Sustainable Living
Here is your mindful action plan on how to deal with extra holiday treats and tasty leftovers so that you can live fitter and healthier this holiday season.
Did you know that most people do not gain excess weight and body fat linearly throughout the year? Instead, it actually happens in the 2 months between Halloween and New Years. More often than not It’s also not lost in the subsequent months. This means the scale can go up 5-10 lbs each and every year…
This does not need to happen to you! Along with an overall consistent eating pattern, structure your occasional festive holiday meals the following way to reduce or completely eliminate unwanted fat gain.
Don’t wait to get “back on track” in the New Year. Start now and go into 2025 your strongest and fittest yet!
Discover this carefully curated list of my 10 favorite holiday fitness gifts. These amazing products and services are the ones that I have vetted, trust, personally use, and find helpful.
https://melaniewales-sustainableliving.com/shop-cookbook/
Find all the recipes I have personally created and used consistently for years to lose fat, build muscle, and keep off over 140 lbs!
Follow me on Instagram for more tips, free recipes, and full days of eating.
If you have thought about having me as your coach to support you along your own fitness journey check out the Online Fitness Coaching page on my website for more info and how to inquire about my online fitness coaching service. Receive customized activity and nutrition plans, monthly virtual calls, and weekly email check in’s.
See my client testimonials.
www.melaniewales-sustainableliving.com
Follow me on Instagram for more tips, free recipes, and full days of eating.
The best meals and snacks for a fat loss diet include choices that are high volume, high fiber, high protein and lower in calories.
Including meals and snacks that fit this criteria help to ensure better satiety and hunger regulation. This makes it easier to stick to the calorie deficit required to lose fat.
In addition, a high protein diet is crucial for muscle retention while dieting. Otherwise the risk of muscle loss during dieting makes any weight loss results less sustainable. Aiming for 1g of protein per pound of ideal bodyweight everyday is a great target.
It’s also important to include foods that are delicious and flavorful. Any fat loss diet that lacks the opportunity for food enjoyment requires unnecessary levels of will power. When we feel overly restricted and bored, diet adherence disintegrates.
Next is a list of some of my favorite meals and snacks to include in a fat loss phase.
I highly recommend putting the time in to learn how to turn your favorite foods and recipes into healthier versions by swapping in better ingredients. My e cookbooks are filled with ways to do this. They are also filled with over 100 of my tried and true recipes for soups, dressings, brownies, cookies, smoothies, and so much more!
Click for details. https://melaniewales-sustainableliving.com/shop-cookbook/
They contain all the recipes I have personally created and used consistently to lose fat, build muscle, and keep off over 140 lbs for years!
Find me on Instagram for more recipes, fitness tips, and meal ideas.
www.instagram.com/melaniewales.sustainableliving
When it comes to a successful fat loss phase, sticking to a calorie deficit is a must. These 2 low calorie snacks help curb cravings and increase satiety with their bright and refreshing flavors and volume.
Fat Loss Snack #1: Savory Salsa and Fresh Veggies
Use any low calorie salsa (check label and avoid any with added sugar) as a dip and fresh sliced veggies as “chips”. I especially love a spicy salsa during fat loss phases to help curb appetite even further. Veggies that work great with salsa include sliced cucumbers, peppers, carrots, and celery. About 50 calories for 1/4 cup of salsa and 100g sliced veggies.
Great paired with chicken and cheese quesadillas made using low carb wraps for a complete low calorie and high protein meal.
Fat Loss Snack #2: Light and Sweet Berries in Jello
Using flavored sugar free jello and any combo of berries prepare the jello according to box directions and stir in 250g of berries. Set in the refrigerator overnight or for 4-6 hours. About 130 calories for a huge bowl!
Great paired with greek yogurt for a complete low calorie and high protein meal.
Need plenty of meal prep ideas, recipes, and tips to help you reach your goals? My e- cookbooks are available! Click below for details. Find over 100 macro friendly recipes and so much more.
https://melaniewales-sustainableliving.com/shop-cookbook/
Find me on Instagram for more recipes, fitness tips, and meal ideas.
Make your own protein packed frozen yogurt using the Ninja Creami. This is one of my favorite recipes that I’ve come up with based on my simple protein creme recipes.
Mix and match protein powders and pudding mixes, crunchy and fruity mix ins, use cocoa, cinnamon, or other flavorings and spices to create an endless variety of flavor combos.
Like so many of my recipes use this as a jumping off point and get creative.
Once you try it you will never go back to store bought frozen yogurt!
Serves 1-4 (calories and macros will vary slightly depending on the ingredients you use)
Calories and Macros for the whole thing
500 calories
70g protein
45g carbohydrate
4g fat
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:
DIRECTIONS:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. (Don’t have a Ninja Creami? Add ice when bending and enjoy like this as a thick milkshake.) Pour into a Ninja Creami container. Freeze for 24 hours. Using the Ninja Creami blend using the light ice cream function. Blend again using the re spin function. Add mix in’s, if using, and use mix in function. Enjoy right away!
Pro Tip: Meal prep in bulk and keep in the freezer for anytime you want a delicious and satisfying protein packed frozen yogurt.
Need some more fun and delicious recipes to help you reach your goals? My e- cookbooks are available! Click below for details.
https://melaniewales-sustainableliving.com/shop-cookbook/
My simple high protein protein creme recipes can be found in Volume 2 as well as many more yummy and satisfying sweet treats including recipes for my lighter and protein filled take on cookies, cheesecakes, frostings, and so much more!
Find me on Instagram for more recipes, fitness tips, and meal ideas.
Over the course of losing and keeping off 145lbs I have learned quite a bit about what it takes to make weight loss not only possible, but also sustainable.
It can feel hard to build new habits. That’s why it is best to keep things as simple as possible. It’s amazing how all the small things we do each day add up with time and consistency, not perfection.
If you have thought about having me as your coach to support you along your own fitness journey check out the Online Fitness Coaching page on my website for more info and how to inquire about my online fitness coaching service. Receive customized activity and nutrition plans, monthly virtual calls, and weekly email check in’s.
See my client testimonials.
www.melaniewales-sustainableliving.com
Follow me on Instagram for more tips, free recipes, and full days of eating.
Make your own protein donut and avoid the excess fat and sugar in regular donuts.
It’s all good to eat regular donuts in moderation, but it’s nice to have an alternative that is high in protein that actually leaves you feeling satisfied!
Let’s compare. One of my homemade protein donuts with a protein frosting and fun toppings versus a regular donut from a leading donut place.
I’ll share the recipe for my donuts below. Happy donut baking!!
For my Protein Donut (Pictured on top)
From the Donut Place (Pictured on bottom)
My donut recipe from Volume 1 of my e cookbooks included below!
This high protein, low fat donut is the perfect way to satisfy a donut craving while still helping you nail your nutritional goals! Donuts are a family favorite around my house, so I went on a mission to create a lighter homemade version that would be realistic for us to enjoy everyday. I hope you love them as much as we do!! If you do, remember to check out my e cookbooks (link below) to help support my passion to bring more delicious options to us all while we are aiming to live a fit life!
Makes 6 Donuts
For 1 donut with icing and 3g of toppings
215 calories
20g protein
27g carbohydrate
2g fat
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:
For the donuts
For icing and toppings per individual donut
Pro Tip: You can also tweak my recipe to make it lower in calories by using sugar free maple syrup instead of regular. It works just as well!
DIRECTIONS:
By hand or in a mixer, mix together the milk, maple syrup, applesauce, and egg.
Add in the flour, protein powder, and baking powder and combine until just incorporated. Batter will be fairly thin.
Evenly divide batter using a silicone donut baking pan. Enough batter for 6 donuts. Place the donut pan on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Allow to cool and then remove from donut pan. Store for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
To make the frosting mix together the milk and protein powder (and if using the instant pudding mix). That’s it. Top the donuts with the icing and your favorite toppings. To help thicken the icing, if needed, you can refrigerate it for a few minutes. Works like a charm! Fully iced and topped donuts can also be stored in the refrigerator but enjoy within 2 days of topping. I personally prefer to ice and top them just before enjoying.
Need some more fun and delicious recipes to help you reach your goals? My e- cookbooks are available! Click below for details.
https://melaniewales-sustainableliving.com/shop-cookbook/
The donut recipe is in Volume 1 as well as many more yummy and satisfying sweet treats including recipes for my lighter and protein filled take on cheesecakes, cookies, brownies, and so much more!
Find me on Instagram for more recipes, fitness tips, and meal ideas.
Any amount of exercise is always better than nothing at all. By utilizing “Exercise Snacks” you can ensure you are getting something in every day no matter how busy you are.
Don’t be discouraged. You do not need to skip exercising entirely if you are busy and can’t dedicate 30-60 minutes to get in a workout.
You can do short bursts of various exercises for only 60 seconds at a time.
Even 4-5 bouts of 60 seconds of simple exercises sprinkled throughout the day such as
will promote your fitness and health.
Not only do you receive benefits such as
Including regular movement and exercise can become a more normal (and less daunting) part of your everyday life.
Rethink the potential of your day.
It’s Just 1 Minute.
Ready.
Set.
Go!
If you have thought about having me as your coach to support you along your own fitness journey check out the Online Fitness Coaching page on my website for more info and how to inquire about my online fitness coaching service. Receive customized activity and nutrition plans, monthly virtual calls, and weekly email check in’s.
See my client testimonials.
www.melaniewales-sustainableliving.com
Follow me on Instagram for more tips, free recipes, and full days of eating.
www.instagram.com/melaniewales.sustainableliving
To learn more about the science of exercise snacks (and much more) check out this great Found My Fitness Podcast Episode by Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D. interviewing Dr. Martin Gibala, Ph.D.