I used to get so mad when I was working (well, just 2 years in a row
) when we didn’t have MLK off as a holiday. Well now I do again! It’s mighty cold out there today, but nice and cozy in our house. My day started before sunrise (but not at 5:00!) with a cup of peppermint liquorice tea. It was pretty good, but not one of my favorites.
I was also really hungry when I got up this morning, probably from a lighter eating day yesterday, so I had some Kashi Heart to Heart with Fiber One and vanilla soy milk before my workout. I heated up the soy milk to make hot cereal!
Workout
I REALLY wanted to go on a long run outside today, but at 15* I decided to just keep things indoors. We left for the gym around 8:45. I did 30 minutes on the ET, and then 15 minutes of interval running on the treadmill and was going to call it a day – but I found House Hunters International on my treadmill TV and plugged in my headphones and got hooked on an episode! I finished it off with another 10 minutes of running and some walking. I could probably run a marathon watching TV! 450 kcal burned.
Breakfast
I decided on an oatmeal pancake because I need to make some mini ones for my pre-workout breakfast and figured I should only dirty up one pot. I topped the big one with banana and a tbsp PB:
Had a few apple slices on the side, which got a little of the PB –
And a soy latte made with coffee and about 2.5 oz of steamed soy milk, which tasted kind of funky for some reason??
Breakfast calories were 380 + 110 from cereal = 490.
Today
I got started on the mini pancakes. I was hoping to get 8 out of my 1 cup batter, but I only got 5.5. I’ll have to adjust the amount I pour next time.
I’ve got a few errands I want to run and a few small things to study, but I’m hoping to made a video with dinner tonight! We shall see how it turns out…
Monica says
I just bought the ingredients for the pancakes! I have a question–I was going to do a quad batch. Do a quadruple all the ingredients or just the eggs and oats (for some reason, that is the gist I got from the recipe.). Thanks!
KM says
Sigh, even though I'm in college we don't get MLK day off! Just keep in mind you're luckier than some of us 😉
RH says
Kath, how does 100 calories get you through you workouts, through showering and then finally breakfast about 3-4 hours later? I would be starving. Do the small 100 calories not peak your appetite more?
Kath says
Monica,
Good question! I just did a 1 cup oats, 1 cup whites batch and but I only used about double the baking powder. You can just play around with it – it's pretty much all to taste. The only important thing is to get equal parts oats and whites (too much whites will make it too runny, too little will make them too dry).
KM,
Poor you! Have a fun day regardless!
Kath
Kath says
RH,
I did get pretty hungry towards the end of my workout. Normally I try to exercise within 30-45 minutes of eating so I don't get famished, but today we were slow. I don't want to eat too much, though, or I'd throw up! Plus, I'm a really fast showerer so that takes less time than you think.
Kath
rivermomx3 says
Hi there,
I have a kind of question, I don't eat before I work out. I get up and go directly to the gym. The thought of food makes me ill. I usually just have a little juice. And sometimes I eat before I leave for work, but other times, I don't eat until lunch. Do you think that's a problem? Thanks for the help!
Kath says
Rivermom,
Not a problem! You're doing the right thing by stomaching some quick fuel in a form that works with your stomach. Just make sure you replenish with a meal afterwards! If you're embarking on a really long workout, it might make sense to look for other foods that would give you a little more fuel that you can stomach, but I'd say for a workout that's less than an hour, the juice is a good solution. (Remember I'm not a sports nutritionist though- this is just my opinion based on what I've read!)
Kath
Mandy says
Hey Kath! Love your blog!!!
I am curious… this may be a silly question, but to make the mini pancakes, how much do you measure out before cooking each one? 🙂 Thanks so much!
VeggieGirl says
I envy the 15°F temperatures you're experiencing – it's 9°F here! but at least the sun is shining brightly :0)
oh my goodness, when I saw that there was a "House Hunters International" marathon on HGTV today, I was (and still am) incredibly elated – maybe a little too much ;0) glad you were able to watch it during your workout!!
the mini pancakes sound like a great idea for your pre-workout snacks – yum!
Stacey says
Hi,
I have a question regarding PMS. How do you get through cravings (if you even have them)? I have been doing excellent eating healthy even my "splurges" have been healthy. However, I currently want to eat everything under the sun. Chocolate, peanut butter, chips, cookies and lots of bread. Please, any advice from anyone would be great!
Kath says
Mandy,
I did about 1/4 a cup each, but that was a little more than I wanted when they were done. I'd do a little less for the mini ones – perhaps even 1/2 of 1/4 a cup. Or if you just want them a little bigger use 1/4!
Kath
Jori says
Kath, thanks for your response about the scale. But I'm actually trying to get the value in grams not kilograms- do you know how to do this?
Jori says
Just to clairfy, I prefer not to convert since most packages are in grams, not kg.
Kath says
Stacey,
PMS is tough! I'm not sure anyone has a good solution or all women would know about it 🙂 My best advice would be to make sure all those foods you love are out of your reach when PMS rolls around. Do not have any chocolate, chips, or cookies in the house or you will just eat them! You know more about your lifestyle than I do, but if bread and peanut butter are also a problem, could you have your spouse or roommate hide them for a day or so? That might be an extreme, but so are cravings! Others find that just having a small amount of what you're craving will help a lot more than trying to fight it all day. Plan your day so you can have some chocolate at the end of the night and hopefully you'll be able to look forward to that as a reason not to nibble on it all day. Focus on eating whole foods during that time and have small amounts of the treats you crave most. Hope that might help!
Jori,
In my response I told you – that IS grams. Not kilograms. The little kg just lets you know it's gram mode vs. ounce mode. There are 1000 grams in 1 kg so the decimal place there indicates that .300 kg = 300 grams.
Kath
azelma/Jill says
Kathy,
I have an obsession with cereal and warm soy milk to have before bed, add a little cinnamon and it's wonderful! Soy milk foam has a different taste, but I will tell you it's becomes addicting and now I cannot really go back.
I don't work out in the early morning as you do, so what would be your suggestions for exercise meals/snacks? I'm having a hard time finding something I'm comfortable with, eek!
Maria says
Haha, I completely can relate to the 'I could run a marathon with a TV in front of me' … if I didn't have a housemate, I'd consider throwing mine out – but put me on an ET in front of the Food Network and I'm an athlete!
I make my banana pancakes similarly, but use a whole egg (I cannot find organic eggwhites anywhere here, and am trying to use more organic dairy) and incorporate all the banana into the batter. I yield 6 mini pancakes, 3 of which I eat with breakfast and the others store well in a little container for a mid-day snack. 🙂 Freezing is a great idea.
About the soy milk – when I use it occasionally I find if I over-steam it the flavour is really off – maybe some sort of compound breaking down? That might have been your problem, too.
mags says
maria,
how do you make your banana pancakes? and do you know kcals?
Dorothy says
Hi Kath & husband,
I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy everything you both put into the blog! I've only been reading it for a few weeks (though I went back and read a lot of the earlier posts), and I've gotten some great ideas! I had been working on eating a more balanced diet, and I really like the meals you're eating. I've tried the oatmeal pancakes (love!), spaghetti squash, your tuna salad recipe, and I can't wait to try others (esp. the mushroom soup!). Thanks for all of your effort with the blog!
I do have a question about tea… have you ever tried buying loose tea leaves to save money? Also, are there certain tea-types that have more health-benefits?
Thanks!
NCCarter says
Hey Kath,
Just wondering how many calories you aim for in a normal day. I'm 5'6", 138….would like to drop to about 130ish. I'm trying to limit to about 1500/day and am shocked at how quickly things add up. I'm writing everything down, which helps.
Also, I have a kitchen crush on your hubby! My husband is awesome…great husband, great dad…but boy, I would love for him to share my love of food/cooking. He's more of the eat-because-we-have-to type. The only thing he can make is ChefBoyArdee pizza! 🙂
Thanks for the great blog.
Shelley says
Hey Stacey- when I get PMS cravings, I try to eat healthy alternatives of what I'm craving. For instance, if I'm craving chocolate I'll have fat-free chocolate pudding or hot chocolate. If I'm craving fries, I'll make my own oven-baked "fries" with a little bit of olive oil, garlic and salt (and drink a bunch of water with it so I don't get even more bloated than I already am). Or if you crave chips you could get the baked kind. If I'm craving cookies I personally find that granola bars satisfy me (try the Kashi cherry dark chocolate ones, yum!). I know sometimes healthy versions of unhealthy foods just don't quite curb the craving, in which case I *try* to eat a small portion of the real thing. I hope that helps! It's such a frustrating time of the month, but if you eat healthily the rest of the month, a little indulgence shouldn't hurt :). If all else fails, work out a little harder at the gym that week. Burns away the calories AND boosts your mood! I know I at least get kind of cranky that week, and running definitely helps!
Maria says
Mags – here's my method, a combo of Kath's and my mom's (credit where it's due)… 🙂
Before I go to bed, I whip together one egg and 1/3c rolled oats (not instant) with a tsp of real vanilla and a good dash of cinnamon. I've tried them with just eggwhites, too, but I prefer the texture with the whole egg, and really don't take in too much cholesterol elsewhere in my day. Store in the fridge, covered, overnight.
In the morning, I add one small mashed banana, and 1tsp baking powder. I drop 6 heaping teaspoonfuls on a medium heat non-stick griddle and flip after about 2 minutes, for 3-4 minutes total cooking time. I think something about the fat in the yolk makes it so I don't have to oil or spray the cooking pan. No sticking!
For the entire recipe Diet Analysis gives me:
276 kcal
11 g protein
7g fat
I usually round it out with some toasted almonds and sliced fruit or berries. 🙂 Hope this helps.
Liz says
I heard you burn more calories during "that time of the month"…so giving into a few cravings probibly won't kill ya!
Monica says
I made the pancakes…. They turned out GREAT (and I can't even cook!)! I added blueberries in addition to the mashed banana, and it was freaking amazing. I watched the video twice while I was making it! What a help you are!
Kath says
Jill,
Are you asking for pre-workout snacks? If so, I'm not sure I can recommend one because everyone is different. Some people like things like yogurt/cottage cheese/cereal and others find that too hard on the stomach. I like toast with peanut butter or a mini oatmeal pancake, but that might be too much fiber for someone else. I think a banana with PB is the perfect pre-workout snack, though, so you might want to try that.
Maria,
I like how you do 6 little ones instead of one big. I might have to try that sometime soon 🙂 I've made my pancakes with real eggs and agree the texture is better. But I prefer egg whites just to keep the calories and fat down so I can add them back in other ways like banana and PB! But you're right about the yolk doing something magical as an emulsifier.
Monica
YAY YAY YAY!! Another pancake fan is born.
Kath
Dorothy,
Thanks so much for your compliments on the blog! I don't drink loose leaf teas, mostly because I don't like the thought of cleaning out the tea strainer after each cup. And I'm not sure they make teas like Candy Cane Lane in loose leaf! But if someone bought me some loose leaf and a strainer I would probably like it and use it. I just haven't initiated the purchase! I think all teas have benefits, but green and white tea in particular.
NCCarter,
Check the FAQs 🙂 See if your husband will start cooking a little with you on the weekends – it's worth a try to ask!
Shelley,
Great tips!! Thanks for contributing.