Breakfast of Champions

My clients often ask me what I eat to start my day.

It depends on the day and how much time I have but usually I eat one of three things:

Oatmeal
Scrambled egg whites
Peanut butter and jelly on multi-grain bread.

Let's first talk about the oatmeal.  I don't even bother with that instant stuff.  Yuck.  No, I make the usual 5 minutes oats which I buy in bulk at either Wegman's or Whole Foods.  If I have a bit more time (10 min) I will make Scottish Oats made my Bob's Red Mill whereas if I'm short on time, I make Oat Bran.  And here's another tip: I make the largest suggested amount.  Oats keep really well in the fridge so if I make 4 servings, then I know that I have breakfast not just today but for 3 more mornings!  If I'm in a particularly organized mood, I will store each of the servings separately in a microwave safe container.

As far as oatmeal add-ins, my favorites are flax seeds/meal, walnuts, almonds, pecans, maple syrup, applesauce.  You can add dry fruit though I'm not a big fan myself.  A typical bowl of oats looks like this:

1 serving cooked oats
1 Tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tsp flax seeds
2 Tbsp applesauce
1-2 tsp maple syrup.

Yum yum.

Next, scrambled egg whites.

To be honest, recently I've been scrambling one egg with two to three additional egg whites.  If I've got arugula or spinach on hand, I'll throw a handful in.  Leftover broccoli  That goes in also.  Sometimes I put a Tbsp of goat cheese or goat feta on the side for a bit more flavor.   If there's plenty of time for breakfast and I've got some leftover salsa and whole-wheat tortillas in the fridge, breakfast might look something like this:

One tortilla warmed in skillet
Top with scrambled eggs
Mix together salsa and canned rinsed black beans - serve on side
Feta or goat cheese.
And if I'm really lucky, a bit of chopped cilantro.

Yum yum yum.

And finally, my old standby, peanut butter and jelly.  Always made with natural, low-sodium peanut butter and Bonne Maman jam. 1 Tbsp of each on some yummy toasted multi-grain bread and I'm off, sandwich in one hand, banana in the other.

What do you eat for breakfast?

Be well.

Keeping it going

I haven’t written in a long time for many reasons.  None of my distractions taken alone should amount to much but all together they’ve kept me busy: vacations, illnesses, work, exercise and just life.

To be honest, I haven’t felt like I writing.  I guess I’ve been in a bit of a funk.  March 24th was the two year anniversary of my lifestyle change - from super-unhealthy to mindful healthfulness.  At times it seems that I should be further along than I am.  Simply put, I should be thinner.

For something different, I tried not weighing myself everyday.  My husband put the scale in the car.  I tracked my food.  I changed my exercise routine.  I read exercise and wellness blogs.  After two weeks of this, my husband brought back the scale.  And guess what?  I weighed the same.

To my surprise I was relieved rather than disappointed.   For nearly two weeks without a scale I had managed to maintain my weight, continue to exercise and eat well.  

In no particular order, here are my thoughts on all of the above:

1. I have made tremendous progress with regard to my health and I should feel proud of my accomplishments.
2. I need to make peace with where my body it is now in order to move forward.
3. I must stop being self-conscious about my weight as a personal trainer.  Instead, I should focus on the positive image I put forward as a healthy, active woman.  Women come in all sizes but what matters most is keeping your body active as well as nourishing yourself nutritionally and emotionally.
4. My body is strong - it has birthed a baby and helped others birth babies too. Midwifery is hard physical work!
5. I feel good.  I no longer dread getting dressed in the morning.  In fact, it’s kinda fun.  I may not the perfect size 8 (or 10 or 12 for the matter) but my clothes fit better and I feel confident in them.  I tuck my shirts in and wear belts!
6. Instead of focusing on pounds lost and calories consumed, I plan to shift my focus to eating a well balanced diet full of fruits, vegetable, proteins and fiber-rich carbohydrates.  Time to start eating oatmeal with flax seeds or egg whites with vegetables in the morning!
7. I am doing this for the rest of my life, not as a quick fix. I want to maintain the strength that I’ve gained and continue to increase my endurance.

As I think about it now, I didn’t want to write earlier unless I had some profound insight or new exercise to offer instead of just writing about trying to figure out how to take care of myself and keep my life balanced.  But I should be able to do that here.  After all, it’s my personal fitness journey.

Be well.

Fascinating Listen

If you haven't listened to Voices in the Family, I highly recommend that you do.

This particular episode is interesting.  It explores the relationship that adult women have with their bodies, particularly eating disorders.

Be well.