Recipe: Skinny Chocolate Banana Pancakes

One of my favourite things to do while cooking is using up leftovers or food that's 5 to death. This recipe uses bananas - I hate it when they're old and bruised, but they work perfectly for pancakes! This clean eating breakfast treat is gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free, and the baking powder makes them super light and fluffy! :)

Skinny Chocolate Banana Pancakes
Makes: 7 pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 tbs raw cacao powder
• 1 or 2 tbs maple syrup*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil for frying

Optional extras:
Cinnamon
Raisins
Nuts
Dark chocolate chunks
Raspberries

Method:

1. Cut your banana into slices and add to a medium-sized bowl. Mash the pieces with the back of a fork until there are no big pieces left.
2. Add the egg, peanut butter, cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla, and baking powder to the bowl and whisk everything together. 
3. Stir in any optional extras (I added cinnamon, chopped pecan nuts, and dark chocolate chunks - yum!)
4. Add the coconut oil to a large frying pan on medium heat. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of batter onto your pan (mine fit three at once)
5. Cook for two minutes on each side or, flip over once little bubbles start to form on the surface of the batter.

Notes:
*This depends on how sweet you want your pancakes. I like mine sweet so I used two teaspoons.

7 Unexpectedly AWFUL things that happen when you lose weight

It's not all sunshine and roses on the other side.

1. You are more aware of your body and it's flaws than ever before. Before I lost the weight, I was just fat... there was nothing else wrong with me. Now I see the flabby arms, the wobbly belly, the stretch marks. Even on my skinny legs I see the fat when I'm sitting cross-legged.

2. You will need a push up bra. These holidays my mother said to me, "God you really are flat now." Thanks... real confidence-booster, Mom.

3. Your relationships change. The moment my ex said "I'm not making fitness a priority anymore" I knew we no longer had anything in common. I really enjoyed working out together as a couple and he just thought it was boring.

4. You overthink every compliment you get. "You look great now!" Wait, how the hell did I look before?

5. You start to feel that your weight loss is your only worth. My current whatsapp profile picture is one of me scuba diving. A friend commented on it - not about my experience scuba diving, not that it's a nice picture. What did she say? "Where was this taken? Your legs are so thin."

6. People think it's their right and their job to tell you what to do with your body. A really close friend of mine just won't let it go - apparently my ears look big now, my face looks gaunt, I'm taking the weight loss too far, and if I put on 10 kilos then I'll be perfect. I'm sorry you feel that way but it's MY body and I'm going to do what I want.

7. People think you're not as fun as you used to be - I don't really drink anymore, I sleep early, I make gym a priority on Saturday morning. For most people, that means you're boring as fuck.

Shape magazine perfectly summarised these feelings in their article 6 Stages of Weight Loss Grief

The Skinny Rules

Last week was just one of those weeks when absolutely everything was falling apart. Emotionally and physically, I was not in it. I found myself trapped in this cycle of feeling guilty, eating badly, and not attending gym. Repeat. 

The theme for this week is: GET. YOUR SHIT. TOGETHER.

I have it in big letters on my bedroom cupboard. No more wallowing in self doubt. No more eating crap. No more idle walking on the treadmill. 

Often when I need fitspiration, I'll look back at my Heart Health pins. I came across these 20 Skinny Rules which, if followed in moderation, are actually pretty good. I'm certainly not going to start force feeding myself apples and berries, but they're good indicators to live by. One thing that really sticks out for me - RULE 18: Go To Bed Hungry. Last week, I fell into that old habit of late night snacking - the WORST thing to do when you're trying to lose weight. I found it also makes me feel fat and sluggish in the morning - definitely not a good way to start the day.

So this week - no more! I'm following these skinny rules.

Fitness Goals

Yesterday I had my third fitness assessment and I am so so happy with the results. Some things haven't changed much - my arm size went from 11 inches to 10. Yup, still got those jiggly Oprah arms. However, some things have changed...

My body fat percentage went from 39.1 to 27.5. My resting heart rate went from 80 to 60. My water percentage went from 43.4 to 50.9. These are massive amazing changes that you can't see when you look at the exterior. Setting fitness goals has taught me that it's really not about the number on the scale or even the centimeters lost. It's about getting fitter, faster, stronger, and loving how it makes you feel.

Click the pic to expand

At my very first session 8 months ago, my trainer Daniella told me to set goals to work towards - goals that have absolutely nothing to do with the scale. Perhaps you want to fit into that dress you bought three years ago and never wore again. Perhaps you want to run a half marathon. Find something to work towards that doesn't involve you hopping on the scale every morning praying the numbers go down.

Fitness goals are about slow and steady progress. Getting stronger one day at a time.

Recipe: Healthier Mac & Cheese

I despise food wastage, so I try to use up all the leftovers in my fridge. The notion was probably burned into my psyche from childhood - don't you know there are starving children in Africa?!

This recipe was born from some leftover fat-free yogurt that was just begging to be used.

I know there is butter in this recipe. Before you start shunning the heathen... just know that I don't care what you think. Life is not worth living without a little bit of butter. I'll go low fat, but I'll never compromise on flavour :) I also LOVE garlic so I use a lot. You can reduce the amount for your recipe if you're not in the business of warding off vampires.

Healthier Mac & Cheese
Serves: 2 hungry people (or 3 regular humans)

Ingredients:

•  Half a packet of pasta
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Half a small onion, diced
• 2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbs flour
• Half cup fat-free milk
• Half cup fat-free yogurt
• 1 cup mozzarella, grated
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper 
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. While the pasta is boiling, reserve about a quarter cup of the pasta water. 
2. When the pasta is cooked, drain and set aside.
3. Place the butter and olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat, until the onions are soft and translucent.
4. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly so that it doesn't burn. 
5. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute.
6. Add the milk and bring to the boil. Add cayenne, salt, and pepper to the mixture (I use lots of cayenne because I like a bit of heat)
7. Once the mixture is getting a thicker consistency, take the pan off the heat and add the yogurt and cheese. 
8. Stir in the pasta and do a final taste test for seasoning. 
9. If the sauce is too globby, add a bit of the reserved pasta water to make it smoother and thinner. 

I had some cooked bacon in the fridge so I chopped it up and added it to the sauce. You could add any toppings you like - mushrooms, peppers, chicken... Enjoy!

Annoying things people say: GRANDMA EDITION

As people get older, they start to lose a lot of senses. They lose their hearing, their eyesight, and then some people completely lose the ability to hold their tongue. My granny says whatever inappropriate comments come to mind, but we love her for it.

Granny: Oh Nikita you're looking so good!

Me: Ah thanks Dadima...

Granny: Do you want a chocolate?

Me: Oh I met ***** yesterday...
Granny: I don't like that girl.

Granny: Please, have some more!

Me: No no, Dadima, it was delicious but I can't eat anymore.

Granny: What, you don't like my food?

Granny: You know your sister has gotten fat!

Me: Tasha is so skinny!

Granny: Ya, but she's put on weight.

Lady: Hi Bhindoo, how are you?

Granny: Sorry, I don't remember you...

Lady: I used to be the secretary at the office.

Granny: Oh yes! I couldn't recognise you because you got so fat.

Granny: You've gotten fat hey. Now come have lunch.
Tasha: No, you just said I'm fat!
Granny: Noooo I didn't say that.. you must eat.

In the summer...
Granny: Why have you gotten so dark? You used to be so fair

Annoying things people say #1

It was a sunny day in Durban when I scanned my tag at a new gym.

Trainer: Is this you? 

Me: Yes, why? 

Trainer: Are you sure?  

Me: Uhhh... yes? Why? 

Trainer: Your face looks so fat here!

When you lose those oh-so-squeezable cheeks and double chin, people really start to notice your weight loss. I understand people want to compliment me, but there's a line between being complimentary and being deeply offensive. I do LOVE how my face shape has changed, but I have to constantly remind myself that there was absolutely nothing wrong with how my face used to look. Fat or skinny, you have to love yourself and I love that old face. That face made friends. That face found love. That face has been with me for an amazing 25 years.

So no matter what douche bag trainers and colleagues say, I love my face. Fat or skinny :)