Feeding the addiction

I am typing this as I sip on yet another cup of Mate Vana. I think I might be hooked... because I feel incomplete without a cup a day. Best Christmas present ever from my boyfriend's family: 4 kinds of tea plus cute little canisters, a "Perfect Teamaker" that is prob. the most convenient thing I've ever owned, and some rock cane sugar to sweeten! Actually, it was second best only to his: a beaaauuutiful aqua colored, dip-dyed looking tea set. My first one! Hi darlin :)

This is going to be quick because the to-do list keeps growing but I just want to maintain the blog even if the posts are short!

Brekkie today was 1 packet Quaker weight control maple and brown sugar oatmeal. I'm not dieting or anything, but I tried this out because the product claimed to be very "satiating." With 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber, those Quaker folks weren't lying! It held me over very nicely for a 45 minute interval workout on the treadmill. Along with an apple for crunch.

When I got back, I refueled with a slice of Ezekiel bread and some Dark Chocolate Dreams PB from Peanut Butter & Co. All I can say is wow. This company will sure get my business again. Tastes like Reeses but with no cholesterol, 170 cal/2 TBSP, and therefore, no guilt!! (Not that my favorite candy usually makes me feel guilty... only when I overindulge on occasions like Halloween... and the weeks after that we have leftovers ;) )The Ezekiel bread was kinda meh, only because I like the English muffins 10x better.

For lunch, I had a healthy version of hot pockets with Kashi's Chicken Rustico frozen sandwich. It contained chicken, spinach, red peppers, mushrooms, and a savory sauce and tasted absolutely perfect with a cup of Campbell's Healthy Harvest tomato and basil soup. What a pair. I'm a sucker for soup and sandwich combos and this one did not disappoint.

Here's a pic of the sandwich, though not one I took: 

You should buy it.

Later, a friend asked me if I wanted to grab lunch. I already had (obviously), so I just had half a no bake cookie and sipped some mint tea. No bake cookies are one of my school's fortes. The lunch selection, on the other hand, missed the mark a little: breaded chicken filet, onion rings, tuna melt, french fries, and pizza. At any rate, it was quite refreshing to enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea and crumpet... er... cookie without rushing.

Time to tackle that list! Back later (maybe with original pictures! We'll see how brave I'm feelin') Stay warm! I know I will-- we have an illegal space heater. (Shh... no one from school reads this to my knowledge!!) 

On the run

Good evening blogosphere =)

As promised, I am recapping on my eats for snacks and dinner. Before I went to the fitness center, I snacked on a crunchy Kashi pumpkin seed flax bar. It was pretty tasty and definitely fueled my body to do some serious stairclimbing and running, all while reading Self Magazine.

I only recently got into this mag (I'm a hardcore Shape devotee) but I gotta say that I was quite impressed with this month's issue! A good chunk of it was devoted to making peace with your body (regardless of whether you passed up that cookie at lunch or devoured it... and a second). It addressed the need to eat well and exercise to be healthy, not to wear a size 2. Or 4. Or whatever. Sizes vary from store to store anyway. Self also had a section where a few women shared their secrets to self-appreciation that worked better than any diet gimmick to help them lose weight and maintain the loss. The Piece de Resistance, though, was definitely the cover star: Jenna Fischer of The Office. The feature zeroed in on several challenges that Self posed of Jenna and her journey in tackling them. Filled with her class-act deadpan humor and practical, realistic insights, this article was a gem.

After working out, I was in a bit of a time crunch to get cleaned up and ready for a couple meetings tonight: one for Kappa Kappa Psi, the honorary band fraternity, and the other for Alpha Phi Omega, the service fraternity. I looked in our fridge and the first thing that caught my eye was some Healthy Harvest Campbells chicken and vegetable soup that's been in my dorm room for far too long. I heated that up in a tupperware and drank it at my meeting (a little tricky with the chicken). I also had a Gala apple and a Yoplait Light Thick and Creamy yogurt. Although the combination of the adjectives "light," "thick," and "creamy" seem a little peculiar. It does have high fructose corn syrup in it... but supposedly HFCS isn't the devil sweetener it's made out to be. I don't know how I feel about that yet. At any rate, I try not to think too much of it because I sort of treat it as a dessert and it really does make my mouth happy. Unlike the soup, which did not sit well with my stomach at all, but perhaps that was because I ate it on the run. More like on the really brisk walk. Either way, bad idea.

Well, I think that will do it for tonight. I bid you adieu.