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:
- Combine oats through pumpkin pie spice and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Spread pumpkin butter on top of hot, baked oatmeal, top with sliced bananas and a few more dashes of pumpkin pie spice.
- 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! 
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Do you plan snacks into your day?
I tend to be a 3 meal a day kind of gal, myself!
At Whole Foods the other day I noticed they carry honeycrisp apples. I’ve honestly never tried one before, but they were on sale and organic, so I picked up a few. Can I just say, how amazing they are?!
I love snacks, and I probably eat more of them than meals!
That so cool to see the sunrise on the treadmill. Definitely better than watching local news.
Can’t wait for the pumpkin butter recipe
5 meals a day – except on weekends. Then I just honor my hunger and eat whenever I get the urge. But I do have to plan a little more when it comes to workdays.
Love your baked oatmeal idea! They’ve all looked amazing so far!
I’m pretty much a 3 meal, 3 snack kinda gal!
That oatmeal looks absolutely delish!! I have never thought to bake my oatmeal in the morn!
Im a snacker.. usually one before lunch then def after din din. Im a grazer.. if Im hungry, I eat!
That sounds like a fantastic morning! I’m happy for ya!
I need to plan snacks… If I don’t eat every 2 or 3 hours, I get really cranky. Usually a piece of fruit or fiber one bar will do the trick =)
I’m definitely a snacker. I tend to eat every 2 hours, but each meal/snack is only 100ish calories with lunch and dinner being about 300 calories.
I plan snacks. It does not matter how big my meals are…I still need snacks, so I just plan a smaller lunch. I think I need snacks because I have looooooonnnnnggg days. 5 am to 10:30 pm!! Ick!
I love supporting local economy/farms and getting out in the fresh air. Just wanted to let you know that because of your LOVE of honeycrisp apples, I dragged my boyfriend up to a local farm this weekend & we bought some honeycrisps to try ourselves. The people that own the farm told us that they ONLY use HC’s to bake with & when we got home and made apple crisp, we understood why! Thanks for the suggestion — they’re delish!!!
I had my first Honeycrisp Apple the other day…i fell in love. I heard about these from your blog so THANK YOU!
Oh I’m definitely a snacker… esp when I workout! I usually have breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, mini-pre dinner snack and then dinner/dessert! I like to eat throughout the day, I think I got that from my dad, he is the exact same way!
You are the baked oatmeal queen!! I need to get on that wagon at some point. I usually pack snacks for work and school, but if I’m not hungry, I won’t eat them. If it’s around meal time, just a little early, I’ll usually stick with an early meal instead.
I always keep snacks at my office. My faves are apples, string cheese, goldfish crackers and 100 calorie popcorn (with 4g of fiber!) Aren’t 4 day work weeks great. I took Monday off because I desperately needed a mental health day. I slept in, got a great workout in, grocery shopped, cleaned the house and made some apple crisp. I felt so refreshed today. That day off really helped.
There is something to be said about morning workouts. I feel so great the rest of the day. I don’t think I could ever go back to evening workouts. I love to just go home and relax
I am a total grazer. Therefore, I love smaller meals, and snacks in between. I tend to get hungry at the oddest times, so having snacks to eat throughout the day works for me.
Isn’t it funny thought how everybody eats so differently in terms of schedules?
I tend to plan snacks in just because I don’t always get to my lunch at the same time. So I like to have a snack available just in case. I also always have a snack after dinner since we eat early for work reasons.
I am a grazer not a meal person really. I eat my meals over 40-90 minutes if possible. I am not a huge fan of honeycrisp! I prefer gala or fuji myself.
Those oats look so good! I really need to try baked oats!
I plan an afternoon snack into my day. If I don’t I am starving by dinner.
Before I could comment I had to get up and grab an apple, you just make them look so good! Reading your blog keeps the doctor away!
I’m looking forward to your pumpkin recipe!
Mmm isn’t pumpkin-banana a great combo? I love it in smoothies.