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These last few months, I haven't been locked in at all.
I went to South Korea, I moved to NYC, and I just had a birthday. Oh, and we just had 3 huge holidays.
I've been eating more than I want to, staying up later than I want to, and working out way less than I want to.
And I wouldn't change it for a second.
You know why? Because all of those amazing meals and late nights were spent with friends and family.
I made so many memories with people I care about, and it was awesome.
But a few years ago, none of that would have happened.
For the longest time, I thought being fit meant having tunnel vision. Grinding. Saying no. Treating everything outside “the plan” like a distraction.
If friends wanted to go out to eat, I passed so I could stick to my meal prep.
When my family went on vacation, I never fully relaxed because I was worried about staying in a calorie deficit.
Looking back, I missed out on more than I realized.
All because I thought that was the price of staying fit.
Now don't get me wrong, discipline and dedication are really important (more on this next week).
But when they start costing you time with the people you love or robbing you of real memories, something's off.
Going on the trip.
Taking the long weekend.
Eating the slice (or three) of cake on your birthday.
I realized these moments don't make you worse. They make you better.
Times like these are kind of like sleep.
Without it, everything eventually falls apart.
They're necessary if you want to stay on track long term.
And more than that, they're actually really good.
Because, like a good night's sleep, they help you move forward better.
Fat can always be lost again.
Muscle can always be rebuilt.
But time with the people you love doesn't come back.
Have goals. Take care of yourself. But don't let health get in the way of living a full life.
It took a while for me to figure this out, but now when I let loose, I don't spiral.
I come back.
Last week, I shared three recipes that carried me through 2025.
This week I'm sharing two more.
These are some of my go-to Creami recipes that help me get dialed in again, but taste like a cheat meal. (The Oreo McFlurry is a brand recreation, and there are 75 more like it in the copycat book.)
Oreo McFlurry
- 400g Fat Free Fairlife Milk
- 40-45g sweetener
- 5g (1 tsp) vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- A pinch of salt
- 1g (¼ tsp) xanthan gum
Mix-ins:
- 5 Oreo Thins (cream removed)
233 cal 29g C, 2g F, 23g P
Instructions:
- Blend all ingredients for the base and freeze (at least 16 hours)
- Run your Creami pint under hot water for at least 60 seconds
- Spin on the Ninja Creami “Lite Ice Cream” setting
- Spin on “Respin” setting
- Respin again if powdery
- Make a hole down to the bottom with a butter knife and fill with the Oreos
- Run the Creami “Mix-in” cycle
Brownie Batter
- 1 Chocolate Protein Shake (350-400ml)
- 20g sweetener
- 20g black cocoa powder
- A pinch of salt
- 1g (¼ tsp) xanthan gum
193 cal 15g C, 5g F, 36g P
Instructions:
- Blend all ingredients for the base and freeze (at least 16 hours)
- Run your Creami pint under hot water for at least 60 seconds
- Spin on “Lite Ice Cream” setting
- Spin on “Respin” setting
- Respin again if powdery
Next week we're going to dive into what to do when life kills your motivation and I'd love to hear from you first:
- How do you get back on track?
- What are you trying to do this year?
As always, thanks for being here - I'll see you next week.
Eli
Want more low calorie, high protein Ninja Creami recipes like these? Get my books. 243 recipes across 4 books, $49.99 for the complete bundle.
