Well That’s Never Happened Before…

This morning I woke up and changed into my workout clothes.

Before we walked to the gym, I tried to convince Ryan to take the day off  and instead take Sadie on a long walk with me. He said he knew he wouldn’t workout this weekend (we’re heading to my parents’ house for Father’s Day), so I hung my head and followed him to the gym.

My body felt tired. I decided not to take my usual 5:45 a.m. BodyPump class. Instead, I hopped on a stationary bike for 10 minutes before finding Ryan to tell him I was heading home.

I’ve never left the gym after only 10 minutes. Usually if I can get myself dressed and get myself there, a workout will occur. Not today.

But you know what? That’s okay.

My body felt tired and I wanted to give it a break so I have adequate energy for my eight-mile run tomorrow.

I am considering taking a yoga class on my lunch break, but if that doesn’t happen, that’s a-okay.

Breakfast

When Ryan was done with his workout, he joined me on a 20-minute walk with Sadie before breakfast.

Last night I prepped a pumpkin yogurt bowl to enjoy this morning and knowing that a delicious breakfast was waiting for me when I got home made me want to walk a little faster. 

My breakfast bowl contained:

• 1 c. Chobani plain yogurt
• 1/4 c. Old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. Canned pumpkin
• Large squirt of honey
• Pumpkin pie spice

Oats

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Since I prepped this last night, the oats had time to soak in the yogurt and pumpkin mixture and took on a soft, pillowy texture that added some extra pizzaz to an otherwise smooth and creamy concoction.

Pumpkin Yogurt Bowl

Sprinkled with Spice

Cold and tasty on a hot and muggy day!

Side Note

While sitting in our backyard typing this post, I’ve been attacked by five mosquitos. Leave me alone you bloodsuckers!

Questions of the Day

• Do you ever skip a workout you have planned? How do you feel about it?

To be honest, exercise guilt is something I personally struggle with. I love working out and don’t feel bad about taking a day or two off on the weekend, but taking a day off during the week makes me feel a little anxious… like I’m not doing something I should be.

I’m trying to abandon this mentality, as demonstrated by my actions this morning. If my body wants (and needs!) a rest, I should honor that without feeling guilty. It’s not like one missed workout will negate all of my fitness and healthy living efforts… in fact, it might even do the opposite.

• Do you struggle with exercise guilt?

Vanilla Pumpkin Overnight Oats

The anticipation of a good breakfast makes getting up in the morning a bit easier for me.

Last night I prepped my morning meal: overnight oats with lots o’ pumpkin!

Vanilla Pumpkin Overnight Oats

The thick ‘n’ creamy mixture included:

• One packet of Kashi GoLean creamy truly vanilla hot cereal
• 1/3 c. pumpkin
• 1/4 c. cottage cheese
• 1 Oikos 0% Greek yogurt

Oikos

Kashi Vanilla Hot Cereal

I stirred it up and let it chill in the fridge overnight. This morning I dug in and loved every bite of this sweet and thick concoction.

Yum, Yum

What’s your favorite make-ahead meal?

As I said last night, my favorite make-ahead meal is definitely something in the crock pot. There’s nothing like coming home to an apartment filled with the smell of a delicious dinner.

Morning Work Out

Ryan is transitioning into morning workouts. Usually I work out in the morning, and he goes into work early and hits the gym after work… so by the time I’m off work he’s done working out. Lately though, he said he wasn’t in the mood to go to the gym after a full day at work. I don’t blame him and can’t remember how on earth I would workout after work when I first graduated from college. Ick.

Do you prefer a morning, lunchtime or evening workout?

I definitely prefer getting my workout done first thing in the morning. It feels good to check it off my list and accomplish something right off the bat!

Waking up at 5:30 a.m. seemed insane to me before, but like anything else, after a week or two of dedication it became habit.

After his first morning workout yesterday Ryan said he was in a good mood all day and was happy to be able to relax after work rather than rush to the gym. I’m sure Sadie likes the extra time with her daddy too! 😀

This morning I did 50 minutes of cardio:

• 10 min. stair master
• 10 min. arc trainer
• 20 min. elliptical
• 5 min. run
• 5 min. incline walking

I really enjoy breaking up my cardio into shorter segments on various machines. It really prevents boredom and makes the workout fly by!

Enjoy your Tuesday, fabulous readers! 🙂