Love Of Oats

A blog dedicated to balancing a healthy and fun life… with oats!

Daily Archives: May 31, 2008

Blogging Anniversary

I just realized that today is my 3-month blogging anniversary… I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for three months… On one hand I feel like I’ve been doing it forever… on the other hand, I feel like I just started… Either way I have loved the opportunity to interact with the readers of the blog as well as read and learn from all you other bloggers! I love the community that has developed and I appreciate all the support, advice, & encouragement from it!

Now that the mushy stuff is over… onto the good stuff… the food!

I originally attempted to re-create the salad that I had from Saladworks the other night with my dad, but then it morphed into something WAY different… I had a craving for english muffins so I thought I’d have one of those on the side… but then I thought back to how I love sandwiches, so I topped it my toasted English Muffin with some baby spinach, chopped avocado, and a little bit of salmon (from the pouch)… on the side I had half a cucumber and a handful of baby carrots… I discovered my leftover dressing from Saladworks (I only used a tsp last time), so I used that to dip the veggies in… I only used probably a tsp of this too, I enjoyed it sparingly!  Finally, for dessert, I had half a chopped up mango topped off with a dark chocolate pudding cup (have to use these up, had leftovers from my pb pie!)… This was SOOO yummy… such a perfect lunch… my mom said she was jealous ;)

Unfortunately I didn’t have the luxury of eating it outside due to our not so pleasant weather conditions here… My parents have a wedding to attend this afternoon, so I really hope the weather holds up for it… I just curled my mom’s hair (she has very straight hair, unlike me) for the wedding, so I wanted to share with you my “masterpiece”… I think I should have been a hairdresser… just kidding!

Ok, back to work on the paper I go… tonight’s plans are currently TBD… Definitely going out to dinner somewhere and maybe out afterwards? Hope you have a fantastic Saturday!

Mission: Paper

Today the mission of the day (and tomorrow) is to get my stupid 16 page (single spaced) paper mostly done… I’d like to get the bulk of the paper done today so that the rest of the week is spent just proofreading & assembling… I’m at least treating myself by planning on spending the day out on my porch in the sunshine (unless rain comes) with my friend, miss laptop…

I started out the day with a Clif mini bar of COURSE… tell me you’re not surprised by this :)

I got to the gym 15 minutes early so I worked on the ab machine until the class started… Spinning was nice & sweaty ~ ’nuff said! 600 calories burned, wooo!

When I got home, I didn’t know what I was craving, so I resorted to oats with flax, cinnamon, nuts, STRAWBERRIES, and half a banana… total yumminess… Also, had an iced nonfat latte on the side from Starbucks… I figured I’d treat myself! I also am loving the fact that fresh, tropical fruit is now in season and all around us (at a great price too!)…

Before I go to hit the books, I wanted to comment on my experiences thus far with intuitive eating…

Cravings: I have noticed a significant change in the kinds of cravings I’ve had… Typically I crave sweets, but in the last few weeks, I have been craving more vegetables & fruit, perhaps it also has to do with the change in weather?

Frequency of Eating: The number of times I am eating typically remains the same (3 square meals and 2-3 snacks), but the volume has changed. Instead of “saving” calories/treats for at night-time, I am eating more balanced meals throughout the day, consuming healthier foods in more volume, which I think has been helping me to cut down on night-time splurges…

Emphasis on Food: I have experienced a decreased focus towards food… granted, I still think about it b/c of blogging and I still look forward to breakfasts, but I used to have food on my mind 24/7, even when I stopped physically writing down calories, I was always trying to count up in my head my intake for the day… Now that I listen to my stomach (and NOT my brain), I find I only think about it when 1.) I’m hungry (or pre-workout) 2.) Planning my meals 3.) Blogging This is a HUGE step for me as I think my life used to revolve around “how healthy can I eat so I can splurge later, etc”!

Focus on Workouts: Now when I workout, I actually enjoy it… Before I was working out only to burn calories so I could eat more later… However, now I’m focusing on the strength & health gains that I’ve experienced and the ability to push myself further and further!

Overall, just my two cents: I strongly recommend this approach as it promotes healthier eating & is less time consuming (not to mention…less brain work)… I recently read an article that said even if a person counts calories, it is essentially worthless because you can never be 100% accurate (unless you are eating every snack/meal prepared from scratch at home and weighing it on a scale, then calculating calories)… plus even though I believe in the Harris-Benedict formula, every body is completely different in terms of calorie needs… This behavior all around is not realistic and can turn into obsessive behavior (believe me, I was there!)…

We need to live our lives to the fullest & seize the day, not obsess about it, you know? Ok, I’m done with my declaration of freedom from food + calories! I wish you all luck & health!