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Raise your hand if you want to lose weight? Do you also talk about wanting “toned arms”? Do you say that you’d love to lose the cellulite on your thighs? Do you want to lose the jiggly skin in many areas of your body?
GIRL. I hear you.
This post is intended to help all of you SNAP OUT OF IT a bit and wake up to what you need to be focused on in order to attain those results that have probably eluded you for way too long.
Why am I saying you have to snap out of it? The truth is, far too many women- I was one of them in the past, are doing all the wrong things, thinking they will work. And they are NOT doing a lot of things they NEED TO DO — thinking “it’s not for them”– and lastly, they have delusions about some of these goals that need to be addressed. The more you know- the better you can proceed in developing your plan of attack.
This is me giggling at how little I knew before when I thought I was all Ms. Fitness Badass a few years ago. I have learned a LOT in recent years and much of it came from working with a fantastic trainer and seeing what his training did for my body, and a lot of it came from me figuring out on my own– with research and analysis of my own history- what works and what doesn’t work. So- please note, as I share some tips and advice below, I’m just a girl sharing her opinion and experience. I’m not a doctor or a dietitian or a trainer (yet– but I am getting my NASM certification this year WOOT!) so please note that.
The Top 20 Mistakes Women Make When Trying to Get Fit.
They think that the best way to lose weight is to do CARDIO. Cardio ONLY. And lots of it.
They avoid lifting weights because they don't want to GET BULKY.
They go on extreme trendy fad diets- and stick with it for 2 days, then give up.
They don't count calories or even know what their caloric deficit window should be for weight loss.
They don't deal with the INNER REASONS why they gained weight in the first place.
They have an all-or-nothing perfectionistic mindset.
They diet in secret- not telling anyone for fear of judgment or being made fun of.
They follow random "food rules" they see on instagram or in the media that have no basis in reality- like cutting out all carbs or not eating after 8pm or not having wine etc.
They have no specific goal.
They have a totally unreasonable (short) timeline for reaching their goal.
They keep trying the SAME diet and the SAME WORKOUTS over and over again.
They think "just eating clean" or "just cutting out carbs" or just....anything -- is a diet.
They have no diversity in their diet.
They aren't taking any vitamins or supplements.
They don't weigh themselves or measure themselves or take progress photos.
If they make a mistake or "cheat" on their plan, they view it as failure and quit.
They don't understand that the only way to "FIRM UP" or "TONE" is to have MUSCLE and that to have MUSCLE means one must LIFT WEIGHTS heavier than a Q-tip.
They don't understand that there is no magic solution to getting rid of cellulite, but if there's one that comes close, it's lifting heavy weights.
They aren't on a program of any kind. They are WINGING IT.
They aren't tracking anything and therefore have no idea if they've made any progress.
Why George Costanza was a genius.
Ladies, I have been applying The George Costanza approach to life recently– and I DARE YOU to apply this to your fitness journey. I mean think about- like the quote above says– and is so true — if you change NOTHING, nothing will change. If you reviewed the top 20 trends above and can relate to any of them or several of them or all of them, why not be bold and decide to DO THE OPPOSITE??? DO everything differently. Dive in, be bold. Go crazy!!
Now, here is a summary- on an introductory level- of all the things I’m doing differently now and what I’m not doing- and at age 51, and with major hormonal imbalance and hypothyroidism, I’m losing weight and feeling GREAT AGAIN.
I am on a DIET. I know my caloric deficit window and it's my primary goal.
I am on a PROGRAM. Instead of just mixing and matching random workouts, I am on a 60-Day PROGRAM based on heavy lifting. I am ONLY doing this program and not quitting! And loving it BTW.
If I mess up, I do not stress about it and give up. I just keep on going.
I am weighing myself and measuring myself and holding myself accountable to YOU and to my man and my weight loss accountability partner.
I am taking my vitamins and supplements daily.
I am weighing myself and measuring myself and holding myself accountable to YOU and to my man and my weight loss accountability partner.
I am focusing on the long-term vs. worrying about how fast I can get as skinny as possible.
I am learning to love myself and respect myself and appreciate myself NOW vs. thinking I am gross and unworthy until I am the perfect size.
I have learned to let go of aiming for perfection.
I do the work on becoming more self-aware every day- and focusing on self-LOVE.
I 100% BELIEVE IN MYSELF and my ability to get to my goals and slay them.
I don't quit.
Ladies, as I made this blog post and this list of the top 20 things that women do WRONG when they try to get fit- I realized that each one deserves some time and thorough explanation. Therefore consider this blog post my introductory one into a series where I’ll cover each of these top 20 mistakes — and then my top 20 pieces of best advice on getting fit- at any age, and regardless of health/hormone conditions — in this series. This series will be blog posts with videos and podcasts- how about that?
This is what I am passionate about – helping other women see that they CAN break through all the bad STUCK points in their past and create amazing results they probably never thought possible– but it does require WORK and discipline. It’s not necessarily hard or complex to get fit. It’s just that it requires doing the WORK and staying focus and committed. If you can do that, you’ve got this. I’m here to help. Let me know what questions you have or what your struggles have been so I can be sure to address them. And be sure you are subscribed below so you don’t miss a thing when new posts come out!
Make Your Own Protein Bars At Home. So Many Flavor Combinations: Recipes Below!
Do you struggle getting enough protein in your diet? Do you have a lot of tubs of protein powder to use but no idea what to do with it? Do you NOT love the idea of chugging protein shakes all day?
Well, you might want to consider making some of these delicious and clean (NOTE: not calorie free- please please please be sure you calculate your nutrition info so you can hit your caloric window and not exceed it!) protein bars (or other protein recipes I have linked at the bottom)–homemade protein bars: they are sweet, portable, and there are so many flavor and texture combinations, you are set for variety….I can’t wait to hear some of your tweaks on this homemade protein bar recipe!
Protein bars can be made at home with just a few ingredients (you probably already have most in your pantry!). As with protein bites, you can customize them to your taste. The best part is – these bars are not an exact science! So, no pressure! There’s no such thing as a batch that didn’t turn out right. Just play around with the ingredients and flavors to find what you like best.
For a Basic batch of Protein Bars:
Dry ingredients:
1) 2 cups whey protein powder (vanilla or chocolate work best– I’m happy to make recommendations for you and you can order solid whey protein from me if you need help just email me kelly@kellyolexa.com) For today’s recipe I used chocolate whey protein.
2) 1 cup of dry oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Old-Fashioned Oats. Once I did some reading about Quaker Oats containing massive amounts of roundup in them– and after getting BAD stomach-aches having said oats in the morning — and then the stomach aches stopping when I removed the said oats– I upgraded to cleaner oats. Don’t get me wrong- I get it, they are significantly more expensive, but come on- do you want to consume pesticides every day in your oats?)
1 1/3 cup of honey ( currently obsessing over this honey right now) – or another sticky sweetener
Directions– mix together dry ingredients and set aside.
Microwave the nutter butter and the sticky sweetener for about 10 seconds to make for easier mixing. (Please be careful and don’t be an idiot like me and put the jar of almond butter in the microwave- mine sparked and almost exploded good times) Blend together the sticky sweetener and nut butters. I recommend using your food processor. It’s funny, because when I moved from Chicago to Austin- I sold a TON of my old STUFF- I wanted to start fresh with new furniture and everything– plus, less to move (so I thought: good grief the size of my moving truck AFTER selling a lot of my stuff was massive! But I digress, I still am so glad I purged and started fresh in Texas.) I remember offering my Cuisinart Food Processor for sale but it didn’t sell. I’m so glad I didn’t sell it because let me tell you- now that I make these types of recipes and now that both the man and I cook a lot together- I am telling you- I use the food processor now more than I ever have in my life!!
Here’s a link for you in case you don’t have one– CLICK HERE to the one I have and you can check around to view other brands as well.
Now combine the dry and wet ingredients. If you find it too loose and not mixing well, add a tablespoon of water or even almond milk, more if you need it. Conversely, if it’s too wet of a mixture, then add a bit more of the dry ingredients. You get the idea. It’s trial and error – and you may like a slightly different consistency to your bars then the next person. Spread the mixture into a square baking dish and chill overnight. This recipe makes about 20 bars (square sized). NOTE: I put this into a 9×9 pan and the bars are TALL/THICK. See below- the ingredients came all the way up to the top I am going to try making these in a longer rectangle pan and make flatter bars. You’ll also see a version of this recipe coming up so you can make protein balls out of it as well.
If you’re adding extras, like chia or flax seeds, or dried fruit, you’ll add those to the sticky ingredients and prior to combining with the dry ingredients. After making this recipe, I’m thinking for my next go-round I’ll use VANILLA WHEY PROTEIN plus PEANUT BUTTER vs. almond butter. I also plan to try adding some white chocolate chips (being sure to measure the chips so I can calculate the macros and count the calories) with some coconut flakes. MMMMM.
Word to the wise- these bars are not a low calorie snack. Watch your portion size – and keep them in mind for a great post workout or post run snack. Experiment and enjoy! If you liked this post, it’s likely you’ll want to check out this post with recipes for DELISH protein balls. CLICK HERE. And I’m fairly certain you’ll be drooling once you check out my post on sweet tooth satisfaction- clean healthified versions of desserts and snacks– CLICK HERE.
If you are tuning in here and seeing me talk about counting calories and caloric deficit, and you are like HOLY HELL KELLY why you sharing sweet recipes like this when I’m supposed to count calories? I am happy to help you with a customized diet plan and/or workout plan to help you get where you want to be. I start new private groups for a small group of women I can personally coach each month. Email me if you want more information on group coaching experiences with me or private coaching! kelly @ kellyolexa.com or just use the Contact Me form.
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Got a Sweet Tooth? Here are my Top 20 Favorite Clean Eating Desserts and Snacks.
“Oh, those donuts don’t look tempting to me at all.”
Said NO ONE. Ever.
If you are like 99.9% of us, you’ve got a sweet tooth. And it sometimes feels like it’s a dirty word or phrase right? No one wants to say it, “I’ve got a sweet tooth big time…”– well, we are here to take away the shame and tell you to embrace that love of all things delectably delicious and SWEET. You want savory? That’s another post. This post is dedicated to our sweet tooths- and read on because we are sharing some of our favorite FINDS – products we’ve tasted (again, and again, and then, again and again…..you get the idea) and can heartily recommend, as well as some insanely enticing recipes by some of our best and most favorite foodie bloggers–they slay us with their compelling creations every week.
That would be us every time they put up a new instagram post. For reals. How do they do it??
One of our very own team members has become an amazing legit foodie– Ms. Lauren Fischer. You can follow her on instagram (HINT she’s launching a new blog about her foodie obsessions soon!) at @laurenfischereats.
Here is her contribution to today’s Sweet Tooth Snacks List: CHOCOLATE AVOCADO TRUFFLES.
Recipe:
1/2 Avocado
2 TBS Cocoa Powder
3 TBS Maple Syrup
2 TBS Melted Coconut Oil
2 TBS Melted Dark Chocolate
Blend all together. Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet, freeze for 1 hour and then form into balls. Coat with more cocoa powder and refrigerate.
Amen.
Photo Source: NadaMoo
Friends, if you like ice cream, get ready to weep with joy. NadaMoo has some of the most delightful, taste-bud pleasing frozen creations- and BONUS– they are DAIRY FREE for those of you like me with dairy sensitivities or needing to avoid dairy for autoimmune issues. The flavor on the right is my personal favorite and I cannot tell you how often Amazon Prime Now has delivered this to me for my eating pleasure. It delivers a LOT of pleasure my friends. They have a TON of flavors, I’ve loved the pistachio, maple pecan, salted caramel…and several others. (For some reason I feel like that song by Willie Nelson should be playing but instead of “To all the girls I’ve loved before….” it would be “To all the NadaMoo flavors I’ve loved thus far….”). Now. Sit down for this part.
You’re welcome. People- you GOTTA treat yoself to some NadaMoo. You will become obsessed. I promise.
You know what goes well with frozen icy creamy treats?
Bourbon.
But also- brownies. And the photo above is an extreme close-up of the DELIGHTFUL brownies from Flax4Life. This is another one of my Amazon Prime Now discoveries (Damn You Amazon!!). My manfriend and I order these and keep several containers in the fridge. We’ll often not get dessert at a restaurant and come home and have a few of these bad boys– only 140 calories each! WHAT??? And when you heat them up in the microwave, OMG it’s Slap Yo Mama good!!! Might I suggest serving 1 or 2 of these with a serving of NadaMoo? Not that I’ve tried that or anything. Just saying.
Here is what the packaging looks like- so if you order online or from their website, you can pick the right one.
Oh Heavens to Betsy! They are also GLUTEN FREE?? AND Dairy Free!!! Great Balls of Fire!! You’re welcome. I implore you to treat yourself to some of these and feel free to ship some to me as well.
Now let’s move on to something warm, and breakfasty. I mean, who doesn’t love breakfast?
Folks, I do not recall how I stumbled on this brand but WOW. These Paleo Pancakes are AMAZING!!! Birch Benders, you complete me. I even have my parents making these and loving them. Pro Tip: Get yourself a Perfect Pancake Pan on Amazon to make the perfect sized pancakes. And might I recommend– the best sugar free syrup to top these off?
I have been addicted to this Walden Farms Sugar Free Pancake Syrup for years. And here’s another hint: this is also FANTASTIC to put on top of sweet potatoes! Which, hello, why don’t I share a little “recipe” with you? Take sweet potatoes and bake them (I bake several at at time: 425 degrees for an hour and 15 or so.) then store them in your fridge. Take them out, slice them (measure and weigh them first if you are counting macros!) and then heat up some coconut oil in a saucepan on the stove. Add your sliced sweet potatoes (in round slices, do not slice length-wise) in the coconut oil and sprinkle with a lot of cinnamon. Turn over — I like to let them get really browned and crispy. Remove from pan and add your Walden Farms Syrup and maybe a bit more cinnamon. DIVINE. Learn about all the other Walden Farms products at their website. CLICK HERE.
I feel I should insert a drumroll here. Because- get ready for this. This woman, whose blog you should subscribe to immediately- took the Birch Benders Paleo Pancakes UP 2,000 notches. As I was googling– I found this via her site, ReformationHealth.com
OHHHHH MYYYY LORRRRDDDD~!!!
Are you drooling yet? She calls this recipe Bunny Crack Pancakes and you can find the recipe by heading to her site: CLICK HERE.
I may need a moment to recover from looking at this photo. Seriously. My idea of getting creative is adding flavored syrup on my cakes and look what she did! Amazing!
All this pancake talk made me think of my latest coffee creation. I have been OBSESSED – more than ever- with my coffee, ever since upgrading to a Nespresso. (Hint. Best Gift Idea EVER for anyone who loves coffee.)
I can blame my BFF Amanda Tress because she posted HER coffee coming out of her new Nespresso every morning on instagram and I lost it. I bought one. Then I bought my man one. He’s obsessed. Then I bought my parents one. OBSESSED. Get yourself one now and I promise you, game over for all other coffee machines. Ever.
So- I make a cup of Nespresso. I add Torani Sugar Free Syrups– for Fall, I go CRAZY- I have been adding two flavors- Pumpkin Pie and Salted Caramel!!!! OMG!! Check out these sampler packs for Fall and Winter you can get. Yes, I got both of them.
Above is the Fall selection: CLICK HERE to treat yoself. And then, you might as well….
Get the Winter Selection too: CLICK HERE. You’re welcome. Also go to their site, they have a whole RECIPE section!
So, I make the coffee. I add Pumpkin Pie and Salted Caramel Sugar Free Syrups. I add some Stevia – and then sprinkle in some Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice (stock up when you go- trust me). Then I add the steamed milk (we use Blue Diamond 30-Calorie Almond Milk) and stir and I am soon delivered to another land of sublime peace and happiness. (Side note: I always also add collagen to my coffee, but that’s not the sweet part. It does add a nice dose of protein and ladies, it helps your hair and nails grow like a boss. I use Vital Proteins and you can get (shocking) on Amazon by clicking here.)
Next. Let’s dive in to some more recipes shall we. Be prepared to be in awe.
OH LORD HELP ME.
Almond Joy Coconut Butter Cups from Lee at FitFoodieFinds. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? She is amazing….if you are not subscribed to her blog you will be. You can find the recipe over there by clicking here. I don’t know about you but I am a huge fan of Almond Joy and I am so making these this weekend!!
Lastly I am going to share some sweet treats that are truly personal to both me and to Lauren, featured above.
Lauren ALWAYS tells me to go get these Hail Merry treats in bulk. She was not joking. Once I tried, I died. You want to try a sampler pack? You’re welcome: click here. And then, I told HER, “GIRL you gotta try these Better Bites mini-cupcakes……OMG.” She did. She loved. She’s obsessed.
And then I recall it was Amanda Tress who got me hooked on Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups. Holy Cow. Amazing. Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate. You choose. These are my favorites:
How to Make a Chocolate Mug Cake With Frosting That Will Make You Weep With Joy.
If you have yet to make yourself a MUG CAKE– girl, you gotta get with it. What I love about mug cakes is – it’s usually a serving size for one person. So you aren’t stuck with a whole cake in your fridge calling out to you after you make it. (Remember that scene in Sex & The City where Miranda goes in the trash to eat more cake? been there. Done that many many times.)
I have lots of favorite mug cake recipes but the one above I got from this fine blogger: CLICK HERE. Now- with this recipe, I didn’t use Nutella for the middle. I put semi-sweet chocolate CHUNKS as you can see in the photo above. Now, this mug cake was nice and chocolatey rich all on its own. You could add some NADAMOO or HaloTop ice cream on the top – OR, you can add some FROSTING because why the hell not? I made a simple white frosting with butter/powdered sugar/almond milk and mixed it in– while the mug cake was hot- and both the man and I were like OH HELL YEA.
You know you want it. Don’t you? Here’s the thing. What I’ve learned about weight loss is- if you’ve been reading my blog lately (posts like THIS and THIS and THIS and THIS where I detail how I’m losing weight and still loving life) — then you know I’m SEEING RESULTS but also enjoying eating sweets and having adult beverages– in other words, I’m all about finding a way to DIET but still enjoy life along the way. The key is – you gotta DIET. But if you DIET RIGHT you can still have sweets– you just GOTTA TRACK WHAT YOU EAT. Without even looking at the recipe for the mug cake above- it’s a good size and it’s so sweet, Steve and I could easily split one mug cake (seriously- especially with the frosting on it) — I’d estimate 300-400 calories if we split it, each. I aim for 1600 calories a day- on my “high” normal days (meaning not my cheat day)- so if you have a sweet treat like this, just KNOW that it’s about 1/4 of your daily caloric load, possibly. JUST ACCOUNT FOR IT. My other tip: don’t eat sweets on an empty stomach. I’m all about not snacking BUT having sweets as DESSERT– this way, you eat a meal first and you likely won’t pig out as much! See how that works?
Here are some other sweet recipes== one is an Acai Bowl which really- should be done as a MEAL. Let me be clear these can be high calorie but also filled with nutrition– so get your sweet tooth on and enjoy. CLICK HERE to read my post with my favorite Acai Protein Bowl Recipe. And– something I make ALL THE TIME for my man and I are clean eats peanut butter balls or cookie dough balls. There are so many easy to make recipes like this and just keep the balls in the fridge but again- BE AWARE OF CALORIES. Most of the recipes I make are 125-150 per ball. My man and I try to have no more than 2 at a time, maybe 3. We’ll have more than 2 if it’s cheat day. 😉 CLICK HERE to read my post with recipes and lots of options.
Stock up on these Sweet Treats NOW.
These Gluten Free Donuts by Katz are DANG GREAT. Kinda dangerous. CLICK HERE to buy. If you like salty-dark-chocolate goodness get you some of these bars; CLICK HERE.
I tried these NUSH bars when I got a Keto Krate box delivered and wow just wow (more on Keto Krate in an upcoming post- even though I am not keto, I love them for finding great new sweets that are gluten free/paleo friendly) . GET SOME NOW– try all the flavors they are AMAZING!!!
I also discovered Smart Cakes through Keto Krate and they are so delicious I honestly don’t know how they do it because these cakes are also very low calorie.
Lastly- this might not seem like a sweet thing to you but I recently discovered Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Bakery- and their bagels are to die for. Considering they have Sweet Hawaiian Bread— let me dare you to make FRENCH TOAST with this stuff. You’re welcome.
So- what sounds good to you? What favorites do you have that you recommend? Do tell.
AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER
Note: this blog contains affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this post and support this channel at no cost to you. While this channel may earn minimal sums when a viewer uses the links provided, the view is in NO WAY obligated to use these links. Thank you for your support.
