Tropical Oatmeal Bowl
This recipe will have you California Dreamin’ in no time!
It's almost Summer! The sun, the beach, the FOOD...aaaaahhhh, I can't wait. But if you can't get to a tropical location, use this recipe to bring the tropics to you!
This oatmeal bowl will make you feel like you're one tiny umbrella drink away from paradise :)
Ingredients
1/4 cup quick or rolled oats
1/2 cup cottage cheese or high protein yogurt
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped kiwi
2/3 cup frozen mixed berries
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 Stevia packets
1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Combine oats with 3/4 cup of water, chia seeds, Stevia packets and cinnamon. Microwave for 90 seconds.
Stir in cottage cheese or high protein yogurt.
Top with coconut, kiwi and frozen mixed berries.
Enjoy!
Pizza Night just got a MAJOR Upgrade!
Lavash breads make the best pizza crust. I STAND BY THIS. All day. EVERY day.
Okay, now that that’s out of the way…back to the recipe :). This pizza comes together in 12 minutes, is budget friendly with only 5 ingredients, & is insanely delicious!
Ingredients
2 creamy jalapeño laughing cow cheese wedges
4 oz lean ground beef
1 lavash bread
12 banana peppers
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
Italian seasoning + red pepper flakes
Instructions
Brown beef, adding in Italian season & red pepper flakes
Spread Laughing Cow wedges on lavash bread
Top lavash bread with beef, banana peppers, and mozzarella cheese
Bake in an air fryer for 12 minutes at 400 degrees
Bonus Tip:
With the leftover ingredients you have (beef, banana peppers, and Laughing Cow cheese wedges) you easily make a bowl by adding in rice or tacos using lavash as the “tortillas.”
And just so you know…
YES, yes(!) you can lose fat while eating food like this. If this concept is foreign to you, let’s chat & get food freedom working for YOU!
Hot Honey Cottage Cheese Toast
This snack has it all!
Protein, fiber, and kills it on flavor!!
Did you know that bread has protein? Cool huh?! And it doesn’t even need to be special, high dollar “protein bread.”
This is a typical seeded bread from Aldi with 6g of protein.
Toast it, top with cottage cheese, add some spicy chili crunch sauce, and drizzle with a touch of honey!
Man! It hits the spot! That right balance of spicy + sweet.
Toast is 25g of protein, 5g of fiber, 280ish calories.
Funny enough it’s the same amount of calories as a pack of peanut butter crackers & 2 Oreos…which have 5g of protein + 0 fiber.
Always here to remind you - if you’re looking to lose fat or maintain your current weight you want to look deeper than calories. You need to take into account the macros - especially protein AND how full & satisfied you are after you eat. This cottage cheese toast will keep you more full…which leads to less snacking…which leads to hitting your goals & feeling good.
Try this one out - you won’t be disappointed!
Progress Isn’t Always About the Numbers on the Scale.
Or the inches lost.
Some days, it’s about protecting the progress you’ve already made.
You’ve been putting in the hard work, making solid choices, + feel like you’re on the mountain top, seeing results & feeling results!
But then life throws you a curveball - a stressful day at work, one of those days when everything seems to go wrong, OR Daylight savings time - can I get an AMEN!
It’s easy to feel like all your progress is slipping away.
Here’s the reality - on those tough days, choosing to protect your progress is an act of resilience and strength.
It’s about honoring the effort you’ve put in so far and refusing to let temporary setbacks derail your journey.
So, whether it be finding a healthy way to cope with stress, or simply giving yourself grace on days when things don’t go as planned, remember that every choice you make to protect your progress is a victory in itself.
Progress isn’t always linear, and that’s okay.
What matters is that you keep showing up for yourself, even on the challenging days.
Here’s to celebrating the small victories, to resilience, and to the journey toward a healthier, happier you.
Give yourself a high five for the progress you have made!
It’s. Not. Carbs.
It’s not carbs.
We want to place blame on one food item, like cereal, cakes, cookies, doughnuts…surely it’s the doughnuts, right?!
Or on a group all together like carbs.
“If I cut out carbs all together that’s the ticket!”
In reality, what’s keeping you from fat loss is not carbs, it’s the lack of balance you have.
The addiction you have of bouncing from one extreme diet to another every time you want to drop some weight.
Neglecting the most important part HOW can food work with me - how can this be enjoyable & sustainable?
Let’s break it down!
A day WITHOUT carbs:
<aka carnivore>
Breakfast:
Bacon & eggs
Lunch:
Steak
Dinner:
Burger patty w cheese
128p 2c 120f = 1609 calories
Balanced day WITH carbs:
Breakfast:
Protein shake, English muffin, & peanut butter
Lunch:
Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad & apple
Dinner:
Teriyaki, rice, Asian veggies beef bowl
✨SNACK✨
Lucky charms & milk
121p, 174c, 51f = 1590 calories
The balanced day had LESS calories AND was within 7g of protein than the carnivore/no carb day.
<A calorie deficit drives fat loss>
When you look at these 2 days - which is more sustainable??
Which could you see yourself doing when you’re camping, on a cruise, when your kids are sick, when you’re at a retreat?
Which one sounds like a life with food you could enjoy??
For me & my clients it’s carbs + balance all the way.
We eat our carbs, enjoy our meals, time with friends & family WHILE losing fat.
Ready to lose fat & keep it off the fun way?!?
Let’s connect & get you started!
Let’s Talk About Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjarno: Semaglutides.
10/10 recommend working with a coach if you choose to take any of these for weight loss purposes.
This post is to educate you on what happens to *most* people, but not all, on these medications. We’re also not here to argue if someone should or shouldn’t take them. We’re here to talk about if you do take them, for the sole purpose of weight loss, you’d be wise to work with a qualified coach to guide you through the process.
When you eat less, and especially when you aren’t super hungry, it’s easy to load in on fats and carbs. Ignoring protein. When you aren’t hungry, it’s easy to have a pop tart + soda for lunch, and feel ok with it. This mindset + lifestyle will not serve you in the season, it will especially not serve you when you transition off.
When calories are extra low proper nutrition, training, + accountability are more important than ever. Taking care of your long term health is the goal.
Protecting your body + giving it all it needs to thrive now + in the future.
30+ Grams of Protein for Breakfast
Protein is a major player! Whether your goal is fat loss, building muscle, or body recomp you’ll find that eating a sufficient amount of protein each day will help you reach those goals.
Aiming for 30 grams of protein at breakfast helps you sets the stage for a successful day. But eating a high protein breakfast doesn’t have to be only egg whites, protein shakes, or loads of meat. It takes intention and planning to get your daily goals in. Here are a few breakfast ideas to get you started!
What’s your favorite go-to breakfast combo?
Time Crunch Workout
Need a workout you can do in a hotel, your bedroom, your office, ANYWHERE?
I got you!!!
When my girls were babies I’d stick them in the bathtub together + do this by the side of the tub. 💦
Or, when I traveled for work, I’d knock this out in my hotel room before the day started.
Start with one round and work your way up to 3 rounds. You can add weights for additional resistance if you want, but it is an excellent base workout without them.
Quick, easy, effective!
Save this for those days you need to move your body and are short on time + space!
Egg White Grill Copycat Recipe
5 ingredients…high protein…cheaper than takeout…less calories than takeout…AND more delicious!?!? YES PLEASE!!! It’s gonna keep you full, satisfied, make a huge dent in your protein + fiber goal AND tastes insanely delicious. SLAM DUNK in my book!
Y’all this breakfast is AMAZING! It comes together in 20 minutes, has 60 grams of protein, and is ridiculously budget friendly. And, I have to admit I one upped Chick-fil-A by giving my recipe a fried chicken vibe using panko breadcrumbs 👌🏼. It is PERFECT for prepping, as the sandwiches freeze/microwave super easily. The recipe below makes 6 sandwiches, but you can scale up or down as necessary.
5 ingredients…high protein…cheaper than takeout…less calories than takeout…AND more delicious!?!? YES PLEASE!!! It’s gonna keep you full, satisfied, make a huge dent in your protein + fiber goal AND tastes insanely delicious. SLAM DUNK in my book!
Y’all this breakfast is AMAZING! It comes together in 20 minutes, has 60 grams of protein, and is ridiculously budget friendly. And, I have to admit I one upped Chick-fil-A by giving my recipe a fried chicken vibe using panko breadcrumbs 👌🏼. It is PERFECT for prepping, as the sandwiches freeze/microwave super easily. The recipe below makes 6 sandwiches, but you can scale up or down as necessary.
Egg White Grill Copycat
Ingredients - Makes 6 Sandwiches
-6 English Muffis
-6 slices of Sliced Cheese (any flavor, but I prefer cheddar)
-2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
-18oz Chicken Breast, Thin Sliced
-24oz Liquid Egg Whites
Instructions
1) Cook your egg whites first. Pour 16oz egg whites into a casserole baking dish and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Make sure your egg whites are not jiggly! If they are, put them back into the oven and cook for a couple more minutes until there is no more jigglyness (and yes, “jigglyness” is a professional, very technical term that is NOT 100% a made-up word).
2) While that is cooking, place bread crumbs into one bowl and the remaining 8oz liquid egg whites into another. Cut chicken into 6 3oz pieces. Dip each piece into the egg wash, then coat with Panko.
3) Cook in air fryer for 12 minutes at 400 degrees.
4) After everything is cooked + egg whites cut into 6 pieces, assemble sandwiches by layering egg whites, cheese slice, and chicken breast on English muffin.
60P/11F/24C/450K per serving
Enjoy!!!
Picky Eaters Guide
Time to eat! But you have Little Humans with a big list of likes + dislikes. Fear not…this is actually a secret map to getting them fed + fueled!
Here’s some tips to make navigating meal time with ease ⬇️
▪️Ask your littles what they want to eat and work with that list. (You’re the driver + can easily make modifications)
▪️Children thrive on consistency + routines. It’s common to request repeat meals.
▪️Pumping up protein will guarantee a satisfied belly.
▪️Carrots + ketchup…an acquired toddler taste.
▪️Stay stocked up with options that you can grab quickly.
You got this!! As adults we are always setting the example. The more they see you balance nutrition the more they will pick up + mirror.
And if you aren’t sure how to balance your own food…let’s talk.
Asian Beef Bowl
Focusing on your nutrition, crazy tasty food + keeping your grocery bill in check is what I’m all about!
Learning to make nutrition easy + realistic is what has helped me keep 150lbs off for 15 years.
Meals Made Easy is a collection of my personal favorites that I’m sharing with you.
All the recipes from this cookbook are 5 ingredients or less AND budget + macro friendly. You can purchase Meals Made Easy directly from our website or on Amazon.
Here’s an excerpt directly from the book. This is the Asian Beef Bowl, and it is delicious!!!
4 ingredients:
▪️Ground Turkey
▪️90 second microwaveable rice
▪️Frozen Asian veggies
▪️Teriyaki Sriracha sauce
Let’s cook!
1️⃣Brown your turkey over medium-high heat.
2️⃣While that’s cooking open the veggies, pour in a bowl, cover with a paper towel + microwave for 6 minutes.
3️⃣Once they are done, microwave your rice.
4️⃣Assemble together + cover with sauce.
$10, 10 minutes, high protein + high fiber.
Bought all of these ingredients at Aldi, which is a great money saver. If you try the recipe, lemme know how you liked it!
Let’s Eat Lunch Guide
I get the SAME question all the time. “If I eat less calories a day, I’ll lose weight, right? That means if I skip a meal or two, I’ll definitely lose weight without having to change anything else! Does that sound like a good idea?”
Yeah…no. Sorry, but that’s not how it works.
It’s important for your body to receive the proper nutrition in a consistent manner for it to metabolize what nutrients you are eating properly. This means NOT skipping meals to “save calories.”
Your body needs you to feed it throughout the day. Read on for our for our guide to getting your lunch on!
Quality Foods vs Quantity
“I don’t eat much, but I keep gaining weight.”
This comes up often on new client calls.
They’re right.
Often they aren’t eating much. Skipping breakfast, quick snack, small lunch.
We start to look at their food quality, what they are feeding their body. How they are fueling their body.
Take these 2 plates for example:
They both have the exact same number of calories.
However, you’re going to feel more full from the strawberries + get some health benefits. This isn’t to say strawberries are better than Snickers. Cause a Snickers is some yummy food too!
It comes down to understanding how to balance all foods, in all situations. Taking into account how you feel, how your body responds, and your hunger/fullness levels.
Once you understand how to do that, accomplishing your health + weight goals become achievable!
Trigger Foods
Let’s first acknowledge that trigger foods are likely foods that are hyper palatable foods - aka foods that have lots of sugar, salt, + fat.
Hyper palatable - meaning that once you get a taste you’re going back for more + more.
Hard to ever feel satisfied on these foods. They are designed to create cravings.
Removing them, for a season, from your environment can be a helpful tool.
We’re not removing them from your life.
It’s keeping them out of an arms reach for when you are stressed, bored, or have a day where the “I don’t care” hits.
Normalize that setting yourself up for success is a tool used in many goal setting situations.
Done the right way this tool can be amazingly effective in finding the balance + moderation you’re looking for.
This or That: Portion Sizes + Tracking
Whether you are intuitive eating or macro counting understanding portion sizes is a a game changer!
Let’s take a look at these 2 meals - neither is “good” or “bad”. Both are plates full of quality foods!
The plate on the left is going to be more of a guessing game.
Why? Ingredients are mixed together, topped with sauces, + we aren’t 100% sure of portions used. Lots of guesstimating goin’ on!
The plate on your right gives us a much clearer view. You can easily identify what you’re eating and how much of it. This meal is some guessing (unless you’ve weighed your food), but there’s a higher chance of accuracy in tracking.
Based on your goals, and especially if you are in fat loss, sticking to a plate, like the one on the right, is going to help you be more accurate.
Getting your arms around portion sizes is a foundational piece of gaining control of your health + weight for the long haul.
High Protein Personal Pizza
Love a Lavash bread as much as we do??? Are you looking for something OTHER than a rollup??? I mean, don't get me wrong...I love a rollup as much as the next girl...but I can only have so many before I'm ready for something else.
And does anything make you happier than pizza!?!?! If you're like me and the answer is a no, check out this recipe for Lavash Flatbread Pizza! When done right, pizza can be healthy. That's right, you can have your pizza AND eat it too :). Packed with protein and easy to make, you will be adding this recipe to your weekly rotation faster than you could pop a Digiorno into the oven!!!
Ingredients:
1 Lavash Flatbread
60g Pizza Sauce
30g Turkey Pepperoni
30g Hatch Green Chili Sauce
2oz Cooked Chicken Breast
25g Baby Spinach
56g Skim Mozzarella Cheese
28g Cream Cheese
Directions:
Lay flatbread on a cookie sheet (for cooking in the oven) or a tray (for cooking in an air fryer). Layer pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese, spreading evenly. Top with spinach, green chilis, crumbled cream cheese, chicken and pepperonis. Bake for ~10 minutes or until bubbly on top and crispy on the edges.
55P/32C/32F/589K
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Cottage Cheese Smoothie Bowl
If you don't like the taste of cottage cheese, THIS is the bowl for you! When blended with some other tasty ingredients, the "cottage cheese" becomes a silky, smooth pudding-like breakfast that is packed with protein and healthy fats. You cannot…and I mean, CANNOT…taste the cottage cheese. I promise you won’t even notice it!!!
Throw all your ingredients together into a blender and blend until smooth. Seriously, that’s it! Top with ANY topping you'd like and enjoy. It’s a SUPER easy and delicious treat that can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a healthy snack.
Tips:
*If your smoothie bowl is too thick, add a splash or two of oat milk or Fairlife Protein milk. If it’s too thin for your tastes, add a bit more cottage cheese.
*We like the Vega One Berry protein powder in this recipe, but you can use any protein powder you like.
*Other tasty toppings that would work great are coconut flakes, bananas, any berries, mint, nuts, a drizzle of nut butter, chia seeds - the possibilities are endless!
Ingredients:
*1/2 cup blueberries
*1 scoop Berry flavor protein powder
*1/2 cup 1% fat cottage cheese
*1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla oat milk
Toppings:
*1/2 cup protein granola
*3 oz blackberries
*1-2 teaspoons honey
Blend all Ingredients together. Once you have the texture you like, pour into a bowl and top with granola, blackberries and drizzle with honey.
393K/37.8P/7.3F/46.2C
10 Reasons Why Your Scale Could Be Up
Does your weight look like a roller coaster sometimes? One day it’s up, the next it’s down, then you’re back up again? Before you slash calories today, let’s look at 10 reasons why your scale could be up.
▪️You ate a late dinner last night.
▪️You had a heavy workout yesterday.
▪️You drank less water over the weekend.
▪️Ate several meals out over the weekend.
▪️You had a crummy night of sleep.
▪️You are ovulating.
▪️You ate a ton of carbs yesterday.
▪️You ignored veggies all weekend.
▪️You’re only weighing once a week + today was a snapshot.
▪️You are so anxious over what the scale will say that you’re panicked before even getting on.
All of these things can contribute to your scale being higher today. The best thing to do is to stay in your rhythm + routine + weigh yourself again tomorrow.
The LEAST helpful thing to do is to think “all your work is wasted” and give up.
Stay reminded friends, the scale is only ONE component of your life. Step back and look at the larger picture.
Are you making progress toward the person you want to become? To the person God called you to be? More confident in your choices? Able to move more with ease? Getting stronger in your workouts? Able to say kind things to yourself about your body? Excited about being active + healthy?
These are things we should also focus on measuring.
Stay after it! You are creating something special!
High Protein Meatball Pasta Alfredo
Up that protein game with this amazing protein packed pasta!
Ingredients:
1 package of frozen Turkey Meatballs (Trader Joe's are my favorite!)
1 package of frozen peas
1 box high protein pasta
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder
Salt + pepper
Instructions:
Cook your meatballs (I prefer a slow cooker 4 hrs on low)
Boil your pasta - adding your peas during the last few minutes.
Make your high protein Alfredo sauce!
In a food processor combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, dash of garlic powder, salt + pepper. Give it a good buzz to mix.
Combine all ingredients together + you’re done!
Makes 4 servings: 50p/58c/12f/520kc
Knowing your maintenance calories makes fat loss easier.
YOUR maintenance calories are the average calorie/macro breakout number that you can eat daily + maintain your weight.
That number is DIFFERENT for everyone.
I’ve seen 2 ladies in their 40’s, similar weight + height.
One could eat 2,400 calories in maintenance.
The other could tolerate 1,600 in maintenance.
This has to do with their history of dieting, total muscle on their frame + overall metabolic health.
I’ve also seen clients who thought their maintenance was 1,500 + it ended up being around 2,200 <which is a topic for another post>.
Once we have your maintenance calories we can easily build out your diet. Setting up a plan to get your weight down without starving you or making you a hangry hormonal monster. <BIG WIN>
If ya need help finding your maintenance or wanna know more about it, schedule a call today!