Birthday Cake Protein Shake {Recipe from Dashing Dish}

Protein Powder: Lean 1.  Sweetener: Truvia.  Sprinkles: Betty Crocker.

In the search for things to eat that are both nutritious & delicious, we're always on the lookout for a tasty new find.  Protein shakes have become one of our staples for healthy eating (especially on the go!) and just your average vanilla or chocolate shake can get a little bland after time.  Well boring protein shake no more, we found the perfect way to spice it up!  Oh and did we mention, it tastes a lot like our favorite decadent treat... cake batter!!

We found this fabulous cake batter protein shake recipe on one of our favorite sites, Dashing Dish.  The recipe is post-workout perfection, or as a great healthy treat for anytime.  The shake reminds us of a thick and creamy cake batter ice cream milkshake.  For your vanilla protein powder base, we really enjoy the taste and consistency of Lean 1.  Sprinkles are optional, but we sure think that they add to the fun!  We love the idea of adding flavor extracts to protein shakes to kick the flavor up a notch, such as using almond extract in this recipe.

If you're looking for more creative protein shake concoctions, look no further than Dashing Dish.  With a few extra ingredients, protein shakes can be transformed into lots of fun dessert flavors!

Special thank you to Dashing Dish for the yummy recipe, and for letting us feature it on our site!

Maintain a Healthy Weight (or Heck, Even Lose It!) Without Dieting

Picture taken from: Good House Keeping

Today's Big Sis Tip comes from our dear friend, Allie LeFevere. Allie has written on our site before and we just loved her amazing advice that we asked Allie to contribute to our site again. Allie gave us a couple of helpful tips as to what to do when you are trying to maintain a healthy weight.  Allie is a health and life coach that resides in Chicago, and she has other helpful tips and articles on her site! 

Thank you, Allie! You're the best! 

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Maintain a Healthy Weight (or Heck, Even Lose It!) Without Dieting

Diet.

Ugh. The word makes me shudder.  It has the same horrible ring as 'moist'.  [I can't believe I typed that.] 

I'm gonna put it out there right now.  Diets don't work.  I repeat, they DO NOT work.  Diets are gimmicks to trick you into thinking you can be lazy, eat by weird rules and still look a 10 in your skinny jeans.  You can no carb or no fat until the cows come home, but if you feel deprived, you'll be off the bandwagon quicker than you jumped on.

I get it, losing weight or maintaining a healthy one can be the pits.  Especially if you love 3rd helpings or have 2am Jimmy John's on your speed dial.  What?!  Ew, no. I like totally get a veggie sub when I order.  Right.

Well here's your pie in the sky:  weight loss should be and can be natural, easy and enjoyable.  That means fad and starvation and processed food-free.  Try these tips on for size and you'll never have to use the D-word again. 

TIME YOUR MEALS.  I'm guilty of standing and inhaling (ahem, eating). Being raised by a hairdresser Mom who ate hovered over the kitchen counter in between clients, devouring in 5-minutes-or-less became my norm.  But you're not a 10-year old girl anymore, so you've got a new habit on the horizon -- set your timer for 30 minutes.  Sit at your kitchen table or hovered over the coffee table if you live in a cramped apartment for 30 minutes and savor every last bite of your dinner.  You'll eat slower, eat less and naturally slim down because you'll give your bod time to process its satiety hormone.  

TURN IT OFF.  The cell phone, lap top, iPad, TV, pager (do those still exist?!)  Regardless, if it beeps, buzzes or could possibly distract you from enjoying your meal, then it has no place at your table. Giving your food full attention, allows you connect with and process what you're eating.  You should love every single bite, so when you tune in, you'll figure out really quick if you're truly enjoying or just shoveling in what's on your plate.  

SLEEP MORE.  An extra hour of sleep a night could help you lose up to 14 pounds in a year.  Say, what?!  That fact will get you into bed real quick.  Also, sleep deprivation can increase your appetite, causing you to graze through your snack stash. 

PINKY'S OUT.  Drinking green tea can temporarily boost your metabolism and help you burn more cals.  It's not a miracle portion, so don't go on a 9 pot bender, but it points your system in the right direction. 

USE SMALLER DISHES.  When I was a kid, I used to dump all my cereal in a GIGANTIC bowl, aptly named 'the trough' and literally ate it for hours.  Awesome idea when you're 7, but not now.  You eat more on huge dishes, so shrink their size and you'll cut extra cals and still feel full.  

EAT SMALLER PORTIONS.  Um, duh. right?  Well if you come from an Italian family like me, smaller portions is blasphemy.  So I'll tell you again -- eat smaller portions.  This no brainer is an easy way to maintain a healthy weight.  Just don't go back for a 5th and 6th smaller portion.

GO 80-20.  Most of us never learned satiety and instead we eat until we're stuffed.  So let's dig back into 3rd grade math (without cheating off Suzie Miller who ALWAYS had the right answers. Suck up.).  Try eating until you're 80% full, not about to explode. This should be a cinch since now that you're eating slowly on your smaller plates. 

And sure, these tips might help you ditch the D-word, but this isn't a magic trick.  They only help if you're crammin' healthy food on your plate and gettin' your sweat on a few times a week.  

Sweet Greek Treat

Greek Gods Traditional Greek Yogurt, Honey, 24 oz

Ok, so if you don't know already, we each have a serious sweet tooth! Justifying eating a dozen cookies in one sitting really is not the healthiest choice, so we were so glad we discovered a better alternative from one of our readers, Ashley. Ashley discovered a delicious yogurt that we can't wait to try called Greek Gods Traditional Greek Yogurt. So, what is so special about this yogurt you're probably thinking? "You can't stop eating it!" Ashley explained. This yogurt comes in so many flavors but Ashley is obsessed with the honey flavored yogurt. This yogurt flavor can be eaten a million ways than one. It's good with apples, strawberries, or peanut butter. Ashley even suggested freezing it and eating it like ice cream {yum!}. Best of all, this yogurt flavor is 250 calories--the perfect snack! Try the Greek Gods Traditional Greek Yogurt and let us know what you think!

Meet Lauryn Evarts

Girls, meet Lauryn. Lauryn, meet our girls.  Lauryn is the face, creator, and founder of The Skinny Confidential.  Girls from all over the country have been obsessed with Lauryn's lifestyle- health and fitness blog and she also happens to be our sorority sisters' brother's girlfriend! (small world, we know.)  The Sorority Secrets had a chance to sit and interview this So-Cal sunkissed beauty to find out a little bit beyond her blog.

Make sure to visit The Skinny Confidential for great healthy recipes and fun workout tips!

Thanks Lauryn! xo

1. What inspired you to start this blog, Lauryn?

The idea of The Skinny Confidential started while I was attending SDSU. 

The lunch options were hideous so I began modifying and substituting my meals. I would take the chicken off the street tacos from Rubio's & add it to a salad from another cafe. I started carrying fruits & veggies (I know, what a weirdo) in my handbag. 

Let's just say I was that girl taking the bread off my sub at Subway. After a year of doing this I wanted a platform to share my tips/tricks that I collected along the way! You can read my whole fitness & health journey here.

2. What's your go-to healthy snack?

Hands down: avocado! I'm obsessed. It's a clean, healthy snack that takes no time to make. Slice one open, add some sea salt, chili flakes, & a squeeze of lemon. Yum!

3. When you're not blogging, what do you like to do?

Being at home, spooning my chihuahua (also known as 'the most beautiful girl in the world'), drinking a glass of chilled champagne in bed, while reading...is probably my heaven on earth. 

But when I'm not relaxing, you can find me taking Pilates, hiking, juicing, cooking/baking, watching Real Housewives of Whatevs, teaching fitness, going out to dinner with friends, shopping (well, online shopping), hanging with my babe, creating, &/or taking pictures (<< I LOVE photography)!

4. You seem really busy with The Skinny Confidential, how do you find time to work out and stay healthy?

Honestly, it's difficult. The Skinny Confidential is my baby. Sometimes it's really hard to separate work from my relationships/friends/family. There have been countless Friday & Saturday nights where I've worked when everyone else is out partying. Even though The Skinny Conf is consuming, I love it. It's my absolute passion & nothing about it feels like work.

When it comes to working out, I multitask like crazy. If I'm teaching Pilates, I will do arms & abs with the clients. If I'm on the Elliptical, you'll def find me returning a million e-mails. When I'm working out I'm also constantly thinking of new ideas for the site. 

Multitasking is my middle name!

5. What beauty products can you not live without?

I die over Cetaphil. It's a super cheap cleanser that gets the job done. This kind of Great Lash mascara (ya know, the one in the hot pink tube?) is the best mascara ever. And I cannot live without Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker- it's totally nostalgic & gives me the perfect punch of red. 

6. What's your breakfast of champions?

A piece of Ezekiel (low sodium) toast with a swipe of coconut oil & a sprinkle of cinnamon. I also love Suja's 'Fuel' (fresh pressed juice).

7. What are your top workout songs?

You can find my four favorite workout playlists here, here, here, & here. The next playlist will be available on the blog next week! Stay tuned ; ).

8. What do you like to wear when you workout?

If everyone's wearing it, I hate it. I get bored seeing the same crap on everyone. I will wear vintage tees with black pants & bright Nike Frees. I also love Bia Brazil- she just gets a women's bod. Lorna Jane is another favorite! 

9. What can people expect on your blog?

They can expect a lifestyle. People ask me to categorize the blog...& it doesn't really fall into one specific category. The Skinny Confidential is all about balance. How to balance diet, exercise, relationships, style, lookin' like a sexy hottie, family, friends...& life! 

They also can find my YouTube channel! It's called The Style Kittens- it's where fashion meets skinny. I have teamed up with jewelry/style guru, Jacqueline Nicole Brown to bring my readers everything girly!

10. How do you feel about wearing makeup to the gym?

If it works for you, go for it! I'm certainly not lookin' like Kim K. when I'm headed to the gym. It's just not necessary to contour my cheeks when sweating! 

But to each its own. I like little chap stick & tinted moisturizer (obviously with SPF). When I'm outside, I ALWAYS wear a hat. Because no one likes wrinkles.

Whatever you feel like doing, do it! I mean, you never know who you'll run into right ; )?

Breakfast On the Go!

Start your day with protein (in the form of meat, seafood, eggs, nuts), carbs (in the form of fruit, veggies) and quality fats (in the form of avocado, nuts, olive oil and coconut oil). Protein will stabilize our blood sugar when coupled with a carb. Eating a carb alone will only yield a short amount of energy and spike our blood sugar (which is not good for our body); while protein will keep us going for hours, and satiate us much longer. Also, for the girls that workout, protein is extremely important for rebuilding muscle tissue and quicker recovery. 

Here are my personal favorite breakfast meals and snacks when I have:

5-10 minutes: easy to enjoy in the car or when you get ready in the morning.

• smoothie made with protein powder, almond or coconut milk, berries and banana. 
• Sweet tip: add a splash of almond extract or honey. 

time to relax and enjoy:

• eggs with shrimp, sautéed veggies and avocado, topped with pico de gallo.

mid-late morning hunger:  these quick snacks/meals are great to have in your purse, car and work desk. For easy transport, carry these items in ziplock baggies!

• fruits and veggies: apple slices with cinnamon, celery with almond butter, carrots, bell pepper slices, banana (all travel well)
• homemade trail mix: raw cashews, pistachios, walnuts, almonds and/or pecans; dried fruit; unsweetened coconut. 
• bars such as Lara, Kind, or Trio (gluten and lactose-free are ideal). An easy homemade bar recipe can be found here.

Courtney Schwagler, RD

Registered Dietician