Yesterday morning called for something spectacular in the breakfast department.
I awoke around 6am after a sleepless night. I faintly remember beeping. Loud beeping. Shrill beeping. Our power went off a few times during the night and when it turned on again, all of our electronics starting having beeping fits. I tossed and turned most of the night…beep, beep, beep. It reminded me of being in a dorm room in university and having the fire alarm go off at 4am every weekend.
After stumbling downstairs, I decided the only thing that would make me feel human again was a breakfast so spectacular, I would not be able to think of anything else.
Banana Split Vegan Overnight Oats
Packed with delicious oats, chia seeds, almond milk, coconut, chocolate protein powder, banana, and strawberry jam…how could you go wrong? Rumour has it, this breakfast will keep you buzzing along for a solid 4 hours.
Ingredients:
Overnight Oats:
- 1/3 cup regular oats
- 3/4 cup Almond Milk
- 1/2 scoop Amazing Grass Chocolate Amazing Meal Protein Powder (adds 5 grams protein)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Directions: Mix above ingredients in a bowl and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, give them a quick stir and add toppings + banana below.
This Chocolate Amazing Meal tastes so good in overnight oats…
Banana split:
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 tbsp Unsweetened coconut
- 1 tbsp Strawberry jam
- Chocolate coconut syrup (mix 1 tbsp dark choc. chips with 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil and melt in micro)
Can you handle this? I can’t.
My heart skipped a beat when I prepared this and looked down at my masterpiece. Was I really about to eat something so delicious!?
Oh yes, yes I was.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Eric drooling over this as he pretended not to ‘like’ oatmeal. Pffffft. ;)
It kept me full for 4 blissful hours. Food did not cross my mind once all morning which is very unusual. I estimated the calories in this recipe to be about 450-500. The perfect amount of fuel for a morning on my feet.
Plans were made to make it again soon, real soon.
You can get creative with the toppings too…I could see yogurt or coconut milk being delicious as a topping or even some raw vegan chocolate chips. How fun would it be on a Sunday morning in lieu of pancakes?
Yesterday was a good day after all. :mrgreen:
An Exercise Confessional
I have been having a hard time getting back ON the exercise wagon since my break while healing my groin pull. I find it can be easy for me to blow off exercise once I have had some time off. It is almost like I get out of the habit and start to enjoy the extra hour in the day to get more work done! This week has also been super busy so I have been using that as an additional excuse not to get back into my routine. I keep saying ‘oh tomorrow I will get back into it’ and so far it hasn’t materialized.
Today’s question- Do you ever fall off the exercise wagon? Do you ever experience slumps or lack of motivation?
It definitely happens to me every now and then! I think it is normal to have certain weeks where it is hard to get into the game. I try not to let my slump go longer than a week (aside from an obvious injury that prohibits me to). I find once I do get back into it, it just comes easy. It is that first workout that is always the hardest isn’t it? Then after my first workout, I remember why I am in love with exercise. Sometimes it takes some fresh endorphins to remember though! :)
That has to be the most tempting oatmeal picture ever. I don’t have half the ingredients but I’m still going to go make banana oats with all sorts of delicious toppings.
As for exercise… I had to take time off after recent surgery and it has been soooo hard to get back on track. That extra hour or so in the day (from not exercising/showering/etc) really makes a difference sometimes!
OMG I’m so glad that’s strawberry jam!
At first glance I thought that was ketchup! ahaha
that would be something Eric would do if he ate oats haha
I have fallen off the wagon a bit recently. It happens when I get busy (especially on the weekends!) and I hate to blow off plans and friends for a workout. But I keep telling myself to go when I can, and eventually it will happen more frequently!
Oh my gosh — that breakfast really does look like heaven!! I’ve actually never had Chocolate Amazing Meal but have been dying to try it (hoping to win some! haha). This definitely made MY own morning bowl of banana oatmeal look so boring…
Anyway, I’ve definitely fallen off the exercise wagon more times than I can count! Whether from an injury or just from being over-trained/over-tired. And I agree — it’s so easy to not want to give up that hour of time you’ve suddenly gained. But I think it’s okay to take a break from it every once in awhile. Oftentimes, when I finally DO get my butt in gear and start moving, I find I’m much more excited about exercise (usually running) than I was before. Sometimes absence (or in this case, a little time off) does make the heart grow fonder! ;) Good luck with your workout today!!
I agree…sometimes breaks are a good thing for sure!
I am in a rut now, I have had no motivation to go to the gym. I keep trying to get motivated and it just hasn’t happened. I am aiming for 2 workouts this weekend. I can do it!
Anytime I take more than a day break from exercise I fall off the wagon for a while … it is best for me to not take more than a day or two at the most for a break.
I definitely have my slumps! I think we often forget that time off from working out is a good thing. Our bodies need recovery time! :D
That breakfast looks so delicious!!!
Of course I experience slumps! In Jan./Feb. I got 3 chest colds, one after the other (one of the reasons having a fiance in med school sucks- he brings home so many colds now that he’s doing rotations) and I did as much as I could while I was sick- but that amount to working out once or twice a week (and doing pretty easy stuff). Of course, thanks to being sick and not expending a lot of energy, my appetite dialed down significantly and I didn’t gain weight (I lost a little, but I think it was muscle)- but it took me SO long to feel like I was in shape again.
On the other hand, I was chomping at the bit to get going again (My moods are a lot better when I’m active), so motivating myself to exercise wasn’t as hard as I was worried it would be.
I think I know what I’m having tomorrow morning!!! YOU are a genius…
I can definitely have a hard time getting into working out after some time off. You’re right, that first workout is the toughest! I do this a lot with training for races, once the race is done and I have a recovery week I just don’t feel motivated. I find that those are the weeks that I workout for vanity reasons rather than health reasons! LOL I find superficial motivation to get me through it!
Whenever I fall into a “slump”, I really feel like it’s my body’s way of telling me to take a break. As soon as my workouts seem like a chore, or I start getting little injuries I always take some time off (about 5 days or so, but up to 10)…After that I always get back to the gym feeling strong and re-energized! This is also a good way to break muscle building plateaus!
I totally agree with you about the workouts, I find it MUCH harder to start it again once I’ve been slacking off. Since I know myself well enough to know that now, I try to avoid major breaks for that very reason and now I know that I feel much better when I do work out, so that’s a motivation to keep going. If you’re feeling out of it, I say just push yourself to do it (even if you’re not excited) and you’ll quickly get back in your groove ;)
Your post is so timely! I have had a terrible week keeping my motivation to get up early and work out. This is SO unlike me. I’ve been in kind of a funk though and so finding motivation for anything has been a chore. However! I did peel myself out of bed this am and enjoyed a killer workout. I feel a million times better and am ready to attack my morning’s again!
I took 3 months off over the end of/beginning of the year to give my ankle a much needed time out. Getting back to the point I was at in October has been a wake up call as to both my physical and mental commitment to running. Having never had to take any time off (save for 2 weeks with a bruised foot) it was very tempting to just jump right back in. But then I found both my fears and my (temporarily) waning passion, plus crummy weather made even non-running workouts a challenge. I guess it’s making your mind up that you really want to do it and then taking the necessary steps (in mind and body) to make it happen. Having just one good workout can fuel you back on track! :)
I usually fall of the exercise wagon for about 1-2 weeks every 3-4 months! Once I start becoming not so motivated, I know it’s time to take a break and I usually just allow myself that 1-2 weeks off! Your body and mind need it sometimes!
I’m in the same boat as you right now…off the exercise wagon! And I’m having a heck of a time climbing back on…!!
Well, I haven’t been totally off as I’ve still been doing my kettlebell class every week and walking my puppy, however I have been off the RUNNING wagon for a whole month :S
I ran my first 10km on March 14th and I injured my foot…while it was healing I decided to listen to my body and take time off of running so as not to make the injury worse…after all, that little puppy NEEDS to walk everyday and I can’t help her out with a totally bummed foot!!
So…now I’ve signed up for my second 10km (a trail run) in July and I need to get back in the running game…
HELP!! I need motivation!! :)
I always yell this outloud (and make Eric laugh)
FEED THE WARRIOR!!!!!!!!
haha
I fall on and off the exercise wagon quite frequently now. There was a period of time (hmmm, say 7 years?) where I ran everyday because I had to for high school and college. I tore my hamstring in college and it still bugs me on a weekly, maybe monthly basis, so I’ll give it a few rest days. But, just like you, I get used to having that extra time in my day and I don’t want to start up again. I fell off the wagon this week because I’m so overwhelmed with my Master’s thesis, teaching full time, part time job and Trader Joe’s, and maintaing relationships with family and boyfriend. I’m just so exhausted at the end of the day and too tired in the morning to get to the gym at 5 like I normally would. I’m not stressing though. I know exercise is a big part of my life and I know as soon as normalcy returns, I will be right back to it. Until then, I get out and walk when I have a spare 15 minutes and I continue to eat (and eat…and eat…) yummy healthy food!!
what a fun creative breakfast! looks fantastic.
Those oats look spectacular!!!
I have definitely fallen off the exercise wagon. It usually happens when my body hits its breaking point from exercising too much, and then I have everyone telling me to take a break and let my body rest…then I start enjoying the rest too much :(
Yum! Breakfast looks delicious and decadent (plus healthy!)
Have a great morning!
This looks sooooo YUMMY! It is definitely on my list to make this weekend!