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***