No Dessert Update - 6 Things I've Learned From Cutting Dessert

Happy Friday lovelies!

So, today marks 2 months of no dessert, but let me tell you, it feels like a heck of a lot longer than that! Also, a few updates, I've decided to only do it for TWO months instead of six. So yes, I'm done. Judge me if you will, but only after you try it. It's a lot harder than it seems (explained more below). Also, I'm the last survivor! My brother dropped out, but I gotta give him credit, he lasted for about 2 months.

But that's not important. Let me share with you some things that I've learned on this journey so far.

1. I'm way too ambitious for my own good. Six months doesn't sound too bad after you've just eaten pie. But late nights with friends who are all eating dessert around you is freaking hard to deal with.

2. Nutella pizza from Famoso is hard to resist. The sweet aroma of melted Nutella on a delicious crust gets to you.

3. I can say no to sweets more than I thought I could! Yay! Definitely a form of self empowerment.

4. You have tons of self control when it comes to cheat day You will indulge whenever there's an excuse - i.e. birthday's, weddings, holidays...Cinco de Mayo, Easter, and Mother's Day to name a few... I'd rather have one day a week as a "cheat" day to eat sweets and whatnot, vs only holidays.

5. Taste buds regenerate regularly and when you eat less sweets, you don't want them as much. That might seem contradictory to above, but I think it's because on holidays you know it's the only day when you can eat it so you eat as much as you can.

xoxo,

Lo

Favourite Five!!

Happy Wednesday!

This week I've been thinking mostly about working out, my sister's wedding, Easter, and finals. Most of the initial ones are because I've been trying to avoid thinking about finals. Finals really just suck. But hey, that's not what we're here to talk about! Instead, let's talk about happy things, shall we?!?!

On to my favourite five of the week,

Favourite Treat:

Gluten Free Banana Bread Oatmeal Bars. Although I'm not eating "dessert" right now, I still like to look at dessert on Pinterest. Although, I'm not 100% sure if these would count as dessert? Thoughts?? I feel like when I say I'm not eating dessert, it means not any refined sugar or chemicals, or generally things made with mostly white flour. Let me know your thoughts! Because I'd really like to give these puppies a taste-test! Find the recipe here. She also says in the above that she made it with a mixture of white and whole wheat flour and it turned out good top, so you might want to try that! You could probably just do oat flour entirely too. So many options, I love it!!

Favourite Quote:

I've actually been thinking about this recently. I wish it was normal for people to be entirely honest about how the feel.

Favourite Pretty:

Gah! This outfit is so classy! I love the nude pumps, trench coat, fresh cut tulips, and striped dress. Makes me think of spring! Although...a much warmer one than we're having currently.

Favourite Wedding Tip:

I've loved this blog for about 2 years now. This girl does the most beautiful makeup I have legit ever seen. I'm hoping that when I get married I can afford to fly her to me! ;) A girl can dream! Anyway, since my sister is getting married in a little under 2 weeks, we've been constantly thinking about wedding things. This post give AMAZING wedding tips, plus a tutorial! Score!

Favourite Fitness Post:

I was talking to my soon-to-be brother in law last night about how I get frustrated when people eat whatever they want and still manage to get ripped or toned. I love dessert and yet I feel like when I eat it, it automatically turns to fat in my body, whereas it barely affects other people (slight exaggeration). But he reminded me that a big part of it has to do with metabolism. And what's a great way to increase it (other than drinking water!)? Never underestimate the power of lifting weights! This post explains it perfectly!

Have a great day all you lovely people!!

Love,

Lo

How Sugar Affects Your Body!

The other night I was looking around on YouTube and came across this channel called The Lean Machines. I saw this picture, and was like yeah, I guess I'll take a look.

I'm not blind, so obviously I took a look at it. They are actually super smart! Plus they have English accents (Can we please date?)! I watched one of their videos on what sugar does to your body and found it super interesting. As you probably know, I'm cutting out a lot of sugar from my food right now, so I like to be educated about what's happening.

Sugar is tasty. But it also can be highly abused. It can lead to crazy insulin spikes in your blood sugar levels and lead to the storage of fat as a result. I find that when I'm told to do something, I won't stick to it as well as when I know why I'm supposed to do it. These guys break down what sugar does to you in simple terms.

If you liked this video, check out their channel here! I love Tone It Up, but when I have guys asking me about fitness, I feel like I don't have as much advice for them since TIU's directed towards women. The Lean Machines are like the male version of Tone It Up. So any men who casually read my blog, here is your fitness bible! ;) They have plenty of workouts, informational videos, and recipes. Obviously the information is pretty much the same (we're all humans!), but there are obvious differenced in men and women's bodies, hormones, etc. 

SO, if you wanna look like those guys above (or the female equivalent), start following! ;)

Wishing you happy days and beautiful bodies!

Lo

Fit Friday! No Dessert Update

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!

I'm so happy it's Friday! The weather is lovely (+9 right now!!), the sun is shining, I'm done all my papers for the semester, and I don't have any homework or studying to do! It's really so lovely. I am having a great day today, despite being sick. :( Colds and sore throats get ya! Oh well, mostly I'm just excited about this weather. I'm sure that if you live outside on Canada, you think that's cold, but trust me, it's amazing. I even saw a guy in shorts and a T-shirt outside today....but that was a bit much though, even for me.

Nevertheless! I'm happy. And I hope you're happy to! If not go outside and feel the sun on your face. It does wonders!

This is basically how I feel...but with more clothes.

On another note, I wanted to give you a 1.5/2 week update on my no dessert challenge! So it's been about 12 days since I stopped eating dessert, and it's actually been pretty good! Trust me though, I HAVE been tempted. I went to a church activity on Monday and they had 5 different types of cookies and a buttload of chocolate milk...drool...That one was hard, so I had to walk away.

Another hard one was after I went out for Zumba on Tuesday, a bunch of us went to Famoso for dinner. I totally forgot that we were going before and I ate dinner before Zumba. So sad. Famoso is amazing. Sooo I decided to have a tasty salad - the Gorgonzola Walnut Salad - it was dang tasty! So I was just enjoying my salad and then everyone wanted to get the Nutella pizza. FREAK! Nutella is my weakness. It smells good, it tastes good, and I'm pretty sure it has comforting properties. Anyway, my friends ordered it and I didn't even have one bite! Lauren: 1 Life: 0.

I was pretty happy about it, although I think the rest of my friends were enjoying it more than I would have anyway...

They' were loving that pizza...among other things.

Anyway, overall it's been good so far. I've found that the less I eat those chemicals and refined sugar, the less I want them...for the most part.

That's all for now! I'll keep you updated!

Ciao!

Lo

Try-It-Tuesday: No Dessert for 6 Months

Call me crazy. I kind of feel that way. I have grown up loving and enjoying chocolate. Maybe a little too much! It's hard to control when my Dad has a large chocolate stash he always updates. And I know exactly where it is.

Sometimes on Pinterest I'll see something about cutting sugar out of your diet (which is actually a bad idea - your body needs sugar! Just make sure it's the right kind), and I've always been like, yeahhh, okay, that's a joke. I never would have thought that I could be the person to stop eating sweets or cut out bad sugar from their diet, but.....

I've decided to do an experiment of sorts. On Sunday, after coming home from our grandparents house, my brother and I were talking about all the dessert we eat. It's so tasty, and really hard to resist when you have a mom who bakes like a madwoman (in a good way!). She makes the tastiest food. Don't even get me started on her Death By Chocolate. But anyway.... he and I are really trying to get fit, especially lately, so we decided to challenge ourselves and limit our dessert intake. And when I say limit, I mean completely get rid of it from our diet.

I know, it's that shocking. 

So yes. We are crazy. But so far so good! I haven't had dessert since Sunday (we started on Monday), which to you may seem like nbd, but trust me, that's a BIG deal for me! I usually have some kind of treat every day, wether it's chocolate, some kind of baked good, and mostly chocolate again. Let me just say, that having treats IS NOT A BAD THING! I repeat, treats AREN'T a bad thing. I just want to see if I can go without them for a while. I'm making sure that I nourish my body with the necessary nutrients and such, so that I don't feel like I'm depriving myself. 

So when I say "no dessert", what does that mean exactly?

It means: no chocolate, no candy, no pudding, no cinnamon buns, cake, cookies, pastries, or other baked goods (I'm still deciding on muffins - obviously not all muffins are good for you). Although my brother and I decided that we can have dark chocolate. So, I plan on having fruit and dark chocolate to satisfy my sweet tooth while doing this challenge. I have a seriously great recipe for banana ice cream that's totally guilt free and I would 100% allow myself to eat it while doing this. Also, when it comes to dark chocolate, I've never really been a huge fan. That's why I made sure to have good quality chocolate, that's a little over 50% cocoa. I'm sure I could get used to darker chocolate but I don't really want to, because I love the sweet taste of it!

So far, I've found this to be true! I haven't even craved chocolate since starting. Let's hope it continues!

Exceptions include: weddings, birthdays, and the like. I mean special occasions class for a little indulgence! Still not sure on vacations, but I'll update you once I figure it out. 

So, now that I've publicly broadcasted this, I have to stay accountable! I'll keep you updated on my progress too. I don't recommend this for everyone! You have to be careful so you don't deprive yourself so much that you start binging. Sadly I've done that before, on a small scale, but I realized the importance of treating your body well, ie giving it proper nutrients. It's extremely important to give your body what it wants (even if it's a treat), but I'm trying to do it in a healthier way (ie. fruit and dark chocolate). I just want to be less dependant on it for a pick-me-up. So guys, wish me luck!!!

xoxo,

Lo

What "Healthy" Means.

We hear this all the time, "Be healthy!" Or "It's not about being thin anymore, it's about being healthy!" 

So what does it mean to be healthy? This is something I've been pondering for about a year now. It was last year in January when I started on a journey to become healthy. 

Actually, what I wanted was to lose weight. But why did I want to lose weight? It's because I saw people around me and ads and models and all sorts of images and thoughts ingrained in my head, telling me that I wasn't good enough. I think that's really the reason that I felt like I should lose weight. We all are all affected by what's around us, and if it wasn't for that, I think most people would be generally happy with themselves and their bodies. I really wish there wasn't such a thing as "plus-size modelling", I wish it could just be called "modelling". But that's a subject for another day. 

I've grown up in a very supportive home, and for that I am grateful. I grew up with a dad who always told me I was beautiful. Probably every day. I know I am loved. I grew up in a church where I was constantly reminded of my divine origin and potential, and of the unconditional love God and Jesus have for me. I've been extremely lucky to have been told that I am loved, always. 

That love is an amazing backbone. It allowed me to gain confidence, although that love in itself did not give me confidence. That is something everyone needs to gain for themselves. Confidence is something you need to learn for yourself. You can't just be told it, if you want to know it. It's like any talent or skill. It takes time. My own confidence has come over time. And being healthy has been a large part of my confidence. 

So, being healthy helps with confidence. Pass around the sign up sheet!!

Now that that's established, what's involved with being healthy? 

To me being healthy is not about having flat abs, a nice booty, and toned arms. I'm not saying that those things aren't healthy, but being toned isn't what healthy is. Being healthy is also about what you put into your body, having moderation, and being happy. It's also about getting enough sleep. :) That's one of my favourites! 

I believe to be healthy, you should eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full, and on occasion eating a little more. I believe in moderation in all things, even in moderation itself. That's for your mental health. You shouldn't deprive yourself. 

Also, you should make sure that you aren't eating too much sugar. That's something I struggle with a bit. But that's one of my February goals! I'm trying to have sweetness in my meals naturally - from fruit. I'll drizzle maple syrup or agave on my protein pancakes, but I'm trying not to drown then in it. As tasty as that is! 

Being healthy is about exercising to REWARD your body. Steph Hendel came out with a really great image the other day.  

Don't exercise to punish yourself for the way you eat. Do it because your body deserves your love. And you can love it, and make yourself happy, by exercising and releasing endorphins. 

Also, one tip I have is to exercise by finding something you love! That way it's not something you dread. So, if you don't like running (and you've already tried it), try biking! I love going on the bike and watching TV. Go play tennis, plan a hike with your friends, or take a spin class (it works your butt off, and it's fun). Also, I generally like running, but only when I'm in a warmish and beautiful place. I love to be outdoors and see the world. So, I prefer to run outside in the summer on trails when I'm surrounded by nature. But I have a deep dislike for the cold so I choose not to run outside in the winter. So, sometimes I run on treadmills. But if I really don't feel like doing that, I take a dance class (which I just found out I LOVE), go snowboarding, play volleyball, do yoga, or just be active naturally! You could even go roller skating, curling, or tobogganing. 

If you think about people in earlier times, they were fit and healthy. Did they spend hours in a gym on a stair climber? No. Obviously not. I'm sure they would think that that idea would be ridiculous. They did things naturally. If I do things naturally that are healthy, I find it's not so much of a hassle. Like walking for instance - I walk to and from the train to school almost every day. That's about 1/2 a mile each way. I figure if you get in about 2 miles of cardio each day, you're on the right track. And with walking, I'm halfway there.  

Things we can do naturally to be healthy are things like gardening, dancing (because everyone should dance around their house), taking the stairs, going to a park, cleaning, standing more (standing burns more calories than sitting), playing in the snow if it's not too cold (i.e. build a snowman), parking farther away, shovelling snow (bonus if it's for someone else), or generally just don't spend so much time in front of a screen (advice I need to take myself)!

If exercising and using your muscles makes you happy, then being toned will be just a happy bonus! :)

But, let me quickly mention, that sometimes you don't want to exercise, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't! Sometimes working out is hard and makes you sweat, but it is so worth it! Working out and exercising make you feel great after! Sometimes you have to suck it up, BUT if you do something you enjoy, it will be more fun!

So if you want to be healthy, don't base it on your shape or size, and especially not on your weight. Base it on what you put into your body, how you feel (don't eat until you feel gross), and that you're giving your body exercise. 

So to sum up everything I've said, use moderation, limit sugar intake (but only sometimes), find a form of exercise you love, exercise naturally, and you will be (in my definition) healthy. And healthy people are happy people! (Who don't kill their husbands). 

I just want to be happy, and laugh, and enjoy what's around me, and live a long, healthy life. And I'd like to hope I'm on the road to that by being healthy! 

Have a great day friends! :)

Love,

Lo

Healthy Pancakes!

Happy Friday lovelies!!

I'm sharing one of my all-time favourite breakfast recipes with you today! Pancakes. I have a big sweet tooth, so one of my favourite ways to have breakfast is with maple syrup. What can I say, I'm Dutch! ;) The Dutch actually have a word for people with a sweet tooth, which is pronounced something like "Slickhert". I actually have no clue how to spell it, but that's not important. What is important are pancakes!

I don't like to deprive myself, but I do like to be healthy. So, these pancakes are the perfect way to have your cake and eat it too! It's super easy, and the secret healthy ingredient is.........protein powder! It works as a great substitute for flour. Along with pancakes, I've made chocolate cake and muffins with it as a replacement for flour.

You need to make sure you add the baking powder though, otherwise it will not hold together very well. Trust me, I've tried. I've tried many different recipes for protein pancakes, and this one is the best, by far!

So here it is!!

One of the great things about this recipe is that it's so versatile. You can literally make hundreds of different combinations. This recipe is just like a base. You can add whatever other flavours you like to it!

Protein Pancakes

1 Banana

1 Egg

1 scoop Protein Powder

1 tbsp Flour*

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4-1/2 tsp Cinnamon

*any kind - I've tried almond flour and all-purpose flour - both work good!

Step 1: Mash the banana with a fork or whisk. Add the egg and mix together until evenly combined.

Step 2: Add all the other dry ingredients, plus the vanilla, and mix together.

It should look like this.

Now's the fun part!

You get to add whatever ingredients you like! This time I added strawberry jam & coconut flakes.

Here's a list of things you can add to/on top of them, to make them even more tasty:

Chocolate Chips**

Almond Extract

Crushed up nuts

Peanut/Almond Butter

Lemon Juice and Stevia

Dates

Rasins

Nutmeg

Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Cacao Powder

Apple Sauce

Baked Apples

Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, etc

Pumpkin Puree

Greek Yogurt (mixed with vanilla & stevia)
Banana Slices

** I try to use semi-sweet or dark, but sometimes I just want milk, so I use that! Extra refined sugar is not good for you. Neither in an excess in sugar. So, even if you're using real natural maple syrup, it's best to keep your sugar intake on the low side, by not using milk chocolate. 

-Even better is to get your sugar from natural sources, like fruit! I love baking apples in the oven and then putting them on top. It's warm and delicious!

Once you're ready to cook them, you can do a few things. You can make a bunch of little pancakes or one large one. But keep in mind, it will be large, so you'll need a massive spatula, if you want it to come out in one piece. Yet again, learned from personal experience. This one is great. I totally own it. 

Another thing you can do is cook them in coconut oil! It kind of fries them, and makes the edges crispy, which I really like sometimes. Coconut oil is a great oil/fat to use, but it is higher in calories. (You can look up the amazing benefits of coconut oil here, or anywhere on Pinterest or Google). If you want to cut back on calories, I suggest using a spray such as EVOO or Pam.

This time, I used coconut oil.

I was able to make 3 - 2" pancakes in my pan. I probably could have fit 4 though. Cook, and wait until bubbles have formed on top before flipping. Cook for about 30 seconds on medium to medium-high.

And that's all there is to it! Delicious protein pancakes, that are healthy and taste oh-so-good.

Here's a couple other versions of the protein pancake that I've made:

Banana & Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Chips & Coconut

Banana and Coconut Vegan Icing

Apple Sauce

Peaches and Greek Yogurt

Banana, PB, and homemade chocolate sauce

Strawberry & Greek Yogurt

Blueberry & Coconut

Pumpkin, Greek Yogurt, and real Maple Syrup

So yeah, you could say I like pancakes. ;)

You can also make them savoury, but more on that later. 

Now go make something delicious and good for your body! It will thank you for it.

Love,

Lo

Try-It-Tuesday - Cookies on Cookies on Cookies!

Today I felt like some Christmas baking. I was searching on Pinterest and came across this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction! It sounded amazing, so I figured I had no choice but to make it. 

Take a look at her website. Seriously! How tasty does that look?!

So I turned on some Christmas music, put on my holiday apron, and got to work.

   Christmas from pascsylvester on 8tracks Radio.                           Christmas from softshinythings on 8tracks Radio.

I was intrigued by her secret ingredient in the dough. She uses cornstarch because it makes the cookies soft and chewy. Let me tell you, homegirl was not lying. These cookies are crazy good. And then you add cookie dough to the center. My goodness, I could've eaten so many. But these aren't even for me (#39 on my Bucket List), so I resisted. 

One really great thing about the cookie dough for the filling, is that it has no eggs in it, so you won't get an upset tummy. Who wants that around Christmas?! That's right, no one.

So here's what you'll need:

*Plus flour

For le Cookies:

2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch (aka cornflour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup (150g) light brown sugar (or dark brown sugar)

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup (180g) mini chocolate chips

For the Icing:

1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup (150g) light brown sugar (or dark brown sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 (60ml) cup milk or cream

1 cup (180g) mini chocolate chips

Directions

For the Cookies: In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy.

 Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. 

On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. 

Add the chocolate chips and mix for about 5 seconds until evenly disbursed. I used 1/2 cup each of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, and milk chocolate chipits. Personally I love the taste of milk chocolate.

 Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour (2+ hours preferred for thicker cookies) and up to 2 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. I chilled mine for 2 hours.

For the Icing: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. 

Switch the mixer to medium speed and add the brown sugar. Beat until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. On low speed, add the vanilla, flour, and salt. 

Beat until everything is mixed; the dough will be thick and heavy*. 

* I was a little worried when the batter was supposed to be "thick and heavy", because I didn't think the photo on the right looked that way. But don't worry, it turns out great after adding the milk!

Add the milk and beat on low for 30 seconds to fairly mix it in. Then switch to high and beat for at least 2 minutes until combined and very creamy. 

See! Beauty!

Gently fold in chocolate chips. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. *Sally says that silicone mats are better, because the grippy surface prevents the cookies from spreading out too much! That's what I personally used, but parchment paper would still work. 

Once chilled, the dough will be slightly crumbly, but will come together if you work the dough with your hands as you roll into individual balls. Roll balls of dough, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each, into balls. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. They will look extremely soft when you remove them from the oven.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. If the cookies are too puffy, try gently pressing down on them with the back of a spoon. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely before sandwiching.

Sandwich dollops of cookie dough frosting between two cooled cookies, creating sandwiches.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies (without frosting between them) freeze well - up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well - up to three months. The frosting can be made 1 day in advance - cover tightly and store in the refrigerator.

I had one and it was dannnng tasty! So if you feel like a sweet treat, give these babies a try! (And try not to eat the whole batch). They won't disappoint! :) 

Happy Tuesday!

Love,

Lo