Often when we hear the word diet, we immediately think, “I have to eat bland, disgusting, boring, tasteless food that leaves me just wanting the things I love.”

But that isn’t what a diet is. The word “diet” has gotten twisted into something it isn’t.

Diet is actually just simply defined as WHAT we eat. But today most of us associate the word “diet” with what we DON’T get to eat.

And feeling like you can’t eat anything you love, that the foods you must consume are tasteless and disgusting is what makes most diet programs fail.

If you’ve ever gone on a diet program to lose weight and only gain it back months later, you aren’t dieting correctly.

You are falling victim to depriving…NOT dieting.

And feeling deprived may get you quick results, but it doesn’t lead to lasting results or a lifestyle change. You may lose weight by doing something drastic, but you also risk entering the Binge Cycle.

When you deprive yourself for long enough, eventually you run out of self control. And when you do, you end up binging. And generally when we binge, we feel guilty…which of course leads to more binging.

This guilt and binging generally leads us down a path that sets us back to the beginning, if not even further from our goals.

So why not avoid all of this and stop believing that dieting means deprivation.

What dieting does mean is consistency. It does mean compromise. And it does mean PLANNING.

But it can also mean delicious foods that leave you satisfied and even indulging in things you enjoy!

As with any goal you want to achieve, you do have to decide your end goal is worth it because there are always a few things we have to do to achieve our goals even when we don’t want to.

You’re probably now thinking….see…I do have to deprive myself.

And no that’s not it at all. You just have to sometimes make healthy swaps. Or exercise a little portion control. You DON’T have to completely deprive yourself. You just have to sometimes compromise.

The funny thing about compromise too is…It doesn’t necessarily have to feel like you aren’t getting exactly what you want!

For me, that means satisfying my sweet tooth. In college I would easily eat a pint of ice cream a day. I would make ice cream pies and chow down on dessert. Fortunately/unfortunately when you are a college athlete who also doesn’t own a car and walks everywhere while also training for hours each day, you can do this with no consequences…

Now…Well not so much. But sometimes I still want to eat like that.

And guess what…Sometimes I do. Sometimes I just let go and eat the pint of ice cream, plus anything else I want.

But other times I don’t feel like sleeping like crap because I have a food pregnancy that would probably be considered twins.

BUT I still have a hankering for something sweet.

To satisfy my sweet tooth, I’ve found healthy swaps that leave me feeling very happy and just as satisfied as if I’d had ice cream.

No…They don’t taste like ice cream. I won’t delude you and tell you that the healthy sweet treats I make taste like their deliciously unhealthy counterparts.

But they do the trick.  I don’t feel deprived. And I don’t need to binge on ice cream every day. They satisfy the sweet tooth and keep me on track. They recharge my self control and prevent me from entering the deprivation Binge Cycle.

They taste freaking good and help me FEEL and SLEEP and WORKOUT at my peak.

They are a compromise and one I’m actually super happy with.

Which brings me to the recipe I wanted to share today.

If you also have a sweet tooth and like to indulge in sweet breakfast treats, I would recommend you try out some protein pancakes.

Too often we start our day off with proteinless breakfasts or feel that brunch has to mean unhealthy foods. But that is where I’ve found protein pancakes to be a perfect sweet and healthy alternative.

And recently I tried a fun protein pancake variation using ABS Protein Pancake Cinnamon Roll Mix!

I call them the Cinnamon Raisin Roll Protein Pancakes. They are super simple and quick to whip up…because I’m lazy!

Cinnamon Raisin Roll Protein Pancakes

protein pancakes
(As Ryan said….It tastes better than it looks!)

Servings 2

Ingredients:
2 scoops ABS Protein Pancake Cinnamon Roll Mix
2/3 cup Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
2/3 cup Egg Whites
4 tbsp Buff Bake Cinnamon Raisin Protein Peanut Spread (to top)
Top with berries or even syrup (I used a drizzle of sugar free)

Mix the ABS protein mix with the yogurt and egg whites. Whip it till fully combined. I like my pancakes a bit thicker, but if you want them a bit thinner, you can add a tbsp of water or light milk at a time to get your desired consistency.

Let the batter sit as you heat a skillet over medium heat. I would recommend using a non-stick pan or lightly greasing it. Wait until the skillet has gotten hot then scoop the pancakes in. You should be able to make 6-8 pancakes.

Let them cook about 45 seconds to 1 minute on that side. If they are browning too quickly but not getting cooked through, you may want to turn down your heat a bit. Then flip and let cook about another minute.

Serve with a couple of tbsp of Buff Bake’s Cinnamon Raisin Protein Peanut Spread (or other nut butter if preferred) and a drizzle of syrup or few berries!

Enjoy!

Remember healthy swaps and subs are a great way to keep yourself from feeling deprived while still working toward your goals!

What are your favorite protein pancake recipes? What healthy swaps do you include?

Stop Dieting And Depriving!

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