Pear + Date Oatmeal with Pumpkin Tea
This was the best bowl of oatmeal I’ve had in a long time!!! I used to make pear oatmeal a lot this fall when pears were cheap and abundant. We also had a bag of dates this fall, which I think make a GREAT addition to oatmeal! I love their texture and their sweetness permeates the whole bowl (as does the pears’!)
We add the pear at the beginning of cooking just like the banana so it breaks down – but it’s fun to get pieces of the skin for a nice fibrous chew. I topped mine with walnuts, almond butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a drizzle of maple syrup. It was pretty sweet – I guess that’s why I liked it so much!
Also had hot pumpkin tea (Bigelow brand) with a touch of skim milk (and sadly, splenda), which took me right back to October!
I ate this breakfast really sloooowly today too – I got to enjoy it for twice as long! Total kcal ~430
Workout
I had a half serving of Kashi H2H with warm milk before my workout. It was not that filling, but took away morning hunger and lasted through my whole workout. Today I did 45 minutes on the ET plus 15 minutes upper body work – pull-ups and dips on the assisted weight machine alternating with stretching and push-ups. This is quite the upper body workout and I love how tired I feel when I’m done. It’s also very difficult, so my heart rate stays higher than sitting on the machines. 440 kcal burned.
Today
I am working from home this morning while I prepare for my two quizzes. Then I’m off to Winthrop around 10:30 and will seek out my lounge to eat lunch and blog. I love Tuesdays and Thursdays because my classes are over at 3:15 and I get to work at home most of the day where it’s cozy. Adios!
Kristin Point says
I’m eating pear, cinnamin and raisin oatmeal right now! Yumm it’s a change from my usual apple addiction. Good luck on your quizzes!
Mariposa says
Kath,
I also ate pear with my breakfast this morning!! I can’t eat oatmeal, so I use my GF hot cereal. But I put in a teaspoon of maple syrup and a sprinkle of brown sugar with my chopped up pear and i was loving it! i never would have tried this if i hadn’t been inspired by your breakfasts!
I also like the way you handle some of the “controversy” that seems to have leaked over here somehow. For some reason, Internet personalities grow bigger and people are for the most part “anonymous” and feel like they can say things in any way they please even if it’s rude and totally uncalled for. Just keep doing what you are doing…
JennS says
Hey Kath, You said you were going skiing this weekend… if you happen to be going to Wintergreen Resort .. go to the “Edge” restaurant and get either the Thai-style lettace wraps or the Black Bean Burger, both are AWESOME and healthy. Their nighttime “club” scene is awesome is well, the Bartenders are great. If going there you’ll either see Bradley, David, or Jacob. All are super sweet AND they carry great Virginia wines!
If looking for a more “luxury” meal go to the Coppermine the food is AMAZING. If Jason is Bartending you or the husband order one of his martinis or especially his Margaritas. They are also incredible.
Amy C says
Hi Kath! Love the blog…it is so inspiring. I just had a quick question about your “9 to 5” post from last week. I am trying to join the early bird club for working out, and so far, it’s going fairly well. However, like you, I too feel the need to snooze at least twice before I hop out of bed. How does The Husband deal with you snoozing? Does he get up at the same time as you to work out? My fiancee can’t stand that I need to snooze, since he can get up with a first alarm and doesn’t need to slowly wake up. Any tips?
rachel says
kath
where you do you find your numbers for calories burned on the eliptical? i have always heard you can’t really trust the machines to give you accurate counts. i’d love to know how much i am actually burning.
Kay says
Hey Rachel! Kath frequently gets asked how she tracks the calories she burns through exercise. I copied her answer off of her “FAQS” page:
“I wear a heart rate monitor – Polar F4. I got it at Target for $90. There are much fancier versions, but this one counts calories, heart rate and workout time, which is all I need. It comes with a chest strap that goes right under your sports bra. I couldn’t live without it!”
I also wear a heart rate monitor and have found that cardio machine are indeed “off” in their readings. If you are able to enter more info. about yourself on the machine – weight, age, etc. – it is a bit more accurate. The number will still probably be off, but not by a huge amount (at least in my experience when I have compared the machine reading to that on my heart rate monitor).
I would suggest getting a heart rate monitor, though. They really help you focus on your OWN cardio levels and goals, which is what matters the most!
Bigelow Tea says
Kath,
Glad to see you had some Bigelow pumpkin spice tea…that is one of my personal favorites. Thanks for the mention.
Valorie for Bigelow Tea
VeggieGirl says
once again, Kath, you’ve included a simply DIVINE flavor-combination in your morning oatmeal – I’m quite smitten with pears (especially Starksimmon and Bosc varieties) and dates. you should really try FRESH, medjool dates – they have a MUCH richer flavor and texture (very caramel-like)!! trust me, you’ll never go back to to the Sunsweet variety. nature’s candy at its finest :0)
best of luck with your quizzes!!
Laura says
Do any of you exercise to videos in your home. I would love to do that since it saves so much time, but it’s hard to motivate yourself at home. What motivates you though to really follow through? How do you do aerobics if you are exercising at home? Thanks!!
Any video and ab video recommendations?
Beth says
Kath, do you ever find that someone is on the machine you were planning on using, or that you are a few minutes into your pullups and then someone is just standing behind you, but you plan on using it for 10 more minutes. How do you handle this situations. I always rush and feel uncomfortable.
Jo says
Christie, I am really interested in purchasing the book, if you don’t mind I have two more questions.
I love cheese, does this diet only allow for monosaturated fats and not saturated like cheese (ie homemade pizza?)
Christie,
Also, I like dessert, but a 400 calorie dessert such as the example pudding they show seems kinda excessive. Does the diet allow for smaller desserts and an additional meal? There are not many examples online.
Do you find you are satisfied? For example, one meal was a small sandwich. Thanks so much for introducing me to the program, I really appreciate your help!
Kerry says
Laura,
I lost over thirty-five pounds and all of my exercise was done at home through yoga dvds. I couldn’t do the gym route because my little ones were quite sick and couldn’t stay in the gym daycare. So, instead, I picked up a twenty-minute yoga video by Rodney Yee (Power Yoga for Beginners, Stamina) and tried it out. It was the perfect amount of time to squeeze in during naptime. Eventually, I started doing longer workouts as I saw the weight begin to drop. After a year, my husband began to join me for my evening workouts. Now we’ve been doing it together for about five years.
I like basically any dvd by Rodney Yee (Yoga Burn, Power Yoga for Beginners, Abs Yoga for Beginners), and another favorite is Yoga Mind & Body by Ali McGraw.
For Christmas, I got a Dance Dance Revolution game for our Playstation 2, and that is so much fun to do, especially with my daughter. I’m suprised by what a workout it really is. There’s a workout mode on there that aproximates how many calories you burn based on your weight. It’s a fun way to change things up sometimes.
As far as motivation goes, it helps having my husband as a partner…we keep each other accountable. I also see exercise (exept when I’m on vacation) as one of those non-negotiable things that just needs to get done. Like a lot of things that are good for you, I find that once you actually do it, you feel much better for making the decision and following through.
Jem says
Kath,
May I suggest another variation of the Oatmeal Pancake to add to your repetoire? I like to call it the Chunky Monkey (after my favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor.)
Simply add banana, walnuts, and a few dark chocolate chips or shavings to the standard recipe. It is quite a treat!
Twinks says
KATH! Did you forget about the rower or are you putting it off…hahaha.
Brianne says
Hey everyone. i just wanted to let you all know I started my own blog green-and-lean.com. I am always looking for new ones to read so I caved and made my own! I hope you enjoy.
Trish says
Walnut help! So I have begun incorporating walnuts into my diet. When I go to log them into my food diary, I have no idea how much to count! 1 oz ~14 halves~ 185c. I am not sure if I have been counting 1/2 or 1/4 of a walnut. Kath can you post a pic of 1 oz or just 1 half? Or can anyone else provide a link to clarify? Thanks!
the husband says
Amy C,
I work out about 4 times a week, so we’re usually waking up together, but man I hate alarm clocks. Some people just need snoozing and I’m one of them.
Beth,
There’s so many machines at our gym that we never have a huge problem with unavailability, especially with cardio machines. If a weight machine is occupied, we can usually shift around the workout and come back. We’re lucky the way we work out together, because we’ll each get on our own machine, do a set, and then switch. That way nobody can complain that we’re just sitting there. But it happens to everybody when you’re working out solo – I wouldn’t worry when somebody wants the machine you’re on. They’re going to take breaks between sets too, so you shouldn’t feel bad. Don’t skimp on your workout because you feel rushed – speeding up isn’t a bad thing, but don’t take away anything.
Twinks,
Kath reported her rowing stats here:
https://www.katheats.com/?p=1407
Aimee H. says
For Laura,
I know it sounds like a cheesy plug, but I love The Firm exercise videos. I bought the whole thing including TransFirmer and videos for about $100, but I got 4 videos and they’re really great for when I work out on weekends (I usually hit the gym and do exercise classes during the week). I think what I like about the Firm is that the videos combine weight training and cardio (they recommend buying 3, 5 and 8lb dumbells and it has really educated me about using free weights). So with the set I got an Abs video (which is 22 minutes and is awesome), a weights video (about 35 minutes and switches off between legs, arms and abs), a combo video (about 45-50 minutes and switches between cardio and weights) and then a cardio video (about 55 minutes and focuses on step and regular aerobics; even this one uses light weights though to kick up the intensity). But basically you can do what you have time for.
And as far as motivation goes.. I just have it in my mind that I must do something everyday.. I have friends that I can work out with and I just generally enjoy exercise because of how it makes me feel.
Christie says
Jo,
Many of the recipes includes shredded cheese, feta cheese and gorgonzola cheese, it is very different than most “diet books”
I also enjoy dessert and when I say enjoy i mean I CANT LIVE WITHOUT! The beauty of following something like this is that it tries to teach you to incorporate the MUFA’s into your diet how you would enjoy. So for example last ngiht for dinner I had a whoel wheat bun with balsamic grilled portabella and zuccinie with a TBSP of Pesto (MUFA) and than after i had some ricotta with mango and carob chips and that all together was part of the 400 calorie meal.
Like i said it has been a chage to not to have so much food at one sitting but I really dont think about food as much becuase each meal keeps me satisfied.. I have made certain changes like today I packed a sandwhich and istead of adding extra veggies to it i brought 2 cleminties b/c I like the sweetness. Also when I had talked with cynthia she said I can always add a 200 calorie snack if i m hungry b/c I do exercise a lot, but honestly I have not found that I am hungry and that is the thing I think is important. Being healthy and being obsessed is a fine line, and with this new way of eating I amnot thinking about food and therfor my bosy feels satisifed, I am eating balanced, getting all the food groups and not eating just to eat. Does that make sense?
melimari says
Hi,
I LOVE this blog. I’ve been following it for awhile now. Your mention of that book by Pratt (I forgot his first name) on Super Foods and the philosophy really inspired me. I need to get that book!
You mention the high cost of almond butter — you can buy almonds in bulk at Costco or a healthfood place and make your own. You can grind them in a food processor, then grind some more while adding canola oil to suit your taste. It keeps in the refrigerator.
I made this while pregnant and was avoiding peanuts. It is really easy and a lot more cost effective than buying ready-made almond butter. Plus if you want to add a little salt, you can do it to your taste as well.
Kristin Point says
About the exercise videos:
I wanted to let anyone who uses the cable company “comcast” to check the free on demand videos. There are tons of free workouts on there and even more if you have expanded cable. There are different categories like abs, pilates, yoga, legs, arms etc all for diff levels. I like to do them to mix things up because I get super bored with the same routines.
I also like giam workout pilates especially cardio pilates on days I want an easier workout.
bev says
I have some delicious fig spread I’m going to try with the pear oatmeal. It sounds very good. I had blueberries this morning. Have a great evening 🙂 You handled the issues last night with such grace.
Jen says
Hi Kath,
I know how you feel about the big lunch spread because “big spread + a lot of people in cafeteria = awkward!!!” (It happens to me in my cafeteria when i get out the mini-courses that make up my lunch)
But I wanted to ask why you seem to think SPLENDA is unhealthy or a “treat.” I actually use it in my coffee and tea. Should I not be using it because it’s artificial?
Thanks for the blog it’s been a great help!!!
SC says
Beth, It is akward if you feel like someone standing behind you is practically “stalking” you for a machine. I have found that the best thing to do is to just say how many sets you have left. Or, if you know that you are going to be resting between sets, offer to let him/her work in with you. You may meet a new gym buddy, or just use her as motivation…(I always work harder if I feel like I have competition)
Kath says
Amy,
He used to HATE my alarm when I had it set on the station that played Christmas music 🙂 I have it set on the “light bell” noise now so it’s much more peaceful. Actually, he says most mornings he doesn’t even remember the alarm going off, so I guess he doesn’t get much say in the type of ring!
Valerie,
I love the Bigelow Seasonals!!! Thanks for reading 🙂
Jem,
Sounds wonderful!! I don’t have any choco. chips on hand, but if I do some day, they’ll go in!
Twinks,
NO – you missed it!!!!!!!!! I did it a few days after you asked. I think the husband linked to the post up above.
Brianne,
Blog looks great! I’ve got it bookmarked 🙂
Trish,
I use chopped walnuts, so I’m afraid I’m not of much help. I usually put 10 grams, which is about 60 kcal, in my oats, so you can look at those pictures. I think you are probably using halves – whole walnuts are probably in the shell? Anyone else know for sure? You could just buy an inexpensive food scale and take the guesswork out!
Melimari
Thanks for the tip! I have “make own nut butter” on my life’s goals list – someday….
Jen,
Splenda is declared safe by the FDA and I do use it in coffee and tea only, but I would like not to simply because I try not to eat too many man-made things on a regular basis (other than milk or yogurt type of intervention or canned tomatoes type things) and I just would feel better if I didn’t need it in my tea every day. I’m always on the fence about it.
Kath
goalie30 says
Laura and other DVD fitness video lovers:
I am a big fan of Gilad; he is on the Fit channel on tv (if you get it where you live, it’s great! it has various aerobics/stretching/yoga/weight lifting routines running nonstop throughout the day so you can workout morning, noon, or night!)…I have one of his exercise DVDs, you can find good deals at amazon.com; plus people rate the videos, so you know if it’s good or not!
For waiting in line at the gym….
The gym I go to is SMALL, I find if I go AFTER work it is the busiest, so this is why I have taken Kath’s inspiration to work out in the morning. However, with only 5 treadmills and usually 1-2 of them always being broken, even A.M. workouts can be hard to find one open. If they are all in use, I’ll start my workout/warm up on the elliptical or bike, and usually a treadmill will open up within 10 minutes, so then I’ll hop right on for a run and I’ll already be warmed up!
When it comes to weight lifting/ machines, if one is in use, I’ll work a different body part until that area of the gym becomes available, so that way I still get my complete workout in, but it might just be in a different order than I originally planned!
Hope this helps…