Breakfast, DYKT
Banana Apple Oats!!
Just my usual oat combo with banana, vanilla, and apple. To speed up cooking time, I cut up the apple & added some cinnamon and agave, then nuked it in the microwave for a minute before adding to the oats.
Guess what’s baaaaaaaaack?! DYKT!!!
Here’s some old “Did you knows” for new readers:
Thin doesn’t mean fit- the skinny fat phenomenon
Myths of carbo loading
Calories are not created equal
Weight of muscle v fat
Overweight kids & diets
Weight loss isn’t willpower
Exercise doesn’t equal weight loss
Obesity in the NFL
Did You Know Tuesday #9
Did you know that coffee isn’t necessarily dehydrating?
If your body is used to coffee (i.e. you drink it on a regular basis) you can actually count is as part of your fluid intake! However, if you only have it on occasion, coffee acts as a diuretic and can contribute to dehydration.
Coffee is one of those topics where “they” change their minds about it nearly every day, so use your best judgment!! Check to see if you’re hydrated– is your urine clear or pale yellow, or is it dark? Does your skin look dry? Are you thirsty?!
If you drink coffee before a race, make sure you practice drinking it before a training run to see how your body handles it. And be sure to include other fluids besides coffee.
Do you drink coffee before a race? I do, but stick to one cup. (Gotta make sure the plumbing’s clear if you know what I mean…;))
Breakfast, DYKT
Thank you all for the advice on my running rut– I’m sure I’ll snap out of it soon. Probably by not thinking about it 😉
Breakfast
Pumpkin oats just weren’t jiving with what I wanted for breakfast this morning. (Oh no! The horror!!). I wanted oats, just something a little different. I didn’t really have too many other mix-ins, so I decided to pull out a packet of instant oatmeal. I tried the Quaker True Delights Blueberry oatmeal- and actually really liked it!
It was a tad on the sweet side, but that’s to be expected with instant oatmeal. Don’t get me wrong, I love sweets- just not in my oatmeal.
I stirred in some cottage cheese and topped the oatmeal with chopped walnuts. This would actually make a really good dessert…..
Now DYKT (Did You Know Tuesday!!)
DYKT #8
Did you know….
Muscle doesn’t weigh more than fat?
Of course you know that….if you think about it for a minute. Colloquial generalizations have made us think that muscle weighs more than fat. That’s what makes it ok when the scale goes up when you’ve been working out. Well, a pound of muscle equals a pound of fat. (Remember that pound of feathers & pound of bricks scenario you learned in elementary school? Still applies ;).) The real reason the scale might go up when you’re “losing weight” is that muscle takes up less room than fat. It’s much denser than fat, and therefore takes up less space. (That’s why weight isn’t always the best judge!)
A pound of muscle also burns more calories than a pound of fat, but you probably knew that too 😉 But do you know how much?!
Of course it varies from person to person, but on average, a pound of muscle burns about 50 calories a day, versus a pound of fat that only burns 2 calories a day. That’s a huge difference!! And most people don’t just have one pound of muscle. Go lift some weights!! 😉
Edited to add: Samantha Angela said this really well: “1lb of muscle = 1lb of fat but 1 cubic inch of muscle is heavier than 1 cubic inch of fat, hence the “muscle weighs more than fat” term.”
Breakfast, DYKT
Yup, you guessed it: pumpkin oats for breakfast! Again.
Today was my usual oat combo plus Amazing Grass powder, cottage cheese, pumpkin, walnuts, and peanut butter.
And coffee 🙂
DYKT #6
Did you know that kids who are moderately overweight shouldn’t be put on a diet?
In our obesity-centric world it’s easy to think that anybody who’s overweight should automatically be on a diet. kids are a different story. They’re still growing, and more importantly they’re still in their formative years- both physically and mentally. Putting a kid on a diet can have lasting effects on their self-image & self-esteem.
Instead, it’s currently recommended to help moderately overweight kids (10-15 pounds) make small changes in lifestyle, such as improvements in eating choices, increasing physical activity, and decreasing screen time. Adding fruits, veggies, and whole grains and cutting back on junk food can help improve diet quality.
The idea is to slow the rate of weight gain- that way as they continue to grow in height, their weight will gradually become more appropriate for their new height. A low calorie diet can inhibit height growth & deprive kids of the vital nutrients they need for development.
Breakfast, DYKT
This morning was just screaming for creamy stovetop oats. I usually make banana oats on the stove, but the banana I had was a teeny tiny wimpy one, so I ended up adding pumpkin too. I wasn’t too sure how those two flavors would mesh, but I was willing to risk it 😉 Verdict: YUM!!!
I couldn’t taste too much actual banana flavor, just a hint of sweetness coming through the pumpkin.
I also added cottage cheese and Amazing Grass powder. I went a little overboard with the grass powder and got a little worried I’d ruined my stovetop oats, but it turned out just fine! I could ever so slightly taste the Amazing Grass, but none of the bitterness.
I used rice milk instead of almond milk so I’m surprised these still turned out as creamy as they did. I didn’t notice a difference at all. (Geez I was messing with a lot of variables in one bowl ;))
Peanut butter and wheatberries only made it that much better.
Plus some Christmas Blend coffee. (I know, I’m way behind on the season- but it’s cold enough to feel like Christmas this morning.) With some So Delicious Coconut creamer and sugar free hazelnut syrup. The coconut creamer makes it a funny color, but it tastes fine!
That’s what I call breakfast 🙂
Now time for Did You Know Tuesday!
DYKT #5
Did you know…
Weight loss is not only about willpower.
This goes along with last weeks ‘fit and weight’ discussion. Having trouble dropping the last 5 pounds? Or does it seem like no matter what you eat or don’t eat, you stay the same weight? Maybe it’s time to reassess your goals. Weight loss is not about willpower. Yes, it’s a factor, but it’s also about genetics. Take a look at your extended family. How do you compare in size? Are you significantly smaller? Then the goal weight you have in mind just might not make sense for your body. Stop frustrating yourself. Evaluate your goal from a different outlook. Why do you want to be that weight? What would be different if that was your weight? Is it because that number sounds good? You think it’s the “right” weight? Would you be able to run faster or lift more? Think about the answers and what they mean to you. Maybe it’s more important for your goal to be to improve your 10K time or gain strength. Remember, thin doesn’t equal fit, and vice versa. Being fit plays the bigger role in your health 🙂
Thoughts?!
Breakfast, DYKT
Guess what I finally found in the state of North Carolina?
PUMPKIN!!!!
Pumpkin is my all time favorite oatmeal add in. This morning I celebrated the return of this wonderful squash with Pumpkin Chai Oats.
My oat combo, plus cottage cheese, pumpkin, pecans, and Chai tea concentrate. And some extra nutmeg and cinnamon for good measure 😉
How ‘bout a little oats with those toppings?! Guess I got a little over excited about that pumpkin.
Along with some coffee with So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer.
I was a little disappointed it didn’t make my coffee taste like coconut. In case you haven’t picked up on it, I’m a little obsessed with coconut at the moment. I guess it’s not really supposed to taste like coconut though…
And now it’s time for……
DYKT #4!
Did you know….
Exercise doesn’t automatically equal weight loss.
Maybe that horrible Time magazine article had it right. Like many others, I was outraged when the cover of Time said exercise didn’t play a role in weight loss. My inbox was flooded with questions and statements from friends and family. Time is a reputable magazine, surely they wouldn’t splay this ludicrous information all over for the world to see. I decided to give it the article a chance, and after I got over my moment of anger, I actually read the article (what a concept, huh?). I was very happy to see they do support exercise as a means of weight management– that is, it helps keep weight off after it’s been lost. Yes yes yes! It also made me look into the whole concept of how much exercise actually helps you decrease your weight. …And I hated to admit it, but they were kind of on to something.
Aerobic exercise, i.e. cardio, doesn’t contribute to weight loss as much as you’d think. Think about our 24 hours in a day concept from the NFL players. You went to the gym and chugged along on the elliptical for an hour. Hooray! You burned extra calories! But then what? Do you go home and watch tv? Take a nap? Cook a huge meal? Sometimes exercise makes you tired, so you’re less active during the rest of the day. Sometimes it makes you hungry, so you eat more. And sometimes you know you’ve exercised, so you say it’s ok to have the extra slice of pizza. There are SO many factors involved, it’s tough to isolate just one, and I think each individual is a little different. So no, exercise doesn’t absolutely equal weight loss. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise!!! It’s good for your heart, your lungs, your mind!
The take away: realize exercise in itself won’t always equal weight loss. Keep those other factors in mind, and be aware of ALL of your behaviors, not just an isolated one such as exercise. (I still don’t believe it means exercise can’t be pivotal in weight loss; it sure can!)
But what about strength training & weight loss? Check back next week for that one 🙂
And check out my updated Races page!
