This High-Protein Hot Cocoa Mix Helps Me Reach My Strength Goals

Weightlifters love lycra, powerlifters love pizza, and I love Ghost High Protein Hot Cocoa Mix. Yes, my devotion is that real.

To understand the depth of my love for this supplement-turned-sweet treat, you have to understand the roller coaster my fitness journey has taken me on this past year. Let me tell you all about the wild ride that led me to my new favorite product. 

From Working Out To Worn Out

For much of the last decade, I’ve lived with a narrow focus on a single goal: get fitter. My workout routine, diet, water intake, and sleep schedule were all executed in service of being the strongest, fastest, most gymnasty athlete possible. I regularly cut dates short, ghosted gatherings, and bailed on dinner parties post-appetizers to guarantee I’d log ample rest and stick to my trusted chicken-and-rice-type fuel.

But at the end of my competitive CrossFit season in April of last year, I threw in the towel. Or, more accurately, I got hit with exercise-induced burnout, which brought on fatigue that wouldn’t quit, making prolonged rest a non-negotiable. 

In place of my old exercise routine, I suddenly had time for, well, whatever I wanted: meandering evenings at tapas bars with my friends, play dates with my pup that went on and on until neither of us could see the tennis ball, and Hunger Games movie marathons that lasted even longer than my old training sessions. 

In the months following this shift, my body began to recover, and my social (and romantic) life flourished in a way it had never before. The only thing that continued to feel ‘bleh’ was my diet. When athletic performance was my end game, every decision about breakfast, lunch, and dinner (including what I ate, how much I ate, and when I ate it) was predetermined. 

With that gone, I had to figure out what to have for each snack and meal by actually checking in with myself. After years of eating exclusively the kind of grub associated with gym bros (protein powder, peanut butter, broccoli, bananas, eggs, chicken, and rice), having such a substantial menu at my fingertips was, at first, overwhelming. 

But, slowly, I found a new lineup of foods I loved—and not because of their macronutrient breakdown, but because they tasted damn good. Chief among them: hot chocolate, which became my ritualistic nightcap. (Apparently, even when I’m not training, I’m a sucker for routine.) So, before turning in each night, I’d put on the kettle and pick out a book or show for the evening while the water boiled. Then, I’d blend myself a chocolatey elixir and make my way to bed after draining my oversized mug.

New Movement Practice, Right This Way

Six months after laying my old fitness-focused life to rest, my body had finally recovered from burnout and I started to miss having a regular movement practice. I wasn’t interested in committing to the same degree I once had, nor did I hunger to be as competitive as I once was, but I was ready to get back into some kind of exercise and strength routine. 

My first order of business: joining a new gym in the town where I’d moved to since the onset of my burnout (for unrelated reasons). And then? I started going—and perhaps, more importantly, enjoying it! Four times per week, I dropped in for a 60-minute class (which usually featured a strength segment followed by a higher-intensity daily workout) and then went home.

This scaled-back routine didn’t require the same commitment to masterful eating, sleeping, and hydrating as my old exercise goals. (I used to train nearly every day.) However, since people who have experienced exercise-induced burnout once are more prone to it in the future, I decided to chat with a sports nutritionist about how to maintain optimal health moving forward. Their suggestion? Focus on protein! Turns out, this is a common suggestion for anyone who strength-trains at any level.

“Protein makes up the structure of every cell and tissue in the body, including our muscles and connective tissues,” explains Brittany Michels, R.D.N, M.S. C.P.T, a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer with The Vitamin Shoppe. Since lifting weights shears tiny, microscopic tears into these tissues, gym-goers require additional protein from food to repair, recover, and grow back stronger.  

Read More: 7 Easy Ways To Pack 30 Grams Of Protein Into Your Next Meal

The extra protein intake is so vital, in fact, that “failing to consume an adequate amount of daily protein will result in zero gains, no matter how much you strength train,” says registered dietitian Mallory Aldred R.D., founder of What Mallory Eats. 

So, despite taking an overall more relaxed approach to my fitness and my food, I realized protein still needed to be a priority. How much, though? Aldred recommends strength lovers consume their goal weight (in pounds) in grams of protein each day. For me, that comes down to 130 grams of protein per day. And while I was plenty used to all the chicken breast and ground turkey, I now understood that truly enjoying my food was just as important as hitting my protein goals—which meant finding fun, tasty new ways to satisfy my taste buds while nourishing my muscles.

And that’s where Ghost High Protein Hot Cocoa Mix comes in.

Powered By Protein 

On my quest to have lots more fun with my food, I came across Ghost High Protein Hot Cocoa Mix on the shelf at my local The Vitamin Shoppe.

While the hot cocoa mix I’d been in a long-term relationship with contains just one gram of protein, 25 grams of sugar, and 150 calories, Ghost’s protein-packed alternative provides 20 grams of protein per serving for 130 calories and just three grams of sugar. (You can thank hydrolyzed whey protein concentrate for these magical stats.)

Since sipping a cup of chocolatey goodness had become one of my most treasured rituals, I wasn’t about to switch up my routinejust for the sake of a better macronutrient profile (though there’s really no comparison), but I was curious! To my delight, the Ghost Hot Cocoa mixed well, tasted great, and went down easy. That was all I needed; I was sold.

Of course, the extra perks Aldred assured me of didn’t hurt, either. “The protein in the drink supports protein muscle synthesis that occurs while you sleep—and, because it is very low in sugar, drinking it before bed won’t disrupt your REM cycle, which is when your muscles repair the most,” she shared. 

And that, folks, is how Ghost High Protein Hot Cocoa Mix became a staple of my daily routine. It really was love at first sip.

These Days 

Since discovering Ghost High Protein Hot Cocoa Mix a few months ago, my evening beverage ritual has remained equal parts soothing to my soul and supportive of my active lifestyle. I may not be quite as muscle-clad as I was 12 months ago—but thanks to my current strength routine and consistent protein intake, I’m continuing to feel strong and most importantly, healthy and happy.  Surely, my hot chocolate routine isn’t the sole determinant of the happy balance I’ve found, but finding a delicious high-protein beverage is pretty much the icing (or, marshmallows!) on top.