We are vastly approaching the holiday season! I MAY be the most excited person in the entire world for the holidays this year but it's not a competition, right?! JK. But seriously the holidays are literally right around the corner so I thought it would be a good time to start with an amazingly easy, quick, and delicious cookie recipe! By the title you know this is going to be a peanut butter cookie but what you may not know is there are really only 3 ingredients. Ya... I said it... 3. I did add 2 more simple ingredients to mine, vanilla extract and some pink Himalayan sea salt but they really are not necessary and if you're a low carb-er like me then you definitely have eggs, PB, and Trivia in your house. So you can literally, probably, make these as soon as you finish reading my long rant. Cue the recipe!!!!
low carb Peanut Butter Cookies- Makes 12
1 cup peanut butter - I use Skippy Creamy for this recipe
1/3 cup granulated Truvia (the same as 24 packets)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
coarse sea salt (optional) I use Pink Himalayan Salt
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a cookie sheet with some non stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the peanut butter, egg, Truvia, and vanilla extract.
Stir until all the ingredients are combined together, takes about 30 seconds.
Once everything is well combined use a tablespoon measure and roll the batter into balls.
place on the cookie sheet leaving some room between each cookie.
Then using a fork OR a potato masher (see my video above to see how I do it!), make 2 impressions into each cookie flattening it as you go.
Sprinkle each cookie with a tiny pinch of sea salt and bake for 12-13 minutes.
Watch then carefully towards the end to make sure the bottoms don't burn.
Remove them from the oven and let sit on the cookie sheet for 2 1/2 more minutes then move to a cooling rack until they are cooled to room temperature then devour! And of course- ENJOY!
We have all been there. You eat a few carbs one day and then a couple more the next day and before you know it your "low carb diet" is not so low anymore. You might begin to feel sluggish or see the scale going up so you want to kick your butt into gear and get back on track. Here I have 5 tips to help you out and jumpstart your low carb lifestyle.
If you are new to low carb these tips will also be helpful to get you started and begin your journey!
Just always remember- getting off track is not the end of the world but getting back on track is what will show what you are made of!
Tips: 1. Do your research- Even if you have already researched the low carb diet go ahead and research some more. There might be new information out there. If you are new to the low carb lifestyle it is always good to research and see if it is right for you and if you can see yourself sticking to it. Remember this is a lifestyle and if you are serious about losing weight or changing your life then you should research and find the best plan for you and your body. I recommend the book that got me started on this journey- The 100 By Jorge Cruise. This book has so much information included in it as well as weeks of meal plans- let me be more specific- EASY meal plans. If you are struggling with where to start, want to learn more, or you want to get back to basics and really lose some LBs then I highly recommend this book.
2. Clean out your kitchen & pantry- If you have low willpower for junk food and sweets or carbs in general then you should definitely clean out your pantry and fridge. Anything that is unopened and not expired you can donate, gift to friends, or bring to your work for the break room. Having these items out of your site will definitely help curve the craving for them. If you don't have it in your house then you can't eat it!
3. Stick to it! The longer you stick to a low carb diet the more results you will see. For me it wasn't only about my visual results but also about how my body felt. I had more energy, I slept better at night and I was overall happier in general. I think sometimes we get complacent with our diet and our appearance and we don't realize how great we can feel. I always urge people to be the best version of themselves they can be. It is not always the easiest thing to do but I think it has the biggest payoff to finally feel healthy and comfortable in your body. Make a promise to yourself that no matter what you will stick to your new lifestyle for a certain amount of time. I like the 2 week rule. Say for 2 weeks I will stick to this and I will not cheat or give up. After those 2 weeks not only will you have stuck to your promise but I bet you will have seen results and will be even more motivated than ever. If not, that is ok too! It is all about finding what is best for you and your body.
4. Remember: Detoxing is normal- Depending how many carbs and sugars you eat on a daily basis your body will go through a short detox when you are beginning the low carb diet. This is important to know before you get started because this can sometimes be debilitating. For me it wasn't that bad it was about 4 days in total day one was not so bad, days 2 and 3 had me feeling very "off", and day 4 was better and by day 5 I felt great. If you know this going into it you know it will subside and you will be on the other side of it soon enough. For me detoxing felt like I had a weak flu virus. I was tired, I had a mild headache, I felt warm even though I didn't have a fever, and I definitely didn't feel like myself. Knowing that I was detoxing almost had me welcoming these feelings because I knew I was getting the processed sugar and carbs out of my system and just like that- it was over.
5. Download an app or start a food journal- For those of you that are into your phone and tablets like I am I find it veery helpful to download an app to help keep track of your food intake throughout the day. Often times I think I am doing well and eating low carb but then once you sit down and really track every food you put into your mouth you could be surprised to find you are not as low as you want to be. Apps and food journaling can really help hold you accountable too! Sometimes I would not want to log something so I just wouldn't eat it! Silly yet effective!
I hope this short list of tips helped motivate you to get back on track OR test the waters and see if low carb is right for you! I am an open book as always so if there are ever any questions please leave them below! More tips to staying on track with maybe some meal plans coming up soon!
Watch my video below for the tips on video as well as a tour of my spooky house decorations.
