This day is SO weird. I’m totally a college student again!! I just kind of slipped right back in! It feels quite different than my undergrad experience, though. The campus is really pretty, and I’ve already done 25 minutes of walking without even planning a walk!
And it’s so cool that I “worked” for 2 hours and now I have a 2 hour lunch break (which of course I will need to fill with studying after today…)
Lunch
I’m sitting in the student center and ate while entering my tests into my Google Calendar (which I’m crazy about, by the way. I’m a type-A-super-organized nerd who loves calendars and this one is so cool with color coding and all kinds of neat things).
Anyways, I had a PB + Banana Sandwich on homemade honey wheat bread (Although delicious, PB + B never fills me up that well)
Carrot sticks:
A Swiss Yogurt (a special treat – it’s really, really smooth and tart) plus flax:
And an apple:
Although this lunch totaled around 550 kcal, I’m not really full. I might need a snack before lab instead of after…I guess it was kind of a light lunch compared to my normal work ones.
Fashion vs. Comfort
So I vowed to myself that I would dress professionally during the next 2 years on campus rather than resort to jeans and hoodie sweatshirts. Well, I’m facing my first debate: as a commuter student I have to park about a 10 minute walk from my classes. Not a huge deal, but when I’m carrying a heavy backpack and it’s 30* outside and I’m teetering in my dress shoes, all I wanted this freezing cold morning was to be wearing comfortable tennis shoes! I think I’m going to have to just compromise my shoes. I already switched to the tennis shoes I keep in my trunk – and I’m wearing them with brown dress pants!
But cool that I’ll get about 40 minutes of walking in on M and W!
Chem
Chemistry looks like it won’t be too hard. The concepts (calculating molecular weight) came right back to me and my professor actually said “I think I was a little too excited last semester and went into too much detail. I’m going to take a step back this semester and focus on the basics.” FINE WITH ME!!!!!!! I also made a friend, who is a sophomore transfer nutrition student. She thought I was a freshman 😳 I guess I do look pretty young! But we have plans to meet for lunch in the dining hall on Wednesday (which I was already planning for fun).
Physio
Physio seems like it’ll be really, really interesting, but the professor moved through her powerpoint SOO fast that I could barely keep up with the notes. Maybe since it was the first day and a relatively easy topic? It’s definitely going to be my hardest course.
Off to do some reading!
Jennifer says
Kath,
I am glad you are having a great day. I started A&P II the other day. Looks like it may be a challenge. Queens is not the same without you. Take Care and I will be reading.
Kath says
Hi Jennifer!,
Physio is HARD!! Or at least the pace was today. We're doing digestion first though, so I feel like I know some of that from last semester. I can't wait to see Prof. Neilsen again tomorrow! Miss you too!
Kath
Caitlin says
A couple questions –
1) Do you peel your carrots before eating them?
2) Are you able to store your lunch in a refrigerator somewhere, or do you just keep it in a lunch bag? I occasionally am in the situation where I can't get my lunch to a refrigerator for a couple hours, and I'm always wary to leave things like yogurt out of the fridge for that long.
Kath says
Caitlin,
Don't peel my carrots but do wash them.
Lunch is in a Built NY lunch bag in my trunk. I think things are OK from 8-12pm but I wouldn't leave lunch in there all day. I'll use ice packs in the summer or will take it with me when it's hot. I wish I had a microwave to use!
K
Stacey says
Hi,
That bread looks great did you make it yourself or did you buy it? If you made it can you post the recipe and if you bought please give me all the info?
Thanks!
NATI says
you are adorable!!! I am super type A as well. haha. I always try to dress like a normal person but by the third or fourth week im in jeans and converse and a huge college sweatshirt…. I choose comfort. hehe…
arimcg says
Hi Kath, I'm wondering — how does Swiss yogurt compare to Greek, like Fage? Is it still really thick?
Casey says
As a college student, I have to suggest ballet flats! I walk ALL over campus, often more than two hours a day, and have resorted to tennis shoes.
Repettos are terribly comfortable, but a bit of a splurge. Dillards' Michelle D line makes a wonderful pair for about $40.
KT says
Hey Kath… So lately I've been having a lot of fiber… Well maybe it's not a lot. I always have whole wheat… I have an english muffin and mini bagel in the morning, sandwich bread at lunch, and whole wheat pasta at dinner. Of course I eat food with these things, but these are the main sources of fiber. I also sometimes have a Fiber1 bar. Does this seem like too much fiber/bread??? I've noticed a litt fluctuation in my weight, and I'm not sure if that is due to eating too much fiber.
Any thoughts?
texasfoodie says
Kath,
I've been reading your blog for a few weeks and this is my first time commenting. BTW- I'm addicted! It's a great read and appreciate your timely responses to so many comments.
My husband and I +also+ were married last year on June 2… it was an amazing day in Georgia (where we're from).
Anyhow, had a question about this new laptop… is it by any chance a Dell? Just curious because EVERY single person that I've known to get a dell (lap top or desk top) in recent years has had immediate problems of some extent… including me with my work computer. So I was just wondering.
Keep up the good work- you really are an inspiration. Because of you I now take walks during my lunch hour… I am a runner so I used to think walking was for sissies, but NOT ANYMORE! It's so great to leave work for a while and enjoy the outdoors.
Sorry for the long post, everyone!
Mary says
Kath, I know your big on satiety of food-me too!! I love kashi bars, but I have never tried the others you packed for school or have eaten(lara, nectar bar, gnu bar or odowalla I don't remember which). If you have time could you give a little comparison satiety wise.
Also, quick question. But I know you love kashi crackers- I never find those fill me though when I use them instead of bread-do you?
Leng says
Hey Kath,
You're right you are such a nerd, but it's so cute! 🙂 Like other readers, I find your blog to be so addicting. Your attitude towards food is so positive and I love how you go into detail. Keep up the good work.
I just have a question about your honey wheat bread. It looks so moist. I sometimes do bread making (in the oven) and it comes out rather dry. Do you or the husband have any suggestions?
Lauren says
Hi Kath, I recently discovered your blog and absolutely love it. Your entries are consistently informative and dynamic, and just as importantly, your meals look delicious. As a 25-year-old woman very committed to staying healthy, fit, and maintaining my high-school weight (it gets harder each year, but I'm dedicated!), I truly appreciate the candor with which you write about your health and fitness struggles and achievements. You also seem to possess a very clear-headed and balanced relationship with food, which I find very refreshing in a blogosphere populated with unhealthy or misguided weight loss/weight maintenace measures.
Anyway, just wanted to thank you for your always-interesting posts! I'm glad to hear that your first day back at school went well. I graduated from a Master's program last May, and though I like the working world, I miss being a student tremendously. Enjoy it 🙂
NCCarter says
Hi Kath,
I just visisted your blog for the first time and was excited to see that like me, you're an NC girl (I'm in Raleigh). I'm thinking about going back to school for Nutrition as well (I'm a little older than you, though – 31 – ), so I'm looking forward to seeing how it all goes for you! I don't think I can do full-time right now, though, since I'm a stay-at-home mom to a 2 1/2 year old girl!
Thanks for sharing part of your life with us.
Katie says
Hi Kath… I'm new to your blog… I'm actually a college grad (math major) working in the finance industry and I've been interested for quite some time to switch careers to nutrition… seeing as you've just done this I'm wondering how the process was for you… what you had to do to prepare etc… was it very difficult or did you find it relatively easy to make the change? Did you have many classes to take before entering the nutrition program? Thanks for any help/advice!!
rachel says
Kath,
Your blog is great–and your food photos are beautiful. I am getting my MPH right now, but taking nutrition classes as well–I think it will be a nice combination. Who knows, maybe one day I'll go for the full RD too. Anyway, enjoy your semester.
My questions: I see that you exercise 7 days/week–do you ever get burnt out? And how many hours of sleep do you recommend each night early morning exercise?
rachel says
note: that was meanto to say "how many hours of sleep do you recommend each night FOR early morning exercise routines like yours?
Ryane says
I have another suggestion for shoes that are made for walkin' but are still classy and cute – Sketchers makes great ones that have a sneaker-like tread but you can get ones that look kind of like mary janes or ballet slippers, so cute, I have a pair in black, brown and goldish (to go with any outfit)!
Def the Skechers Bikers, and my faves are Smolder and Green Light, And also the Skechers Citywalk ones… ahhh all of them, they're so cute!
Good luck with school, and I really enjoy your blog!
mel says
Hey Kath! I also have to bring my lunch to class with me three times a week and have a hard time bc I don't have access to a fridge or a microwave. I usually bring a pb and J, an apple, granola bar, pb and Kashi crackers, etc (foods that can be left out). I'm really weird about leaving meat and cheese and yogurt out. Did you banana go bad today before you ate it on your sandwich? Any suggestions would be appreciated for food ideas!! thanks
Mel
edamame22 says
Can you post the honey wheat bread recipe please.
THanks
VeggieGirl says
today was my first day back at college as well – can't believe it's the spring semester already!! hope you continue to enjoy yourself, and the delicious food you pack :0)
Fig says
Hey banana trick….
night before slice it and freeze it. Add to sandwich by the time it thaws out it will be time to eat it
Erin says
texasfoodie, I bought a Dell laptop (a Latitude I believe) 3 years ago, and haven't had any problems yet!
Brooke says
Katie I am in the same boat as you in regards to wanting to get involved in nutrition maybe we could help one another out. 🙂
the husband says
Thanks everybody for the kind messages!
RE: laptops, we got Kath an HP (dv2500t, i believe) because they had some great deals and upgrades, and I think they are doing an all-around better job of being a friendly computer company. I use a Dell laptop (Inspiron 710m – nice and tiny) and Kath's desktop is a Dell e510 or something like that.
RE: HONEY WHEAT BREAD
I LOVE baking. And even more, I love sharing recipes and such. Unfortunately, my bread recipes are getting quite complicated, and are about to get extremely labor and time-intensive thanks to my new birthday book! What this means – there's always a lot of requests for the recipes I use, and since I'm not really sure how serious the bakers are who read this blog, I sometimes wonder if I spent 20 minutes typing up a recipe for nothing. But I want to be very clear, nothing makes me happier than passing on a recipe to someone willing to try it out and especially report back the results! So my one humble request: if you want a bread recipe, you have to send us a picture of the final product, or at the very least make a comment on how it turned out. With that in mind, here's how I made honey wheat bread:
Pre-ferment:
150g AP flour
100g whole wheat flour
10oz water
50g honey
8g instant yeast
(Mix pre-ferment ingredients together and let sit for 6 hours at room temp)
Dough:
100g AP flour
150g whole wheat flour
7g kosher salt
25g wheat germ
-Put 1qt of water on stove to boil
-Mix pre-ferment and dough together, mix for 5 minutes
-Take dough out, knead for 5 more minutes, shape into tight ball, let rest for 5 minutes covered
-Pour boiling water into a pan sitting on the lowest oven rack
-Put dough back into mixing bowl, uncovered, and place mixing bowl in oven on a second rack above rack with pan
-Allow bread to rise in the steamy environment until doubled in size
-After rise, take dough out and fold over and shape as desired (i did an oval batard and placed in a 9×5 loaf pan)
-Allow to rise for 45 mins, preheating oven to 400* (with that same pan of water still in there)
-Bake for approx 25 mins
The steam-rise is a trick I learned from Alton Brown and definitely keeps things nicely moist. As I read Hamelman's book, I've found quite a few items contradictory to my methodology, so I will probably be changing some things pretty soon (sorry AB but I'm going to take this guy as the final word until I log some more practice loaves). It's funny, his writing style makes it sound like bread baking is teetering on the edge of a knife with disaster on both sides. In reality, there are many ways to make decent bread, but the perfect loaf will always be the rare culmination of skill, ingredients, and a bit of coincidence – just enjoy the moment.
And enjoy the recipe!
Kath says
You guys are nuts with all the comments!! But I love that you're interested and asking good questions – keep them coming 🙂
Arimcg,
The swiss is the exact opposite of Fage. It's really runny and creamy and tart, whereas Fage is thick, milder and almost chunky in my opinion. But both are delicious!!!
Thanks for the footwear recommendations!
KT,
I've had 60 grams of fiber in one day before (LOTS of root vegetables and lentils) and I have to say my digestive tract didn't really like it. It was overload. As long as you feel normal, I don't think there's a max on fiber, but I would be careful with foods that are made with lots of added fiber, like the Fiber One bars. Maybe make sure you don't eat more than one combined with another added fiber product like the fibery tortillas or Fiber One, of course. And be sure to drink LOTS of water!!
Texasfoodie,
Thanks for reading the blog!!! 6.2.07 was great, wasn't it 😉 Like the husband said, I have an HP, but it was the stupid Firewall I downloaded from Road Runner and not the computer that was causing my problems. They are solved now! And I was the SAME way about walking (being a long-time lover of running) until I gave walking a chance. Now it's one of my all-time favorite activities!
Mary,
I really don't find any of the bars to be that big on satiety, but they are great portable snacks when I just need to last 1-2 hours until my next meal. I think LaraBars are the most filling because they are 200+ kcal whereas the Gnu and Kashi are only about 130-140 and are even lighter. The Nectar and KIND bars are somewhere in the middle. But when I really need a satisfying snack I go for something heavy like fresh fruit (with some nuts) or a yogurt with some cereal (or more nuts).
Lauren,
Thank you SO much for your nice comment. It means a lot to hear good feedback.
NCCarter,
I know UNC-CH has a nutrition dept. If you're thinking about doing nutrition, you should see what requirements you'll need and see if you can take a course or 2 at a community college that might transfer in and would give you a taste for what to expect. After I started my nutrition course at Queens this fall, I KNEW I was doing the right thing to go all out and go back to school.
Katie,
I was able to jump right in because Winthrop's masters allows me to take undergrad courses along with masters level. So luckily I don't have a long list of preq. before I can enter a program. This was so appealing to me. The pay cut from quitting my job is a huge change, but we're learning to budget and I am researching other ways to make some money down the road (catering, possibly nannying, etc.) Especially in the summers when my course load is lighter. I've got 6 courses this semester so I'm not sure what my time will even be like yet.
Rachel,
I love exercise, so I always see it more as stress relief and "me time" than a chore – even at 5:30 in the morning!! I always make sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep, but I try to get in bed early enough to get 8-8.5. Some nights I'm running late though – like tonight! Sleep is so important to me – I just don't function AT. ALL. if I don't get enough, but I've found that 7.5-8 is perfect for me.
Mel,
Banana did just fine and yogurt was still slightly chilled. I'll eat brown banana though – it still tastes the same!
Husband,
Thanks for posting the recipe!!
Whew!
Kath
the nanny says
Hi Kath,
You should really look into nannying it's a great way to make some extra cash! I'm currently in nursing school and nanny about 20 hrs a week it has it's flexibility. Good luck to you in school. I love the blog I'm addicted! I just started reading it this weekend.
Katie says
Brooke- it would be great to help each other out! I’d love to hear your plans/ideas for how to get yourself involved in nutrition and whatnot… it’s something I really want to do however I’m not sure what the right path for it is…