Back to School

Y'all it has been a fantastic summer.  I experienced a bunch of new things, maintained a healthy lifestyle, and pushed myself towards new training goals.  I still can't believe I agreed to train for a half marathon. I also can't believe I ran more than one 5K, didn't pass out or vomit, and placed in two of them!   I've enjoyed reflecting on all the changes I've gone through in the last year.  Looking forward to celebrating more milestones.

With the start of the school year comes a return to diligent meal planning and prep.  Gone are the days of just making sure I have food in the house and cooking when it's time to eat.  No more eating off actual plates with a napkin and time to enjoy what I'm eating. Back to eating out of plastic (or glass) containers while doing at least five other things.  Back to carting around the big lunch cooler and answering the never-ending question, "what exactly do you have in there?"  (The answer is:  Meals for the entire day and about half-gallon of water.  I also carry a protein bar in case I'm held up somewhere and don't have a meal.)
Also gone are the days of working out whenever I feel like it. From now on, my workouts are scheduled.

These may seem like simple things, but for me the end of summer is a little scary.   I run the risk of skipping meals and workouts as school starts and my life becomes hectic again. Skipping meals isn't too much of an issue since I've learned to stop caring where I am when I eat.  If it's time to eat, I eat.   Even though I have learned how to say, "I can't. I have to go workout" it's still difficult.   I also struggle with the excuse of being tired or having been on my feet all day.  Neither of those are legitimate excuses in my world.

So, the fridge is loaded once again with assorted BPA-free containers of food that will nourish my mind, body, and soul.  The new lunch box (ruined the other one with too many trips to the beach; tee hee) is ready to be packed with meals to get me through my first day.  Water bottles are filled and ready to hydrate. I've mentally prepared for when I'll be working out and which days will be devoted to certain workouts.

I'm saying good-bye to summer, but not to my commitment to my own well-being.  Be good to yourself, folks.  It pays off in the end.

PS-- New recipes on the recipe page this week.

Breakfast IS Important

"I don't have time."

"I'm not hungry."

"I don't like breakfast."

"I'm trying to eat less." 

Stop making excuses for why you don't eat breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. It sets your tone, gets you moving. How do you feel a few hours after waking up when you skip breakfast? Crappy, right? Now consider how different you feel when you remember. . . Nice, huh? So why are you still making excuses?!

Let's see if I can talk you out of your excuses.  I talked me out of mine. . . 

"I don't have time."   Okay, maybe you don't  have time to cook breakfast in the morning.  Make breakfast part of your prep.  You can make healthy muffin sandwich with egg whites, Canadian Bacon (or whatever meat you like) and an English muffin that can be microwaved and eaten in the car.  I used to do a breakfast wrap that could be eaten on the way to work. Both of these things can be prepped the night before. My personal favorite is the protein smoothie.  I prep all the ingredients the night before.  While I'm loading my lunch box and pouring coffee into the go cup, I hit the button on the blender.  Voila!  Multi-tasking and breakfast.  I'm not going to even attempt to convince you to get up 30 minutes earlier because that would make me a world-class hypocrite (I like my sleep). 

"I'm not hungry."  I'm not hungry about 90% of the time that I eat, but I know my body needs food.  Remember you eat to fuel, to keep your body energized and ready to face your day's challenges.  Breakfast is the first meal of the day.  If you skip it because you aren't hungry that will come back to haunt you around lunch.  Chances are good you'll overeat at your next meal.  And we don't want that, do we?  

"I don't like breakfast."  (I've actually heard this one)  All right, eat something that isn't a breakfast food.  Have lean chicken, yogurt, fruit.  Just because we call it breakfast doesn't mean we have to eat traditional breakfast foods.  

"I'm trying to eat less."  Well, that's great but you will end up eating more the next time you eat.  Skipping breakfast will ruin you for later in the day. 


As someone who used to use at least one of those excuses (okay, 3 of them), I can tell you it's easy to overcome.  I really don't like eating as soon as I get up.  That's why I started prepping food that can be eaten in the car. Protein smoothies are awesome because you can change them up whenever you want.  It's a quick, easy way to get a jump on the day.  I know a lot of people are anti-smoothie because of blood sugar spikes an what not.  Again I remind you that I'm no expert, but I am an expert in what works for me;  and smoothies suit me. 

Want more information about why breakfast really is the most important meal of the day?  Click here or here or even here.  No more excuses!  Eat to live; don't just live to eat.  

Breakfast Ideas