Even Better Than “Poor Man’s Ozempic”

Last Christmas, my wife bought me what has become my secret weapon for boosting my protein intake in the most delicious way possible: the Ninja Creami Deluxe.

I had never heard of such a thing, but let me tell you, it’s been fantastic. For the uninitiated, the Creami is an ice cream machine that makes high-protein, very low-calorie ice cream. I’ve been experimenting with different recipes and the macros and calories for my nightly snack break down to:

• Calories: 255
• Protein: 44.5g
• Carbs: 14g
• Fat: 1g

And it’s super delicious. My wife and I split that, and she rarely finishes hers (so I help). Knowing I have that coming after dinner helps me put the brakes on the serving size of whatever dinner is so I’ll have room for ice cream.

My general recipe, by the way, is:

1 teaspoon vanilla

Two tablespoons of monk fruit sugar 

1 serving of whey protein (mine is unflavored, but plenty of people use flavored powders as a part of the flavor of the finished product)

pinch of salt

two tablespoons of sugar-free pudding mix (this gives flavor and body)

Freeze for 24 hours, and then the Ninja “creamifies” it into a delicious ice cream that compares to soft-serve in texture and flavor.

In my books, I make a firm case for increasing protein while in a calorie deficit is one of the best cheat codes for losing body fat more efficiently. Protein increases satiety and gives you the building blocks necessary to maintain lean mass (muscle) while in the deficit, especially if you’re doing some resistance exercise.

Plenty of Instagram accounts and YouTube channels are dedicated to exploring recipes for this thing, so you’ll never be at a loss for ideas.

I still have my daily “Poor Man’s Ozempic,” but now I have it right before I eat lunch. The fiber, collagen, and creatine all have health benefits that extend far beyond helping with weight loss, but it does keep me from hogging out at lunch too much, although that’s never been much of a problem for me. The after-dinner session of standing in front of the fridge, eyeing the cheese and crackers, has been my downfall over the years.

Ours came from Costco, but you can get them on Amazon or pretty much anywhere that sells Ninja stuff.