Protein Powder: Who Woulda Thought?

It was my full intention to post my DIY coasters today, but my Modge Podge is MIA.  I guess I need to make another trip to Joann Fabrics.  I promise it's coming soon!

In the meantime, I want to share a little bit about my first week of carb cycling.  I'm fully committed to this carb-cycling diet; it's new, it makes sense to me, and it's not that difficult.  I'm going on day six and I'm not miserable.

One of my new discoveries, in terms of food and drink, is protein powder.  I always thought protein powder was for body builders or high school boys who want to bulk up for football.  I never considered purchasing protein powder for myself, until I read about carb-cycling.  Never having tried it, I had no idea what it tasted like, or if I would even like it.  So this week when I was doing my groceries, I stopped in the diet/supplement aisle and grabbed a can of chocolate SlimFast.  I always knew SlimFast was for dieting, but I never read the label.  I didn't know it was a protein powder.  It was the only powder I saw, so I bought it.  It wasn't until I got home and looked at my Chris Powell book, Choose To Lose: The 7-Day Carb Cycle Solution, that I saw he recommends buying a powder that has less than 5 grams of carbohydrates.  The SlimFast powder I purchased has 13 grams of carbs.  It's a beginners mistake, but I bought it so I'm gonna drink it.

In the book, Powell says that blending your protein powder in with your morning coffee is a great way to eliminate fattening coffee creamer.  It also allows your coffee to become a complete breakfast.  This is great for Randsome, because he doesn't eat breakfast, but for me I still have to eat a banana or something alongside my cup of protein joe.

So in case you've been wondering what I've been eating for breakfast for the last six days, there it is; coffee and chocolate protein powder.  It's really delicious (tastes like a shake) and it keeps you full.  Hopefully, once the SlimFast runs out, the next powder I buy tastes just as good.  Don't forget to keep it under 5 grams of carbs!

Quick Oatmeal Cookies

I made oatmeal cookies on Monday.  I'd like to say I made them from scratch, but I didn't.  I'm not a huge baker and I don't have a ton of time to bake with Allie Cakes under foot.  That's why I buy mixes.  When you look in my cupboards you see boxes of brownie, cookie, or cake mixes.  I usually buy Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines, depending what's on sale the day I'm at the store.

I've really been into coconut lately, and I wanted to give baking a shot using coconut oil.  So with my Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie mix, I replaced the butter with 1/3 cup of coconut oil.  I also added a couple tablespoons of flaxseed, and dark chocolate chips.

I get my coconut oil at Trader Joe's

The cookies ended up being nice and soft, even the next day.  I don't know if it's because of the coconut oil or not.  If you don't like the taste of coconut, you can't actually taste it in the cookies.

Here they are all finished.  They aren't the most attractive, but they are tasty!

From start to finish, these cookies took twenty minutes.  Do you have any quick-baking solutions to share?

Weigh in Wednesday

Even though I hate most reality shows, this summer I've found myself hooked on Extreme Weight Loss with Chris Powell.  If you haven't seen the show, Powell works with these morbidly obese clients for one year, pushing them to live a healthy lifestyle.  Most of the people go from like three or four hundred pounds, down to a healthy, normal weight.  It's crazy what these people accomplish in one year.  They are totally inspirational.

Even though I'm not morbidly obese, I'm not oblivious to the fact that I could lose some weight and live a healthier life.  The problem is that I love food, and I don't exercise as much as I should.  I love baked goods, chocolate and ice cream.  I hate running, crunches, and bike rides.  I do like to downhill ski and hike, but both of those activities become a little more difficult when you have to carry a baby on your back.

The first time I watched Extreme Weight Loss I was eating a large and delicious bowl of ice cream.  With each bite I took, the person on t.v. took steps to improve their life.  I felt pretty crappy when I finished the ice cream, and at the end of the episode, Powell's client weighed less than I do.  That's what hooked me.  Week after week I've been watching this show and feeling inspired by these people.  So, I've decided to make some changes.  This week I began walking with Allie Cakes in the morning, this hasn't been great because traffic on my road is really fast, and I've started to make some changes in my diet.

Today I made a healthy banana bread, and I think it's a good example of some of the changes I've started to make.  I found the recipe on Pinterest, but I made a few changes to suit my tastes.  Instead of using oil and sugar, I used honey and applesauce.  I also added cinnamon and nutmeg for additional flavor, and flaxseed for fiber and omega 3's.

My ingredients before I mixed them all together

I use Raw Whole Flaxseed

Here is the finished product!  Yummy!

Banana Bread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar free applesauce
3/4 cups honey (or agave nectar)
2 eggs, beaten
3 mashed bananas

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and spray bread pan (I used a stone, so I didn't spray).
2. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients
3. In a smaller bowl mix together the applesauce, honey, eggs, and bananas. Blend well before adding it to the flour mixture.
4. Pour your batter into the prepared bread pan, and bake for 60-65 minutes

Here is the link to the original recipe I found on Pinterest.