Blueberry Banana Oatmeal
Geez, I’m kind of out of words this morning after last night’s monster post. There’s not too much to say about my bowl of oatmeal! And I’d love to title this “back to the grind” but that’s so boring. But true.
Today’s oatmeal was the usual oat-milk-banana combo with flax, blueberries, vanilla and AB stirred in. I love fresh berries – I hope we can pick some soon!
With coffee and a vitamin!
I walked the husband to the lightrail this morning and am drinking lots of water that I missed out on over the weekend (beach water = ewww + alcohol = dehydration!)
Today’s plans include chemistry work, a workout, a muffin batch for my mid-class snacks, and a few errands.
See you for lunch!
Evey says
Glad to have you back, Kath!
Looks like you had a great vacation, and it is sad that now it’s “back to the grind”, but at least you were able to have another delicious bowl of oatmeal to fuel your day. 🙂
Cara says
Glad to see you back. I loved your monster post 😉
Kelly L. says
Wedding Gift Help!
Kath or anyone else: I am going to a wedding this weekend and I don’t want to get something off the registry because there is NOTHING left (okay well a few high price things) but not much else. These aren’t close friends or anything so I don’t want to spend more than about 40 dollars. Any ideas?
ann says
Yay you’re back!! I’m glad you had the weekend off though…Even though I missed your posts 😉
Kelly L – I loved receiving gift cards for my wedding…You can get it for one of the places that already registered and they can put it towards the larger items. I know it sounds impersonal, but trust me, you can’t get enough gift cards!! It will be appreciated.
Or…a gift card to an area restaurant?!
Suzanne says
WELCOME BACK, Kath! I missed you! 🙂
I really enjoyed your monster post last night – although I fell asleep while reading it (not because it was boring – I just had a busy, long, holiday weekend and I was exhausted!). So I finished it up this morning at work. You look great – love all the outfits! The food looked great…the weather looked great. Glad you had a fun time!
I have a question about exercise/food:
I have changed my workouts immensely in the past month or so. (I used to run on the treadmill and do workout DVDs at home 5-7 days a week).
But now, I have taken up kickboxing about 3 times a week and a personal training session once a week. All 4 workouts are intense and work all muscles – not to mention there’s a lot of cardio. The first two weeks I was sore everywhere, but now I’m just so tired. I don’t do much between the 4 workouts, because i am so exhausted. I don’t even have energy for a light walk – I just want to relax. So basically – I have a workout day, and then a day off, then a workout day, and then a day off, etc.
Is this hindering my weight loss? (I am trying to lose 10-15 lbs – and I haven’t really changed my food intake, because I eat pretty healthy).
I’d appreciate any advice! Thanks!
oatmeal says
Way to return with a great bowl of oatmeal! There’s nothing like banana + blueberries. Fresh berries = best part of summer!
Good luck with that chemistry stuff! XD
Suzanne says
Kelly L.
I second the gift card option.
Or maybe a gift certificate to a spa for a couples massage? (to relieve their stress from planning a wedding!)
A really nice frame is always a good option. Newlyweds always have tons of photos.
Hope that helps!
SarahF says
Welcome back Kath! I live in Canada so we didn’t have the long weekend-and I definitely missed your posts throughout the day yesterday!
Question for you (and everybody): I’m really healthy throughout the week. I eat really healthy with a general calorie count and making sure I get lots of fruit & veges, and I work out after work everyday (mostly cardio though one to two times a week I’ll get in some strength work outs).
But during the weekend, I completely fall off track. It’s the only time I see my boyfriend (he starts work right around the time that I finish for the day) and he has terrible eating habits. And when I say terrible I mean, breaded wings & fries, chips & dips, candy, etc. Most Fridays and Saturdays him and I will drink a fair bit and we’ll stay up really late-where I’ll get hungry and him and I will consume an entire big bag of chips. We always stay at his house which is completely devoid of any fruits and vegetables (he lives by himself and I have a roomate) so there’s no healthy options to snack on, and usually by the time I even think about food the only place that’s open is 7-11 (I swear those guys must know us by name).
So my question is: how do I change this habit? I haven’t gained any weight from doing this (and I’ve been doing it for 4 months now) but it’s because during the week I eat lower calories and really focus on eating healthy. I’m tired of having to watch what I eat so closley during the week, just to go crazy on the weekends. I want to maintain my weight, while still enjoying my limited time with my boyfriend. Any suggestions?
I’m sorry that this turned into such a novel! Any help would be great!
Kelly T says
yay, you’re back!
Just wanted to let you know I printed off a bunch of your recipes for a client that didnt know eating healthy could be delicious as well. He seemed excited to get cooking.
Katie says
Blueberry and banana = my two favorite fruits. looks delicious! 🙂
Becca says
Blueberry and banana is one of my favorite oat combos for the morning! Looks awesome.
Suzanne says
Sarah F.
I totally hear ya! When I first met my boyfriend – I gained 12 pounds! You’re lucky that you stayed the same weight. And not only did we eat out on weekends – we ate together a few nights a week as well. So the pounds packed on pretty quickly!
Fortunately, as soon as he popped the question – I went on a strict diet and worked out, and lost the 12 pounds and more for the wedding!
But, even now – after 4 years of marriage, I eat healthy during the week, but eat less healthy on the weekends. My suggestion would be try to eat 2 of the 3 meals as healthy as possible. Even if it means eating something different from your boyfriend. On Saturdays and Sundays, I always eat a healthy breakfast (even if my husband eats something else) – oatmeal is a good idea. Or an egg white veggie omelet with wheat toast. Try to resist the french toast with syrup if you can! I know it’s hard! 🙂
Try to take it further by making lunch as healthy as possible too. Turkey wraps/sandwiches with lots of veggies. Or a tuna on wheat. Try to carry some portable fruit at all times (banana/apple/pear/etc.). Even some lowfat granola bars.
My husband and I always eat out for dinner on Saturday and Sunday nights – so these are the two meals i tend to splurge (I always order dessert!). But try to fill up on salad or a healthy soup – and as Kath recommends – choose one: either an appetizer or dessert – not both!
And it helps to split the dessert too! And if you want to go all out – order a healthy entree. Something grilled or baked – not fried or breaded or covered in heavy sauces.
Whoa – sorry I wrote so much! Just trying to help! 🙂
caitlinbo says
sarahf- cant you leave some healthy food options at your boyfriends house, like cereal or luna bars? also – 7-11 does have some good choices (they usually have bananas) and instead of chips you could buy whole wheat preztels.
maybe you could also bring a casserole or something to your boyfriends house over the weekend to nosh on? then you could be both “surprising” him with a nice meal (or two) and sneaking in some healthy food.
Suzanne says
oops! i meant to say ‘husband’ – not ‘boyfriend’ in my first sentence! haha…
Heather says
Kelly L.- I like the restaurant gift card idea, or if you wanted something more personalized you could frame their wedding invitation. Wine is always a good option too!
Welcome back Kath! It is “back to the grind,” but at least it’s a short week 🙂
VeggieGirl says
No worries for being at a loss for words – that scrumptious-looking Blueberry-Banana oatmeal speaks for itself :0)
Enjoy your Tuesday!
natalie says
Yay! You made my favorite oat combo! I also just blogged about a recipe I made combining all these flavors 🙂
Kelly L. says
Thanks for all the great ideas everyone!
Sidi says
Nicely said, “back to the grind”… Welcome back!
SarahF says
Thanks for the great ideas Suzanne & caitlinbo! It’s nice to know I’m not the only one experiencing this! I’m definately going to use your tricks Suzanne with the 2 healthy meals and one splurge (versus 3 splurges and oops-no vegetables all day 😛 )
I’ve never seen whole wheat pretzels before…or at least I don’t think I have. Will they just say on the package or how can you tell if they are whole wheat?
Thanks again ladies!
Nick says
After that monstrous post, it seems appropriate to keep it short and sweet this morning. But I bet that bowl of oatmeal was pretty nice after such a crazy food-filled weekend. I always find extra comfort in my oatmeal after a weekend like that.
Chelsea says
KellyL-I would third (or fourth) the gift certificate idea. I would caution against the picture frame idea, especially if you’re not particularly close to them as you’re not sure of their tastes and may get something that they don’t like. I got 3 such picture frames that I ended up giving away because they just didn’t match anything in my house. I LOVED gift cards though 🙂
Suzanne says
SarahF –
No problem! I know it’s hard to keep healthy all the time – there’s just too many temptations out there (especially when your other half doesn’t eat as well!)! But, you have to make it a way of life – like Kath does. 🙂
Glad I could help!
Most whole wheat pretzels say it on the packaging. Or just look at the ingredients – it should say whole wheat flour…I think?
Kiala says
I was so happy to have my oatmeal again this morning too!
But I was out of bananas. It just wasn’t the same.
Ally says
I haven’t had oatmeal in what feels like forever. I’ve been sticking to cold cereal (Trader Joe’s O’s) with fresh fruit. This really makes me want some oatmeal now!
Heather says
Kath –
I am glad you had a great weekend.
I made your granola this weekend and substituted 1/2 the canola oil with apple sauce – it was amazing!
Thanks for all the great recipes!
Christie says
Sarah F,
For a long time i woudl do the same thing… and even know soemthing eat a little more than i would like on sundays, but even if you are not gaining weight it really is not healthy for your body and over the long run you will not be able to maintain your weight (which did happen to me.) your body eventually will alter the metabolism and hold onto fat. I have allowed myself to be more flexible during the week and that way I dont go over board on the weekend ( i usually only eat a little more on maybe one day of the weekend)
Your outlook on food and eating needs to change. You have to focus on balance and moderation throughout the whole week that way you dont feel crappy when monday comes around and have to starve youself the whole week!
scalewontbudge says
Hi!
I just recently discovered your blog a month ago, and I love it!
I read that you lost weight. What was your workout routine like and eating habits. I lost 15 pounds then i gained 5 back. I am trying to lose 20 pounds, but the scale won’t budge. Then I usually get frustrated and binge on sweets. How can I control this?
and how long did it take you to lose all the weight?
I eat healthy and i exercise everyday but it doesnt seem to be helping..
any advice from anyone would be helpful, thanks!
Katers says
Scalewon’tbudge, try checking out the FAQs – Kath outlines all her weight loss details there!
Ally, I’m with you…cold cereal is where I’ve been sticking lately. Although some muesli sounds great for tomorrow AM!
Nikki says
Sarah F –
I had to smile reading your post. I started dating my boyfriend five months ago, and he’s a substantial guy, a football player, who needs to eat about three times as much as I do. Others have posted great suggestions (especially the “keep 2 meals out of 3 healthy” – that has worked for me). Another strategy is to make your time together an adventure in healthy cooking! I don’t know if you cook, but even if you don’t, it can be really fun to try with someone else. You can pick up the ingredients and make healthier versions of his (or your) favorite stuff together. It’s really bonding (haha) and it’s a healthy tradition to start!
I understand your concern about weight – but you should know that it’s okay to stagger your calories a little during the week (kath is a great example of this). Just try to make most of the meals healthy and everything balances out in the end – and don’t forget to be proud of yourself for being conscious during the week.
Nikki says
Sorry for double posts!
@ scalewontbudge –
I have experienced the same thing, and what has worked for me (sounds strange, but its true) is eating a little more to power me through a harder workout. It seems counterintuitive but I added one substantial snack a day and was able to work out more intensely.
Another suggestion I have that I wish someone had told me earlier is to not neglect weight training – the shape of your body totally changes and you can support your cardio efforts and prevent injury, too. Good luck – you can do it!
Kath says
Suzanne ,
My personal opinion: I think your workout schedule sounds great for keeping yourself challenged and in shape, but it sounds like you might be happier doing something a little less intense a few days a week and feeling less sore/exhausted plus you’d get more variety. If you’re too tired to walk, you’re probably overdoing it a little. Maybe cut back your kickboxing to once a week along with your personal training once a week and adding in 3-4 more moderate or low-intensity workouts on the other days. Maybe just a long walk on one. You’ll get a longer calorie burn with the extra workout, which will speed up weight loss, and you’ll feel less worn out.
SarahF ,
The others gave great advice. My recommendation would be to plan/pack snacks and meals as well so you won’t to rely on the gas station and other junk food. Let your boyfriend eat what he wants and have a few bites of what you also want and supplement with some healthy food from home.
Kelly T,
Cool about sharing the recipes! Hope they like them 🙂
Heather ,
Glad you liked it! I need to make another batch soon!
scalewontbudge ,
The FAQ page should answer some of your questions. It took me about a year and a few months to lose 30 pounds. If your scale won’t budge, I’d suggest increasing your activity level – adding in some walking or 10 minutes more cardio – because it’s easier to add exercise than to take away delicious food.
Kath
Suzanne says
THANKS, KATH! 🙂 I think that’s good advice!
brit says
i am playing blog catch-up, so this post is wayyyyy late….but in case anyone sees this, i thought i’d add my input to sarah f because i am definitely in the same boat (except i actually see my bf a couple of nights during the week, which just means those nights can easily become “weekend nights” foodwise)….i think you’ve gotten some good advice…..but i just wanted to add to not forget about the other part of the equation, which is physical activity. it’s so easy to just spend the weekends with the bf bumming around, watching tv, going out to eat, etc., but i like to try to keep active as well…..going golfing with him (one of his favorite activities), walking to a restaurant or the video store, or even just going to a mall and walking around. Every little bit counts!