Good morning all!

Since so many of you mentioned yesterday that you like to make use of the new-found, daylight savings time sun to get a good morning workout in – I decided to give it a shot today! While it wasn’t light out when I left for the gym (5:30) I got to see the sunrise from the treadmill! How sweet is that?

Stats:

• 10 minutes elliptical @ level 4
• 10 minutes treadmill @ 6.5
• 10 minutes elliptical @ level 5
• 10 minutes treadmill @ 7
• 5 minutes treadmill @ 3.5
• Total: 4 miles + some change

After my workout, I ended up getting ready in less time than I thought, so I headed over to Starbucks for a nice, skinny vanilla latte with no foam – thank you very much. Early morning workout + Starbucks latte…do Tuesday mornings get better than this?!

Actually they do, because last night, in anticipation of my morning workout, I baked up some oatmeal for breakfast at my desk. Baked Pumpkin Butter & Banana Oatmeal, to be specific. Mmmm…!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup each old fashioned oats and water
• 1 banana (1/2 mashed, 1/2 sliced & reserved)
• splash of vanilla, dash of pumpkin pie spice
• 3 globs pumpkin butter

Directions:

1. Combine oats through pumpkin pie spice and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
2. Spread pumpkin butter on top of hot, baked oatmeal, top with sliced bananas and a few more dashes of pumpkin pie spice.
3. Enjoy!

Goooooood Heavens, I love this pumpkin butter! Recipe coming tomorrow – so easy, I bet you’ll make it this weekend.

I also packed a winning lunch combo – Chili and a Honeycrisp Apple.

I do like to make low-fat chili by using shredded chicken breast or ground turkey – but there really is something to be said about good, old-fashioned ground beef chili. I did use 93/7 lean ground beef, so the fat content would be lower than your average ground beef chili.

Love, love, LOVE the addition of a can of baked beans in this recipe too. It adds the perfect amount of sweetness. Like yours truly.

You and me, HC! We’re like this.

I’m feeling like I might need an extra snack at some point today. I tend to get extreeeeemely hungry in the afternoons when I workout in the morning. Perhaps I’ll hit up the cafeteria during lunch time for a string cheese and yogurt??

Time to get to work – I’ve got a lot of things to accomplish in only three days – that’s right, I have Friday off! 8)

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Do you plan snacks into your day?

I tend to be a 3 meal a day kind of gal, myself!