Ahhhh, why hello there, Friday. So nice of you to arrive after this long, drawn out week. I’ve been looking forward to you for days.
Happy Friday everyone! I’ve got lots to catch ya up on, so let’s go!
Last night, I had another evening shift at work, which meant I had to figure out something in the meal department. Before I left, I packed up a few things, crossed my fingers, and hoped it’d work out.
I combined about 2 scoops of vanilla SunWarrior, 1/4 cup oats, 2 tsp chia seeds, and enough fresh spinach to fill the rest of the container in preparation for a protein smoothie.
About halfway through my shift at work, I made my smoothie which, well, definitely turned a few heads. You’d think nobody had ever seen a green monster before?
In fact, when I whipped out my spinach and tossed it into the blender, one of the other girls who was working quickly proclaimed, “Ewww, OMG, you’re putting spinach in your smoothie?!?” I knew there was no way to convince her that she wouldn’t be able to taste it if she didn’t try it, so I poured a little in a cup and had her give it a go.
Let’s just say, we may have a new convert.
I didn’t have time to eat my yogurt while at work, but since it wasn’t too late by the time I finished with my client, I decided to just have it at home.
I paired it along with a Banana Nut VitaTop, topped with about 1/2 tbsp peanut butter.
It wasn’t really the most conventional dinner, but between all three, I was still able to incorporate some protein, veggies, healthy fats, carbs, and dairy. Plus, I felt totally satiated, so that makes me okay with unconventional.
*****
Fast-forward to this morning and it was once again time for an early shift at work. Before leaving the house at around 5:40am, I had a pear sprinkled with some cinnamon. I know that a lot of people say that they have a hard time eating first thing in the morning, but I am not one of them. Besides, you really *should* eat something, even if it’s just a piece of fruit, within a half hour of waking up. Gotta jumpstart that metabolism for the day!
I ate my Clif Z Bar around 8:00am, right before taking a new-to-me class at the gym. One of the girls I work with, who teaches it, told me I should try it out to see whether or not it might be something I’d be interested in teaching myself.
The class is focused almost entirely on the lower body – glutes, quads, hamstrings – and abdominals, similar to a Physique 57 or barre class. I can tell you with 100% certainty that I don’t think my lower body has ever burned as much as it did this morning. I’m actually already afraid to wake up tomorrow!
Once class was over, I headed back home to make some breakfast.
I needed to switch things up today, so I put together a yogurt bowl with plain Greek yogurt (mixed with cinnamon) strawberries & blueberries, and 1/4 cup each of Kashi Go Lean and Special K Protein Plus. It was definitely a nice change of pace.
Oh yeah, and I also treated myself to Coffee Friday today.
I feel like it’s been forever since I last celebrated a Coffee Friday (as long as you don’t count this week’s Coffee Monday).
I’m thinking about squeezing in a quick upper body workout now before showering up. Hmmm, what to do, what to do…
Questions for the Morning:
What are some of your favorite “unconventional” meals?
How soon do you eat upon waking up?
Chelcie @ Chelcie's Food Files says
I got my friends to try my green monster and they liked it!
Hope @ With A Side Of Hope says
On days that I work, I usually eat an hour or so after I wake up. I eat my breakfast at work. On the weekends, I usually eat breakfast right when I get up. Happy Friday! :)
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries says
ohhh i love spinach in my smoothie!! it’s always great knowing i packed in some veggies without even tasting them. ;)
i eat pretty much right away when i wake up too. since i’ve cut out a lot of my night time snacking recently, i’m even more hungry than i used to be when i first wake up, so it’s usually no problem for me to eat right away. besides, i LOVE breakfast!
Jana @ Newly Wife Healthy Life says
That’s so nice that you can use a blender at work! I wish we had one is our office break room so I could whip up a smoothie for an afternoon pick-me-up! I too can eat as soon as I wake up! Whenever I have brunch with my family at 10 or 11, I always have to eat a little something before then just to tide me over!
Andrea @ Andrea Out Loud! says
I typically eat about an hour after waking up! I know it should probably be sooner but I always ned up getting up, getting ready, and then prepping breakfast and eating it at work!
Jen says
I’m surprised they freaked out about the smoothie, isn’t the gym supposed to be serving HEALTHY smoothies?! geez…they will learn a lot from you!
Mallory @ Have your cake says
i’m usually not super hungry right when i wake up- i have to be better about eating sooner rather than later, because then i go from not hungry to ravenous in a matter of seconds!
Care @HealthierGirl says
I love unconventional dinners. When I was growing up we’d always have “popcorn” night. Of course, we ate more than just popcorn … typically we had soup or leftovers, fruit, a huge salad, and other snacks to go with. I think my love for snacking grew out of popcorn night – a little of this and a little of that.
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says
I really, REALLY wanted DD coffee this morning, but unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to stop before work. Maybe on my way home as an afternoon pick-me-up!
Lindsey says
During the work week I eat within an hour of waking up. Weekends, may be a bit longer and on Sunday morning’s we hit the gym so I just have a banana before then eat a bigger brunch after.
Cait @ Cait Hates Cake says
I’m really bad about not eating first thing in the morning. I just get busy and forget and before I realize it the morning is half over. I need to work on it especially bc I’m following a nutrition plan where I am supposed to eat 6 times a day – hard to do when you don’t start right away!
Brandi @ Faith Fitness and Laughter says
I usually have to eat right when I get up…at least within 30 minutes of waking. If I workout however, I eat after. :)
Yummy yogurt bowl!!
Liz @ Tip Top Shape says
I like to eat right when I wake up. That’s one of the reasons working out in the morning is so difficult for me! I’m surprised someone who works in a gym doesn’t know what a green smoothie is! Blasphemy!
Stellina @ My Yogurt Addiction says
Yum, that yogurt bowl looks delicious! I’d say one of my favorite unconventional meals is a rice cake, smeared with some peanut butter and topped with a sliced banana.
I need to go to the store to grab a package of those vitatops, they look yummy. Are the overly processed?
Khushboo says
I am currently addicted to celery so my breakfast recently has been smoothie with Sunwarrior and a side of celery with peanut butter- the stomach wants what it wants :)
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Iam SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO jealous of you! I want Dunkin Donuts and living in California we don’t have any here! Thats one thing I miss about living on the East Coast is my precious Dunkin Donuts. Sigh… I guess I’ll head to Starbucks now, but it’s not the same.
Lena @Fit on the Rocks says
A lot of my friends and coworkers were seriously grossed out the first time they saw me bust out a green smoothie and found out it contained spinach lol. Anyone who tries one ends up loving it though!
Carol @ Lucky Zucca says
This totally has been a drawn out week! TGIF! :) I am excited you converted another person to the green monster bandwagon! Everyone at work looks at me like I am insane when I bring them in, but I’ve gotten a few people to try them and it never fails! Nothin but love for the green guys :)
Tina @ Best Body Fitness says
Haha! I love the faces of people who see green smoothies for the first time. Then, when they see that they are GOOD
Dena @ 40 Fit in the Mitt says
I eat within an hour of waking up. I bring my breakfast and lunch with me to work everyday, typically yogurt and granola with a piece of fruit. On weekends I eat almost as soon as I get up. I love weekend breakfasts, I really have time to sit, enjoy and have a hot breakfast.
Carrie Purchase says
I try to eat every 3 hours durng the day, so going 7-8 hours is a long time and am usually starving when I wake up. Oatmeal is my favorite food, I put it in a ton of my recipes. People always think its wierd to mix in a scoop of protein in my oatmeal, but it is sooo good! Especially if you use a chocolate protein and put some PB in there too- its like an oatmeal Reeses! :)
Brittany @ GOtheXtraMile says
Everyone thinks I’m weird with the spinach too but I told them you cannot taste it! I have to take a medicine when I wake up and it has me wait at least 30 minutes before eating breakfast. So I usually sip on coffee and then eat sometime after the half hour.
Jessie says
This looks delicious! I need to incorporate more creativity into my meals.. Where do you find the vitatops?
mandee says
my dad had the SAME reaction! and then he tasted it and got a whole smoothie to himself!
ps it sounds like that class you took is exactly what i need! sadly the gym i go to is a really small one that doesn’t offer classes :(
Michelle (Better with Berries) says
Yum, those berries look delicious! I usually don’t eat breakfast until after I’ve worked out. It always upsets my stomach to eat anything before. The only exception is if I’m going for a loooong run or really long strength training session. On those days, I’ll have some peanut butter toast or something similar.
Shannon says
School days- I eat once I get up, and after I get dressed.
Weekends- twenty minutes to an hour, sometimes it’s a couple hours before I eat (which I know- is NOT good).
Jen O. says
First off, I saw the Green Monster and thought it was a Mt. Dew for a second. Haha. My eyes were playing tricks on me!!
Second, I have to eat within the first 15-30 minutes of waking up or else I feel sick all day. Even if it’s just some toast or fruit!