Ever find yourself wondering what your trainers at Elite Sport & Fitness eat on a daily basis? What would you say about their diet? Enter our new series, “Day in the Life.” Each week, you will get you a completely honest look at what makes the cut in your favorite Elite Trainers’ shopping carts. Plus, an inside look at their diet and favorite foods.
Does the smell of freshly baked, gooey chocolate chip cookies automatically make your mouth water? Did that sentence already make you think, “How can I fit a cookie into my diet today?”
It’s not your fault. Your body is genetically hard-wired to crave sweets. According to the American Dietetic Association, “Sweet is the first taste humans prefer from birth.”
The taste of sugar has also been proven to release endorphins that calm and relax us; offering a natural “high.”
It doesn’t help that sweets just taste good, too. And that preference gets reinforced by rewarding yourself with sweet treats, which can make you crave it even more. With all that going for it, why wouldn’t we crave sugar?
But when trying to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle, cutting out dessert and sweets can be one of the biggest obstacles to your success. . Overindulging in these too often can result in weight gain and will sabotage your diet efforts.
Deuce McMillian, Elite Trainer, is known around the gym for his serious sweet tooth and mad baking skills.
However, he certainly doesn’t look like he has a secret pound cake recipe stashed away at home. Read below for Deuce’s tips and advice on how to reward yourself with a sweet treat and still get the fitness results you are striving for; no compromise necessary.
Deuce Knows: How to Master Your Sweet Tooth
Q: How did you get into cooking and baking?
Deuce: My mom worked two jobs most of my life; when she got home I could tell she was tired. So I remember buying a cook book at the school book sale myself. That way I could start cooking two nights a week to give her a break.
I love baking because I love sweets. Baking reminds me of my grandparents back in South Carolina. I remember the whole house selling like heaven everytime I visited. She was always pulling something hot out of the oven.
Q: How do you balance an active lifestyle and your sweet tooth?
Deuce: I workout a lot; so I easily burn off the extra calories I take in. However, my job is to be active and train. Most people’s work lives aren’t solely devoted to a fitness regimen. I do try to keep my sweets to weekends only so that I know I got in five solid days of clean food. That’s a solid eating guideline for everyone to try and commit to because it’s sustainable.
Q: What advice would you give someone who has a sweet teeth but is also trying to lose weight?
Deuce: There are many fitness recipe alternatives out there online. For example, I love cinnamon rolls but I know they are loaded with sugar. So I make a healthy version (recipe below!) that satisfies my sweet tooth but doesn’t get in the way of obtaining the body type I want.
Q: How can someone train themselves to learn balance and self-control?
Deuce: I always tell my clients that it’s ok to have sweets in moderation. Nobody wants to be a robot and not enjoy life. The best thing for balance would be to give yourself a weekly goal. For example if you eat really clean for 5-6 days then on Sunday eat whatever you want. You have to reward yourself to stay inspired!
LOW CARB HIGH PROTEIN CINNAROLLS
Cinnaroll Ingredients:
- 1/4-cup Coconut Flour
- 1 scoop 100% Whey Isolate vanilla protein
- 1/2-tsp Xanthan Gum
- 1/4-tsp baking powder
- 2-tsp stevia
- 1 egg white
- 3-tbsp water
Filling Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp stevia
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp water
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Mix cinnamon roll ingredients together. It will be thick like dough.
- Roll it into a big ball and place it on parchment paper or surface floured with coconut flour.
- Roll out the dough. It will be sticky. Use a little coconut flour on your hands to press down the
- dough into a rectangle as much as you can. Use a rolling pin or a cup dusted with the flour to roll the rest of it out.
- Mix filling ingredients and spread onto dough.
- Roll up and place on baking sheet and bake for 17-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Slice and add top with Sweet Spreads Cinnamon Roll Coconutter. You can also use Nonfat Plain Greek yogurt sweetened with stevia as an icing.
Macros for the entire roll (without topping)
Makes 1 roll (about 8 pieces)
- 271 cals
- 5g fat
- 22g carbs
- 13g fiber
- 3g sugar
- 36g protein.
