Real Food Advent Calendar: December 5 - A Hard Pressed Treat

Ah, December, the most relaxing, rejuvenating, peaceful month of the year.

*ahem*, not. 

Are you feeling pressed in from many sides? Pressure to get the holidays just right? Unsure that you'll get the gifts and other traditions together before Christmas? Or just trying to manage "regular life" under the weight of a bunch of holiday obligations?

I hear ya, so. there. The day after Thanksgiving I got back on the lower carb train, had about two days of brain fog, then by Monday was feeling pretty good again. So here I am, trying to be faithful in weight loss efforts - and allocating my modest fruit and starch carbs intake very strategically just before and just Crossfit workouts...and I'm making advent calendar treats for my daughter every day! Though very tempting, I haven't given in to eating any of the treats yet; my stable blood sugar isn't worth compromising for me right now. 

So due to me attempting to bear down, the number on the scale is going down - 9.2 lb. since Black Friday. BUT, I'm feeling the effects in my Crossfit workouts - especially the higher cardio ones. I've read before that with Crossfit you have to prioritize leaning out or performance, so it's making sense from that perspective.

This day's treat is inspired by the concept of being between a rock and a hard place - the idea of being "hard pressed". Here we have almond butter and maple syrup combined in 1:1 ratio, then squished between two plain rice crackers, then covered in high quality dark chocolate. It's my less-processed gluten-free take on the chocolate covered Oreos that seem to emerge this time of year. ;)

So if you're feeling hard pressed this year, hang on; the chocolate covering is coming sooner or later. :)

Meanwhile, some silvery foil fingernail stickers with a star pattern appealed to the inner glamour girl. It's a reminder that doing things well does eventually stand out and serve as a testimony - whether faithful healthy eating or simply shepherding your family steadily through the chaos of the holidays.