How's your water?

I am looking back over the last couple of days, and trying to do some positive self talk. Trying not to fall victim to more of what has been going on yesterday & the day before. I see too that I haven't been drinking nearly enough water. Nowhere even close to 8, 8oz glasses of water. More like 1 or 2, for the whole day. So dehydration may be exaggerating the mood swings.

So needless to say, lots of augwa for yours truly today.

I woke up and wanted to get something in me that was going to keep me full for a long time. I had a big morning a head of myself. This called for a protein green monster. This one was so good, it might even be worth submitting to The Green Monster Movement site. Note the spill, not because it's over-flowing, rather I got distracted while pouring and made a mess lol.

Peanut Butter Vanilla Green Monster

• 1 scoop of vanilla Whey protein powder
• 1 whole banana
• 3 cups of spinach
• 1 tbsp Kraft smooth PB - running low on the cashew butter otherwise that would have been used.
• 1 cup of UVAB
• Blend & Serve

After breakfast was over, it was off to get a quick run in before hitting the gym. Cardio Bosu class today. Honestly this class keeps me going all week long. I luuurve it! Here are a few sample pics I found online of what Cardio Bosu is like. We run circuits in the class, it's great!

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I even managed to fit in an hour spin class with my fav instructor Sheena this morning. Ok, ok it's a lot yes, but I was excited and had banked on doing all of this before work this morning.

After class, I went and had a swim in the pool. However not the best of swim, I ended up getting chatty with 2 other swimmers, who also run. So there was much to talk about. I did however manage to get 5 laps, maaaaybe 6 before I had to take off and start working.

Needless to say burning all those calories I needed to refuel before I would have time to get a typical morning snack in. I planned for this and had half my lara-apple-bar.

Once I got back to the office (as I had some out of office work to complete) I was ravenously hungry. I ate my apple so fast, I'm not even sure I saw it. Tupperware lid open, mouth open, apple gonzo! Two of my coworkers have recently asked me what I do to my apples to keep them from getting all brown (as I cut and pack my apple the night before). I haven't been doing anything special, and I've been more aware of this trying to figure out what my secret is. When I cut my apples, it's packing varies from Tupperware to glassware, and it's storage varies from refrigerated to left out on the counter top. Then coworker Kelly and I figured out it might be the type of apples I eat. I eat Royal Gala Apples, which I love because they are almost always firm and crunchy, unlike a soft McIntosh. Could this be the secret to not having uber brown apples?

Remember when I talked about my love for breakfast foods here? Well being in a mopey mood last night I had no grand inspiration for today's lunch. So I went with something comforting and oh-so loveable! Oatmeal! That's right, breakfast for lunch (I swear dinner isn't going to be breakfast food).

I packed my dry ingredients, and tossed some fresh fruit in another Tupperware.
Lunch Time Oats

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of quick oats
• 2/3 cup of water
• 1tbsp chia seeds
• 1tbsp dried goji berries
• 1/2tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4tbsp nutmeg
• 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup blackberries
• 1 banana
• 3 walnut halves

Directions

• See here for standard banana mash
• Add water
• Add all dry ingredients to your banana mash mix (oats, dried fruit, seeds & spices)
• Mix well with a fork to get that banana mash goodness all over
• Cook in the nuker for 2 mins
• Top with fresh fruit and nuts
• Using your fork, mash that fresh fruit to release it's juices into your oatmeal

Manga manga!Just for an update, I have already had 6, 8oz glasses of water today (by 1:00), and I am feeling much better today. Fingers crossed that it stays this way for the rest of the day.

Question: Do you ever do uber long workout sessions? Do you feel like you need to make up for missing one?

Answer: Me? Why did I workout so much today? Because I felt like I had to? No! Did I feel like I had to make up for missing yesterday? In a way, kind of. However I didn't do all that I did this morning because I felt like I had to. I did it because this was something I was looking forwards to. I had fun doing it and seeing if I could push myself and make it through it all. I never feel like I must workout. I do get the feeling of having to, but let me explain that more. Being that I work so much and have such a busy schedule because of work, the times that I am not working, I feel like I have to workout, because I know that I won't get the chance to later, so it's a now or not today. So I have to grab the opportunities that I have otherwise it would be way too easy for me to say, I work 2 regular jobs and 1 casual, I don't have time to workout. So If I want to,I have to!

Oatmeal

Breakfast is one of my most favourite meals of the day. I could honestly eat breakfast foods all day long! Just picture it, GM for breakfast, Oatmeal for lunch, and pancakes for dinner. Or, Oatmeal for breakfast, scrambled eggs for lunch and french toast for dinner. Oh I could go on forever with an all day breakfast meal plan.

Kevin has dubbed he and I as a cereal family. And though I do love my cold cereals too, I think we are a breakfast food family.

This morning for breakfast I made oatmeal, and I am going to go through the steps of how I make my oatmeal. Though the toppings might vary, the steps remain the same.

First start off with a half or a whole banana. I bought these from the discounted section for .59cents! Look at them. They just look like the bananas I buy fresh, 3 days later.
Peel open the banana and it's almost in pristine condition. Just a small bruise near the bottom. So next time you see some discounted produce, take a second look, you just might find yourself a steal of a deal.

Take said banana (today I used a whole), and toss it in the microwave for 30 seconds. This will help soften your banana for the mashing process.

Banana-mash.

As for toppings at this stage, I interchange between cinnamon&nutmeg or a nut butter (cashew butter is my fav).

Today, though, cinnamon & nutmeg won.

Now I add 1/3cup of quick oats. With quick oats, you want a 2:1 ratio of wet to dry. Added then to our 1/3cup of quick oats, is 1/3cup of UVAB and 1/3 cup of water.

Next, I added 1tbsp of chia seeds (almost always in each bowl now), and 1tbsp dried blueberries. Fresh fruit can always be substituted here.

Mix together and place in the microwave for 1.5-2 minutes. Careful your bowl might be hot.

Question: Do you make sure to eat breakfast every morning? Could you eat breakfast foods all day long?

Not quite sure where time went tonight

I had such grand plans for this evening. These plans involved meeting kijiji Garmin seller, doing one full session of Blast Fat Boost Metabolism with Jillian, and swimming at 8:30-9:30.

Sadly because it is Monday, non of the exercise plans happened. With a 6:30 meeting in Whitby with kijiji people, and then going to the grocery store, to once again, buy produce, I wasn't home until almost 8pm. Then I had to put the groceries away and then make my Tuesday & Wednesday meals (2 lunches, 2 dinners and 4 snacks).

I know that tomorrow I will get a good workout in, in the morning, I just really wanted to get a good workout in tonight too, sucks being an adult sometimes eh!

! ! ! Rewind ! ! !

My afternoon snack was eaten alone. Our main caseworker Duztin left for an in house interview at 1:30. At 2:30 the boss left for the day, and shortly after my In School Mentoring partner Heather left at 3pm for a meeting at a school. I was alone for the end of the day.
Half a dozen strawberries and 2 rounds of pineapple for snack. I also had a couple of spoonfuls of some PB.

I stuck around work until 4pm like a good girl. :)

Once I got home I decided I wasn't much in the cooking mood. So rather than cooking up the turkey breast that has been in the fridge for a few days like I had planned I made myself something much easier. Oatmeal!

I think I am going to leave tonight's blog short and sweet with just this sort recap, as it is 10:30 and if I am to get up to get a mean sweat on in the week hours of the morning, that means me going to bed.

Sweet dreams everyone!

Who's got a case of the Mundays?

I have a bad case of the Mundays (Office Space). I will fill you in on why later, when I have more information to share.

This morning I did day 2 of my 30 Day Shred with Jilliam Michaels. It's the same workout routine for 10 days at level 1 then move on to level 2. So I knew what I was getting into at 6:15am.

I grabbed my 3lbs weights and headed to the basement to workout with Jillian (we are going to be best buds I might as well just refer to her no as Jillian).

After yesterday the shoulder presses with 5lb weights is just too much for me right now. I will have to build up to it.

Over all it was a great workout. Nothing like burning 310 calories in 27 minutes before starting your day.

After the work out I decided rather than shower right away, I wanted to eat my breakfast. Kind of gross I know.
Oatmeal

• 1/3 cup quick oats
• 1/2 mashed banana
• 1.5 tbsp dried blueberries
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1tbsp chia seeds

Check out another one of my new bowls I got Friday. Too cute.

So let's rewind to yesterday, because I wasn't able to blog at my work because of my leaving my usb cord at my full time job.

So Friday morning after breakfast, Kevin and I went and did a run and then I did my Day 1 with Jillian. This is what I looked like after all that working out. I don't know that I've ever felt or been this sweaty before.

After taking a nice long shower and getting cleaned up for the day, it as 1pm, definitely time for some lunch. I made myself a wrap with, hummus, tomato, asparagus, avocado, and some smoked tofu.With a some sides. Baby carrots and some orange pepper. Instead of jamming it into my wrap this time I just ate them on the side. I also had a grapefruit.

Come 2:20, it was time for me to leave the house and head into work for my last marathon work shift (on the weekends that is).

Working 3-11.

For my mid afternoon snack I had some yogurt and granola.

I quite enjoyed this one better than the chocolate. It fits more with what I would throw together for a homemade yogurt and granola combination.
Wow, and I knew this when I packed my dinner, but Sunday is exactly almost the same as what I had Saturday just switched lunch and dinner between themselves. lol I guess I don't have room to be creative when I work 22 of 48 hours. Strawberry, raspberry nut salad, topped with homemade raspberry red wine vinaigrette.

It was a pretty quiet shift at the group home Sunday. There was only 1 kid in the house and she for whatever reason wasn't in the mood to talk with me, and just talked with the other staff.

She didn't however mind watching any of the movies I brought in to watch. We watched Monster In-Law.

While watching the movie I grabbed the apple I had packed with me and a banana from the group home kitchen. Proud of myself for turning down blueberry muffins and frozen yogurt.
I hope everyone else is having a decent start to the day. Though it is raining here today, the air is warm and the sky is supposed to clear for a bit in the afternoon before it starts to rain again.

Fantabulous morning with the husband

I was so happy to not get out of bed until almost 10am. Wow I needed those almost 10 hours of sleep. Too much working yesterday, though the day flew by.

Kevin and I had decided that we would go for a run. We really need to get a few runs in this week, as Saturday morning we have a 5k race we are running in. We have been running lately, but only after a 13k bike ride so I can get use to the brick for my try-a-tri. This morning was strictly a running workout for the two of us.

So before headed out into the warm damp light rainy weather (I was loving it), I had some oatmeal
Oatmeal

1. 1/2 mashed up banana
2. 1/3 cup of quick oats
3. 1/2 tsp nutmeg
4. 1 tsp cinnamon
5. 1 tbsp chia seeds
6. 1 tbsp raisins

It was a fantastic way to get ready to go out for a run. We did 5.3k in 39.53. This is because we mainly ran at Kevin's pace which is much faster than my pace when I run on my own. I needed to stop a few times along the way and walk. My HRM told me that my heart rate at one point was at 99%. Whenever I looked at it through the run it was between 92-98%, way too high for me.

Also I was having a hard time catching my breath. Hmmm maybe that asthma that I had back in the day and just stopped taking my puffers for is still hanging around for small appearances.

After our run and stretch, I headed down to the basement with my yoga mat and 2, 5lbs weights. Today was Day 1 of my 30 Shred with Jillian Michaels.

Well I don't know if I am just out of shape from having not done a lot of weights, if it was because of the 5.3k run before, the fact that it's Jillian Michaels, or a combination of it all, but wow 5lbs seemed like 10.

The workout was great though and only like 26 minutes with warm up and cool down. I had Kevin take some before pictures of me so that we can compare before and after results from the 30 Day Shred.

Question: Have you done Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred? Did you like it? Did you get the results you were hoping for?

That wasa fail!

Well first off I just want to say that I have found out where I got my 5 Minute No Bake Granola Bars, here. I am working on sourcing my recipes more and more. What I was doing was just copying and pasting them into a word document and printing them off to put in my recipe book. But now I try and make sure that I throw a link at the bottom of the recipe so that I can remember where I got it from. Give credit where credit is due.

Sadly for breakfast I couldn`t find the exact link to the recipe I got this from, but it sure was tasty. Very very filling, more filling than just a regular bowl of oatmeal.

1/3 cup oats, 1/2mashed banana, 1tbsp almond butter, .7cup of almond milk, 1tbsp rough ground cashew, sprinkling of coconut. Yummo!

I was pretty tired half way through my Cario Bosu class today. Allison had us doing circuits again. I love doing these, but today was the start of new routines. It was challenging for sure. Especially after all of yesterdays hard working out. But I pushed through and even after went and swam for 22 mins in the pool.

At work, I took about an hour to snack on my morning snack.

Honey dates, almonds, cashew & walnuts. Yes there is 1 hazelnut in there but I just wasn`t feeling it this morning, so I didn`t eat it.

This morning I just don`t feel quite myself. I feel tired, so tired that if I blinked a little too long I could very easily just fall asleep. My appetite is also a little wonky today. I just couldn`t wait until lunch time I was marvin`. So I went and grabbed my wasa that I had packed.

FAIL!

Looks good eh! Pumpkin with pumpkin pie spice on wasa light crackers. I have prepacked wasa before with cream cheese and huumus before, and I know that it gets soft. Wasa is normally a very crunchy brittle crack normally.
Hmm not looking to brittle now is it! Whatever like I said I`ve eaten soft wasa before. I took a bit. The pumpkin was divine. The wasa on the other hand, inedible! I have been trying to figure out how to best describe it to you. Chewy, but not in any good kind of way. Chewy in the kind of way that its like chewing on soggy cardboard, it`s just not breaking down.

I wasn`t eating the rest. What a sad waste.
It felt like a soft pillow. LOL
So I needed something to eat. I still had yesterdays granola parfait from Starbucks in the fridge. I went and grabbed that. Now with this I knew what to expect from my granola, having been in the yogurt all night.

So hit the spot!

For lunch I couldn`t wait. But I was a good girl and did. Actually got caught up doing something and didn`t eat until 12:20. I knew that my lunch was going to fill me up and keep me feeling full all afternoon.

Vegan Lentil Soup. So good. perfect replacement for the tea I`ve been having to keep me warm through this week long April Shower.