2012-03-05

Breakfast and Exercising Habits

I hope everyone had a great weekend, and are more ready to take on the week than I am!  This is the last week of school before Spring Break for me, and of course, this is when all of my midterm tests and papers are!  I have a paper due tomorrow and three exams on Thursday, so I will essentially get very little sleep and have no life for the next few days.  However, I do have something to look forward to for Spring Break....
BABY!!!!!!!
Kevin and I are leaving with some friends on Thursday for a big road trip going from Pullman, WA (where we live), to Bozeman, MT to see my brother and sister-in-law, then to Salt Lake City, UT for a day, and finally to Las Vegas, NV!  This will be my second time to Vegas, but it will be a first for many other things!  Last summer I went with my mom and had a great time walking down the strip and seeing all the new sights, but I'm very excited this time to focus in on some specific activities like seeing the Mob Museum, going to the Tournament of the Kings, laying by the pool, and gambling at a few casino tables.  

Compared to the weather here in Pullman, it will be about 20-40 degrees warmer in Vegas, so I'm excited to lay by the pool and enjoy the sun.  This means.... swimsuits....  Fortunately, Kevin and I have been work out maniacs for the past month and have been getting quite smexy lol.  I've always been more of a social exerciser to the point that I'd prefer to play a sport or do cardio when I can enjoy someone else's company and have them encourage and push me to do better than I would on my own.  Kevin, it turns out, is my perfect person to do that with.  Although our workout goals are very different, we seem to encourage each other through light competition to better our health each time we go to the Student Rec Center.

Generally, when I used to go to the gym by myself, I would do cardio for about 30 minutes, abs for 10, a little bit of arms, and call it good.  This would get me in and out of the gym in about an hour, but would not show much for results.  In contrast, when Kevin and I go to the gym together, we stay for 2-3 hours if possible.  We now do about an hour of cardio on the bike, sometimes some running on the track, as much abs as we can take, lower back exercises, arm weight lifting, and at least ten minutes before and after of stretching.  On top of feeling very accomplished for doing this, I feel like I have a lot more energy for the rest of my day, which is nice.  

One downfall to my increased physical activity has been that I have had to adjust my eating schedule.  I'm generally in class from 9-1, so going straight to the gym for an extended amount of time gets me home around 3 or 4.  I never like to work out right after I eat, so that just leaves breakfast before I go to the gym to power me through the day and my workout.  Before finding that out I needed more "fuel" for the gym, I used to just have two fruits for breakfast in the morning, like an apple or banana, but eating just this would make me come home and crash after the gym, and make me want to overeat at night for dinner.  My solution?  Rip's Big Bowl from the Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn (find a link to buy the book in my Amazon book list down the right column of my blog).  I find that a version of this breakfast cereal bowl keeps me full and satisfied till nearly dinner time, and fuels me perfectly for longer workouts.  In the summer, this would be a breakfast I would have before going on a long hike or bike ride.

ANK's Version of Rip's Big Bowl

Ingredients: (serves 2, or one very hungry workout maniac!)
1/3 c old fashioned oats
1/3 c Grape Nuts
1/3 c Uncle Sam Whole Wheat Berry Flakes
1 T ground flaxseeds
1 T raisins
1 T chopped walnuts
1 banana, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 apple, peeled and cubed
1 orange peeled and cubed
1-2 c milk alternative (your choice)

Directions: Combine all ingredients except for milk and mix with a spoon.  Divide into two bowl2 and pour as much alternative milk as desired.  Enjoy, and get ready to be full and active for the rest of the morning and afternoon!

Amy's Notes: This is a very large breakfast that is meant for someone who is very active, or plans on having a big workout during the day.  Remember that on a nutritarian or plant strong diet, you don't need to count calories or measure most foods, but you do need to pay attention to your level of satisfaction.  Do not eat more than it takes to fulfill your hunger in the morning.

What's your favorite meal to have for breakfast?  Do you change your breakfast according to your activity level of the day?

2 comments:

  1. This sounds so delicious for mornings I wake up starving (most morning), yet I still want to eat healthfully. Great idea!

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  2. That is kinda what my appetite has had a hankering for lately. I put banana or strawberries with 2 Tbs. raw oats, chopped nuts, tofu chunks and "milk" of choice. Very little milk is needed. If you put in frig overnight, it will be soft and edible an you won't need "milk." I also use applesauce instead of "milk" sometimes. And sometimes mango w/banana. Let fruit be the main part of the meal. Just a sprinkling of a cereal, like oats or your preference. --I also have a killer "sausage" recipe made out of black-eyed peas, lentils, tons of smoked spices, rolled and sauted like sausage. I will admit I have egg whites or veg. omelette (whole egg) with this. It's truly a high protein breakfast.

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