Comparison Traps-- The Game that Needs No Teacher

I want to talk about an unpopular, but very important topic---the trap of comparisons.

It’s a game that needs no teacher. I see kids start as early as K-5 comparing sneakers or hula-hoop colors at school. And as we get older, the objects may change (vacations, houses, relationships, bodies), but the root remains the same--discontentment. Since the majority of content I share in this space centers around travel, fitness and food I’ll start there. Blogging, Instagram, Facebook profiles are a highlight reel of our lives, not a live feed. There isn’t an audience for posts or pictures of me folding workout clothes (although I spend plenty of time doing it)....

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Simple Summer Weeknight Dinner (low carb)

This past weekend, I experienced something for the first time in my life--a wedding of two people over the age of seventy-five. My husband's Grandma married a man from her church in small, sweet church wedding ceremony that included her kids and even some grand kids. The pastor talked about making the most of their "twilight" years and being a team in their service for Christ and each other for as many years as they have together. It got me thinking of the marriage years I'm in right now, and how I don't want to waste a single day with Drew for however many years we have. All that deep thought resulted in me thinking of a dinner I could make him that included some of his favorite flavors. I'm a firm believer in the "little things" that show love day in and day out and create an environment of thoughtfulness and fun for the other person, so here's how our little dinner went down:

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When Eating Feels Like a Guessing Game

“Eating healthy” seems to be a phrase packed with so many different meanings for different people. For some, it’s “dairy-free,” “Paleo,” “Whole30 approved,” “gluten-free,” “vegan,” “clean,” and so many more labels that it’s hard to keep track. I’m not going to take the time to define each one, because none of them is a secret weapon that will allow you to lose weight, feel great, and banish all your health problems (sorry if that’s what you were looking for).

Something my sister learned and stuck with her as I've tried to teach her more about this, is that our body must be able to trust us to feed it CONSISTENTLY in order for it to respond and burn fat, or build muscle, or change in any way. (no yo-yo dieting)

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Protein Ice Cream

Alright, this is how you know things are getting more personal between us-- I don’t give out this recipe to just anyone. And to be honest, it’s been a process of trial and error of which you and your cravings are about to seriously benefit! I love having this to look forward to every night (seriously, every night). In the dead of winter when I’m praying that Greenville County decides the flurries of snow warrant a day off, you can find me eating this ice cream and begging Drew to snuggle with me to offset the chills.

I really enjoy going to bed full and this is a great way for me to fill out my macros with a treat that satisfies my sweet tooth while not derailing progress. I basically choose the “toppings” based on the macros I have leftover and if I need more carbs, fat or protein.

Since this recipe higher in calories and especially protein, it holds me over pretty well through a workout the next morning as I don’t typically eat before I go to the gym. Try the recipe out and comment/tag me in your creations!! (madeline_moves) on instagram! I'd love to see your toppings and creations!

I use the Nutribullet for this and I have found it works better than a traditional blender (I use the smaller cup and it fills the whole thing--so I basically have a pint of ice cream every night). I have tried the Vitamix and other blenders/food processors and I really do swear by the Nutribullet (especially the individual cups).

Ingredients

  • 2 cups ice
  • ½ cup Cashew Milk
  • 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein
  • 2-3 TBS Liquid Egg whites
  • 1-2 TBS Dark Cocoa Powder
  • ¼ tsp Xantham Gum (thickening agent, not necessary, but helps with the texture)
  • Liquid Stevia to Taste (I usually do 3 good squirts)

Directions

The directions are so simple, but I put the ice in first then all the other ingredients and BLEND (alot)- I even get in a little extra arm workout every night as I shake my nutritbullet to help it along! I try to avoid adding to much liquid in an effort not to lose the "frosty" consistency.

Literally shake it to get the right consistency--it's an art!

Literally shake it to get the right consistency--it's an art!

Traditional Toppings for Me: 

(I won't have all of these at once, but these are the ones that make appearances on the regular)

  • 2 TBS Cool Whip Lite
  • ½ Power Crunch Bar Salted Caramel (or)
  • ½ Good2Go Bar
  • 1 TBS Trader Joe’s Creamy Peanut butter
  • Cacao Nibs

MACROS toppings included:

(349 Calories) 18C/18F/30P (powercrunch bar) or 25C/15F/31P (Good2go bar)

For me, I’d rather keep fats and carbs a little lower throughout the day to fit this in, although with the macros this reasonable it’s not hard to do at all! I would also ALWAYS eat more of something less decadent than a tiny portion of something calorie-dense. If you go into this recipe thinking you are going to get to eat a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, you WILL be disappointed. But if you consider how much of my ice cream you get to eat for the same amount of calories as a small serving of Ben and Jerry's, it might be more appealing. I'd choose this any day!


As you can see if you've followed me on instagram for any amount of time, this 'ice cream' tags along to fireworks shows, movie dates, soccer games, you name it! I can promise you, if it’s 9:00 pm, I’m partaking with a big smile on my face :)

 

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

I think Extreme Moose Tracks or something with coconut

Would you rather have something small and decadent or more of a lower-calorie option?

MORE! I like big salads and things with lots of volume,

Tag Me on Instagram if you make it!! AS always, if you choose to order Good2go Bars, you can save 20% with the Discount Code "Moves" in Checkout :)

 

 

Calorie In vs. Calories Out- Tips & Trades

Calorie in vs, calorie out--tale as old as time. This is as basic and fundamental as weightloss gets. In order to lose weight, your body needs to be in a caloric deficit. The means of reaching this deficit can take a few different approaches, but at the end of the day, a person's calorie intake must be less than their expenditure in order to burn fat and lose weight. In my opinion, this is a slight oversimplification of the subject because it implies that a calorie is a calorie--all created equal. A calorie is techinically a measurement of energy, but different calories from different sources (fructose from fruit vs. protein from chicken) have different metabolic pathways and effects on hormones

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Zucchini Pad Thai on a Summer Picnic Date

These summer nights have me wanting to take advantage of every opportunity to spend time outside and soak up the longer evenings! As a teacher, my routine is very set throughout the school year and it involves waking up way too early to hit the gym before school....it is rough, but worth it! During the Summer, I am blessed to be able to stay up later, sleep in later and that lends itself to more creativity in the kitchen and midweek date nights! We decided to pack up our dinner and go to Furman University to enjoy an Asian Zoodle Pad Thai. It wasn't too hard to make or transport and we had a lot of fun being the objects of people's stares as we fought off occasional bugs and wrestled with the tripod to get a few shots from above (#bloggerlife). 

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Pancake Powerhouse Part II

I'm going to change your perspective today--are you open to it? I'm not easily persuaded either, so I know it might be a challenge, but I don't back away from those quickly. 

Can delicious pancakes help you lose weight, improve your skin and strengthen joints?

Seems like a tall order and probably goes against most everything you know about this dessert posing as a breakfast food. Don't misunderstand me, there is a time and place for pancakes topped with Nutella, strawberries and whipped cream, but it isn't going to get you the benefits I just mentioned.

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Happy 5th of July!!!

The poor day after the 4th gets no love at all.....poor thing. I hope each of you had a weekend full of things that made you extra thankful for the blessing it is to be an American. Sometimes I wonder how I was chosen (ultimately, I believe God put me here) to live in this country of freedom and opportunity and wealth when so many others are in different parts of the world leading much different lives. We have more to be thankful for than we know how to be, and it's important to keep perspective that even though America is a great nation, it's not the only nation and there are people and places that we can be involved in outside of our borders.

 

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Staying Motivated-- Thoughts on Consistency

I think this is probably the most difficult part of many people’s health journey and the most frequent question I am asked. It’s not a simple fix and it takes time, effort and making it part of your daily routine. Everyone’s lives are different--different challenges to their schedule, preferences with their workouts, limitations with their diet, etc. One truth remains the same, the benefits of frequent exercise and a healthy diet are worth overcoming whatever limitations and challenges that stand in your (Ok, there was the tough love, but keep reading.....I get nicer).

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