Happy Wednesday everyone!
Hope you’re week’s going well. I’ve been finding it so much easier to get up in the morning because of the light. Obviously when the alarm goes off I’m not leaping out of bed with a huge smile on my face (who does that??), but it’s easier because I’ve already started to wake up gradually so it’s not as big a shock as it was in the winter. Though at the weekend I have this annoying habit of hiding under the duvets when it starts getting light and then I fall back into a really deep sleep and feel so tired when I pull myself out of bed between 8-9am. I hate sleeping later than 9am as I’m one of those people who feels like the day is wasted otherwise.
So it’s What I Ate Wednesday. Check out Jenn’s blog to get involved!
I’ve been really trying to do new recipes more often as I’m participating in Megan’s So Fresh So Clean Challenge. Basically it’s a challenge to see if you can refresh your food and fitness routine a bit.
I wanted to take part in this because honestly I am such a routine-orientated person and can get so stuck in food ruts (see below: oatmeal every single morning). It’s really helping to push me to try new recipes and mix up my routine a bit. I love trying new recipes but can find it a bit of an effort at times…So this challenge has helped motivate me that little bit more!
I know I need to work on switching up my breakfast but at the moment I haven’t quite managed that…it’s still oatmeal with almond milk *hides in shame*.
But honestly, this weekend I really want to try mixing it up. I’m more inclined to experiment with breakfast at the weekend as I have an irrational fear that nothing else will fill me up and I’ll be at work STARVING. Yes a little over-dramatic. So maybe this weekend I’ll step outside my safety oatmeal bubble.
Lunch at the weekend and lunch in the week are obviously going to be different for me as I work in an office during the week and I’m limited by what I can bring or buy. And I hate buying lunch as it’s just so expensive.
Yesterday it was a sandwich with sliced turkey and cream cheese with a side salad.
I had this with some slice melon and Greek yogurt.
Throughout the day I also snack on my Graze box.
The bottom left-hand section were oatcakes with an onion marmalade and let me tell you, they were AMAZING. I opened them fully with the intention to snack on a couple and then save for later. Oh they did not stand a chance. Those babies were gone within minutes.
I also have my usual apple and banana towards the end of the day to stop me keeling over mid-commute back home. Also prevents me from eating the first thing I see when I get home…
Lunch this weekend was something I’ve been meaning to try for yonks.
Sweet potato roasted in the oven with a blob of cream cheese with two fried eggs (and a side portion of Brussels’s sprouts obviously…) I wasn’t sure about mixing eggs and sweet potato but it went so well together.
I made dinner for Tuesday night on Tuesday morning as I was planning to go to running club literally just after I got back from work and really didn’t fancy making anything when I got back at like 8.30pm. Plus who knows what sort of thing Ben would have made himself?? Dangerous to give him so much freedom 
He’d have cheese on cheese with a side portion of cheese if he could.
So I made One-Pot Moroccan chicken.
I used THIS recipe. The only thing I changed was instead of honey (of which I had none) I used some regular sugar. Probably missed some of the depth of the honey flavour but I wasn’t too bothered. It was an easy recipe to whip up in the morning and then reheat in the evening.
It was quite spicy, but had lots of bold flavour and was definitely very filling with the chicken and chickpeas. Couscous would probably work well this (though I was a bit couscous’ed out from the weekend).
However, I never made it to running club. I found out it was a timed mile (for progress monitoring) and then some intervals. I really wasn’t up for that. Don’t get me wrong, I love running with other people but I didn’t fancy just doing a mile and the intervals. I know I’m being such a picky runner but I want to just run. Anyway, Thursdays are more for ‘normal’ running so I’m going then instead.
I decided to do a quick 3 miles when I got home anyway as I didn’t want to miss a run. I really wasn’t up for it so as soon as I started in my head I was just like “get this done as quick as possible and then you can have dinner”. This was a BRILLIANT motivator
When I first started I was finding it so tough and when I looked at my Garmin I couldn’t believe my pace! No wonder I was dying. I am so pleased with this run. I couldn’t have maintained it for long though – I was already slowing down considerably on the last mile.
So I’ve mixed up my fitness a bit by not always running in the stupid hours of the morning. And I’ve also been managing to use my foam roller after runs (OK some runs…not all. Work in progress).
I have a love-hate relationship with the foam roller. I like following THIS helpful guide of the exercises to do. To be honest, I never do all of them… but the one I always do because it always hurts to do it (so by that perverse logical I know it’s working) is this one:
Sweet, sweet pain.
And I’m trying to do more planks again. Ahh, back in the day I could do 3 minute long planks, but after such a break since I focused mainly on running I’m struggling to go for a minute a half. Again, work in progress
So the challenge is helping me – small steps, granted. But it’s always nice to have that extra motivation!
How do you mix things up when you get into a rut? Fitness or food-related?
What new recipes have you been loving lately?
Do you foam roll?
*** Also don’t forget to enter my giveaway – open only to US residents, sorry non-US readers***
Girl, you are such a speedster when it comes to running! The One-Pot Moroccan chicken looks incredible and sound so tasty. Will have to check out that recipe.
To answer one of your questions: I used to get in food ruts, but I do try to change them up. I mean yes I’ll have a salad every day, but I like to try to top it w/ different proteins.. does that count? lol
That’s a great idea to switch up toppings rather than go crazy and do completely different meals all the time, otherwise it becomes a bit unmanageable.
Loving all the Brussels! I eat something new every day…or most days! Foodgawker, Pinterest and other blogs are my inspiration. Love to try new workouts at least three times a week too!
I can imagine your daily eats are always very exciting and different judging from all your very tasty looking recipes 🙂
girl, you’re on fire! oh my gosh, you’re speedy!
I’m training for my first marathon, and juuuust started foam rolling. I can’t believe the difference it makes!
Yeah I really need to foam roll a whole lot more! Wow good luck with your marathon 🙂
I am in an oat rut for breakfast :-/ lol
The graze box looks totally cool! what a fab idea
The graze box is great for when you just fancy a little nibble of something tasty in the day, and it’s all relatively healthy.
Light in the AM changes everything. Your food looks delicious!
Thanks 🙂
Yum, brussels are my favorite! I can eat them daily!! SO good! I’ve been mixing up my running with Tabata Bootcamp and it’s wonderful! I also like to throw in bikram once a week
Oooh Tabata Bootcamp sounds quite intense! And I’d love to try bikram, but just never got round to it…whoops.
Haha I have oatmeal everyday for breakfast too – it’s just so good! 😛 I make up for it by always switching up my lunches and dinners though. Ever since I started meal planning, I’ve been making so many new recipes!
Ahh good I’m not alone. I do try and vary my dinners up all the time, and lunches at the weekend. habit is a hard thing to kick I guess!
Brussels are fab aren’t they! Eggs and sweet potatoes does sound weird at first but I love that combo-glad you liked it too!
Sooo good :))
I really want to try a Graze box. I remember when they first came out. Oh how times have changed the options now to choose from are incredible!
I know, I literally spent 15 minutes picking and choosing what I wanted hehe. So much choice!
Man my hips have been SO TIGHT lately, so ya the foam roller and I have been spending quality time together and I am NOT loving it!! My hubby thinks its hilarious when I start making weird dying animal voices, but I cant help it. That thing hurts!!
Haha!! Yeah I can’t help but moan and groan when using it and my hubby looks at me like I’m mad. Ahh well, all in the name of supple muscles hehe.
That Graze Box looks tasty!!
Isn’t the combination of sweet potatoes with dippy eggs super delicious? I love it! 🙂
Such a good combo, oh how my eyes have been opened!
I’m a Graze lover too! Well done on your mega speedy run! 🙂
Thanks!
yum all your eats look really yummy!
graze boxes are such a great idea; i love them! i havent done planks in ages either; i used to be able to hold one for ages but definitely wouldnt be able to do it anymore!
i really need to start getting in to using foam rollers!
Yeah I definitely reccommend the foam roller for a bit of painful pleasure hehe.
Mmmm that graze box sounds so yummy. & same with the sweet potato and egg lunch, yu-uuuum.
They were indeed very tasty!
I agree, its so much easier to get up in the morning now that it gets light out earlier.
I don’t foam roll but should start! 🙂
It’s nice in the week but not so great at the weekend when you want to sleep in hehe.
Eggs and sweet potato are the bomb! I need to get some cream cheese, I am definitely craving it after reading this post! I just wrote a big post on uniquelyhealthy.com all about routine v variety and how to manage the two in your eats, check it out!
Ah brilliant, I will have a little read of your other blog! I always find myself in such ruts. I think it’s because I’m such a creature of habit.
I, too, have a love/hate relationship with foam rolling. I know it’s so good for my muscles, but I just never want to do it! I like that guide though. Thanks for sharing!
I love the guide as it’s easy to follow with the diagrams 🙂
I know you want to change up your breakfast, but I still think it sounds yummy! If it works it works. I’d rather just stick to what I know and experiment with my other meals 🙂 Sounds like the sweet potato went over well! Sounds delicious.
And I’ve never tried foam rolling but it’s interesting to hear what you think of it.
That’s true, I mean it fills me up and I do love it so I guess there’s no point changing for the sake of changing. But I might throw in a curve ball now and again haha.
I am the worst at keeping up with foam rolling!
When I’m in a food rut I try new recipes-Pinterest to the rescue! When I’m in a fitness rut I sign up for a race-instant motivation and training plan!
Pinterest is a total God send in that regard – though it’s a nightmare to look at when you’re hungry haha.
And yes, definitely signing up to a race is a great way to kickstart the motivation.
I like the idea of refreshing your food and fitness routine- sometimes we all get stuck in food ruts 🙂 Looks like a great day of eats! I definitely want to try out a Graze box someday- such a fun concept!
I can’t imagine you getting stuck in a food rut, you always have such varied and tasty looking eats on your blog 🙂
I really wish I had packed my foam roller- we did a crazy walk yesterday (more of a climb really) and my legs are killing me today- a foam roller would sort them right out!
They need like a blow up foam roller so it’s travel-friendly haha. I’d never be able to fit mine in my suitcase!
Squee! I’m so happy you loved the sweet potato and eggs combination! It’s one of those meals that never gets old for me. I think I could eat it every morning, but I’m not always in the mood to dirty a pan by frying eggs. 😉 As far as your die-hard oatmeal-for-breakfast habit goes, I say, why change it if it works? You love your oatmeal, so gosh darnit, eat what you love! However, I do think trying fancier breakfasts on the weekend is fun.
I laughed when you mentioned that you’ve gotten in a bad habit of sinking under the duvet and sleeping a few extra hours. That happens to me ALL the time. However, since I’ve been home, my mom has been super pesky about waking me up at 7:00 every single day. It’s annoying, but then again, I asked her to make sure I don’t roll out of bed past 8:00. I’m like you, and feel as though half the day has been wasted if I sleep too late!
The Moroccan chicken looks delicious! When I’m in a food rut, I turn to none other than blogs or Pinterest for motivation. Or, I’ll ask friends to come over for dinner. That always works like a charm because it provides incentive to actually make something somewhat exciting. Workout ruts can be a problem for me. I usually follow weight lifting programs that offer variety each day, but they repeat every week, and even that can get monotonous!
Hope you’re having a good week, Anna! xoxo
Yeah I doubt I’ll change my breakfast too regularly, I love it too much. But pancakes or waffles at the weekend occassionally jazzes things up. You can’t beat a good stack of pancakes either!
Hehe love that you’ve got your mum to wake you up! I miss my mum being around to drag me out of bed. Ben just sleeps in worse than me.
Yeah Pinterest is so good for helping me out and inspiring me. But I tend to just get lost in the desserts haha. They all look so good!!
I love the idea of this challenge!! I might try to do it too. Also, I really want a foam roller. Gahh!
Foam rolling hurts like craaaazy but it’s a good kinda pain if that makes sense!