FitViews

I love a good glass of red wine now and then, I mean it's practically a health food, right? ;) But sometimes I just want a cocktail. I'm all for moderation and having a drink now and then, but I'm just not down with the calorie, carb, and sugar counts of some of my favorites. Seriously, have you ever looked them up? Eek. So, I've set to work at converting my favorite cocktail recipes to be more keto diet friendly!

The first cocktail recipe I'm tackling is the keto lemon drop. I used to love these, but haven't had one in years because of the sugar in them. In my early twenties I had a friend who used to make them for me all the time. We would have a shaker full of these, a good dinner, and a chick flick on a weeknight, it was kind of bliss. Her recipe called for so. much. SUGAR though! Looking back I think she may have used a wee bit more sugar than most, but they were really good.



I think my keto-ized recipe comes pretty dang close to those delicious memories! It…

I have to say my two months of BodyShred flew by! It seems like I just started yesterday. Ah, time flies while you're having fun. Right? OK, in this full review post, I hope to give you a good overview of exactly what the BodyShred program is as well as my thoughts and opinions on the program. So, is Jillian Michaels BodyShred hype or help? Let's chat...

Jillian Michaels BODYSHRED is Jillian's latest total-package fitness program. This set includes:


What's in the box:BodyShred Fitness Guide
BodyShred Meal Plan
BodyShred Rotational Calendar
BodyShred "Let Them See You Sweat" Workout Towel
DVDs-
     8 - Shred Style Circuit Workouts
       1. Launch
       2. Rise
       3. Amplify
       4. Escalate
       5. Conquer
       6. Triumph 
       7. Zenith
       8. Apex
     2 - Straight Cardio Workouts
       1. Fire Up
       2. Ignite
    Plus, bonus workout Opus and a disc on the cast and teaching the moves. So, a total of 12 DVDs are included in this set.


The BodyShred Workouts
…

OK, I know I've been on quite the low carb pancake tangent lately, but THESE! Seriously, these are yummtastic. Yummazing? Ya, they're really good. They just might be my favorite recipe I've ever done. Ever. OK, that might be my paleo apple crisp recipe, but that's not low carb...ooo, I wonder if I could tweak that low carb...

That would be brilliant!

You know, bloggers area always talking seo this and seo that (seo stands for search engine optimization if you're not a blogger) and I'm just over here yammering. I'm pretty sure when google's spider crawlers (anyone shiver at that word picture? eesh) get to FitViews they just think, "Yeesh, move along. Nothing to see here." Ha ha ha!

Anyway, pancakes. KETO Hot Cocoa Low Carb Pancakes no less. So good. 


As I've mentioned before I'm back to low carb (keto actually) and developing new recipes to make it easier to stick with. I find I just plain feel great when I eat ketogenic, and I definitely h…

Since going Paleo my family has fallen even more in love with our grill. Paleo and grilling just work well together. The past couple of years I've even been stepping outside my grilling comfort zone more and more. Grilling things I'd never thought to have grilled before and trying new flavor combinations. I have to say I'm pretty thrilled with the results of most of my flavor experiments. 

In the past I'd never have thought to grill fruit, but it's amazing. Grilling fruit and adding it to traditionally savory dishes? Brilliant.

Oh yes, and? New rule: every burger recipe for the rest of forever must contain grilled pineapple. OK, maybe more of a guideline. It's a seriously delicious combination though.

This Smoky Grilled Pineapple Burger is always a crowd-pleaser at my house. It's not only Paleo, but Whole30, glutenfree, lower carb, and clean eating friendly. I promise you won't miss the bun! 

paleo, grilled pineapple burger, smoky grilled pineapple burger,…

I realize doing carb-ups on the keto diet is becoming quite the controversy in the keto community and just wanted to throw my 2 cents in. I've been keto off and on since I was 25 (that's *cough* 17 years *cough*) and most recently steadily in ketosis for almost 2 years now. I've experimented with all kinds of versions of keto and have researched it into the ground. So, should you carb up on your ketogenic diet? Grab a keto mocha and let's chat about it.

OK, first Robert Sikes of Keto Savage has a really great podcast on what's going on lately if you're interested. He pretty much thinks exactly as I do on the subject. Check that out here. 

What is a carb up? Most people in the keto community are familiar, but for those who aren't, a carb-up is basically just taking in more carbs than you usually would on the keto diet in a short period of time. It's similar to carb loading. It can be done timed around exercise, as a heavier carb meal, or even before bedtim…

If you've visited FitViews before you have probably noticed I'm rather fond of Jillian Michaels at-home workouts. I own virtually all she has and have reviewed many on this blog. They're just good, solid workouts that give me great results. 
I'm particularly fond of Jillian programs, calendars, and challenges. I've blogged through Body Revolution and BodyShred. I vlogged through the 30 Day Shred. Pretty much every Jillian challenge set forth I've delightedly owned.
But I'm feeling a bit "been there done that" lately. I want a new Jillian challenge. Something fresh, something challenging, something different. Something new to motivate me and push me. So, I decided to come up with my own! I'm calling it the #KillerJillian Challenge.


The #KillerJillianBefore I launch into the calendar, a little disclaimer: This challenge is in no way endorsed by Jillian Michaels. It's just a for-fun workout calendar I came up with. Also, I'm not a trainer, d…

Going keto paleo has me missing one thing: the organic grass-fed half-and-half I'd been having in my coffee. Since going paleo over a year ago I've searched and searched and just never found anything else I love in my coffee. I'd just about given up on a keto paleo-friendly coffee creamer!

I was almost to resign myself to black coffee forever, but then I decided to resort again to trying to make my own. This version is simple and quite delicious. Not only is it keto paleo, but Whole30 and 21 Day Sugar Detox friendly as well.




Keto Paleo Cinnamon Vanilla Coffee Creamer
Ingredients
1 can Organic Canned Coconut Milk(the kind in the carton just won't do it)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon Vietnamese Organic
1 teaspoon Organic Pure Vanilla for 100% Whole30 compliant swap for vanilla powder
2 teaspoons raw local honey or Organic Maple Syrup (optional, leave out for KETO, Whole30, or 21DSD)





Directions
Blend all ingredients well in your blender. Store in the refrigerator (the cinnamon tends to set…

I have gone back and forth with low carb since I was 24. I feel better when eating keto and I definitely have good progress with weight loss when I eat that way, but it can be a challenge to stick with. As I get older I find that the feeling better part of being low carb has become my driving motivation for sticking to it. I'm completely committed to keto now and that has me finding new ways to stick with it!

Ways such as keto pancakes. Say what-what? Yes. Low carb pumpkin pancakes no less. And? They're pretty darned yummy...

Whether you're seriously bored with your egg fast or just a low carb or keto style eater these Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese Pancakes are for you! With only 5 grams of carbs for the ENTIRE RECIPE they'll fit nicely into your plan. They're a quick and super easy breakfast option. Plus, yes, they're delicious! And oh so appropriate for pumpkin spice season. Oh, who am I kidding, I eat them year-round.

This recipe makes 3 or 4 decent sized pancakes a…

Growing up the only encounter I had with sweet potatoes was at Thanksgiving dinner. I hesitate to even call them sweet potatoes though. They were more like sugar coated sugar, with a side of sugar. Seriously!
The recipe was to coat a baking dish in margarine, add diced sweet potatoes, top with more margarine and a healthy heaping of brown sugar. Bake. And then? At the end you top the whole thing with a bag of marshmallows and bake again.
Blech! Needless to say I was never fond of sweet potatoes.
When I first went paleo I decided to reacquaint myself with sweet potatoes. They’re a great paleo-friendly carb source. I must confess the thought made me shudder, but I persevered. I tried them simple. Baked. I was so shocked. They're so good!
Now, I love sweet potatoes. They’re a go-to side dish for family dinners. Not only are they delicious, but they’re good for us and easy to make. The funny thing about sweet potatoes is they taste amazing all on their own. When it comes to sweet potato r…

Yes, I do believe the world does in fact need yet another keto coffee recipe. I mean, really, how can you have too many? But this one, OH, this one... I feel like the word obsessed is so overused these days that it means virtually nothing anymore. So, I won't say I'm obsessed with this recipe, I'll just say I had 6 yesterday. Oops...
Keto Vanilla Latte Ingredients1 mug of your favorite coffee or espresso 1 scoop Vanilla Keto Fit 1 Tablespoon Unflavored Left Coast Performance Keto Creamer (completely optional, adds 120 calories, but great to up your fats if you're looking to do that)
DirectionsAdd all ingredients to a hot liquid safe blender and blend well for about 20 seconds. You really do have to use a blender for this one.
Notes I use decaf for this. I know, gasp, but I'm sensitive to caffeine in my old age. Le sigh. The Keto Fit has a bit of caffeine in it, so I do this decaf (it's the only one I can stand). Also, as I said the Keto Creamer is completely option…