MealEnders Review

Happy New Years Eve!! The holiday season always seems to go by so fast! There's always so much to do, so many parties to attend, gifts to wrap, lots of baking to be done, and LOTS of eating to be had. Maybe the holiday season doesn't really go that fast, but it just passes while I am in a food coma? Anyone else feel that way?

This holiday season I got to test out MealEnders! MealEnders are lozenges that help curb over eating. There are two layers to MealEnders lozenges- the outside layer is the "dessert layer," this layer tastes sweet, which helps signal the brain that the meal is over. Then there is a second inner layer, which triggers a cooling sensation that stimulates the trigeminal nerve, which helps you feel satiated. The two layers are supposed to work together to help you from giving into your cravings.

I put MealEnders to the test not once, but twice- at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The holidays are times when most people tend to overeat and crave sweets. I was with family and friends for both occasions and had them test out MealEnders to see what they thought.

Each person tried one either after eating dinner or after having a small piece of dessert. Everyone really liked the flavors, but cinnamon and chocolate mint seemed to be the favorites. The lozenges definitely worked as they said they would- a sweet outer coating then the inner layer which made your tongue tingle a bit, but it wasn't anything drastic. All together MealEnders got a 9/10 rating from everyone. The one drawback that people mentioned was having to pop a lozenge after every meal, which could get expensive. 

What everyone did like most of all, besides the flavor, was the nutrition facts. Each MealEnders is gluten free, free from high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, there are no herbs or drugs, and they are kosher. Each lozenge is only 15 calories and contains 0 grams fat, 2 grams sugar, and 2 grams carbs, awesome macros right?!

If you want to try MealEnders now is your chance! You can go to mealenders.com and use the discount code: FitHolidays20 for 20% off your order! Curb your cravings to help you reach your goals in the New Year!

Post Christmas and Pear & PB Cup Oatmeal

A delayed Merry Christmas to you! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas filled with faith, family, and lots of laughter! I apologize for being MIA from the blog in recent weeks. Christmastime is always chaotic, but this year was even more so. I was finishing up my last semester of college, then graduation, finals, Christmas shopping, moving, trying to wrap everything before Christmas, and then Christmas! It's been a CRAZY few weeks and I am definitely looking forward to some downtime coming up. 

My eating has been all over the place the past few weeks. I've been tracking, but I haven't been super strict about it. As Sam always says memories > macros. I couldn't agree more. The biggest change for me this holiday season is eating enough and not stuffing or starving myself. I stop when I have had enough and I always make sure to have a balance of lean protein, carbs, and lots of veggies and fruit. I've been putting in lots of time at the gym and building up my miles and my body has definitely been feeling it. 

I will try to get a blog up this week with all the graduation photos and recent happenings (pre-warning: it will probably be long!). This morning I took a break from lifting and running and just did some LISS cardio- I walked and took it easy. My hip flexor has really been bothering me recently so if anyone has any advice on how to loosen it up please let me know! 

After getting back from the gym I baked some cinnamon pear oatmeal. I spiced things up a bit by adding in some mini Justin's peanut butter cups. My mom had them from doing some holiday baking and I'm not a sweets person, but I needed something this morning and it hit the spot in the oatmeal! The oatmeal is: 

• 1/2 cup gluten free oats
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• heaping 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons liquid egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 medium pear, sliced
• few Justin's mini PB cups

All of that mixed into a ramekin and baked at 350F degrees for 35 minutes. Just let it cool for a few minutes before eating or you will burn yourself!

I ate in front of the Christmas tree while reading Jesus Calling and Breakfast with Jesus. I love starting my day off in God's word, it helps me focus my day and keep my thoughts on him. 

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend and can relax!

Open Letter to the Man I Let Go

The first time our eyes met I knew I was a goner. You looked at me like I held the entire world in my hands. I thought love at first glance was only for movies, but now I know different.

People always told me love was hard, but nothing was hard with you. In so many ways it felt like we were old souls who had known each other our entire lives. You became my best friend, my confidant, my world. I didn't know where I ended and you began.

I knew each freckle on your face. I knew your hopes, your dreams, and your biggest fears. There were no secrets between us. One look and I knew what you thinking. 

I loved the way the corners of your mouth would curve into a smile when you were trying to keep a secret. I loved the way you'd turn into a little boy when you saw Christmas lights. I loved how you'd squeeze my hand to tell me you loved me without words. I loved your passion for life. I loved how you'd find adventure in everything. I loved how you'd make me laugh until my sides ached and I had tears streaming down my face. I loved that life with you was never dull.

You were never distracted by your phone when you talked to someone. You really listened. You focused on who were talking to and made them feel like the only person in the room. You made them feel important. You made me feel important.

I loved our late night talks where we would talk about everything. I loved curling up on the couch and watching movies with you. I loved how you'd wrap me in your arms and tell me how much you loved me. I loved how peaceful you looked when you'd fall asleep while watching said movie. I loved listening to your heartbeat.

You always made me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. Even when I was wearing sweats and a messy bun you looked at me like I was a beauty queen. No matter what I was wearing you only had eyes for me. You never failed to tell me how beautiful I was and how lucky you were to have me, even in front of your friends.

I loved how you remembered the little things. I loved how you would text me before a test and encourage me. I loved how you'd listen to me fret if I didn't think the test went well. I loved that you always made a big deal about tests that did go well. I loved your unwavering support of me in all of my academic endeavors.

I'll never forget the time I had mono, but you showed up at my door with flowers anyway. Even with mono you told me I was the most beautiful girl in the world. I told you you were nuts.

I loved how you were always a gentlemen- holding doors open, pulling out my chair, offering me your coat, and paying for me even though I always put up a fight. I loved how you held my hand and kissed my forehead. I loved how you were always proud to bring me along with your friends. 

I'm sorry doesn't seem adequate. I was so young and so scared. I'd watched too many relationships around me fall apart. I didn't want to make the same mistakes. You talked about getting married someday. I couldn't. I had too much I wanted to do. Places I wanted to see. Adventures to be had.

In reality, I was terrified. I didn't want to fail like everyone around me. But I was selfish because I loved you too much. I didn't want to let you go, but I didn't want to be tied down to a commitment I wasn't sure I could keep. 

I will never forget the hurt in your eyes when I told you I didn't want to get married. You were so sure we were strong. You said we could weather the storms and find adventure together. I couldn't make you understand the fear inside me. 

In the end the overwhelming fear of failure won.

Not a day goes by that I don't regret that decision. If I could go back and change it all I would. I would have taken the chance because love is worth it. You were worth it. You treated me like a queen and I threw it all in your face because I was selfish and scared. I'd give anything to go back and change my mind. 

It's been over three years but your memory still haunts me. Every guy since I've compared to you, but not one comes close. No one has made me feel alive the way you did. No one has caused the sparks you did. Some have been nice, but none of them are you.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was selfish and scared. I'm sorry I was afraid to trust in love. I'm sorry for everything, but most of all I'm sorry for what could have been. 

But I've never been sorry for loving you. 

One Pan Dinner: Greek Chicken

Happy Monday/welcome to finals week! This past weekend was an absolute whirlwind! I tried to get a ton of studying in before the weekend arrived because I knew commencement and family was going to occupy most of my time. After finals (if I survive) I will get a post up about graduation.

With finals this week and a million other activities going on meal prep is my only hope to eat quick, healthy meals. I've been making this chicken a lot recently. It's incredibly moist and packed with flavor. Bonus I also roast veggies on the same pan while the chicken is cooking, thus one pan meal. In all fairness I roasted potatoes the other day so I had those too, but you can roast potatoes at the same time (it'd be a two pan meal then). It's a quick and easy meal to throw together and I will eating it between finals, packing, and running around like a mad woman ;)

One Pan Greek Chicken and Veggies

• 1 lb organic thin sliced chicken breasts
• 1/2-3/4 cup organic low sodium chicken broth
• greek seasoning, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• minced garlic, to taste
• 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Place chicken breasts in ziploc bag and dump all seasonings in bag. Seal the bag.

Gently shake the bag to coat all the chicken breasts with seasoning.

Open the bag and pour in chicken broth in. You want the chicken breasts to be covered in chicken broth to absorb some of the liquid. Reseal the bag. I let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for the majority of the day. 

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with nonstick cook spray or coconut oil. 

Take chicken breasts out of bag and place on lined baking sheet. 

Sprinkle more seasoning over chicken breasts lightly coating each side.

In another ziploc bag combine trimmed green beans, cherry tomatoes, diced onion, and olive oil. Seal the bag.

Shake the ziploc bag gently to coat all the veggies in olive oil. 

After coating all veggies in olive oil open bag and spread veggies over chicken breasts on baking sheet. Try to evenly spread out veggies so everything cooks evenly. 

Bake chicken and veggies at 400F degrees for 25-30 minutes. The chicken is done cooking when the juices run clear. 

I served the chicken with roasted potatoes that I had made the day before, but you can easily roast potatoes and cook chicken at the same time. If you do that the potatoes need about 15 minutes more cook time than the chicken. It will be a two pan dinner then, but if you line the baking sheet the clean up is minimal!

Only Natural Pet Review

Happy Thursday everyone, only one more day till it's the weekend! I'm very excited about this post for two reasons: one because it's going to a series of reviews and two it involved Cora!! I try not to appear like a crazy dog lady, but let's be real Cora is like my child.

In my house Cora is not just a pet, she's a family member. As with any family member I care about her overall well-being. I'm very particular about her care because I want her to have the longest, healthiest, and happiest life possible. One of my number one concerns is what she eats. Cora has allergies (a lot of them) and a sensitive stomach, so it can be hard to find food that meets her needs- not to mention I refuse to give her food with an ingredients list a mile long and filled with ingredients I can't pronounce. 

PetSmart reached out to me and asked if I'd be interested in trying a new line of products they are carrying called Only Natural Pet. After taking some time to learn about the brand I readily agreed. What I loved about Only Natural Pet was all the treats and food is made with minimal ingredients and they are focused on the quality of ingredients. It's paleo-inspired which means your pet is getting high protein, high quality food that will actually benefit them. Only Natural Pet honestly cares about the well-being of pets and for that reason I agreed to test their products, of course Cora was thrilled.

I swear Cora has a sixth sense when it comes to packages that are for her. She loves the UPS man anyway, but she was all over this box. Cora kept sticking her nose in the bully stick treats bag, so we tested that out first. The only "treat" I will give Cora is all natural peanut butter, so she was thrilled to be getting a treat. Best of all the the package says low odor and it should say no odor because I couldn't smell a thing! I hate the dog raw hides that smell really bad at the pet store, but the bully sticks didn't smell at all. 

Cora gives the treats two paws up! She snatched the treat out of my hand and started chowing down right away. I later asked Cora's vet about the treats and he gave his stamp of approval. He said they are great for her teeth, they won't upset her stomach, and he approved of the ingredients (or lack there of). It also kept her occupied chewing, so I didn't have to worry about her getting into trouble while I wasn't looking.

Another one of Cora's favorites from Only Natural Pet is the all meat bites. I've been trying (and failing) to teach her some new tricks, so we have been using these to try to aid the process. Again, they are only high quality ingredients, so I don't have to worry about what she is consuming. I'd say they are helping teach her new tricks, but it's not working- she just snatches the treat when I'm not looking. 

Overall, I'm very impressed and very happy with all of the Only Natural Pet products and Cora is too. I think this has been her favorite product test to date :) So far, her top four favorites from the new line are: low odor bully sticks, freeze dried bison bites, freeze dried chicken bites, and freeze dried beef bites. Of course I always recommend talking to your vet before giving your pet anything because they will be able to tell you what's best for your pet. 

Let me know if you try any of the Only Natural Pet products and what you think of them! PetSmart carries a huge line of their products and I know a few of the products will find their way into Cora's Christmas stocking ;)

*PetSmart supplied me with products from the Only Natural Pet line to do this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Spiced Pear and Pomegranate Baked Oatmeal

TGIT! Only one more day till the weekend and closing in on a week until graduation!! I picked up my cap and gown yesterday, which made everything very real- like holy crap I have to be a real adult now kinda real. So, I'm going to enjoy the last of my three day weekends while I can. I applaud my younger self for never scheduling Friday classes :)

I wasn't planning on sharing a recipe this morning, but I made some seriously tasty oats for breakfast and I couldn't not share! Baked pear oatmeal is one of my favorites, but this morning I kicked it up a notch by spicing things up and adding pomegranate seeds!! It's an easy and delicious breakfast that is sure to make your tastebuds very happy!!

Spiced Pear and Pomegranate Baked Oatmeal

• 1/2 cup gluten free oats
• heaping 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• heaping 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch ground nutmeg
• pinch ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 Tablespoons liquid egg whites
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 pear, sliced
• 1.5 Tablespoons pomegranate seeds
• OPTIONAL: 2 Tablespoons POM pomegranate juice

Preheat oven to 350F degrees and spray a ramekin with nonstick cook spray or coconut oil.

In ramekin combine oats, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, and ground cloves until well combined.

Add in egg whites, vanilla extract, and almond milk. Stir until mixture becomes thicker. If you are adding in pomegranate juice for an extra pomegranate flavor reduce almond milk by 1 Tablespoon.

Next, stir pomegranate seeds into the mixture- be sure to stir well so the seeds are distributed throughout the ramekin.

Finally, layer pear slices on top of the batter and add an extra pinch of cinnamon to the top. 

Bake at 350F degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cook time will vary depending on your oven. 

Allow ramekin to cool for a few minutes before eating oats. I added some more pomegranate seeds on top before I ate the oatmeal (one can never have too many pomegranate seeds). Enjoy!

Gingerbread Waffles For Two

It's waffle Wednesday and I must admit I've been so excited to share this recipe! I have been toying with this recipe for a number of weeks because waffles are an art folks- an edible art at that (totally the best form of art). 

I must admit I've never had gingerbread anything. No gingerbread cookies, no gingerbread houses, nothing, until I Wild Friends gingerbread peanut butter (AMAZING by the way). That peanut butter got me thinking about making something gingerbread and somehow waffles popped in my head. I love this recipe because it reminds me of Christmas. Even though I never had gingerbread until recently it just reminds me of Christmas and rest assured I WILL be making these waffles a LOT during the holidays! 

Gingerbread Waffles

• 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour, sifted (whole wheat flour works too)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• pinch of pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon molasses
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 3 Tablespoons egg whites
• OPTIONAL: mix 1/2 tablespoon slightly melted Wild Friends Gingerbread Peanut Butter into the batter

In a medium mixing bowl combine sifted flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, and baking soda. Make sure to sift flour before combining other ingredients or your batter will be lumpy.

Once the dry ingredients are combined, add in molasses, vanilla extract, almond milk, and egg whites and whisk together all ingredients. 

If you choose to do so mix in 1/2 Tablespoon Wild Friends Gingerbread peanut butter into batter. You need to slightly melt the peanut butter first, so microwave it for 10-15 seconds. 

Let batter stand for two minutes, it will thicken slightly, but the batter is very thin. 

Heat up a waffle iron and spray with nonstick cook spray or coconut oil. You definitely want to spray the waffle iron to prevent the waffles from sticking and ripping.

When the waffle iron is heated up pour half the batter on the iron and close. I have a HUGE Belgian waffle maker, so if you have a small or normal sized waffle marker it will make different amounts of waffles. 

IMPORTANT: These waffles cook VERY quickly. Mine cooked in less than 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. 

Serve waffles topped with fresh berries and more Wild Friends gingerbread peanut butter.

Nutrition per serving (serving= 1 giant Belgian waffle):
MACROS: 31C/2F/6P

Nutrition Facts
Servings 2.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 153
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g	3 %
Saturated Fat 0 g	0 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 877 mg	37 %
Potassium 338 mg	10 %
Total Carbohydrate 31 g	10 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g	15 %
Sugars 9 g
Protein 6 g	12 %
Vitamin A	3 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	13 %
Iron	11 %

Power Breakfast

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving with family and friends. If your Thanksgiving was anything like mine there was more food than people and there was plenty of football to be had. I have to mention that the Lions won- it was a Thanksgiving miracle!!

I still can't believe November is almost over. It seems like it just started and now it's almost December and I graduate in less than two weeks-AHHH!! Time has been FLYING by and I'm trying to enjoy every second of it because I know life is going to change a lot. After hitting the gym Friday morning- and avoiding shopping at all costs- I was in need of an extra energy boost. I refueled with a powerful breakfast to get my day started before hitting the books to work on homework. Believe me I need all the energy I can get from food because I am lacking energy and motivation when it comes to school (I blame senioritis).

Power Breakfast

• 1/3 cup gluten free oats
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 honeycrisp apple, cut into chunks
• 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 oz fresh raspberries
• 1/2 oz pomegranate seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Purely Elizabeth pumpkin fig granola

In a bowl or ramekin combine oats, nutmeg, and cinnamon. 

Add in water and stir. 

After stirring, add in apple chunks- I added a bit more cinnamon too- and stir.

Microwave for 1.5-2 minutes. Check oatmeal instructions. You want to make sure the oatmeal is hot and the apples are tender.

Add greek yogurt, raspberries, and pomegranate seeds to oatmeal. 

Finally top oats with Purely Elizabeth pumpkin fig granola and enjoy! It's a great high protein workout perfect for refueling after a workout or powering up for work or school!

Nutrition (one serving):
MACROS: 44C/13P/4F

Nutrition Facts
Servings 1.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 250
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4 g	7 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	7 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 5 mg	2 %
Sodium 65 mg	3 %
Potassium 257 mg	7 %
Total Carbohydrate 44 g	15 %
Dietary Fiber 8 g	32 %
Sugars 18 g
Protein 13 g	26 %
Vitamin A	1 %
Vitamin C	27 %
Calcium	11 %
Iron	11 %