Morning! My Tuesday is off to a good start.
After my 6:26 wake-up call (followed by a 10:26 bedtime 🙂 ), I checked my iPhone emails and then rolled onto the floor for 20 minutes of Power Vinyasa #3. The stretch was much needed!
Then I cart wheeled into the kitchen for some breakfast.
I made a mess of vanilla Oikos, 1 huge nectarine, the end crumbles of my me&goji tube, a tbsp rhubarb ginger preserves (LOVE this – thanks again Andrea!) and a tbsp of Naturally Nutty White Chocolate Cherry Almond Butter.
This was total chia overload!!!!!!! All of the seeds in my me&goji mix fell to the bottom, so I felt like a little bird chomping through this. They were yummy though!
Green yerba mate
I think I spotted some kale in the garden!!! Matt said the deer ate it all, but they might have missed this patch –
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Glo To KERF
I did a guest post for Ange about sports nutrition, and it’s up today!
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Squiggles
My Breathe post this week is on the Squiggly Line Effect and spring/summer weight gain. Have you guys noticed that I’ve been focusing more on weight loss lately? I bet you haven’t 😉 Many of you ask me how my diet changed/changes when I want to lose some, and I always say it doesn’t change much because of the Squiggly Line. But this spring and summer my peaks were much greater than my valleys and I’m working to reverse that trend. Should be a challenge with back-to-back vacations these next two weekends – but watch and see how I do!
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I’m off to go on a walk (decided it was too pretty of a day to go to the gym) and then I’m going into work this afternoon.
Happy Tues!
(Boy that was a fun and enjoyable post to write 🙂 )
Help Meghan Run says
Happy Tuesday! I really love your Squiggly Line approach because I think it’s something most people can maintain for their whole life…which is the goal, right?! (And that yogurt/cereal bowl looks yummmy.)
HelpMeghanRun.com
Cait (Cait's Plate) says
First of all – I LOVE that bowl.
Second of all – Great post on Angela’s site…I totally pimped it out on my breakfast post 🙂
Third of all – Good luck with your goals, but don’t forget to enjoy your vacations too! There’s always time to lose weight, but there’s only a limited number of vacations!! 🙂
JENNA says
🙂 LOL you are super chipper today!! 🙂 must be the yoga!
Kath says
Cait (Cait’s Plate),
Clearly I’ve enjoyed my vacations, and you’ll see this weekend I’ll enjoy them too 🙂 I think my point is that this year there have been an UNlimited number of vacations and when they come back-to-back-to-back you do have to take note or the eating can spiral out of control. Nothing we can’t go back and take charge of, but why not minimize the gain if it’s easy enough to do with some intentional eating? Ya know!?
K
Courtney (The Hungry Yogini) says
I had chia for breakfast too!! For the first time actually. We must be on the same wavelength….or squiggle?
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) says
Love the breakfast bowl!! Very cute! 😀
katie s says
It was an enjoyable post to read too 🙂
Mel @ She Runs Brooklyn says
Hey Kath!
I love the squiggly line affect– I definitely live by thai as well since I’m drinking so much wine with my boyfriend (plus dessert!) on weekends :).
I just had a thought:
– Flax seeds need to be ground in order to get the most nutrients when we eat them. I wonder if this is true for chia seeds or hemp seeds?
Food for thought?
Happy Tues indeed
-Mel
Sarah says
I love the squiggly line, that is so me! Thanks for reminding me that it is okay to go up and down a little bit as long as I’m hovering around that line 😉
Tracey says
Good morning! Your Breathe post was really terrific. It’s nice to see how someone who has met their weight goal actually maintains it. Thank you so much for the great information! 🙂
Bec says
I love your squiggly line approach, it really is what we need to focus on for maintaining a normal weight and has really helped me stay in my healthy range!
Holly (The Healthy Everythingtarian) says
love your squiggly line chart – it really is such a good thing to follow. i try to promote that too – in the end, it all evens out 🙂
enjoy your tuesday girl!
Rose says
That bowl is so pretty – is it new?
I just read your article – and learned a lot. I like that way of thinking and approaching maintenance. Thanks for sharing!
Christie @ Quit Your Diet says
I’m so jealous of the kale in your garden! I love kale. Speaking of, I need to pick some up, I haven’t had any in a long while.
Shannon (The Daily Balance) says
love the squiggly line effect! I do the same thing 😉
brandi says
ooh, fresh kale would be awesome!
i love the squiggly line effect – that seems to be how it naturally falls with schedules, holidays, seasons, etc. It’s nice to finally realize that it’s normal to NOT stay at the same exact weight all the time, but right around it.
Gena (Choosing Raw) says
Hey sweetie! I really enjoyed your guest post at Ange’s site, and I am also enjoying your enjoyment of chia seeds 😎
April says
I love the graph! I have a similar one only mine goes up 15 lbs and back down 20 and up 10 and you get the picture. I need to find a happy median.
So you’ve done a great job keep your weight under control in my books 🙂
MarathonVal says
Loved your posting on OSG today!
Daria (Summer of the CSAs) says
Beautiful bowl, great Breathe article! 🙂
Whitney says
What a yummy yogurt mess!
Megan (The Runner's Kitchen) says
I bet chia seeds have a lot of fiber! And the jam looks delicious…It’s getting to be that time of year when I want to make my own jam 🙂
Jodi says
Hi Kath!
I just wanted to share with you a tip that we use to keep animals/critters away from our garden. We spray, don’t get grossed out, but “Fox urine” around the “perimeter” of the garden. You can find this kind of stuff in the hunting section of Walmart, Target, etc. It smells awful at first but it will fade and only other animals will be able to smell it. You’ll have to respray after lots of rain, but it works great for us up in Ontario. (Oh, hope you’re enjoying the swiffer sweeper). Keep up the great blog work 😉
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
Haha, love the “cart wheeling”… I can totally see you doing that after yoga. 😉
LOVING that breakfast mix, as usual. What a delicious balance of fruits, carbs, protein, and healthy fats.
Great post on Angela’s site! I just read it and you really presented some great info. Congrats!
Enjoy your walk!
Krissy (Single Serving) says
I have a ton of vacations this summer too (just coming back from one actually!) The Squiggly Line article seems like exactly what I need to read. 🙂
Kate says
Great job on the sport’s nutrition article! I can completely relate with the “Sqiggely Line” concept – that’s pretty much the way I work too. It’s nice to be able to be comfortable within a weight “range” and not be obsessed with a single number. As long as you’re happy and healthy you’ve got it made!
Ana says
hey kath! i understand what the horizontal axis represents (vacations ^_^) but am confused about what the numbers on the vertical axis represent? calorie amounts? thanks!
Sally says
I had chia and yogurt for breakfast, too. I love how if you stir it in and let it sit for a few minutes, the yogurt gets much thicker, yum! I’ve really been enjoying the articles you’ve written lately – thank you for sharing your wonderful insights into healthy living and eating with us. You’re going to be an amazing dietitian!
Allison K says
I love the cartwheel image.
So, when you “focus on weight loss” do you go back to calorie counting, or just make smart choices that you know are filling, while being low cal?
just curious!
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
Bowl looks great!
I refer to your “Squiggly Line Affect” as calorie cycling. I used that method to lose my first 98 lbs and I’m still doing it. I believe it’s how most people eat naturally, but I have taken it to many new levels by pre-planning it combined with going about it naturally. I LOVE it and I highly recommend it to everyone. I also have a few “Calorie Cycler” groups on various sites if anyone is interested!
My motto is: “What you eat or don’t eat in one day isn’t nearly as important as what you eat over several days. Strive for balance, not perfection!” — And in the end it really does balance out.
Jenn
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
Effect* typo 😳
Stacey says
Your breakfast looks yummy! And I can’t believe how great it feels outside!! I’m foregoing the gym too and heading to swim at the lake! Enjoy your walk 🙂
ellie says
Love the look of that bowl!
I am confused too about the axis- is it calorie amounts? How often do you weigh yourself?
leslie says
i think the greatest thing i’ve learned from you is the squiggly line effect – that going back to normal after indulging is the right way to happily maintain weight. i haven’t noticed that you’ve been trying to lose anything because you’ve been eating perfectly normally, not obsessing about eating a snack here or there, and still enjoying plenty of fun with friends (and food!). you’re the epitome of balanced living, kath!
Lara says
Love the squiggly line graph. Question though–do you weigh yourself or go by how your clothes feel?
Kailey (SnackFace) says
Love the squiggle! I think my line is normal during the week and then has gigantic arches for weekends. I blame being 21 🙂
I need me some chia seeds! They look fun and delicious. Have a fab day!
Jenn Eats Nutritiously Now says
Good lucky with your squiggly line 😉 Can’t wait to see how things go with that.
Britt says
I’m definitely a member of the squiggly line club. Its hard for me to adjust my eating sometimes for marathon training, especially after the marathon when I go back to “normal” running.
My squiggly line is defined by my pants… how well they are fitting. 🙂
Angharad says
Your breakfasts always look SO good. I love that table you have in your yard…so pretty.
Tay says
Happy Tuesday Kath!! I’m so excited to read your article because that’s what I’m interested in and am going to school for. Yay!
Christina says
I love chia seeds 🙂 They’re not very photogenic though, look like little pebbles!
Kath says
Mel @ She Runs Brooklyn,
Not sure about hemp, but chia seeds do not have to be ground.
Rose ,
Nope – I’ve had it for a while. it was hand made by a man in my hometown 🙂
Jodi ,
We have a deer spray that is a funky mixture too – Deer Off? We don’t use it much though because it kind of ruined the smell of the veggies last year!
Kath
Deva says
I love the squiggly line effect, and it’s how I maintain my weight as well. 🙂
Joanne says
I like the idea of the “squiggle line” but like you said in your later post, I agree we shouldn’t be scale obsessed.
I have a question when you have a minute re- your switch from wordpress.com over to administering your own blog. Do you have to know code? Is it more time consuming? How to you control spam?
I realize you are busy getting ready for your trip but if you can offer some tips to consider, I would appreciate it.
Thanks and safe travels.
Kath says
Joanne,
Hosting your own blog only means you have your own server, but I still run the WordPress software, so it looks the same. No code involved. Setting up a host is quite confusing, but once you get it up, it’s very easy.
Kath
Alicia says
hm. I’m the total opposite and eat much more in the winter months.
MelanieF says
I think that’s what we can call normal eating. I often indulge on the weekends and I go back to my healthy routine the next day. I exercise 3 days a week for an hour each time (including weight training) and walk for about 45 minutes at least 2 times a week (and sometimes twice in the same day).
I don’t count calories, I try not to weigh myself more than once a month, because I become way too obsess with food and trying to lose weight that I tend to go the opposite way…overeating and I go down a very self destructive path.
I concentrate on eating real, whole foods like you and I try to get plenty of exercise. If I lose weight, great, if I maintain my weight, good, as long as I don’t gain any. I try to accept myself the way I am. 🙂
Tammy says
Very interesting article about the Squiggly Line Effect. I find that I naturally eat a little more some days and a little less on others, now that I’ve rediscovered my feelings of hunger and fullness. For someone who has recently recovered from an eating disorder, any kind of “tracking” beyond a basic food journal could be a dangerous trigger, though I like your philosophy of not counting calories and having a more general idea that you’ve eaten more or less than average. I find that overthinking anything isn’t necessary, UNLESS a trend of weight loss or weight gain occurs. At that point, I’d go see an R.D. to help get me back on track in a healthy, non calorie counting, way.
Joanne says
Kath: You are always so helpful. Thanks.