Even when you indulge, you can stay on track

I’ll be honest, I did not make the healthiest food choices this holiday season, and I’m not even sorry.

Making holiday treats is one of my favorite family traditions, but it’s no fun if you don’t get to indulge a little. I decided to enjoy our traditions and not feel guilty about it. So we made cookies and candies and enjoyed all our favorite holiday meals, complete with loads of carbohydrates.

Yes, I have gained a few pounds back, but now that the holiday goodies are gone, I have the tools and know how to lose them again. I have enjoyed the holiday season, and still like what I see when I look in the mirror.

I started this weight loss journey last January and have lost 45 pounds and kept it off. A part of me wants to try and lose a few more pounds, but a bigger part of me says it’s just a number I saw on some chart telling me “that’s the ideal weight for someone like you.” Why? I feel great and more confident than I have in a long time; I’m not going to beat myself up if I don’t measure up to some “ideal.”

I am, however, going to get back on track with balanced eating. I like the 80/20 rule, 80 percent of the time you make the healthy choice and 20 percent of the time you indulge. I have learned, however, that indulgences can be on the healthier side. One of my favorite treats these days are the coconut clusters you can find in the snack section at Costco; they’re low in sugar and high in satisfaction.

But chocolate is my go-to indulgence and I have found the perfect brownie recipe on gnom-gnom.com; they are rich and fudgy and you’d never know they’re sugar free and low carb.

You will need:

9 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2/3 to 1 cup xylitol

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

½ tsp. salt

2 eggs at room temperature

¾ cup almond flour

Directions

Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch baking pan. 

Add butter, sweetener, cocoa powder and salt to a medium heatproof bowl. Melt over a water bath whisking constantly (or use the microwave, in small increments). You’ll want to heat it up until most of the sweetener has melted and the mixture is well incorporated. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Add one egg at a time, whisking well after each one until completely incorporated. The texture should appear smooth, with all the sweetener dissolving into the mixture. And if using erythritol, and your batter ends up too thick, you may want to add an extra egg. Just be sure not to over-whisk, or your brownies could end up more cakey rather than fudgy. 

Add the almond flour, whisking vigorously until fully blended.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center is just set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out moist.

Sprinkle with flakey sea salt (optional) and allow to cool.

For tips and tricks on getting the best results, read the article here: http://www.gnom-gnom.com/fudgey-cocoa-paleo-keto-brownies/.