Back to “the usual”

It’s time for me to get back into my routine, which I find awfully boring to present to my readers compared to traveling. Truthfully though, I actually seem to enjoy reading people’s routines and seeing their daily meals rather than hearing about their travels. Maybe it’s because I love traveling and I get a bit jealous?

Back to showing you my meals and talking about my regular day, including the workouts I am incorporating into my routine after a vacation without them.

I started out my morning back to work with some Honey Nut cheerios and a bowl of blueberries. I desperately wanted to make stove top oats with a banana and pb, but with having to scrape my car off for 20 minutes and de-ice, that wasn’t happening.

Snack at work was a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows and a trail mix bar.

Lunch was my leftovers from yesterday’s meal at The Cheesecake Factory and an apple. I also had a moser roth toffee chocolate bar for dessert.

I realized that before I left on our trip, I really was packing huge lunches at times. I think I am going to try cutting back a bit and watching my calories.

Dinner was a Strawberry Banana Chobani with a few cheerios on top and some of my naughty cheesecake.

My meal reflects this, but I was pressed for time because I stayed at work later and then had to get to my yoga class.

I had a piece of toast with peanut butter and a glass of chocolate milk when I got back from yoga.

Yoga tonight was excellent. I really love this teacher’s class because he always changes up the poses every week. I am always learning something new. My body needed yoga badly after our vacation! It felt so good to stretch.

Well folks, I need to start limiting my computer time and read a bit tonight since it’s already quite late.

Glad today is over

I am just glad the day is over. We still have one more aspect of the funeral tomorrow, the burial, but funerals are really hard to go to. I know it is this way for everyone in life and I need to accept that I will have more to go to in the coming years, some of which will be very difficult for me. It was nice to see old pictures of Craig’s grandma and hear stories about her I hadn’t heard before.

I started out the morning with Honey Nut Cheerios, fresh blueberries, and coffee.

Before washing dishes, I snacked on some toast with Earth Balance and Danish Strawberry Rhubarb jam. I also had another cup of coffee.

Lunch was a Black Cherry Chobani yogurt and a ham and cheese sandwich. I liked the Black Cherry flavor but think I prefer Strawberry Banana more because of my own personal preference for that flavor.

Haribo gummies followed.

Dinner was pure comfort food–frozen pizza and skim milk.

I also had a few Mint Oreos for dessert.

Not the best food day I guess, but that’s what you get for a stressful day with a funeral (and checking my work e-mail late tonight and responding to a bunch of messages).

I think I need to introduce meditation into my life to deal with the work aspect of stress I seem to have such trouble with. I actually am going to attend a free class on meditation and have Craig come along as support. With an already busy schedule, I am not sure how to fit meditation into my life, but I will try to. Anyone have a good balance down with meditation, gym, working full-time and have any advice to offer?

So, I didn’t discuss it on here yet, but you may have noticed I didn’t mention exercise habits during our trip. Basically, I went to the hotel gym on the first day we were there and never returned accept for their filtered water. Honestly, after walking probably over 7 miles most days, I didn’t feel like coming back to the hotel and working out. Also, working out in the morning could have been an option, but again, I was exhausted and we had to be at many places quite early. How do you deal with working out on vacations which already involve lots of walking the entire day?

Returning to the gym yesterday felt very good. I need to keep up the those good habits and make time for exercise. This week, I will need to work out in the morning two days because I am working late. I know I need to fit them in and will hold myself accountable to my workout plans.

Ok and now I am rambling. Time to log off and get ready for bed.

Review of Gardein Tuscan Breasts

It was “Friday” for me today since we have a three day weekend with New Years Eve tomorrow. I thought it would be an easy day at the office, but I volunteered to step away from my peaceful desk and help out in the public arena. It’s funny because my job title has public in it, but I rarely work with the public face to face! For two straight hours, I helped answer questions, shuffle people from one line to the next, etc. It was fun and the time flew. My workplace has been busy all week, which is wonderful to see, so I wanted our guests to have a positive experience despite the crowds. Helping out was rewarding, but it also made me appreciate my quiet desk, more or less because I am not used to standing in one place like that anymore. My body ached at the end!

This is where yoga class tonight came in to save the day! I just got home from there and I feel so much more relaxed and less achy. We did a couple of new poses tonight and always like trying new things in fitness classes, so that was cool. We concentrated on lots of twists, which our teacher said was good for our backs and digestive systems. This was perfect for me and especially for the day I had.

At yoga, I also got to try out my new GAIAM yoga socks that Craig got me for Christmas!

They worked really well. The room wasn’t as cold tonight. Despite that, I loved that my feet were warm and the grippers on the bottom helped me stay more stable, especially in certain positions. When I put them on, it was hard to separate my toes, but then I sort of forced them into their spaces and it was fine.

Rewind to earlier today.

Breakfast

Coffee (in my “I Do” mug in honor of Jenny) and Kashi Go Crisp! cereal.

Lunch

I had an Arnold’s Thin sandwich with provolone cheese and sweet peppers on top. I added Frank’s Red Hot sauce and Chipolte mayo. Other lunch items included two clementines (I am trying to use them up), a strawberry Chobani yogurt, and baby carrots.

After work, I went to Whole Foods to use up a bunch of coupons for free or discounted items. It was packed there like it was at my work. Must be the New Years eve rush. Among other things, I picked up three different Gardein items, which I had never tried before this evening. I asked Gardein if I could sample some of their products and they graciously sent me some coupons.

Dinner

Craig made the rice and microwaved the Tuscan Breasts from Gardein.

Here is the packaging it came in, which included the tomato basil sauce.

We both enjoyed the meal, but I loved the flavor and texture more than Craig. I would definitely buy the Tuscan Breasts again.

I eat a mostly vegetarian diet and even though I like the flavor of chicken, I don’t necessarily like eating animals, nor does eating meat always agree with my stomach. I like that one of these tuscan breasts has 21 grams of protein because I definitely know that I need more protein in my diet.

After Craig left the table, Karma joined me. It seemed that he wanted some Gardein too!

Dessert before yoga class was toffee Moser Roth chocolate.

Time to start a book I picked up at the library tonight, My Spiritual Journey by The Dalai Lama. I’ll share more on this tomorrow, but one of my goals for life in general is to read more books. I love reading, but have been slacking lately on reading books. I got hooked on the Stieg Larsson books a couple of months ago, but since then, I haven’t been as “hooked” on reading. Maybe I should blame my addiction to reading healthy living blogs?

What was the last book you read that you couldn’t put down?

Happy first day of winter!

For this first day of winter, we appropriately got hit with icy, snowy roads to drive on. I had to haul a 50 lb. bag of salt into trunk of my car to weigh it down before heading to work.

On the radio this morning, one of my favorite morning shows was talking to former Olympic sprinter and gold medalist Carl Lewis, who now runs a website called “Fit Forever.” http://fitforever.com/ I haven’t been able to check it out in detail yet, but I like his mission of “helping people around the world energize their lives.”

It will be a pictureless (I originally wrote wordless, oops, I was so tired when I finished this post) Tuesday because I fell asleep on the couch tonight. I have been so tired the last two nights. Usually that means I am fighting an illness, but maybe it is the winter blues.

Breakfast today was Kashi Go Crisp! cereal, which I still just find kind of bland.

At work, I snacked on some dark chocolate Hershey’s kisses given to me by a co-worker and some raw almonds.

Lunch was Amy’s vegetable pot pie, a blueberry Chobani yogurt and a clementine.

And for dinner, we went to Qdoba and I ate more than half of a vegetarian burrito. The rest is for lunch tomorrow!

Time for bed, even though I fell asleep on the couch for a good portion of the night! Hopefully I will be able to sleep!

Brainwashed by Subway

Craig and I seem to be addicted to the TV show Undercover Boss. We always say we are not going to watch it, but I see the previews while I watch The Amazing Race and can’t help but leave Undercover Boss on. This past Sunday, they featured Subway and both Craig and I found ourselves craving a Subway sandwich. We fulfilled that craving tonight by having it for dinner. We had a buy one footlong, get one free coupon and then we always have another half for lunch the next day.

I got the “usual”–nine grain honey oat with ham and provolone, spinach, black olives, green peppers, tomatoes, pickles and a little bit of jalapenos.

After Subway, we went to the library. We are geeks, I know this and it’s ok. Craig and I love libraries.

I read Self magazine while Craig picked out a huge stack of DVDs to watch over the four day weekend.

I picked out two books–Conscious Kitchen by Alexandra Zissu and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.

I hope I don’t slack off over the weekend and find some time to read these. I have high hopes for that and for cooking & baking.

Rewind to my other meals of the day.

Lunch was an Arnold’s Thin with Muenster cheese, spinach, cucumbers, red peppers, & Frank’s Red hot sauce; a Strawberry Chobani and three Chocolate Chocolate Chip Newman’s Own Organic cookies for dessert. I know it’s not the healthiest, but I eat lunch at my desk every day during the winter. I like to read blogs, check my e-mail and read books. I am not much of a social person when it comes to lunch. To relax, I prefer my routine. In the summer, I take walks and eat outside.

Breakfast was Honey Nut Cheerios with skim milk and coffee with Pumpkin Spice creamer.

Tuesday is usually my rest day from the gym, but I went because the YMCA will be closed on Thanksgiving. I also went because I was not sore at all from Boot Camp yesterday. I just biked for 15 minutes to get my legs moving and did 8 of the weight machine circuit stations. It was super busy, so I had trouble getting on all of the machines. That’s ok though, I mostly wanted to cover my legs to strength train for my ankle injuries and I accomplished that goal.

Off to work on my “Why I love the Y” post! I started writing it at lunch today and hope I can finish it tonight.