Hi all! I’m Lynn’s friend, Nicole Dean, from NicoleontheNet.com. Lynn introduced me to Low Carb eating when we were on vacation together in June in Destin, Florida.
Not only did she tell me how to do it, she answered all of my questions, too. Plus, we ate every meal together so I got to see how she ate on the go. (Which was a huge help, too.)
Actually, Lynn decided to start this blog when she was in Destin – probably to get me to stop asking questions. 😉 Aren’t you glad she did?! I am.
When I returned home from Destin, I started eating low carb, had some very quick success, and right away everyone wanted to know how I was doing it. I told them, and it became contagious. Now everyone around me has lost weight! (My husband even lost over 30 lbs in only a few months.)
It’s crazy how simple and easy this diet is.
I’m a blogger, like Lynn, and so I started to have a desire to share my low carb tips and tricks with others. However, I need another blog, like a fish needs a bicycle. 🙂 So, instead, I asked Lynn if I could pop over here on occasion to share. She obviously agreed. Pfshew! I really didn’t need another blog.
Today, I’d like to share one of my favorite low carb coffee drinks that I have every morning.
Here’s the back story.
My husband accidentally bought the Vanilla Atkins shakes (instead of the Chocolate ones). In my opinion the Vanilla ones taste like Baby Formula. GAG. I couldn’t STAND it … until I figured out a solution.
Now, I actually like it. Here’s what I do.
Ingredients:
- Instant Coffee (Don’t go cheap or generic on this. Get something decent, like Folgers.)
- Bit of hot water (You’ll need just enough to dissolve the Instant Coffee. Not enough to water it down.)
- Atkins Vanilla Shake
- Cinnamon
Directions:
- Get a big cup that can take some heat.
- Put a bit of hot water in the bottom.
- If you LOVE coffee, put up to 2 TBSPs into the hot water. If you aren’t a fan of the taste but just like the caffeine, add just one teaspoon.
- Sprinkle some cinnamon into the coffee.
- Stir well. Make sure all of the coffee is dissolved. (If not, add a splash more water.)
- Then, add the Atkins shake.
- Stir again.
That’s it. Between the cinnamon and the coffee flavors, I actually like this now.
Of course, you can add some low carb whipping cream or drizzle in whatever low carb syrups you like if you want to experiment. I was just happy that I was able to turn lemons into low carb lemonade.
Let me know what you think – or if you have a trick of your own to make your low carb coffee drink delicious.
Warmly,
Nicole Dean
Hey Nicole! Awesome tip! I LOVE coffee – so will give this a try. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Traci! I personally don’t like the flavor of the creamer or shake watered down, which is why I don’t use regular brewed coffee. The super-concentrated instant gives it more flavor, in my opinion. 🙂
Hey Nicole,
I am so excited to hear about your success with the low carb diet, and wowsa – congrats to Joe for losing 30 pounds!! I am looking forward to hearing more from you here on the blog. 😀
Thanks for letting me come by and crash the party! 🙂
Yep! My mom, me, my Joe, several of my friends … you’ve inspired a revolution here in Pensacola, my friend! Thank you!!!
Awesome!! 😀
Great tip Nicole! I’ve never even thought to get Atkins shakes, where do you buy them?
You bet I’m happy Lynn started this blog. Between you and Lynn and a local friend I could no longer stick to my ‘I don’t think this is healthy’ mis-guided attitude! So I started in September and am down 17lbs so far. I hit TWO milestone weights for me and I’m so excited to hit another one (the second one was 199 lbs). I’ve got about 30 lbs to go and so appreciate you both for the advice!
So proud of you!
I found the Atkin’s Shakes the cheapest at Sam’s Club. They’ve got Spenda in them, which I’m not a fan of, but they are such an easy way to keep me from doing the Sumo Wrestlers’ diet. You know what Sumo Wrestlers do to bulk up? Skip breakfast. True story. (Oh now, I’ll save that for another blog post. lol.)
Anyway, to avoid eating like a Sumo Wrestler (and looking like one), I down this concoction within about 20 minutes of waking up to get my metabolism ready for fat-burning. 🙂
Thanks for coming by!
N
Nicole, this sounds really good and I just happen to have some of those vanilla shakes sitting in the pantry. Quick question…do you end up drinking it at room temperature or add ice?
I prefer it cold, Susanne. I don’t use ice, but if I did, I’d make the ice cubes out of coffee so as not to water down the drink. 🙂
Clever!
Many of you may know me better as “The Mom” on Nicole’s blog, and that would be because I am Nicole’s Mom. Clever, right? Okay…
Anyway, yes! This sounds like an excellent solution. And I also know this low carb eating works because I’ve lost weight, too. 😀
I have another recipe that I like using the Atkins chocolate shake. I make a pot of coffee (double strength) and pour it into a metal bowl. I set it in the freezer until the coffee is chilled. Then I pour the chocolate shake into the coffee, add some almond milk or heavy cream, or both, and pour it over ice in a giant glass. That’s my first meal of the day. It’s yummy and refreshing, especially during hot weather. When it gets colder I’ll just skip the freezer part. It’s all good!
Oh, and I always keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge so about an hour after I have my “Iced Cafe Mocha” I have an egg or two and my morning is off to a good start – NOT a Sumo wrestler start to the day. Good one Nicole! (I look forward to your post!)
Also, good tip on the coffee ice cubes. Very smart!
This is great, Lynn, having a place to share without everyone having to start yet another blog! GREAT idea and GREAT blog!
Thank you Patti 😉 Great to see you here!
I’ve never tried the Atkins Shakes so these are interesting recipes – I may just have to try it out! I do love my coffee – and the idea of turning it into a “meal” 😀
Thanks for the tip Patti. Looks like smarts run in your family. 🙂
@nicoledeantlc — There is a *lot* more to bulking up for Sumo than just skipping breakfast. I skip breakfast (and lunch) at least one day a week, which has helped me get back on track with my weight loss.
@NicoleontheNet — I find it amusing that you consider Folger’s to be “quality” coffee. I once spoke with a professional barista who uses “Folgerization” as a term to describe the gradual reduction of the quality of something until it is no longer recognizable. (The more common use of “Folgerized” is to describe the condition of a Navy logbook after you spill coffee on it.)
I like Atkins, and it was the low-carb plan that I originally used back in 1999 to start my Low-Carb Journey. However, I am not a fan of his junk food line, for reasons I cover in Part III of my series. I hope to get Part IV up tomorrow.
All that said, I still enjoyed the article — and the comments.
Hey Howard, thanks for the comment.
I agree there is a lot more to bulking up than skipping breakfast. I, however, have found that if I don’t eat until 1 or 2 pm, I tend to have a hard time catching up and I stay hungry all day. So, having something upon waking keeps my cravings down.
I didn’t call Folgers “quality” coffee. I was saying that, as far as instant coffee goes, Folgers is better than generic. I wouldn’t spend good money buying quality coffee, just to dump an Atkins shake into it. I save my good coffee for sipping with a bit of cream. 🙂
As for the junk food comment, I agree, and certainly wouldn’t recommend anyone base their diet off eating the Atkins bars and drinks as the focus of their diet. Veggies and protein are much better for us (and easier on the pocketbook, as well). However, I find that carrying an extra 30 or more lbs is pretty bad for me, too, so I am currently relying up on the drinks to help me start my day.
Again, thanks for the feedback.
Warmly,
N
You might want to try “bulletproof coffee” (google it). I haven’t tried it yet, but I have done some similar things (typically, I do a protein shake with whey powder, pasteurized egg, butter, coconut oil, and olive oil for breakfast). I may give it a shot now that I have some Kerry Gold in the house.
BTW, since I started Low Carb in 1999, I have not had any problems with fasting, whether just skipping breakfast and lunch, or 3-day fast for colonoscopy prep. I might get mildly hungry around mealtime, but I can simply disregard it, and it goes away after a little while. Back when I was following Ornish’s craptastically unhealthy low-fat fad diet, I got the shakes if I just skipped a between-meals snack (which is how I managed to get to 350 lbs in 1999).
Sorry I did not get Part IV up last weekend. I had an emergency with a piano accompanist backing out on my student’s upcoming recital at the last minute, and spend the weekend (unsuccessfully) trying to get a replacement. Maybe next weekend…
I have been doing low carb for years and keeping the weight off remember its not a diet but a life style I never drink coffee but my father in law is 82 and now not in the best health well I take care of him and need a pick me up sometimes I brew coffee put it in the frig before I drink it I add atkins shake to it like a creamer or in a blender with ice my favorite chocolate latte and the carmel flavor but tend to use vanilla the most because its the lowest in carbs the others tend to have an extra carb or two with the secret carb counter.
yummy with a kick lol
Can the atkins protein shake be used in hot coffee? Not a big fan of cold coffee.
Thanks
I don’t see why not. 🙂
This is perfect! Thank you Nicole.
I did your recipe but have added zero calorie, fat free chocolate syrup instead of the spices. It gave it a mocha flavor.
I was looking for ways to enhance the vanilla shake too. You probably won’t believe this will work, but I tried 1/2 tsp of curry powder mixed into the vanilla, stirred well and heated it for 1.5 minutes. I LOVE it!! You can turn that into a Chai by adding tea to it as well.
I have also tried 1/4 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice for a change. (not mixed into the curry recipe of course.)