Except Daniel -- since he went thru the process during Season 7, he is now an expert, and he has some amazing tips to share. So -- not only the cast will benefit -- we all will, too!
Here are two recipes he told me about -- but note, I have modified & added some ingredients to these based on my own weight loss (55 lbs in about 4 months) and advice from both my trainer and a chef friend. FYI -- I get all of this stuff at Trader Joes, I am a devoted fan.
1) Breakfast Smoothie:
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* 1 cup of f-- E 0% Greek yogurt. I was actually using the 2% f-- E yogurt BEFORE I met with the cast, but Daniel told me to switch to 0%, and I wouldn't taste a difference. He was right!
* 1/2 cup of Vanilla Almond Breeze (sweetened version). I added this -- Daniel doesn't use it. I like it because it makes the smoothie a little more liquid-y, and I prefer the taste over milk
* 2 scoops of Trader Joe's Vanilla Whey protein powder (I think the cast uses the Biggest Loser branded powder)
* 1 TBSP of ground flax seed (i added this based on my trainer & chef friend's advice -- it is good fiber)
* 1 TSP of flax seed oil (i added this -- lignans and omega 3. it probably is duplicating the benefits of the ground flax seed, but whatever!)
* Frozen organic fruits -- I use Trader Joes organic strawberries and blueberries, about a cup of strawberries and 1/2 cup of boreal blueberries. The frozen fruit is best because then you don't need to add ice :) I also freeze bananas to add to this every once in a while, but I am not a huge banana fan.
At one point I tallied the calories, and this is roughly 500. It is really tasty AND it fills me up. I am obsessed with this -- I crave it every morning, and some mornings i literally lick the remnants from the inside of my glass. YUM!
2) Chocolate "non-ice-cream"
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* 1 cup of chocolate Almond Breeze (sweetened)
* a few ice cubes
* 1/4 cup of your favorite fruit
>> blend the Almond Breeze and ice -- then serve with sliced fruit on top!
I use strawberries, but daniel likes it with cherries. Supposedly Jerry Hayes, the At-Home winner of season 7, shared this with Daniel. And, even better, this is under 150 calories -- yippee!
Hope you enjoy -- I'll post more from other previous cast members if / when I get them.
And just a reminder, The Biggest Loser Season 8 starts next week, September 15th, on NBC.
