Happy Wednesday, friends!
You know I’m not going to be able to start on today’s post without thanking you guys for all of your great discussion on my last one, so let’s just get that out of the way first, shall we? When it comes to the stigma associated with healthy living, many of you feel the same way, many of you say that I have nothing to worry about, and many of you read without saying anything at all 😛 The take away message? You’re basically damned if you do, and damned if you don’t – someone will always have a problem with something that you do, so at the end of the day, you’ve just gotta do what works for you. And at the beginning of the day, what works for me is a good breakfast…
Oats topped with Greek yogurt, almond butter, honey, and lots and lots of cinnamon.
… followed by a quick walk outside….
If you recall, I wake up kind of ridiculously early, which becomes oddly convenient considering that the early morning is my absolute favorite time to head outside; either that or the early evening. Truth be told, I’m not the biggest fan of the hours between 8 AM and 8 PM. I realize that sounds kind of wonky, and that’s not to say that I suffer through the days in a perpetual funk, but those hours just feel too… busy… to me – I like the stillness of dawn and the peace of dusk. I also like snacking primarily on fruit in the AM…
Recycled pics, but I promise my fruit usually looks the same…
… treating myself to a coffee after work…
Dry cappuccino from Starbucks.
… munching on something while I prep dinner…
Ketchup Popchips.
… and ending my day with a bowl of cereal…
Plain Greek yogurt topped with Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, half a banana, homemade applesauce, almond milk, and almond butter.
Sometimes I even throw a little bit of lunch and dinner into the mix ;)…
Leftover chicken enchilada casserole…
… and a basic salad with feta.
Grilled chicken and cheese wrap with roasted asparagus and baby carrots.
And that right there is a very me What I Ate Wednesday. No hyper-focus on healthy foods or spending time highlighting unhealthy foods – just eating in a way that feels completely natural… even if that, apparently, doesn’t involve any kind of dessert 😯
I always thought I was a “dessert a day” kind of girl, but after putting together my post last night and realizing there wasn’t anything I could really call a traditional dessert in there, I guess maybe I’m not? Granted, these days don’t really come around all that often, but they do come around. I mean, you guys know how much I enjoy my cookies and chocolate, but there are some days where I’m just not feeling it, so I don’t bother trying to force it – it’s nice to be able to have that choice (I know Laura knows what I’m talking about). It’s funny because I’ve always thought of veggies as being something that you have to force in, but there you go…
Happy Wednesday, friends 😀
. – . – . – .
If you’re a runner or a walker, when’s your favorite time to head outside?
Do you eat dessert every day?
I am all about the morning hours. It’s definitely my favorite time of the day. I love the peaceful atmosphere and being out when the day starts – it’s so beautiful and gives me so much energy!!
Dessert everyday, yes. It might be a healthier one or pure chocolate, but I just need something sweet everyday.
If pieces of dark chocolate count as dessert, then I am a dessert a day kind of person; otherwise, I like to have frozen yogurt or a piece of some kind of baked good every now and then. It’s weird because when I go out to eat I rarely ever order dessert and it’s probably the most known chance to order something. Haha! I love early mornings for any kind of activity. It’s not humid and it’s just so peaceful <3
I can’t even tell you how many times I wished I could order dessert while I was out. Stupid allergies 😡
That cappuccino looks so stinkin’ good! As does the chicken and cheese wrap. Yum. I am officially hungry.
I eat dessert at least once a day! Even if it’s just a piece of chocolate. 🙂
I loveee love love walking in the morning. It is exactly how you said it, so very peaceful and rewarding. Running I could go either way, if it’s cool outside I like to run in the afternoon after I have already been moving a lot for the day, but if it’s hot I gotta get out there early. OK the foam on my espresso drinks have to be laced with crack. I should get a cappuccino today. I LOVE THE FOAM!
Up until just a little over a week ago I’d have told you my favourite walks happened in the evening. These past days, though, I’ve been all about my morning walks. Nothing like starting the day refreshed – though my “mornings” would obviously seem like afternoons already for you with your early wake-up times ;). What time is it when you head out for your morning walks?
While I end up eating dessert – usually at least my squares of Lindt – every day there are the rare occasions when I don’t feel like. Forcing anything – be it dessert or whatever else – down just for the sake of “fitting with the norm” is wrong to me. Do what you feel like on any given day – except if you’re swearing off of sugar all the way. Then I might have to start worrying ;).
Lol I’d definitely be worried if that was the case – I always have to satisfy my sweet tooth, but sometimes fruit or a honey drenched yogurt bowl will do that. And I usually head out a little after 7 or 7:30. It definitely seems crazy early, but I’ve already been up for a few hours at that point.
i just can’t go to bed satisfied without icecream and lately a cookie to go along…oh well! dessert over everything!
Now THAT’s what I like to see – all YOU! I’m usually all about veggies (I genuinely get excited about a snack plate of raw crunchy veg, and I’ve always been that way!), but lately there have been some days when my stomach goes wonky and I’m just not feeling them. So they get put on hold for another day.
I usually have dessert every day – but sometimes that’s just a few bites of frozen fruit. I’m working on this, but I’d like to get to a point where I don’t feel the need to reach for something sweet after a meal. Lately I’ve been having tea after dinner on days when I’m not really hungry for something else.
I miss early morning walks/runs! I have even less motivation to wake up before 8am since I still can’t run and or walk far.
RUNNING in the morning before the sun is above the horizon is the best time of day for me. People aren’t yet zipping around in their cars, the animals are just waking up, and it’s peaceful. Plus, the sunrise is a beautiful bonus! I love that time of day so much I get up and run that early even when I don’t have work or anything to do during the day.
Yes, I eat dessert every day…sometimes twice a day. If that’s wrong, then I don’t want to be right.
Love this Amanda! I loved your posts from Monday and yesterday as well, but read them too late to comment. It really is so hard to have to keep up an image on your blog–are you uber healthy, a veggie queen, a proponent of eating whatever you flipping want even if that includes 6 ice cream sundaes a day?
Its hard to decide who you are on here! What I love about today is you just were YOU! Exactly as you are, no image, no labels. No dessert?? That’s great! You weren’t feeling it. Thanks for this!
And I’m totally drooling over your oats and that WRAP! OMG. Love to you!
xox
“You just have to do you” …amen girl! And you do you so well 😉
After all these years, one would hope!
No dessert! Gasp! Lol, jk. I wish I ate as well as you… I need more fruits and veggies in my life. Come cook for me? 🙂
I love dessert, but I try not to eat it every single day, although its hard!! I love the basic salad with feta!
Do you just plop the greek yogurt over your hot oats? Do you swirl it in or keep it separate? I usually save my mix-ins like PB/AB for last. 🙂
Yup, I just plop it on top! Usually I’ll just leave it like that, but I’ll occasionally stir it in – it all depends!
Well…everything looks delicious to me! 🙂 I really want some the of the chicken enchilada casserole and the salad…yum!
I used to eat dessert everyday. In fact, I’d have dessert after lunch and dinner…so bad! I’ve stopped that habit now, but I still enjoy something sweet every once in a while. Just not everyday after practically every meal! I my fav sweets are dark chocolate, cookies (any kind) and brownies.
We are so alike. I naturally wake up super early and have learned that I totally love the stillness of the early morning. My favorite time to run is early am….I too think I am a dessert a day girl but really, does my favorite nighttime dessert of a giant granny smith apple with peanut butter and some dark chocolate chips really count? Not so sure. It is my favorite snack that I often choose it and crave it over true “desserts”.
It may not count in the “traditional” sense, but as long as it leaves you satisfied and not wanying more, then what else really matters? There are plenty of times where I’d rather have one of my yogurt messes over a bowl of ice cream because I honestly just love them that much.
I thought your last post was very well constructed – personally I can’t identify much because it’s been years since anyone judged me for eating too little and/or being too thin…sadly the reverse is generally true. Personally I wouldn’t care if someone gave me crap for eating too healthily, because it’s none of their damn business unless you’re not being honest about the intentions behind your food choices. If someone said ‘ooh, you’re eating an apple, you have an ED’ I’d just say ‘yeah, so what?’ and move on. But I don’t think eating a bit less is a hanging offence, unless it’s severely affecting your health. I’m terrible for oversharing and justifying every little desicion I make, but when it comes to food other people can just butt out.
Desserts aren’t worth it for me – I went through a phase of trying all my childhood ‘favourites’ 7 years ago and none of them were worth it. I associate sugar bomb foods with bingeing and shame – I’d rather have a healthified protein version, and I couldn’t care less whether others think it’s a ‘real’ dessert or not. It’s better for my mental and physical health – I don’t get the whole ‘food for your soul’ thing because for over a decade foods like that have destroyed my soul and crushed my spirit. Each to their own.
xxx
Dessert to me usually means some fresh fruit, a cookie (paleo style) or frozen banana and almond butter. My old ideas of “dessert” have definitely changed and I’m completely okay with that!
Just goes to show you, you have to do what works for you! Everyone’s vision of “dessert” is different. 🙂
Satisfaction is the biggest thing. Sometimes it takes a cookie, and sometimes it takes a piece of fruit. As long as it doesn’t leave you wanting more, then that’s all that matters.
Lately I’ve been all about the dessert. I have to end my meal with something sweet!
Im a total morning person, although my body really isn’t. Does that makes sense? Like, my mind is totally up and ready, but my body is still stiff and slightly achy for at least an hour. once I get moving it comes right along as well, but it takes a bit! Which is why I try to do my workout around 8 or 9AM, that gives me time to digest my 6AM coffee 🙂
And dessert? Ya, I cant pass it up. Straight sugar addicted over here.
My favorite time to run is definitely as the sun is rising. It’s SO gorgeous. Except most days, the inner young, lively adult in me refuses to go to bed early enough that I can be up when the sun rises without severely suffering from sleep deprivation. I’m hoping I can train that part of me to be more granny-like. I’m a huge fan of the early hours of the morning.
Also so happy to see that salad–loving that you didn’t try to force any food, whether healthy or unhealthy, into your post. It is what it is, so why not show it like it is? 🙂
It is such a nice feeling to not have to force it when you just aren’t feeling the dessert. That’s definitely where I’m at now (although I can’t count on one hand the number of times not feeling it). Your wrap looks absolutely delicious. I’m such a failure at wrapping things so I usually end up with a boring sandwich but there’s something about wraps that just seem better. I workout in the mornings but if it were up to me and I didn’t have a job I’d go at like 11.
I have been eating dessert everyday, but that’s mainly because I went on a ridiculous baking spree the past two weekends, I’ve always been a night person, in general, but find that I usually spend time outside in the early evening after work.
I definitely eat more desserts when I go on one of my baking sprees. After all, can’t let those ingredients go to waste 😉
Yes! Still going strong on the AB + honey combination. I’m the same way with time preferences during the day. I love taking my dog out for a walk either early in the morning or during dusk. It’s so peaceful. Oh and your Mexican food? So.Good.
For running I love the early morning, but for walking I like mid-day to afternoon (before rush hour) to get some sunshine!
I think you are just spot on re the healthy eating thing, we can only be us and do what is right for our bodies – I think just showing things as they are, without focusing on one element or another is the way to go 🙂 Oh and boy do I know what you mean with the desserts of course!
I’m not really a fan of the hours between 9am and 5pm! I feel like I constantly have to be working during that time, or my day is unaccomplished. I have chocolate every day. Good for the soul!
Lovely food, as per usual! Still really want to re-create your yogurt/cereal/apple sauce/almond butter combos x
I didn’t used to eat dessert daily, but I have been recently… okay okay, for the last few months. That’s going to be a hard habit to break! ha
I feel ya on the hours. I dislike the hours between 8 am and 6 pm… oh wait. That’s just work I don’t like.
At least you’ve still got plenty of time to keep enjoying it 😀
I don’t eat dessert everyday, but I do have an after dinner snack every night. I get super hungry at night and can not go to bed starving! So I usually grab a yogurt or fruit to munch on.
Your comment about your fruit usually looking the same 🙂 haha
But seriously looks like a delicious day of eats to me, you know how much I love looking at all of your yogurt/oat/cereal mess bowls! Best thing on the page has to be that chicken wrap though, that looks amazing!
I’ll have one chicken enchilada casserole please! 😉
I think a lot of what our choices are with what we eat depends on if we want to put in the effort to cook that day. I mean sometimes the most you want to do is put some milk into a bowl of cereal. I think that’s just fine. 🙂
I will admit, I may not be a dessert a day girl but I’m a something sweet a day girl. I wouldn’t called pineapple yogurt or a granola bar dessert but I love them and use them to satisfy my sweet tooth pretty much every day.
I like running in the mornings before it gets too hot. Not so early where I have to set an alarm but after breakfast.
That’s pretty much exactly how it is for me as well. I need to satisfy my sweet tooth on a daily basis, but that doesn’t always mean it has to be with chocolate or ice cream…
How’s it going with you and oats? I’ve been trying to have them a bit more, after me causing a ‘panic attack’ reaction in me for just under a year, and them seem to be a bit better, but still not great.
Finally, someone else that loves there bananas erring on the brown side! My mail always look at me so weirdly when I eat brown bananas! They like them green! EW!
Btw, do you get chocolate on top of your cappuccinos in Canada?min Australia it’s pretty much compulsory to put chocolate powder on top, but I never see that on yours or other people’s.
Have a lovely day! (: xxx
I’ve been blissfully free of any kind of reaction when it comes to oats, although I try not to go overboard and switch things around with cereal every now and then. And I’ve tried putting cinnamon on my cappuccinos, but never chocolate powder. Sounds delicious though!
I love heading outside in the morning too! Even if you didn’t have the typical dessert of cookies or ice cream; your oats look delicious enough to count as a dessert. 😉 What a great day of eats!!
Girl.. you know how you wanna come eat w/ me… well I’m thinking the same thing but I wanna eat your food instead. I say we meet somewhere in the middle & we make each other food? Is it a date?
Definitely a date! And don’t think that I’ve forgotten about our almond milk and cereal deal. Although I’m thinking your huge case of milk is long gone by now…
Love the tone of this post! And yeah this is so accurate: “No hyper-focus on healthy foods or spending time highlighting unhealthy foods” i think a lot of people, myself included, tend to be ok that there are unhealthy things we eat BUT we feel the need to not just say say that we ate them, but highlight them. geez, eating really can never just be simple and straight forward can it? i think if there’s hope though, you’re leading the movement with posts like these 🙂 happy wednesday!
I don’t eat dessert everyday. Like you, some days I just don’t feel like it!
I’m with you…’lots & lots of cinnamon’ should be my personal tagline.
You know I’m always a fan of your cereal bowls but right now, I kinda wanna come over for a savory lunch or dinner! That wrap and casserole looks amazing- can you tell I like cheese ;)?! I loved your last bit about dessert. I have a huge sweet tooth but some days fruit does the trick just fine. I know a lot of people seem to give up sugar and chocolate but some days, my consumption of both is very minimal (or negligible) without even making a conscious effort. Unsurprisingly it’s the days where I’ve slept well and eaten a decent amount of carbs throughout the day that I experience little/no cravings!
Can I come over and you cook for me?;) I love all your eats.
Sometimes days don’t always call for dessert and that’s perfectly okay. I don’t have it everyday, well I have an evening Snack but not dessert.
I’m definitely a walker, especially since I got Lola. I adore walking now. Running – ehhh…I don’t think we’ll ever be friends 😉
You can most definitely come over! I do happen to have a spare room… just saying 😉
Looks like a delicious day of eats to me! Loving that grilled chicken wrap! I need to start pulling out my panini maker for more than just my daily grilled cheese! So many toasty possibilities.