Peanut Butter and Chocolate Protein Brownies: recipe bust

I found this post I started almost a year ago in my drafts!  I thought I would post it despite it being a while back!

I have been wanting to make my own protein bars for a while.  I searched the internet for some recipes.  I ended tweaking one of the recipes I found and this is what I came up with.

Before you run off to your kitchen and go to start preparing this deceiving little morsels, let me give you the low down. The name was deceiving.  The wonderful aroma that wafted in the kitchen was deceiving, I gotta be honest with you, they weren’t very good, at all.

So if I were to rate them on a five star scale it would go as follows:

Taste*

Texture*

Chocolaty goodness**

Energy Boost****

Although these bars were down right gross, I had to give them 4 stars for keeping my energy up and warding off hunger.  Often times I need a boost and I crave something sweet, but what I really need is a swift kick of energy to keep me going.  This nasty bar did it for me.  So rather than dump them all in the trash I have stashed them away in the fridge.  The recipe recommended cutting them up into 8 bars.  I could only stomach ½ a bar, and still was given the boost I needed.  The nutrition information is based upon 8 bars though.

One other problem I had with the recipe…. It recommended cooking the batter on waxed paper, which I did.  I could not remove the wax paper though.  I pulled what I could off, but there was no way this paper was coming off.  Maybe next time I will try parchment paper, or just spray the pan.

Please let me know if you try them out and have better luck!!  Or if you have a good protein bar recipe I would love to try it out. Thanks!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Protein Brownies

8 Servings

½ cup old fashion oats

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 ½ cup vanilla flavored protein powder or 6 scoops (I would have done chocolate, but I didn’t have enough)

½ cup dry unsweetened cocoa powder

2 egg whites

1 tbsp chocolate syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup natural peanut butter

½ cup-1cup water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend oats until flour.  Add remaining dry ingredients.  Mix egg whites, chocolate syrup, vanilla and peanut butter in large bowl.  Add dry ingredients.  Slowly add water until "gooey". (this does not turn into a batter; it is very thick in consistency).  Pour into 9x9 pan lined with wax paper.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool on cooling rack.  Cut into 8 bars.  Refrigerate. 

211 calories per serving

18 grams of carbohydrates

10 grams of fat

26 grams of protein

3 grams of fiber

Keep in mind that nutritional content will change with brand of protein powder

I Am Back!!

Well, I am gearing to get this blog back up and rolling.  This is my lengthy explanation of where I have been and what I have been up to!

A couple months back I had to stop. Stop all of it.  Initially it was all of my internet time consuming task, but mostly this blog and my “health” goals.  What I was neglecting was my mental health.  I needed to walk away from my blog for a while to re-gain sanity. 

I had made hefty weight loss goals at the beginning of this year and I even joined two challenges that cost me big bucks to enter.  I stopped all of those things too, weighing myself, counting calories, obsessing over whether or not my body was weighing less.  I found I was getting angry with my body and I was feeling crazy with my load as a wife and a mother.  Not a healthy place to be if you ask me!!!

For my sanities sake, I had to stop it all.  I had to re-prioritize my life.  I have visited with my doctors and I am healthy in all physical aspects, other than I am overweight.  Since my mental health was going to pot, I just had to stop it all.  For one whole month I didn’t go to the gym and I didn’t fret over the food I ate.

I maintained my weight for the most part, up until the past week or so where I have seen a gain.  Sigh…

During my time “off” I mostly just took a step back and began breathing again.  I was struggling with anxiety and it was getting worst with my weight loss efforts.  I would stress over things I did not have control over like sickness, and the moods of my children.  I would cry and feel stressed if I couldn’t get to the gym.  It was at a point of I needed to make a change, and I really didn’t want to let go of my goals I had set, but something big had to budge or I was not going to “get better” mentally.

I worried that my anxiety was beyond my control.  I was to the point I had made an appointment with my doctor to talk about options and possible medications.  But due to my doctor being out of town and a job change with insurance not starting up right away,  my appointment was a month out.  I decided before I got into see my doctor I would do every thing I could to get mentally healthy before I went to see her. 

Normally I think most of us would benefit from exercise mentally.  But it was not working for me, it was bringing more stress, especially because all of my efforts felt in vain because I was not losing any weight.  I was feeling more stress about trying to get to the gym, than was good for my soul and my body!

Along with my break from the diet world, I saw a counselor to see if I could sort some things out. My hopes were that I could gain some tools to help me deal with my anxiety so I wouldn’t have to turn to a medication route.

The other change that took place was birth control, I ran out of my prescription for the pill and I wouldn’t be able to re-fill until I had my doctor appointment.  So I went off.  I suspected that the hormones in the pill were partial factor in my anxiety (which has been a struggle for me the whole year I was on the pill).  I started feeling better and better with each day without the pill.  The hormones were messing me up!

Here are some of the things I learned from my:

“break from weight loss”

-Yes, the birth control pill makes me more moody and anxious.  Not a good way to live!

-Going to therapy was helpful and I was able to gain a better perspective and helpful tools for coping.

-Not working out, was a blessing for this time being.  I needed it! Backwards I know!

-You have to put what is most important first, even if it means you have to give up something you want really bad (I had big dreams of being down 60 lbs by June! Not gunna happen!!)

-When I eat lots of sugar I am more moody and it also brings on the anxiety.  Dang, I wish sugar wasn’t a factor cause for some crazy reason I like the stuff!

-When I am not exercising and eating healthy I have a hard time getting to sleep, and a  harder time getting up in the morning.  I missed my deep sleep and the ability to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow!

-But most importantly I have once again learned how important it is to Trust in the Lord!

So here I am, ready to start making healthy choices once again. I didn’t think my break was going to be as long as it was, but I am grateful to say that I am a healthier person today, even if I still am fat! :)  I can think clearly again, and I am not emotionally volatile, like I was becoming a few months back.  I have gained back a great sense of sanity and I don’t live in an anxious hole of worry.  I am very grateful.

I hope all of you are hanging in there!  Please do not forget to take care of your mental health as well as your physical health.  They go hand in hand and if one is lacking greatly, you can not win!

 Have a beautiful week!

Amber

Challenge for $$ Reflections

I am debating about joining a local weight loss challenge.  It begins this Saturday and goes through June 8^th (my wedding anniversary!).  The first place prize is $3000.  If I could drop my sugar habit for six months, it is possible I could win this challenge.  I am a winner you know???!!!

Four years ago I joined a fitness challenge at my gym.  I was determined, I was motivated.  It was a six week challenge and was measured by the greatest amount of fat percentage lost.  There were only 8 people who participated, but I did have tough competition.  I don’t remember all the details and numbers, but I do remember only loosing around 5lbs.  But I lost 10% of my body fat and won the challenge!  It was a great boost in my roller coaster of adventure. Here are my before and after pictures from the challenge.

I have always wanted to be trim and fit and have taken great efforts to do so.  It has always been a challenge to keep my weight at bay, but since I have had kids, it has been even more difficult.  The body I once cursed and felt like it was oh, so large, I would love to return to today.  Perspective!

So if I join this challenge.  I would like to return to the 150lb beauty, I was four years ago. 

I am a numbers person.  I looked up the past two years winners of this challenge and one lost 30% of her body weight and the other lost 26%.

For me to drop 30% I would be at my ideal weight of 140lbs.  Can I get it accomplished  by June 8^th?  It is possible, but being a mom now, can I do it???  I know I can do it, I am just not sure how the road there will look exactly.  Dropping everything and going to the gym doesn’t exactly work with two toddlers who need a lot of attention from mom.  Even when I plan it into our day, things come up (teething, sickness, need of a nap or just plain cranky! All of which seem to happen a lot in my life!).

Oh decisions, decisions!  Maybe if I could make a goal of what I would do with the $3000.  The possibilities are endless.  A new camera housing for my 50mm Nikor lens.  A cruise vacation with the hubs to Alaska.  A nice little nest egg for the kid’s savings accounts.  Or maybe a special trip shopping and to the spa, ahh... a day of relaxation. 

I have almost talked myself into the challenge.  We will see what happens between now and Saturday.  It costs $50.00, so for me if I drop the money on the table I will need to commit to make it worth it.  Of coarse I aim to win if I join, but I do know that the ultimate winnings are a healthier, leaner more in shape body!  If I can get my sugar habits under control this is very possible!!!

Any advice or words or encouragement are welcomed!

Happy 2012ing!

Welcome to my Blog

Hi my name is Amber and I am a sugar addict.  I have been a sugar addict since my childhood and I am yearning to overcome this weakness that creates such turmoil in my life. 

I am a mom of two: a two year old girl and a seven month old boy.  I have found that since having my children, I am battling sugar more than ever.  I seem to be a hormonal rollercoaster, lacking sleep and wanting to eat when the babes are crying. 

I am married to a man who loves soda and chocolate.

Before getting married I controlled my sugar addiction by not keeping any sugar in the house. I ate treats and sweets when with friends, but I tried to keep it out of my daily life.  I still had struggles, but I was able to manage the urge to eat, by not having it there.  I like to bake, but I don’t do it much in fear of eating it.

My realization….  I gained 50 lbs. with my two pregnancies.  I would like to have more children, but I can’t imagine gaining more.  I am on a quest to overcome, so that when my husband and I are ready to add to our family I might be able to endure pregnancy and post-partum with out gaining another 50 lbs.  Of coarse that is just a surface issue.  I have a lot of deep roots with sugary goodness.  I have always enjoyed the temporary comfort it brings and I have developed scary addictive behavior in the past seven months since my son was born.  It is frightening  me. 

Over the weekend my extended family gathered at my grandmother’s house to celebrate Memorial Day.  I arrived late after a dinner at my in-laws.  I knew they would have sugary snacks there and I wanted to participate in some of the yummy goodness.  I socialized with family for a while before I retreated to the kitchen to find and devour some mint brownies my sister-in-law had made.  I am finding myself thinking about the food at gatherings, wanting and craving, and attending, just so I can eat it.  This seems like really unhealthy, erratic behavior.  It scares me and I am ready to address it and move forward.

A few days ago I ate a whole large bag of peanut M&M’s.  I started it on Monday and finished it off on Tuesday.  I have never done that and I know I did it out of emotional/hormonal eating.  Last night my husband wanted brownies and I caved like a mad woman.  I couldn’t wait to taste the sugary, chocolaty goodness on my palate.

To top off my sugar addiction I have Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).  I was diagnosed 12 years ago and after my diagnosis I changed my diet and I lost 40lbs with out hardly any exercise and felt like a new person; energetic, happy and confident. I kept it off for a couple of years… then college got the best of me.  I was poor and ate a poor college student’s diet.  Pounds snuck on and my sugar addiction ebb and flowed. And here I am now, 50lbs beyond that gain.

I am here to be candid and I am here to journal my experience to a healthier life.  My intentions are not to give up sugar forever.  My intentions are to learn how to overcome the want and the need to eat sugar.  My intentions are to replace my bad habits with healthy habits.  My intentions are to teach my kids healthy habits too.

Come join me on my journey of learning, growing and overcoming!