Fear and BPS

Have you seen Matt's post today? It's a great article, check it out!

In addition to my cold, this afternoon I got hit HARD with a case of BPS

Bottomless Pit Syndrome

I think a combo of biking and hustling around campus causing my normal raging appetite plus my body fighting this stupid cold made me feel that enough food didn't exist in the world...

For lunch I packed a hummus,avocado, nooch sandwich with spinach, dijon and tomato. Plus some grapes and dill pickle cashews

Snacks included

this amazing combo of pumpkin, the rest of the PB2, stevia, pumpkin pie spice and a scoop of cottage cheese... holy yumtastic!

Followed by 2 mini lara bars, a handful of trail mix, a slice of sesame bread with cashew butter, a handful of dates and a few spoons of nut butter.... slight satisfaction.

Eventually I just decided to have dinner<-- yes DINNER not breakfast for dinner!

One of my absolute favorite foods growing up was mac and cheese. In times of restriction this became a major fear food for me. Probably because when I was younger I would kill the whole box as an after school "snack"... yea.

A lot of mac and cheese does not have the greatest nutritional stats but a while ago I grabbed a box of Annie's natural organic, the ingredient list is really legit so I felt good about it!

I jazzed it up inspired by Gabriela with spinach, broccoli and mushrooms. I also added a scoop of yogurt recommended per the box and it was super creamy!

Plus a great amount of black pepper and hot sauce, how I've always done it and clearly always will! It was perfect, comforting and absolutely delicious. I am already excited to have leftovers for lunch! Mac and Cheese, I will never abandon you again.

Plus another piece of toast with sunflower butter and fruit spread.

*Also, I really want to do a Q&A vlog but I don't have any Q's! Please feel free to ask anything about running, weights or myself and I'll answer what I can!*

Peace!

Caitlin

Do you or have you ever had fear foods?

How to you jazz up pre-made meals?

Full Day

Did you see my post this morning? I hope it provided some kind of insight for some of you out there! I didn't post breakfast this morning because I normally eat while I post but today I had a breakfast "date"! That's in quotes because really I was meeting with my bio group to finish a paper we have due tomorrow.

I did have a pita with PB2 and fruit spread before hitting an interval bike workout. 10 min. warmup, 50 min. intervals, 10 min cool down.

I thought about packing some yogurt and cereal in an almost empty PB jar but instead I challenged myself with something I really wanted! We met at my schools coffee shop so I got

Whole wheat bagel topped with butter and cinnamon and a small iced skim latte for protein

Yes that is a checker board on the table

Yes I go to a tiny liberal arts hippie school... I love it =)

Surprisingly the bagel kept me way fuller than even nut butter does! Maybe it has something to do with all of the crack butter toffee almonds that made there way into my mouth last night.

For lunch I packed a small spinach salad with strawberries, cucumbers, a big scoop of cottage cheese and wheat germ.

The star of the show though was these cinnamon roasted chickpeas with almond butter! Last night I roasted 1/2 a can of chickpeas in cinnamon and topped them with about a tablespoon of almond butter when they were still hot. I put them in the fridge overnight and had an amazing lunch treat!

Snack was the rest of my hummus =( mixed with a little nooch and baby carrots.

Dinner was an omelette. I can't believe I made it until Thursday without an omelette! It was actually just two eggs and some garlic, for whatever reason i haven't been feeling cheese lately.

With roasted broccoli and sesame toast with almond and peanut butter (you know I can't choose) and honey.

For dessert I had a fun bowl of PB2, quaker squares some banana and dark chocolate.

I also had two more spoons of nut butter and a little more cereal.

Quote of the day taken from a facebook status of one of PerMa's friends:

"Keep walking towards it"

Peace!

Caitlin

What are you currently walk towards? The status of recovered =)

What's your favorite non-dessert dessert food? Cereal or nut butter! Or both!

Project New Nutrition: Week 1 Update

So this was my first official week of Project New Nutrition. Here are the major updates.

Success

1) My clothes have started to fit a little more snugly! They are not too small because most have them had gotten too big so now I guess I should say my clothes are fitting!

2) I have done a fairly good job not calorie counting or measuring. I have only measured for recipes and oats. I have tried a couple of times to count calories in my head but I have beaten those thoughts down.

3) I have been having many fear foods more frequently

4) I have more energy Goal Success: I curled 15 LBS on Friday morning!

5) I went out on Friday night for the first time all school year

Now that my clothes are fitting again and I am feeling so much better I am not making it so much of a point to get as many calories as possible in the day. I am not opposed to gaining a little more weight but it is no longer a primary goal.

Needs Work/ What's Next

1) Honestly, I am still working on following my hunger cues. For the weeks when I was trying to gain I simply ate all of the time. I am now transitioning to not counting calories and trying to maintain my weight... something I have never done.

2) I am trying to figure out what works best for me in terms of big meals vs. a lot of snacks. I'm thinking it really is going to depend on the day, which classes I can have snack in etc.

3) I am having a problem incorporate desserts into not gaining and not counting. I do not want to restrict myself but I feel that if I am not counting I'm not sure if I have "room" for dessert. Something I really need to overcome. *I'm just going to try and remind myself "moderation"*

4) I keep going back and forth with fat talk and positive self image talk. Sometimes I look in the mirror and really think I do look better and sometimes I think that all of my "hard work" was undone so easily.

I did a lot of home work and blog reading today... hey there rainy Sunday.

For lunch I had an awesome wrap of avocado, hummus, spinach and artichoke hearts. Along with an apple, cottage cheese and cinnamon.

I decided that I was for sure going to yoga at 4. Around 3 I thought I could get some reading done during a really easy bike workout. Since it was going to be an easy though long workout I had a hearty snack to get me through. Sesame toast with a bunch of almond butter and a little jelly.

By the way, I brought this back from spring break... I don't want to turn my back on Barney Butter but this stuff is GOOD.

My hearty snack totally did the job! I was only a little hungry when I got out of yoga and my friend was selling green tea smoothies for a fundraiser for Japan so I stopped and got a mango one. It was just green tea and frozen fruit but really good!

For dinner I made a really quick mango-veggie stir fry in a tahini sauce. And had it with a side of brown rice. I'll post the recipe tomorrow!

I'll probably have something with nut butter a little later =)

Peace!

Caitlin

What do you do on rainy days?

Opinions on rest days vs. "recovery workouts"?

Reclaiming Spirit

"Laugh when you can, It is cheap medicine" -Lord Byron

I have that quote next to my mirror at home. For the majority of my life I was known among family and friends and the laugher. I laughed loud, often, until I cried. People knew my laugh, people said they loved my laugh. I loved my laugh, I loved to laugh.

Disordered eating takes a tole on your body, mind, relationships and spirit. I have been doing very well in the body and mind field.. i have recently started taking steps in the relationship and spirit as well.

Today I worked on a project with two people in my biology class who I am quickly making friends with, something that has not happened in some time. As we worked Murphy's Law kicked in hard. We had no idea how to use the program, the printer was out of paper, or professor could not tell our good graph from our bad graph example... it was hilarious. We all cracked up together the entire time.

I have not laughed the much or that hard in the past eight months combined. I am getting my spirit back. I got my laugh back, I want to tell my bad habits "You will not take my laugh ever again"

Some eats today

Leftover roasted sweet potatoes with cottage cheese, raisins and cinnamon

I ordered more PB2 and it came with a sample of these vanilla muffins . I'm not a fan of low carb products just because I need and love carbs so I hate to say that these were actually TOTALLY delicious. Especially topped with PB2!

Dinner was a simple veggie and cheese omelette, sprouted grain english muffin with smart balance light, blackberry fruit spread and sunflower butter and mango slices.

On a side not I got an e-mail from PerMa today with the subject "shopping like a blogger"

Blogger type purchases for sure =).

Peace!

Caitlin

What made you laugh today?

Fun weekend plans?

Store Brands Rule

Woo I had a great workout! Normally I run on Monday but because I did yesterday I cross trained on the bike on random for 6 miles (26 minutes) and lifted for 40 minutes. I did body weight work last week but after over a week off it felt awesome to hit the weights again!

I had a pita with PB2 before I left.

The best and worst part of grocery shopping? So many options! I had a heck of a time deciding what I wanted for breakfast. Plus my cravings are changing because the weather is finally starting to seem springy!

I settled on cottage cheese mixed with vanilla protein powder, vanilla almond granola , strawberries, raisins and butter toffee almonds. Plus "cheerios"

Save-A-Lot brand, $2 less...

99% same ingredient list

Taste identical

WIN

Pretty busy day ahead but I'm hoping something fun is waiting in the mail for me...

Have a great Monday!

Peace!

Caitlin

What store brands do you buy?

Super Fruity

**Have you seen my Honestly Hungry post? If not please read it. Thanks!**

Happy Saturday! Although I'm not so happy to be leaving spring break but at least it means the semester is halfway over! My morning has gone like this

Wake up

30 minutes yoga

Toast with tomato

45 minute power walk on the beach with PerMa

Using up fruit/food last minute OOIAJ! Yes we killed this almond butter jar on our 6 day vacation... no shame

This overflowing beauty is about 1/2 overnight oats, the rest of the almond butter

and then

1/2 a very large banana

4 strawberries

the rest of the mango

a few scoops cottage cheese

jelly

topped with fruit to picture sake =)

I may have some more fruit during the morning depending on how I'm feeling, lunch will be at the airport and I've packed dinner food. See you probably late tonight!

Peace!

Caitlin

What's your favorite fruit? Hardest question ever?! My top choices are melon, mango and pineapple

How do you deal with eats on travel days? I'm pretty good about packing most things, I normally buy coffee and maybe snack but lunch as well will be bought today.

Running Redemption

Not that my past few runs have bad by any means but this morning it was great.

Quick for food last night I had a blueberry chobani and some pretzels while I watched Glee (who else LOVES Qweneth Paltrow?!) along with a handful of triscut thins right before bed.

Hummus and bread before I left this morning (partially eaten)

I guess it did the trick I ran 5.25 miles in 49:53! That is crazy fast for me!

Mile 1-10:15

Mile 2-9:31

Mile 3- 9:26

Mile 4- 9:28

Mile 5- 9:12

Mile .25- 1:57

The first 2.5 were right into the wind so for the second I had a good breeze at my back, that for sure helped!

Beachy breakfast of amazing texture and taste

Wheatberries, cottage cheese, almonds, a few banana slices and cinnamon in about 1/3 of a cantaloupe

Yum!

Peace!

Caitlin

Tell me about something you've accomplished lately! Brag time!

Warm Weather Worthy

I totally chilled this afternoon! I'm so not used to it and not very good at it... I liked it very much. I did some homework reading in the warm sun... I only have about 20 pages left so I can just get it done and then do pleasure reading and blog maintenance!

My lunch left me a little hungry so I had a late afternoon snack of some mini peppers with cottage cheese and salsa

It took me roughly forever to decide what to make for dinner... so many choices!

I finally decided that it would be best for out first home cooked vacation meal to go with something warm weather worthy!

I made a big salad for me and PerMa with a can butter beans, green onion, a Florida navel orange, a tomato, snap peas with a little honey and EVOO and chilled it for about 40 minutes. When it came out topped it with 1/2 an avocado

While it chilled PerMa tossed some delicious green beans with EVOO and italian seasoning and roasted them up, of course I topped with ketchup

We rounded it out with a little cheesy toast... it was a delicious spring break meal!

Palate cleanser =). I'll probably be having some cereal in a little bit as well!

Alright, fuel belt bottles are filled, overnight oats are made, clothes and cliff bar are laid out... long run in the AM! I'm going for 7, PerMa for 9, wish us luck!

Peace!

Caitlin

How did your weekend wrap up?

My afternoon looked like

Instead of yoga club... have you tried it? PerMa and I love her!

Someone decided that it was a good idea to put 18 kids and counting on netflix instant... they helped me with my homework

Snack of cottage cheese (almost gone!) quaker square, raisins and cinnamon

And for dinner

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Serves 1

1 good cup diced sweet potato

1 tsp EVOO

1/2 tsp honey

cinnamon

chili powder

black pepper

Roasted in the oven at 425 for 25 minutes... delicious!

Plus this salad made with tofu and craisins minus the carrots!

Lightish dinner, probably will have a hearty evening snack that includes greek yogurt! Time for The Office, 30 Rock and nail polish!

Peace!

Caitlin

What did your Sunday afternoon look like?

What's a good spring break nail polish color?

All Spoons go to Heaven

RIP tiny spoon, my oatmeal and I will miss you greatly! =(

Other than that minor fiasco I had a good (although VERY cold) day... spring break now please. For lunch at work I made a big 'ol salad. This is what it looked like after being in my backpack for a little while. In the mix

Lettuce

baby carrots

red bell pepper

sweet peas

black eyed peas

avocado

nutritional yeast

and the same dressing as last night (I should just make a big batch!)

It took me about 30 minutes to eat this (I'm a slow eater) and after I thought I was still feeling kind of hungry so I waited about another 10 and for sure was so I had an apple too. Hunger satisfied, listen to your body!

I got super wrapped up in homework this afternoon and didn't even think about dinner so Matt from the Athlete's Plate helped me out! He chose nut butter over hummus for me but I hope he will be proud to see I'm having both!

While working I snacked on some pretzels and a laughing cow and for dinner green beans with spinach artichoke hummus

and favorite sandwich in quesadilla form!

Hot and melty PB

cinnamon and honey spiked cottage cheese for dipping.

If you like these ingredients and you have not tried favorite sandwich please do... you will not regret it!

Off to last night of work until Saturday, week's almost over!

Peace!

Caitlin

What's your go-to dinner food?