12 Easy Peppermint Recipes to Sweeten Your Holidays

Peppermint: the delightful flavor that adds cheer to beloved holiday treats. It perfectly complements chocolate in a variety of sweet creations and enhances the taste of seasonal beverages, all without adding extra calories. Moreover, according to research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, peppermint essential oil may aid in appetite suppression.

The refreshing taste of peppermint extract, combined with a touch of real candy canes, makes these peppermint recipes ideal for sharing with loved ones during festive gatherings. And the best part? These treats are not only delicious but also healthy, ensuring you can savor them whenever you desire! Celebrate the holidays with the irresistible charm of peppermint-infused delights.

1. Healthy Peppermint Bark

We’re here to tell you that you can indulge in peppermint bark this holiday season and stay on track to your weight loss goal. This version is easy to make in your freezer with layers of melted chocolate chips and nonfat Greek yogurt flavored with peppermint extract and vanilla extract. A topping of crushed candy canes gives your bark a festive look, a bit of crunch, and even more peppermint flavor.

Get the Healthy Peppermint Bark recipe.

2. Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

When you’re craving cookies that won’t wreck your diet, this recipe is your answer. They have real chocolaty flavor thanks to cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips, while peppermint extract and crushed candy provide a cool minty taste. Make a batch for the office or neighborhood cookie swap and be prepared for recipe requests from everybody who tries one.

Get the Chocolate Peppermint Cookies recipe.

3. Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Sticks

Here’s a fun holiday treat that you can whip up in minutes. These sticks include salty pretzel rods, sweet candy canes and fluffy marshmallows, all with a coating of melted chocolate and crushed candy canes. The kids will rave about them, but you can have them, too, because this recipe fits into your Nutrisystem plan!

Get the Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Sticks recipe.

4. Chocolate Peppermint Protein Shake

Your Chocolate Nutrisystem Shake Mix is the foundation for a nutritious shake that has the festive flavor of the holidays. The shake mix is blended with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, your choice of water or brewed coffee, cocoa powder and peppermint extract. You might say it’s a party in a glass!

Get the Chocolate Peppermint Protein Shake recipe.

5. Instant Pot Chocolate Peppermint Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is a classic comfort food we’ve updated to make healthier, simpler to prepare and more flavorful. We use brown rice for fiber to help you feel full, then blend it with nonfat milk and nonfat half-and-half for a creamy texture. Cocoa powder and peppermint extract add lots of flavor but no calories.

Get the Instant Pot Chocolate Peppermint Rice Pudding recipe.

6. Chocolate Peppermint Cups

Eating candy when you’re losing weight sounds almost too good to be true, but this recipe makes it possible. Each bite treats you to layers of rich chocolate and cool mint. These cups have a delightful seasonal flavor, but once you taste them, you’ll want them all year long.

Get the Chocolate Peppermint Cups recipe.

7. Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

Warm up your whole gang on a cold day with this delicious variation on standard hot chocolate. Skim milk and fat-free whipped topping ensure this drink is creamy while keeping the calorie count down. The rich flavor comes from sweet white chocolate and zingy peppermint extract.

Get the Peppermint White Hot Chocolate recipe.

8. Iced Protein Peppermint Cookies

Cookies can be both a healthy snack and sweet lift to your day during the holiday season. These are easy to make with a mashed banana, whole wheat flour and Vanilla Nutrisystem Shake Mix. Once they’re done baking, you frost them with a thick and creamy blend of almond milk, more Nutrisystem Shake Mix and peppermint extract.

Get the Iced Protein Peppermint Cookies recipe.

9. No-Bake Candy Cane Pudding Cups

These tempting desserts are sure to cause some oohs and aahs when you serve them, but they’re so easy to make with packets of sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix and chocolate pudding mix. All you do is blend each of the mixes with milk, add peppermint extract to the cheesecake, and layer the two types of pudding together after they set. Each spoonful is smooth, creamy and popping with seasonal flavor.

Get the No-Bake Candy Cane Pudding Cups recipe.

10. 14-Calorie Mint Chocolate Meringues

Indulge in the delightful goodness of our 14-calorie Mint Chocolate Meringues that will leave you in awe! These delectable treats, sweetened naturally with stevia, boast a delicate peppermint flavor, creating a magical experience for your taste buds. Each bite is a heavenly combination of mint and chocolate, making it hard to believe that this cookie can be so low in calories. Don’t miss out on this guilt-free pleasure that will leave you craving for more!

Get the Mint Chocolate Meringues recipe.

11. Chocolate Peppermint Swirl Cookies

These delightful cookies combine the richness of chocolate and the invigorating flavor of peppermint, creating a swirl of festive joy. Imagine sinking your teeth into a soft, delectable treat that unveils layers of indulgent cocoa and refreshing peppermint. What sets these cookies apart is their healthful twist. Experience the ultimate joy of indulging in these chocolate-peppermint cookies, perfect for the holiday season.

Get the Chocolate Peppermint Swirl Cookies recipe.

12. Skinny Peppermint Mocha Cold Brew

With this recipe, you’ll enjoy a special coffee with a sweet seasonal taste and avoid loading up on excess calories, sugar and fat. Just blend cold brew coffee, almond milk, real cocoa powder, natural sweetener stevia and a few drops of peppermint extract. If you’re sharing a coffee break with someone else or you just what to make it even more of a treat, top your drink with light whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy.

Get the Skinny Peppermint Mocha Cold Brew recipe.

The post 12 Easy Peppermint Recipes to Sweeten Your Holidays appeared first on The Leaf.

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Current Course on Making the Biggest Change of My Life

Hey everyone. Not exactly sure what I'm looking to accomplish with this topic, but I guess mostly just putting my own story out there to see what discussions can come of it.

So I've tried doing a weight loss thing multiple times throughout my life. I've been obese my entire conscious existence, and I'm 28. I literally can't remember a time I was on a scale that read less than 250Ibs. The best I've looked was probably High School when I was at about 260Ibs at a hair under 6', while I was playing football. After High School and through college, it got far worse. At the end of September this year, I clocked at the doctor's office 373Ibs. Last January, I was weighed at the dentist's office, and that read 405Ibs. I can't say if that scale was accurate, but if they weigh me again this month I'll know for sure. September was when I kicked in my current weight loss attempt that has been by far the most successful. This morning I was at 338Ibs.

The main motivators from that were two-fold. The first was I got a nasty skin infection that resulted in an egg-sized abscess on my waist right in my stomach fold. The location of it hurt so fucking bad. Plus I dealt with it for a longer period because it was resistant to the initial anti-biotics. I really don't want that fold there anymore for that to happen again. The second motivator was I went to a concert, and bought about $100 worth of merch. A long-sleeve shirt and a zip-up hoodie. Only thing is the band didn't have my size, so I had to go fairly smaller than where I currently am. I don't want to waste that money, so I'm looking to fit into it in the future.

This has been very challenging, there are a number of things aspects of me that are really not conducive to losing weight. One is I've got a sweet tooth like you wouldn't believe. My Dad and his Dad before him as well. We've all admitted to at one point taking a can of frosting, and scooping some out with a spoon to eat directly. Yep.

The second is my portion control has always sucked. Mostly because I'm almost incapable of feeling "over-full" or "stuffed". When eating out with friends or family, I could eat twice the amount of food they did, and they'd be over there complaining about eating too much and moaning/groaning about it, meanwhile I'm ready to go walking around a store no problem. Again, my Grandpa was known for being this way too. He used to regularly eat like five whoppers from Burger King in a single meal. Weirdly, he was and still is not obese.

Third for me is I'm what my family calls a "picky eater". Except I'm also full-blown into eating things a lot of people wouldn't touch, especially if it came from the ocean. Whatever. Problem is most vegetables taste vile to me. Onions, lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, peas, you get the idea. Peppers are the worst, they smell like sewage to me. I don't know how no one else smells that. Thankfully most cooked vegetables are fine to me. Broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, etc. It just means that salads of any kind are almost completely off the table, and so are most plant-based condiments.

So, what am I doing to work around all this? Well the one thing I actually am pretty good at is going fairly long periods without eating much. When it's a mealtime, I can't stop myself from eating a massive portion, but I've gone 24 hours pretty easily without eating anything if I'm distracted by something. So after trying lots of different things, what has finally been working for me is this. No breakfast, my lunch is about half a bag of baby carrots (like 45 calories worth), and my supper is whatever I want so long as it's at or below 1400 calories. I've been doing this for the past few months, and it's been very nice actually seeing some results for the first time in a decade. Of course, sweets have been completely cut out. This has definitely been the toughest as my sweet tooth has never gone away, and I feel like a crackhead whenever I'm in line at a convenience store and I see the confectioneries they place near the cash register. But the number going down most mornings have been able to overcome that so far.

I work an office job, so pretty sedentary. I don't want to spend the money on a gym membership, because it takes all my motivation just to drive to a grocery store (I only go to 24 hour places at like 1AM when no one's there). Nothing's in walking distance neither. What I have been able to do though, was I purchased a Meta Quest 3 VR headset at the end of November. I had a VR headset prior, but it was an old first generation HTC Vive, and it had the tether. Being able to play even PCVR games wirelessy was a game changer. I regularly put in around 1.5 to 2 hours a night playing VR first person shooter games. Just finished playing through the Half-Life 2/Episode trilogy in VR. Yeah, it's not supposedly an intense workout, but several moments in those games do get me sweating pretty good, and I'm standing the whole time. Plus I don't use the controllers to turn around or anything, that's all physical movement (hence why I love the wireless so much). I've noticed over time it's getting easier and less painful to play those long sessions which is great!

Supposedly my TDEE would have me losing weight at even 2000 calories per day, but that has not seemed to be the case. I always gain significant weight if I approach that number. The sweet spot from my testing has been 1400, so that's where I'm staying.

Here's hoping I can stick with this. My goal is to be able to fit into the band merch I mentioned by at least Fall of next year. Though if I can fit into the shirt by a certain event happening in April, I'd be especially happy. I don't know what my end goal is. Supposedly a person my height/age should be around like 165Ibs? I can't even imagine that at this point. I probably haven't been at that weight since I was like 7, so that'd be a weird day. I suppose another motivator to mention: I like to play guitar. My size doesn't do me any favors however, as my fingers are pretty round, and my stomach has my guitar sitting a distance out in front of me such that my right arm has to reach out and around it, making it not an ideal playing stance. I know there's a lot of guitarists that make it work, like Dino Cazeras from Fear Factory, but anything to make that easier would be nice lol.

​

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When should you adjust if you are in a Plateu?

I have been on a weight loss journey. SW 410ibs, 29M 6'2. CW, 342ibs. GW: 220ibs

I have hit a Plateau, this isn't my first nor will it be my last. My weight has been pretty steady jn the 342-346 range for about 3 weeks. My calorie deficit should be fine, I track everything, and round up 300 calories from my best guess if I'm not sure.

TDEE calculators say maintenance is 3100cals and I've been in the 2200-2400 range the entire time.

I've also been changing some habits, started with a personal trainer (only done 2 sessions) But will be working with them 3 days a week come January. Had to switch from hour long outdoor walks 3x a week to walking pad because of winter. I do 30mins a day most days (started in past week) also.

So I'm not too worried about my current Plateau, but 3 weeks has been a longer one than the past.

My question for the community is, when you hit a Plateau when do you consider adjusting your approach (more activity, or less calories) vs just sticking with your current plan? Would you give it a month? Two weeks? Etc.

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5 Holiday Hiccups That Can (Seriously!) Hinder Your Weight Loss

‘Tis the season of parties, feasts and daily temptations to abandon your healthy eating plan. You deserve to celebrate and indulge in the pleasures of the holiday. You’ve been eating well and have stayed focused on your weight loss goals. But you don’t have to let go of all the progress you’ve made to enjoy the season. Avoid these common mistakes so that you can have all the fun with none of the regret.

10 Ways to Prepare for a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season

Read More

Here are five holiday hiccups that could sabotage your weight loss goals:

1. Don’t go holiday hungry.

You might think that skipping meals before a party will “save” you calories. But when you are ravenously hungry and standing in front of a buffet table of high calorie goodies, you’ll find it hard to resist piling it on.

Eat your regular Nutrisystem meals and snacks on party days and then load up your plate with (unlimited!) non-starchy vegetables. Indulge in just a few bites of the treats you love the most. Better yet, offer to bring Skinny Spinach Dip, Loaded Potato Skins or one of our other favorite appetizers here on The Leaf Weight Loss Blog. No one else will notice they’re as nutritious as they are delicious.

2. Little tastes are too much.

When you’re cooking and baking for family and friends, you want everything to be just right. Naturally, you’ll have the urge to sample food as you are preparing it and getting ready to put it on the table. But a taste here and a little bite there can add up, gradually increasing your portion size without you even noticing. Instead, ask family members or guests to be your testers. They will be happy to help and you can enjoy the whole meal at the same time as everyone else.

3. Drink wisely.

Wine, beer and spirits can add to the festive mood of any get-together. However, excess drinking can leave you with more than a hangover. Alcohol loads you up with empty calories and can overstimulate your appetite, leading to unhealthy food choices.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t have a drink on the Nutrisystem weight loss plan. Keep the calorie count as low as possible by choosing dry wines, light beers and cocktails made with seltzer rather than sugary mixers. Nutrisystem recommends a maximum of two servings of alcohol per week. Try to spread them out on separate days.

Click the link below to learn more about alcohol and weight loss:

Alcohol on Nutrisystem: Everything You Need to Know

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4. Get to bed.

Who can sleep when there’s so much to do? The long days and late nights of the holiday season can wear you down, which has a direct effect on your weight.

According to Healthline, inadequate sleep increases your risk for weight gain and obesity. They explain that lack of sleep increases the production of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite. That can cause you to feel hungry even after your body is nourished. Help yourself stay on track by ensuring that you get plenty of shut-eye between all the preparations and parties.

5. No jumping to January.

If you are considering giving up on your healthy eating plan for the holidays and picking it up again in the new year, think about all the time and effort you’ve already put in. You’ve retrained your appetite and your metabolism and every healthy meal you eat is another step toward your goal.

If you keep in mind all that you’ve been learning about smart food choices throughout your journey, you can still enjoy the celebration season. You’ll be giving yourself a gift you’ll always treasure: a happier, healthier you.

Christmas Workout Challenge: 12 Days of Holiday Workouts

Read More

The post 5 Holiday Hiccups That Can (Seriously!) Hinder Your Weight Loss appeared first on The Leaf.

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Excited for your before and after photos?

Is anyone else just SO excited to get to a point where they feel comfortable/ready posting their before and after pics to r/progresspics ?

Even though most comments are the same over and over again, I still really do think the approval and celebration will be very exciting. I might even go to a professional photographer and get all dressed up the day I reach my goal. Naturally those photos wouldn't be shared publicly, but just for my OWN record.

Additionally, how do you personally approach weight loss on your personal social media? (Like your Instagram and Facebook) Are you going to post befores and afters there? Do you simply not acknowledge it? Do you actively discourage discussing the topic?

Personally, I'm not quite sure about what I'll do in my future, because it'll be PRETTY noticeable so I'm not sure if I should discuss the elephant shaped hole in the room. I'll probably have a clearer idea in the future. I do admit, sometimes when I don't have as many chins or my collarbones look nice, I may post that to my personal social media. A while ago, I posted some photos of my holiday and an acquaintance commented "don't gain weight while you're on holiday! 😂" (Ironic, because I actually lost 1kg when I got back) Naturally, the second I saw that comment I hid/deleted it because I'm not ready to talk about everything so openly and also because that's not an appropriate comment, I'll eat whatever I want whenever I want ESPECIALLY if im on holiday.

Regardless of anyone else from my real life or on Reddit, I will cherish ALL the photos I have of myself and my journey of getting to my GW. And I hope every single one of you can have enough self love and compassion to love yourself at every size too.

Let me know if any annecdotes or interesting media you would recommend relating to the topic (Social media, weight loss before and after pictures, other people perceiving your weight loss, etc.)

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Last 10/15 lbs is making me go insane

Hey guys! So im 25F 6'1 tall (SW 400+ CW 199 GW 185) Ive lost almost 200+ lbs over the course of the last 3 years, most of which happened in the last 24mo. Im finally in the home stretch of getting to my goal weight! But i have a MASSIVE dilemma. I legit no matter how hard I count calories or exercise cannot for the life of me move past 198.6 and im literally ripping my hair out. And before you ask yes im eating at an insane defecit. I also work at Amazon and burn anywhere from 430-700 calories a shift which i monitor closely. I also dont cook and while living on microwaveables is frowned upon by most, i enjoy it because i have a very busy lifestyle and it also works better financially. So everything I eat i track. If it doesnt have a listed calorie count i wont touch it at all. I also dont have cheat meals, i dont drink anything but water, and everyday I eat anywhere from 700-900 calories a day. I keep telling myself that this isnt that hard, i mean I dont just lose 200+ lbs and suddenly begin to defy the laws of physics. Also with every 5 lbs i lose i always go and recalculate my calories needed. I know that eating as little as i am is considered extreme by most, but i have a hard time convincing myself i even am hungry most of the time. I dont get why TF these last 10lbs are stupidly not budging, and the fact that i eat as little as i do and for some reason defy the laws of CICO? Like does my body somehow forget what tf its doing? Like it does realize when you are on a VLCD that you will lose weight, i mean for christs sake starvation patients and others dont just decide yea im being starved lets GAIN weight? Or do i need to submit myself to a scientific study for them to show me i am an outlier and a freak of nature when it comes to weight loss? Im just seriously at my wits end with this, that being said, im not giving up at ALL. I just dont know what more I can be doing besides dipping even lower caloricly which im fine with, but its just so freaking frustrating to deal with this shit when im so damn close to my goal weight. Its been like this for the last 3.5-4wks and im ready to throw something lol. This post is kinda venting but if you have any tips on how to get over this weird plataeu thing and also just reassure me im not totally crazy and that being in a deficit and exercise will eventually result in me losing weight id appreciate it. Ive just worked so hard this last year to be stuck so close is so frustrating and i know i can lose the weight, i just dont know why my body decided to go on strike and be an asshole about it. I just want to hit my goal weight by february so badly and i feel like im never going to get there even with all my restricting :(

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It’s so hard getting back on track

Started my journey in March at 244.4lbs which is a lot for a 5’2” woman. Since then I’ve gotten down to 185lbs and I’m so proud of myself.

My big goal for losing weight was to feel confident and beautiful at my wedding! I had my wedding last weekend and I am so grateful for the progress I’ve made since March!

This last month and a half leading up to the wedding has been so busy and I haven’t really been tracking and eating the way I should be. I’ve been fluctuating between 180-185 for a while now because I keep getting back off and on track again.

The wedding is over and I’m ready to get under 180 and inch closer to my ultimate goal weight! Any tips for getting back on the bandwagon after you’ve been off for a while?

I’m ready to continue on my weight loss journey, but for some reason it feels so much harder now.

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