Another night of restless sleep. It was probably the looming start of classes, or maybe an offset vacation body clock, but I blame the cup of coffee I had yesterday!! I slept great all week long and I have my first cup in 5 days and my insomnia is back!!
When my alarm went off at 5:26, I considered going back to bed, but despite the tossing and turning, I was wide awake (blame the adrenaline for that one) so I got up and went to the gym. It was a great workout and I’m very glad I went. It was a very “in the moment” gym session – I thought at one point that I was so happy being there right then. There’s an older man who bikes beside me sometimes and he calls me “Soccer Girl” because he thinks my body type is like a soccer player 
He and I chatted for a while. I did 30 minutes on the Stepmill followed by 20 on the Stat bike and 10 of lifting + stretching. I had to end with a down dog!
The husband was going join me to keep his body clock in the early morning stages, but he chose sleep instead, which is always nice because it means he can get the oats started while I’m getting dressed
Today’s combo was my favorite kind: Pumpkin Butterscotch!
The mix:
- 1/3 cup oats, 1% milk, water, 1/2 medium banana, pinch salt
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 1/3 cup pumpkin
- Coconut butter flakes
- Toasted walnuts
- Butterscotch chips
- Spoonful Barney Butter
Should keep me going for hours!
Plus Coconut Chai Tea with some milk. The husband made French press coffee – it was quite good, but I’m going to hold off for a while on the coffee.
Kelsey and I are carpooling again this semester – it’s so nice to have company and chit chat through the commute
Off to work my brain!
{ 53 comments… read them below or add one }
Good luck back at school!
Sounds like a great start to a new week!
haha I love random nice people at the gym!
Delicious oatmeal combo, Good luck getting back in the groove of things!
Good luck on your first day back!!
Good luck with your first day of classes!
Ah, nothing like getting back into the daily rou… wait a minute, did you say pumpkin butterscotch!?
Enjoy your first day back in class!
Yum – butterscotch!!
GOOD LUCK TODAY!!
Pumpkin-Butterscotch?!??!?!?!?! My goodness, that looks too luscious for words.
BEST OF LUCK TODAY!!!!!!!
Hope your first day back goes well!
Love the oats:)
Ahhhhh, I need to get my hands on some butterscotch chips …
Good luck today!
Wow SparkPeople linked to one of my favorite bloggers…YOU!
You encourage me to make oatmeal for breakfast everyday – yes the old fashioned way!
I’ve said this before, but it’s worth saying again…thank you for all you do for ‘us’!
Oh man! That bowl of oats looks good!!
My sleeping has been horrible lately too!
Those oats are absolutely fantastic. Nothing beats butterscotch and pumpkin together!
I have problems with insomnia too due to coffee. I have been able to cut back gradually by mixing decaf with caf, then go to decaf only, then abstain. It is hard — I love the taste of coffee!!
Good luck on your first day back!
I love coffee so much it would so hard not to have a morning cup for me!! tea is a great alternative though!!
have a great day back at school.
Oops, hadn’t read your previous post about the coffee carafe before writing the above. Well, I guess stopping coffee cold turkey works just as well! At least it will be easier not to be tempted in the morning.
Great bowl of oats to fuel your first day back. I think it’s smart to stick with tea, especially if you’ve been sleeping better without the coffee. Rest is so important for our bodies.
Soccer Girl – what a great compliment! Sending good thoughts your way today Kath!
Good luck with getting back into the routine! That oats combo looks so good…I really need to get some coconut butter.
2 questions
1) How do you do 30 mins on the stepmill!? I can barely do 20! What level do you do it on?
2) Do you always only use 1/3 cup of oats when you make them?
pumpkin butterscotch oats look incredible!
This is probably a really dumb question, but what is a ‘down dog’? Thanks!
Have a great day back at school!
And your oats look great!
I LOVE French Pressed coffee. It’s seriously the best way to enjoy it.
Have fun on your first day back to school!
Have fun at your first day of school!
Your oats look like a wonderful way to start the day
good on ya for gettin up and staying up, plus going to the gym!
props to you for getting up… Mondays are always tough for me, and though I got all my workout clothes on, I decided snuggling up to the bf was way more important =)
Delicious looking oats. Have a good first day!
kath, i must say, you definitley turned me onto pumpkin in my oats—and now i am hooked!!!!
I hope you have a great first day back to school!
Sorry about the insomnia
I always get back-to-school jitters and can’t sleep the night before.
Good luck with classes! Love the butterscotch.
Hi Soccer Girl–those oats look awesome!
I bet you were just excited for your first day of school, and that’s why you couldn’t sleep.
Hope you have a great 1 !
Good luck at school! Yummy oats
Have fun today back at school. love the oats.love french press!
Kath-
Good luck with school and thank you for all of your wonderful ideas!!
I just started reading your blog and all I can say is it is incredibly inspiring. You are an amazingly creative and talented cook, I can’t WAIT to try your recipes! I am going to try the salmon ‘quick’ casserole tonight but substitute shirataki noodles as I tend to go overboard on real pasta
i swear… your oats should be in a food magazine. it is always the most perfect looking bowl
So after seeing your recent butterscotch oats posts I went out and bought some last night and actually had pumpkin butterscotch oats this morning too! It was a little sweet though, how many do you usually put on?
By the way this is my first comment but I LOVE your blog!!
Those oats look so good!!! Sorry about the insomnia. I know how frusterating it can be! It happens to me all the time! That is great that you still got in a nice workout!
http://www.missymaintains.blogspot.com
Awww-back to school day! Good luck!
This bowl of oatsl ooks particularly divine!!
Your gym pal must have been glad you were back! Good luck at school today.
Godd luick with classes starting. Mine start today too and I could not fall asleep.
I’m a regular reader, but have never commented before. But oh my, I have to say that your Butterscotch Oatmeal looks AMAZING! I’m out of pumpkin this morning, and don’t keep butterscotch chips on hand, but I’d be making that for sure if I did!
And while I’m here, I want to say thanks Kath for the inspiration. You make healthy, balanced eating look so good and appealing. And interesting too. Just looking at what you are eating makes me want to change it up and eat better. Plus I also appreciate your discipline to keep spending down (and bless others) while still eating well. This is how I want and need to live (I’m a stay at home mom to three kids) so it is great to see you doing this.
Keep up the good work, Kath!
looks delicious as always!
Have a great first day back at class.
No coffee?? How will you make it through the day? Haha. Have fun in class. I always liked the first week… no tests or lab reports to worry about. What are you studying this semester?
So great to have someone to carpool with! Good company, good for the wallet and good for the environment! A trifector!
That oatmeal looks delish! And I agree with my sister: it’s so much nicer to commute with a companion!
Awesome morning start!
Hi five for the carpooling! Friendship and saving the environment all in one:D
That is one great looking bowl of oats! Hope your first day of classes went well.
I have never been a coffee person but have one can of Diet Coke during the day on most days. I wonder if I’d sleep better without this too. I never thought the caffeine in one serving of a caffeinated beverage could make much of a difference….
I’m not even sure what soccer players look life….strong legs I guess?
AMAZING OATS! I’m literarally drooling
MaryB, sara + Niki F ,
Thank you all! And you’re welcome
Janna ,
I just keep steppin’! I do it at a level 12, which is really hard, but I worked my way up.
And yes, I almost always use 1/3 cup oats b/c I almost always add lots of toppings.
MKM ,
It’s a yoga post. You can Google it for a pictorial description.
Christina ,
Usually 5-7?
Kath