It's Liz Parker

Hi there! I wanted to thank you all for attending my live cooking event and those of you who caught the replay. It means so much to me! I love going live and talking about cooking, baking - all the things!

Here is a recap of the recipe:
Simple, delicious and super easy to make. Classic pots de creme that is sugar free.

7oz sugar-free dark chocolate
1 egg
1/2 cup HOT coffee/espresso
Pinch of salt
Splash of vanilla

Put all the ingredients except the hot coffee in a high speed blender. Turn on the blender and stream the coffee in the top and blend until smooth. Pour into 4 mini cups, chill until firm, serve with strawberries and whipped cream.

Does anyone have addional questions? If so, please let me know!

I am going to share links for the chocolate that I showed you in the LIVE. These links are from Amazon and it is an associates link and I DO get about .05 cents if you purchase from my link. HA! I will NEVER share a product that I have not used personally. Not at all how I roll.

ChocZero
https://amzn.to/40f7BiJ

Lankanto Chocolate Chips
https://amzn.to/3Ojak8d

Hershey's (maltitol alert! IYKYK)
https://amzn.to/4tza98O

As I teased at the end of the LIVE, I will be baking a Cookie Butter/Speculoos Snack Cake and OH MY! is it so very good. Delicious AND easy since I use a sugar free cake mix. Yep!

Morning and happy Wednesday! I know I said I was going to post yesterday, but I was OBE. Following up on what I ate for Lunch, Dinner, and snacks.

Lunch was a mint Built Puff. I was just not hungry - but protein!
You guys, the gyro meat from TJ's is just awesome. The whole gyro wrap was 349 calories and I had an Orgain protein shake for 160.
And for another snack, I had Built Puff, Rocky Road (not pictured).

All in all not a bad day, but my calories could have been higher and will more than likely be higher today. The closer I get to my shot day, the hungrier I get.

Hoping you all are having a great day!

When you want a protein punch, this should be your go-to. If you are not a tuna fan, swap in chicken. This is everything I want in a meal. Finish this off with a protein shake and you are at 70 grams of protein. Full disclosure, I could not eat all of this. It is a lot, so really start with half and go from there. Keeps amazing in the fridge for 1 day.

Just so, so good!

🥒 Crave-Worthy Dill Pickle Protein Smash
Still Sweet. Just Smarter.
High-Protein • Satisfying • GLP-1 Friendly

Ingredients
1 pouch Safe Catch Tuna (100 calories)
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 celery stalks, finely diced
¼ cup dill relish
2 tablespoons 2% Greek yogurt
3 teaspoons mayo
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 serving Trader Joe’s Pickle Chips (≈13 chips), for serving

Instructions
Drain tuna well and add to a medium bowl.
Add chopped eggs and celery.
Stir in dill relish, Greek yogurt, and mayo until well combined.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with Trader Joe’s Pickle Chips for crunch.
Nutrition Snapshot
(Approximate – includes pickle chips)
Calories: ~500
Protein: ~40–42g
Fat: ~31–33g
Net Carbs: ~20–22g

🔄 Micro-Swaps (Tiny Tweaks, Big Wins)
To Lower Calories
Use 2 tsp mayo instead of 3 (saves ~30–40 calories)
Use ½ serving pickle chips for crunch with fewer carbs

To Boost Protein
Add 1 extra egg white
Swap yogurt → 0% Greek yogurt
To Lower Fat
Replace mayo with extra Greek yogurt
Use 1 whole egg + 1 egg white

🌶To Add Heat:
Add cayenne, chili crisp, or diced pickled jalapeños

To Make It Ultra GLP-1 Friendly
Eat slowly
Start with half, wait 10 minutes, then decide if you want more

💬 Serving Ideas:
Scoop with pickle chips or cucumbers
Spoon over chopped romaine
Wrap in butter lettuce cups
Grab a spoon and dig in

Still Sweet. Just Smarter.
Protein first. Flavor always.
💚, Liz

I was going to share another recipe today (will save it for Monday) but I have had so many people reach out with questions, I feel I need to address 1 aspect here. Why here? Because it involves exercise, something I am really passionate about now.

When I first started, my inflammation was out out of this world. Traditional exercise was not something I could do. So, I sat on my ass and did nothing. WRONG all kinds of WRONG! It doesn't matter if you are on Zepbound/Tirz or even Wegovy/Sema, you gotta move but you must be careful. I put together this guide for exercise for those just starting out. Inflammation is no joke, be easy on yourself. You will know when it is time to graduate to the next level. And guess what? I'll be here to here to cheer you on AND I will post more of the routines that have been done.

Here is a link to my shared drive with instructions.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19JDm1-husY1ZB9Mgj3ONY9UNDLVgeWO0?usp=sharing

Ahhh menopause.. Menopause didn’t just change my weight — it changed my migraines.
What used to be “regular” migraines evolved into vestibular migraines, which affect balance, dizziness, nausea, and sensory processing — not just head pain.

They’re deeply tied to hormonal shifts and nervous system regulation, which makes midlife especially challenging. And let's not even talk about barometer changes. 🤯

I’ve had to learn my triggers, respect rest days, and support my body instead of fighting it. And lemme tell ya something, that is hard, challenging, and stinks sometimes.

Just want to validate you. If you deal with dizziness, fullness in the ears, or feeling “off” without a typical headache — you’re not imagining it.
You’re not weak.
Your body is communicating.

🤍 If migraines have shifted for you in midlife, you’re not alone. It is a nasty-ass club, but it is one I am a member of, so I gotta deal.

Full disclosure, this graphic was made with ai. Kinda cool cause that’s what I feel like when a VM hits. Also really creepy that the girl in the pix doesn't exist but here she is.

I am so excited to share these pix with you! What a journey that has only just begun.

That girl on left.. I love her. This pix was taken 3 days after Brian's heart transplant. I was upright, feeling loved, but so incredibly uncomfortable it was painful. I look at her face and see relief, apprehension and so much inflammation, I could barely move. I see baldheadedness from the menopause.

When Brian's heart transplant journey started, I let it all hang out. I put anything and everything into my mouth . I did not sleep because Brian was not home. I was in survival mode. I made it to the other side on 5/21, but man the damage had been done.

If you know anything about menopause, losing weight is next to impossible. All the hospital pizza finally had caught up with me and I tried all the old tricks that worked in the past. Nothing touched it, although I was able to maintain. Fast forward to August and Brian's dad passed away and stuff just came into perspective for me. I had been investigating 'the shots' and was scared. That said, my highest weight of 308 was just around corner and that is something I NEVER wanted to see again. It pushed me over and I met with a Doctor and he submitted for pre-auth to my insurance. BOOM - approved on my BMI alone. 😫

I am a slow loser, but losing I am! This last Christmas was the first time in my adult life I have ever LOST weight over the holidays.. 3.8 pounds to be exact! I have another 20 lbs to lose to hit my ultimate goal of 145 and a NORMAL BMI.. Also another plus, my hair is growing back.. GHK-cu (copper peptide) IYKYK! Suck it menopause!

If you have questions drop them below or private message me. I am so happy to answer questions! If you need help finding the resources to start your own journey, let me know - I can totally help you.

My movement looks different in this season — and I am a-okay with that.

For me, walking has become non-negotiable. I walk 3–4 miles every morning, usually 6–7 days a week. I aim for 10,000 steps daily, unless I’m dealing with a migraine or my body clearly needs rest.

I have learned that exercising isn’t about punishment or “earning” food. I STOPPED doing extra exercise because I was feeling guilty about choices I made that day.

It’s about circulation, mental clarity, blood sugar balance, and consistency — especially in midlife. As soon as i got consistent with exercise, the weight fell off (not literately, but you know what I mean!). 😘

Some days it’s slow.
Some days it’s strong.
But I show up anyway. Why? Because I am worth it! I have spent too many years punishing myself for decisions I have made. Stand firm behind EVERY choice you make and be okay with it.

If you’re waiting for the perfect workout… walking counts. It always has.

👉 Do you walk and if you do in the morning or evening? If not, what is your exercise of choice?

Hey friends 🤍
It’s been a while… and I wanted to share quickly why (for those that may not know) before I jump back into recipes like nothing happened.

The last couple of years have been a lot.

I've always been a keto/low carb warrior, but menopause hit me harder than I ever expected. The weight gain felt relentless and unfamiliar — like my body stopped responding to things that once worked.
At the same time, our family was walking through something far bigger.
🤍 Brian went through a heart transplant in May 2024.
🤍 We lived in survival mode for a long stretch — emotionally, physically, mentally.
🤍 Then we lost Brian’s dad 3 months after the transplant.
Grief layered on top of exhaustion in ways you don’t really understand until you’re in it.
Somewhere in all of that… I disappeared (possibly even before then). I stopped doing the things that brought me joy – recipe creation, Color Street nails everything EXCEPT eating. Yea.

By fall of 2024, I was at 245 pounds, and I knew — lovingly but firmly — that this wasn’t a place I could stay. Not for my health. Not for my future. Not for the life I still want to live. Menopause started in 2020 and it became increasing more than I could handle. If you can keep it off and not gain, you are okay. Stack that on top of the pain, sleepless nights, hot flashes, the only thing that brought comfort was food.

So, in September 2024, I made the decision to start Zepbound alongside a high-protein, low-carb (carb cycle at times), moderate-fat approach that supports midlife hormones instead of fighting them. The life of keto was gone, thankfully, I was able to maintain low-carb.

And today, I’m down 77 pounds.
I now weigh 168 pounds.
All time low and under the weight listed on my DL - IYKYK!
But more importantly than the number — I feel clear, strong, and present again.

This season has reshaped how I eat, how I cook and bake, and how I care for myself.
Protein matters. Blood sugar matters. Lack of inflammation matters. Ingredients matter. But so does grace.

Which brings me back here. 💛

I’m easing back in by sharing the kind of recipes that support where I am now — real food, high protein, low carb, no extremes, and still deeply comforting. My relationship with food is much different now, which makes recipe development challenging because I am not hungry. That said, I am still creating, still tweaking, and still eating – Still Sweet, Just Smarter.

If you’ve ever:
• felt stuck in your body
• struggled through menopause
• walked through caretaking and/or grief
• or disappeared from yourself for a while
…just know you’re not behind. You’re still allowed to begin again.

That said, I’m super glad to be back 💛

Today’s recipe is Cottage Cheese Griddle Cakes
Soft, lightly crisp griddle cakes made with strained low-fat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt for a protein-packed, low-carb breakfast or brunch.
Soft, lightly crisp, simple, and incredibly satisfying.
1 cup 2% cottage cheese, lightly drained
1 large egg
Heaping ¼ cup King Arthur Keto Wheat Flour
¼ tsp salt
Aglio Olio (Trader Joe's!!) seasoning, to taste (savory blend of garlic, chili, herbs)
Butter or cooking spray, for the pan

🥣 Prep Step (Important for Texture, so it will set and not be runny)
Place the cottage cheese in a fine mesh sieve and let drain for about 10 minutes.
👉 With 2% cottage cheese, it won’t “weep” much.
After draining, wipe away any moisture collected on the bottom of the sieve before using.
This prevents excess water from going back into the batter and helps the cakes set properly.

👩‍🍳 Instructions
In a mixing bowl, add the cottage cheese, egg, keto flour, salt, and aglio olio seasoning. Mix just until combined — do not overmix.

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly butter or spray.

Use a cookie scoop to portion the batter into 4 evenly sized griddle cakes.

Cook uncovered until the bottoms are golden brown and set, about 3–4 minutes.

Gently flip each cake. Cook the second side for 5–7 minutes, then cover the pan, turn off the burner, and let the cakes sit until fully set through.

Serve warm. These pair beautifully with sliced avocado, cucumbers, tomatoes, or iced tea for a light savory plate.

🍽️ Yield & Serving
Makes: 4 griddle cakes
Serving size: 2 griddle cakes
Servings per batch: 2

🔢 Estimated Nutrition
Per Serving (2 griddle cakes)

Calories: ~155
Protein: ~14 g
Fat: ~4 g
Total Carbs: ~9 g
Fiber: ~5 g
Net Carbs: ~4 g

Per Griddle Cake
Calories: ~78
Protein: ~7 g
Net Carbs: ~2 g
Macros are estimates and will vary slightly by brand and seasoning used.
________________________________________
💡 Optional Flavor Variations
• Sweet: Cinnamon + vanilla + powdered allulose
• Savory: Garlic powder + black pepper + chives
• Boost: Serve with sugar-free syrup, berries, or a dollop of Greek yogurt for your Still Sweet, Just Smarter version.

Now tell me — which do you think would be your favorite way to eat these griddle cakes sweet or savory? Drop your answer⬇️