trusty square baking dish 🙂  Tear or chop spinach and chop artichokes (don’t chop it fine-it needs the texture so just rough chop it!).  Stir into dish.

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Top with parmesan and mozzarella.

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Bake for 15 minutes in oven.

When end it comes out it will seem too watery but you need to mix the melted cheese into rest of it as I am showing.  It will then be the perfect dipping texture 😉

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Enjoy it in any of the great ways I listed above!  I am eating it with some Quest brand chips bc I had them on hand already!! Yummy!!!!

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I hope you like this as much as I do.  Don’t forget to leave me a message on what you thought if you try this out. I appreciate all the comments 🙂

**if you have extra it will be fine in the fridge for a few days or so.  Just reheat in microwave.

Makes 5 large servings

Per serving:

128 calories

3 grams fat

8 grams carbs

1 gram fiber

16 grams protein

 

 

 

 

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