The Best Keto Bars | Love Good Fats Protein Bars Review

I have a new obsession! When I received a sample box of Love Good Protein Bars along with some merch from @lovegoodfats I couldn't wait to dig in! Love Good Protein Bars are absolutely amazing!! They are keto-friendly, high in fibre, high in protein and low in sugar. They're also non-GMO and gluten-free. They are truly the best snack bars that I've tried thus far!

Love Good Fats has so many healthy and delicious snacks to choose from! 

Each and every bar that I tried from their Love Good Protein line was equally delicious with a slightly crispy outer layer and a delectable, creamy, and satisfying inner layer. I honestly couldn't get enough! I would go to bed at night looking forward to the next day so I could have another bar! Yes, they are that good!

Here is the Creamy Peanut Caramel.... yummmmmm is all I can say!

The Love Good Protein Bars featured here are available in the following flavours:

Cookie Dough

Our Cookie Dough Protein bar has just 1g sugar, packed with 20g protein and loaded with clean blend of ingredients.

Rich Chocolate Caramel

Our Rich Chocolate Caramel Protein bar has just 2g sugar, packed with 19g protein and loaded with good for you ingredients.

Peanut Caramel

Love Good Protein Peanut Caramel bars has just 2g sugar, packed with 20g protein and loaded with clean blend of ingredients.

Sophie Approved ✔

ingredients

Peanut Caramel Protein Bars

Protein blend (collagen hydrolysate, whey protein isolate, calcium caseinate, soy protein isolate), Glycerine, Maltitol, Cocoa butter, Whole milk powder, Water, Peanuts, Polydextrose (1.7g per 55g bar), Palm fat, Cocoa mass, Natural and artificial flavours, Tapioca starch, Barley malt extract, Rapeseed and/or Sunflower lecithin, Salt.

I love that the bars contain a variety of protein sources.

Creamy, filling, and delectable center 😋 

I want to live on these bars; breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. Okay, so that's not realistic but a girl can dream!

These are truly the best-tasting snack bars that I've ever eaten and the fact that they are healthy too = zero guilt!

Check out Love Good Fats for more info and to purchase.

Happy snacking! 🤤

Pr Samples kindly gifted

Quick And Healthy Snacks That Don't Make Me Gain Weight!

I'm always looking for new food and snack ideas that are healthy and will help me keep my weight under control. In today's post, I want to share with you my current healthy go-to snacks that don't make me gain weight. Keep in mind that you can always make substitutions for any of the ingredients to suit your needs. Hopefully, these snacks will give you some ideas if you too are always on the lookout for new healthy snack options.

HEALTHY SNACKS:

Some of the healthiest snacks need little to no preparation like fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Here you'll find my go-to snacks that are quick, easy, and healthy!

Berries:
On their own, with some protein like cheese or yoghurt, or in a smoothie with some protein powder. Berries have the lowest sugar content of the various types of fruit. Plus, they're loaded with fibre and heart-healthy antioxidants.

Nuts:
May be high in fat but they're super healthy in moderation. Almonds are one of the best nuts for those who are trying to maintain or lose weight. I like to throw them in a Ziploc bag with some popcorn and dark chocolate chips for a healthy snack mix.

Popcorn:
On its own or with some nutritional yeast sprinkled on it makes a great snack when you have the need to much on something. The nutritional yeast is packed with B vitamins and the popcorn is loaded with fibre.

Pizza:
Is still doable when you are trying to lose weight! Just use a small whole grain wrap as your crust, top with tomato paste or sauce, and load it up with your favourite toppings. Bake in a toaster oven or regular oven until the cheese is melted and crust edges start to brown. This is so delicious and satisfying. You'll never miss pizza again!

Avocado toast:
May sound cliche but it's delicious if you sprinkle on your favourite seasoning. I like Herbamare on top of mine. Avocado is a healthy source of fat and if you follow a keto-style diet, it's probably already a staple in your pantry. You can add more protein to this snack by topping it with some eggs.

Eggs and Toast:
Is the perfect combination. It's healthy, hearty and satisfying. This snack is packed with protein and healthy carbs when you use healthy types of bread* or a wrap is another option to make it lower in carbs. An Egg cooker can also make your life that much easier, especially if you like to meal prep. Village Bakery has a fabulous list of the best egg cookers which will do just that.

Grill cheese sandwich:
With your favourite cheese. When I make grill cheese, I use only one piece of bread and I use coconut oil instead of butter. Put your favourite cheese on half the bread and fold the other half on top. Grill to perfection in coconut oil.

*Note: The type of bread you choose is really important. I usually eat spelt or Ezekial bread as these are healthier options when it comes to bread and I am able to eat them without gaining weight.

HEALTHY TREATS:

Chocolate Ricotta:
I found this recipe online years ago (don't recall the source) and I've been snacking on it ever since. Just mix the following ingredients in a food processor or by hand and enjoy:

1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
2 tbsp honey or another sweetener (stevia etc)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Kodiak Cake Muffins:
If you have access to the Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes mix, there is a fabulous high protein muffin recipe on the back of the box. It can be difficult to find Kodiak Mix in Canada, so when we see it at Costco we stock up! I add berries or dark chocolate chips to make them that much yummier and they add some antioxidants to the muffins.

Gummy Bears:
I purchased Great Lakes Gelatin as well as some silicone moulds and even a gelatin recipe book and now I can quickly and easily throw together a batch of healthy, sugar-free, and protein-packed gummy bears.

Black Bean Brownies:
I love having these brownies on hand. They are so good, you'd never know they are actually healthy for you! They are flourless, loaded with fibre, and low in sugar. It's another recipe that I've been making for years!

Recipe: chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Blondies:
Blondies are similar to the black bean brownies but are made with chickpeas instead of black beans. They are flourless, vegan, and gluten-free. They are super healthy and are such a treat!

Recipe: ambitiouskitchen.com

👉 Honourable mentions go to my favourite beverage, Zevia and 70% dark chocolate from Costco!

I hope I gave you some new ideas on healthy snacks that you can go-to whether you are just looking for healthier snack options or options to help you lose or maintain your weight. 

 If you have some go-to healthy snack options I'd love to hear about them. Please comment below so we can all share our ideas. 😍

XOXO,
Amy

Week 26: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

 

Welcome to week 26 of my Health and Weight Loss Journey! If you missed last weeks post, you can find it linked here. There are a bunch of links to some great yoga workouts on youtube in that post.

Last week I had decided to change up my diet. I decided that for now I was giving up on the whole counting my macros and trying to load up on protein thing. Instead, I decided that I would focus on mostly eating vegetables, fruits, healthy carbs, some protein, and healthy fats, of course. The only thing I really measure or try to consume small amounts of is carbs that are from grains or starches.

After 1.5 weeks of eating this way, I think it's starting to pay off. This week the scale went down to the lowest it's been so far on this journey, and I only exercised one day this week, which was today, after I had weighed myself!

I plan on keeping up with these changes to my diet and seeing if I continue to benefit. And, hopefully, next week I'll be able to squeeze in some more exercise.

🍓 🍌 🍅 🍏 

Here are my workouts for the week: 

Day 1- 

Day 2- 

Day 3- 

Day 4- 

Day 5-
Day 6- 

Day 7- 35-minute walk

Weigh in :

Weight: Down 1.5 lbs

Fat: No change

Hopefully next week I'll have more good news to report. See you then!

Day 1: 30 Days of Fitness Challenge- Yoga, Cardio, Weights and HIIT!

Talk about perfect timing! With a new month starting today, it's the perfect time for me to start my 30 days of fitness challenge. I've packed on a few extra winter pounds and I'm definitely not happy about it. I did well for most of the winter and I didn't feel like I gained any weight until the very end of winter, sometime around February, when I just felt my body suddenly packing on some pounds. Although, I'm not sure why because I hadn't changed anything. It seems like I have put weight on all over, but, I really notice it in my abdomen area as well as my hips and butt. Most of my jeans had become WAY too tight and I started looking like a sausage in them (best way to make you look even bigger!) And, yesterday, I was more than filling out my biggest pair of jeans!

I had been toying with the idea of challenging myself to either a 30 days of yoga or a 30 day workout/HIIT (High-intensity interval training) challenge. Since I prefer to do a little bit of everything: yoga, cardio, weights and HIIT, I just couldn't make up my mind! So, I decided that I will just do a "30 days of fitness" challenge. This way I can do any of the above as long as I do one form of exercise every day for the next 30 days! And, I will use this blog to keep myself accountable and on track.

I did the dreaded "weigh-in" and it wasn't good, but it also wasn't as horrible as I had expected. I guess I was expecting worse considering the extent that I was busting out of my biggest pair of jeans. Sadly, this indicates that it's most likely all fat that I;ve gained and no muscle- since muscle weighs much more than fat. (Picture 5 lbs of fat vs 5 lbs of muscle.) But, I guess it would be wishful thinking to hope for muscle gain when you're not even working out...

Time for change. I wish I could keep working out all the time once I get started. Not only do I look better when I workout but I also feel better! I go through phases though; I'll work out regularly for a while until something sets me back and then I fall off the "workout wagon." This time I stayed off the wagon for far too long,


The Challenge:

• I challenge myself to do some form of exercise activity daily; whether it be yoga, cardio and/or weights. (workouts can range from 15-60 minutes, depending on how I'm feeling and how much time I have.) note: my workouts will mostly be on a treadmill or following along with DVDs as I do not have a gym membership
• to lose weight and gain muscle.
• to fit into ALL of my jeans.
• to lose 5 pounds, minimum! (it doesn't sound like a lot, but I don't even want to picture what 5 pounds of body fat looks like!)
• and hopefully reap some other benefits along the way! 

 My Stats: 

• My start weight today is exactly 145 pounds and ??% body fat (trying to get my height into the scale to find out my % of body fat)
• My goal weight is 140 pounds (my ideal weight is 135 pounds)
• I am 5.7 and a half (just for reference)
• I have taken my measurements and will share how much I lose, if any 

My Tools:

• variety of workout dvd's (yoga, cardio, weights, HIIT)
• free workouts on YouTube 
• treadmill 
• mini stair climber
• kettlebell
• free weights
• resistance bands
• my body weight (lots of squats and push-ups)
• Old Navy workout clothes, I LOVE their workout gear (seriously, check out their compression pants!) hehe.. had to throw in some fashion!

Some of my gear:

From experience, I know that I look and feel my best around 135-137 pounds, and, I also know from experience that it's a little unrealistic for me to STAY at that weight. Usually, 140 pounds is pretty easy for me to maintain without too much effort.

I will be trying to eat healthier as well, but I will not be going on any "diet" per se. No calorie counting, no diet restrictions. Although, I do try to limit my sugar (especially) and carbohydrate intake as I have for years after a rather large, unexpected and sudden weight gain many years ago (and that's what worked for me to lose the weight.)

I will be keeping a journal and I will weigh in once a week (I don't like to weigh-in daily as our weight can fluctuate daily due to water weight as well as many other factors.) I will also document anything else that comes up during this 30 day journey, such as: stress level, sleep, mood etc. It will be interesting to me to see what changes, if any, may occur during the challenge. I could definitely use a boost in the mood and sleep department!

Here I am in a before shot. I knew I had gained weight, but, I didn't realize that I got this large (for me) until I took this pic a couple of days ago! (I once heard a professional photographer say "a camera doesn't lie"-yikes!) ps. don't mind all the cat toys... lol

Day 1 of 30 (April 1, 2015):

Wow, a picture is definitely worth a thousand words. Didn't realize I got so out of shape! (not sure why the picture is stamped March 2015, it was taken today, April 1, 2015)

Note: I have been having problems with my right knee. If it worsens, I may have to modify what I am doing during this 30 day challenge.

If you like, follow me on Instagram. I'll be posting updates on there as well. https://instagram.com/healthandbeautygirl/


Wish me luck! And, I hope you will join me!


xo Amy