This morning I got up at 5 and dragged my spandex-clad self over to the gym with my reading. I propped my work on the cross-ramp and sweat it out for 30 minutes, never mind the dark sky outside. The work had to be done, so why not wake my body up while doing it? I did a few ab exercises, then went home to work some more, get ready for the day and have breakfast.
This bowl of oatmeal was almost a little too belly-busting… I finished it, hoping it would hold me over for a longer period throughout the morning, but I didn’t feel so great afterward.
In the mix:
- 1/2 cup oats cooked in 1/2 cup water
- 1 banana
- pumpkin
- 1 tsp ground flax
- 1 HUGE scoop almond butter
- stevia
- cinnamon
It did hold me over for about 3.5 hours, after which I snacked on an apple (but left the orange).
For lunch, I had leftover chickpeas…
… and a HoneyNana Chobani Champion from Ada. Read my review here!
Lunch held me over really well… must have been all of the fiber in those garbanzos! Beans are champions when it comes to staying-power and fullness. Around 4, I snacked on some baby carrots.
After work, I ran some errands then headed home to make dinner: Quinoa Risotto with Mushrooms and Thyme. I doubled the mushrooms for a certain mushroom-loving guy…
We had it with a little broccoli. To be honest, this wasn’t my favorite recipe… it just didn’t have a whole lot of flavor. Thank goodness for parmesan and salt! Maybe it’ll taste better in a few days, once it’s hd time to stew a little in the fridge.
We had small glasses of chilled Réserve de Villecours Cabernet Sauvignon that my friend Howard gave us.
For dessert, I had a bowl of Mint Galactica Coconut Bliss Ice Cream with cardamom chocolate sauce and hazelnut butter. Then I went back for more. And I did not feel bad about it.
Sometimes, without realizing I’m doing it, I put a lot of pressure on myself to juggle many things at once and just deal with it. I don’t always acknowledge how stressed out I’m feeling, and before I know it: BOOM! It goes to the bad place. Sometimes I just need to remind myself that I don’t have to do everything, and I shouldn’t waste my energy feeling guilty when I give myself a break. So tonight, in honor of Operation Ten P.M., I will not feel guilty.
I will not feel guilty about returning a Netflix movie unopened.
I will not feel guilty about leaving work at work and giving myself time to sleep.
I will not feel guilty about being moody from time to time.
I will not feel guilty that I’m not returning every owed phone call all in one night.
I will not feel guilty about ignoring my Blackberry and e-mails.
I will not feel guilty about leaving my closet in a bit of disorder until tomorrow night. (Okay, maybe just a little…)
I will not feel guilty about that extra ice cream.
What won’t you feel guilty about today?
omg that chobani is so cute!! ive never seen those annnywhere, but im on the lookout now
i get the same way about being ocd-obsessive with studying and such sometimes.. congrats to you for not letting it get out of hand though!! hm, today i won’t feel guilty for going to bed before midnight. i could def use the sleep too :p
Operation 10 p.m. has been in effect in this house as long as I live here!! There’s no guilt about not doing stuff in order to get sleep! You’ll feel so much better!
I love mushrooms!
I’m not feeling guilty for being late to a class at the gym…again.
I love the cross-ramp!
I will not feel guilty for the fact that I slept until 10:30 this morning and you were up at 5!! LOL
HAhahaha! That’s so funny you mentioned Netflix. I have the same sleeping problem as you, except it’s not because I’m getting things done, it’s because I’m spending the whole night trying to finish a Netflix DVD so I can return it and get the new one. Urgh.
That chobani cup is so fun! Psychodelic!
This is a GREAT project! Guilt is the Great Debilatator, not good for anything but the occasional joke that isn’t very funny anyway. Leave the blackberry at home every other day. Emergencies know how to find you. Friends will understand if you don’t return messages for a couple of days, or even more. It lets them off the hook too–there is no virtue in the Necessity of Immediacy. Try it for a month.
I’m really liking this new Operation. I always force myself to get just a few more things done before I allow myself to go to bed, but I always feel tired the next morning. Let’s hear it for listening to our bodies and not feeling guilty for not going 110% all of the time!
AMEN TO ALL OF THIS.
i am working on not feeling guilty about dirty dishes. since i live alone, i am eventually the one that is going to have to clean them up. and major props on the 10pm bedtime…i literally could not function if i dont get 8 hours. sweet dreams my dear
I love this post…Great idea to go to bed at 10pm. I am usually in bed by then too!
I will not feel guilty that I went to the gym instead of reading Maya a story. I will not feel guilty that I ate out tonight instead of cooking like I’d planned. I’m sure there is more but I won’t feel guilty about stopping at just 2!
Katie I love this post and i carry so much guilt about not commenting on everyone’s!!! posts, every day. I am burning myself out and I love that you ignore your blackberry & emails and just let it go. I need to do this.
On lighter matters, so glad that Ari’s liking my choc recipe that you’ve been makign for him…wooo hooooo!!!!!!!
Amen to this! I put SO much pressure on myself. I have the most supportive mother but all the stress I have sometimes totally comes from me. Lately I’ve been telling myself that I deserve to be happy and healthy and that means taking a chill pill!
Operation 10 pm…what a great idea! I will try not to feel guilty about my mothering style. No matter what I do each day, I always feel like I could have done more to entertain my toddler. But she’s almost always happy and she’s healthy, so I think I need to let that worry go.
i won’t feel guilty that i didnt have time to pick up my phone today. and i won’t feel guilty that instead of going to the gym, i went home and cooked a lovely fun dinner with my roommates.
Love this post! No need to feel guilty for taking care of a basic human need- you are awesome, but you aren’t superwoman
I have never tried quinoa!
I won’t feel guilty about not having a job right now.
I wish I could be a part of Operation Ten P.M. too… I’m lucky if I make it by 11.00!
I’m sorry that recipe didn’t live up to your expectations; I’m a total mushroom lover, and I was going to try it, but if you say it isn’t worth it, maybe I won’t…
<3 <3
I used to be the same way running on 5 hours of sleep or less because I had to get up at 4am and I couldn’t go to before 11pm. I pretty much had the same revelation and now I go to bed by 8pm when I have to get up that early no matter what’s going on and I don’t feel an ounce of guilt about because I feel so much better!
That Mint Galactica ice cream looks out of this world (no pun intended!) I always feel guilty about not getting work done ahead of time- it’s so silly!
That brekkie bowl does look belly busting, but oh so delish!
I wont feel guilty for putting off writing another scholarship essay so I can catch up on my favorite shows.
I admire you for instituting operation 10PM, that is no easy feat! Good for you for minimizing the pressure in your life, you deserve to relax and remove excess stress.
Yum, that mushroom quinoa risotto looks super fab. If you put avocado on top of mushrooms I bet Ari would finally like it haha.
funny about netflix, I did that last week. and I felt bad about it too. lol! whatever, I didn’t have time.
I won’t feel guilty about craving a huge piece of chocolate cake right now!
Too bad about the risotto! That would be so sad for something with mushrooms to NOT be a hit – hope it gets better with age
I love your no guilt list! I won’t feel guilty for thinking about skipping class tomorrow, the roads are a mess!
Balance, balance balance. Quality of life over quantity of living. You’re on the right path.
awww love your no-guilts! i’m an early exerciser too so i tryyy and get to bed by 10pm too! my fam always gives me a hard time when i say i’m going to bed but whatevs its the way i like it!
…i will not feel guilty about reading blogs and watching live with kelly and reg instead of doing schoolwork..
Guilt sucks- I’m totally with you on this one. It’s such wasted energy. I will not feel guilty about being totally unproductive during these last three days of no school- it’s hard to be when you have NO set schedule!
I love your not feeling guilty wthings at the end of the post!!!!
Oh the belly busting oatmeal looks fab and I want to try that new kids chobani!!! I hope I find it soon!!!!
Today I do not feel guilty for being a lazy butt!! I slept alot this afternoon, like you I need to get more sleep, I got to bed way too late and get up way early!
xoxo