The Perfect Patriotic Dessert!

Ready for a dessert recipe that doesn't demolish all your hard work that you put in with your clean eating and exercise habits? One that everyone else at the BBQ will love too? Then, THIS is your recipe and the best part is... others won't even know it a 'heathy' version. 

Personally, I think this is SUCH a great recipe for Summertime because it is light, fluffy and refreshing! It is also filled with a lot of taste and minimal guilt! I've been making it for years now, and it is actually inspired by two recipes: one from a recipe on SkinnyMom.com and the other a recipe from a friend's mom. 

WARNING: you will want to eat numerous servings, so mentally prepare yourself for portion control and one serving if you aren't going on an all out splurge! 

Red, White, & Blue Triple Layer Trifle

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Makes 12 Servings

Ingredients

•   4 oz box Jell-O® Vanilla Fat Free/Sugar Free Pudding Dessert

•   1½ cups skim milk

•   1 pint fresh blueberries

•   1 pint fresh strawberries

•   2 bananas

•   8 oz container Cool Whip® Free Whipped Topping

•   1 light prepared angel food cake

Instructions

1.         Wash and drain blueberries and strawberries. Slice strawberries into small slices. Slice bananas into round slices.

2.         In a small bowl, mix Jell-O® Vanilla Fat Free/Sugar Free Pudding with 1½ cups   skim milk.

3.         Using a whisk, whisk together for 2 minutes until pudding starts to thicken.

4.         Slice/tear up prepared angel food cake into small cubes.

5.         Using a trifle dish or large bowl, layer ⅓ angel food cake cubes in the bottom of  dish.

6.         With a spatula add a layer of the Jell-O® pudding on top of the angel cake cubes. 

7.         Top pudding with a layer of sliced banana rounds.

8.         With a spatula add a thin layer of the Cool Whip® Free topping to cover the bananas and pudding.

9.         Top the Cool Whip® with a layer of sliced strawberries and blueberries (as show in the picture).

10.       Repeat all layers twice (steps 5-9), finishing with Cool Whip® Free topping and sliced strawberries and blueberries on top.

11.       Let set in refrigerator until serving.

Note ::: I most often use Vanilla Jell-O® pudding, but have also tried Cheesecake and Banana Cream flavors. Cheesecake was absolutely delicious in this dessert! If you love banana, I would recommend the Banana Cream as well! Whatever flavor you choose, just make sure the box is blue and the label says sugar-free and fat-free. Also, I will often buy 2 containers of Cool Whip® Free topping just in case I need it (depending on the surface area of the bowl I am using).

Measuring Fitness Progress - What To Use

So a topic people ask me about quite frequently has to do with what I recommend to use to measure fitness progress? The SCALE or measuring TAPE? 

As a general rule of thumb, I tell my Challengers and customers that I coach to use both, but to track their progress based on measurements and pictures. Muscle weighs more than fat, and if you are building muscle while losing fat, your scale may not change as much as some would “expect” it to and then they find that very discouraging.

Also, your weight can fluctuate up to FIVE pounds (yes, five!) in any given day, depending on exercise, how you sweat, the amount of H20 you drink and what you eat. So taking some key measurements - hip, waist, arm, thigh (whether you are trying to lose weight or not) - once a month is a better way to track where you are at and stay motivated. If you can’t resist hopping on the scale (you know who you are!), ONCE A WEEK is more than enough to gauge progress without driving yourself crazy! 

For those of you who CAN’T resist stepping on the scale more often, I recommend getting rid of it. If you are thinking, “Is she serious?” Yes, I am. Take the scale and throw it out, “lend” it to a friend or neighbor, or have your significant other “put it away.” That number is powerful and will mess with your mind AND in turn your progress!!! 

So how do you measure? With how you FEEL and what you LOOK like! 

5 WAYS TO MEASURE SUCCESS WITHOUT THE SCALE: 

1. MEASURING TAPE

When doing your measurements with a tape measure PLEASE use reference points!!! I provide basic reference points for all my challengers to use when they measure. I can honestly tell you when they send me follow-up measurements I can tell who used them and who didn’t, especially when I look at their pictures. Think about it - kind of a no-brainer - you need to measure at the same places each time. Guessing “the middle of your thigh” each time is not going to cut it for your thigh measurement, so instead try measuring down 6 inches from your inseam, keep your heels on the floor, and have someone else take the measurement. 

2. PROGRESS PICTURES 

Pictures are great as well as I mentioned above, but guess what? There is a technique to taking them too, so you can accurately see changes. Check out a few below:

Basic Guidelines for Taking Pictures 

• Same time of day 
• Wearing same clothes
• Standing under same lighting 
• Don’t suck in or hold your breath - breathe naturally 

3. NON-STRECHY JEANS

Find a pair of NON-STRECHY jeans or pants. Stretchy clothes 'give' so they won’t be an accurate gauge to your body’s changes as quickly as a pair of stiff denim will. Another thing you may notice as you lose weight is that getting your strut on in stilettos becomes easier and smoother! 

4. LISTEN 

When people say things like, “You look great,” “have you lost weight?” or “Wow! Something looks different about you!” kindly ACCEPT the compliments and be proud!!! Your progress is progress and YOU are awesome! 

FYI: You are also starting to inspire others if you haven’t already whether you know it or not! 

5. ENERGY LEVELS 

Be mindful of your energy levels. As you get closer to your fitness goals you will feel lighter on feet and be more motivated to do activities you love, which include things that involve being 'active.' 

If you can’t resist the SCALE:

Keep the variables as consistent as possible. 

• weigh yourself at the same time 
• on the same scale
• wearing the same clothes 
• after you empty your bladder
• no more than once a week

Please comment below if you wish - I would love to know what people are using and/or prefer. Many will throw this debate around like a hot potato, but in the end I feel you figure out over time what works best FOR YOU and ultimately it is personal preference. Most importantly, just remember the bottom line is the scale IS just a number, and it by NO means determines your INNER beauty or your worth! 

Avocado Chicken Salad

This Avocado Chicken Salad with my "staple" shredded chicken I make every week is Ahhh-MAZING! It is full of FLAVOR and you probably wouldn't know it was CLEAN EATING unless you knew what was in it! I often prefer to enjoy it on toasted Ezekiel bread, but you could pair it with a wrap, crackers, raw veggies, or even alone. Yum!

AVOCADO CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded chicken
1 avocado
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp fresh cilantro
1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek Yogurt

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes to let all those yummy flavors blend together.
3. Serve on your favorite bread, crackers, pita pocket or on a bed of lettuce.

Note: the original recipe before I added my modifications gave an OPTION of 1/4 cup of mayo and 1/4 cup plain FF greek yogurt OR the 1/2 cup plain FF greek yogurt. I chose the 1/2 cup of plain FF greek yogurt and the flavor was definitely there! Also, feel free to add another cup of chicken (for a total of 3) if the consistency of the salad is too runny for you.

* makes 4 servings (based on using 2 cups of chicken)*