Back to routine feels so good.

I am so glad to be back into my routine again after traveling.  I have slept so poorly for the past 4 nights that I conked out really early last night after we got back from a day of driving.  We moved the TV back into the bedroom so I could watch football knowing I would fall asleep LOL!  Sure enough, I blinked out pretty quickly and woke up almost 9 hours later.  Yippee!!

I was ready for my bagel today.  Cranberry Walnut.

Then we hit up the grocery store for some fresh produce.  I ate my body weight in snacks the last few days.  Fatigue really just saps any kind of discipline I have.

I don’t feel bad about it, however.  I feel that there should be no guilt about eating.  Yes, I ate a lot of chocolate.  Yes, I had a lot of nuts.  But, if I feel guilt about that, then it takes the point away from eating the foods I like.  And it wastes the enjoyment I had eating it.   Then that is also wasting the food itself.

Funny how I seem to be able to just switch that eating off, even if it is a couple of days’ worth.  I guess that is what ‘normal’  people do?

I actually find it harder to get back into a work routine LOL!  I had to start working again today, although I was working on Friday, albeit in a different location.

Lunch time was some tuna on a pita.  Quick and easy.  I was totally craving berries, too.

Work has been slow today, so I looked at some of the snow we got over the weekend (which I did not have to shovel since I was gone!!).

It is already melting some because the sun came out, even though it is still pretty cold.

After more work I took a break while watching some football!  So sad the Saints are out of it.

I also cooked up some brown rice in bulk today ala Alton Brown.  You just put 1.5 cups of brown rice and 2.5 cups of boiling water into a 9×9 baking dish. Cover tight with foil and bake at 375 for an hour.  Perfect brown rice every time with absolutely no effort!

I used some of that brown rice for dinner.  Nice stir fry, which I  did with  teriyaki sauce.

Surprised to see beans, right?  I wanted to live on the edge!  These are pinto beans and don’t seem to have that grainy texture that other beans have.  Lots of fiber in this bowl, as John made sure to point out to me…

Gotta make sure I don’t get into too much of a food rut.  Although with the rice I made, you will be seeing that again this week 😀  Good thing it freezes well.

Finished up with work for the day and I have a truffle set aside to have for my snack.  It really feels good to be home and back in routine again.  Now I just need to catch up on some blog reading 😯

I am just finishing up with Women Food and God, so I will be talking about that this week.  I know you can’t wait for my opinion on that 😉

23 thoughts on “Back to routine feels so good.”

  1. Cilla

    I’m so glad you slept better–when I’m tired I get what I call the hungry!blahs… I’m starving but I don’t really feel like anything in particular, and every food item offered is given the “Blah, I don’t want that,” retort 🙂

    I’m going to have to try that brown rice method.
    .-= Cilla´s last blog ..Week Planner =-.

  2. Shelley B

    I had to laugh at your “normal” people comment because I feel that way too…still having light bulb moments, lol!

    Never heard about cooking rice that way – thanks for showing us!

    Always nice to get away, and equally nice to get home. 🙂
    .-= Shelley B´s last blog ..Friday Mishmash =-.

  4. Alissa

    It’s always nice to get back into the routine- no matter how much you enjoy being out of it for a while. That sounds like a very easy way to cook rice- Mine always turns out bad.
    .-= Alissa´s last blog ..30 Day Shred Giveaway =-.

  5. Roxie

    That normal stuff is pretty awesome! Oh, and thank for the tip on cooking the rice. I’ll have to remember that. I don’t use brown rice as much as I could because of the effort, but this seems effortless. That Alton Brown. He knows all the good stuff!
    .-= Roxie´s last blog ..Pretzel Logic =-.

  7. Miz

    didnt get to read until this morning but saw your title yesterday and thought:
    HECK YES.
    I LOVE ME SOME ROUTINE TOO.

    It does feel so great!
    .-= Miz´s last blog ..Chickadee =-.

  10. Lynn Haraldson

    Pinto beans in stir fry? You wild woman, you! Love the Alton Brown rice recipe, too. Can’t wait to see what you do with the rest. Welcome home and welcome back to your routine – food, work, and other stuff 🙂

  12. Helen

    I’m with you… routine feels fantastic after the willy-nilly craziness of the holiday season. Give me a month or so and I’ll be whining about wanting something new and exciting and to get out of my routine – lol!

    I’ve been cooking brown rice in bulk and freezing it in single servings. So much easier, especially on busy weeknights.

    Love what you said about not feeling guilty about your food. Lynn over at Lynn’s Weigh had something similar in a post last week and I really do think that’s how “normal” people view food.
    .-= Helen´s last blog ..Weekends Are Not Long Enough &amp Giveaway Winner! =-.

  14. debby

    Hi Lori!!

    I really like that paragraph you wrote about guilt and food. That’s kind of what happened to me on this trip. There truly weren’t usually better choices, so I just surrendered to eating what was available, and most of the time truly enjoyed it. I do always worry a little bit about ‘climbing back on,’ but by the end of the trip I was making lists of all my favorite healthy foods that I was going to eat when I got home.

    Thanks for the rice recipe. I like that, and no doubt cheaper than the pre-prepared stuff I’ve been buying.
    .-= debby´s last blog ..is anybody out there =-.

  15. Susan @ Home Workouts

    Hey Lori, I know it feels like it because you have such awesome creativity in the kitchen, but being in a food rut isn’t a bad thing. There has been some research lately showing those who ate the same few meals each day (or rotated a few meals) had better diet compliance then those who had a diverse menu. Not sure why it works but it does. So, when you get a little stuck, embrace it. Oh, and don’t skip the nuts. You might be better off eating a whole lotta nuts and getting rid of that devil (opps I mean bagel) and pita.
    .-= Susan @ Home Workouts´s last blog ..Is Coconut Oil A Secret Weight Loss Weapon =-.

    1. Lori Post author

      I have read that too, and I think it has something to do with over stimulation of the taste buds when you have a ton of variety.

  19. Ang

    Loving the rice tip! I share your opinion on guilt. When I travel I take the opportunity to try new things or indulge in a few favorites. I’m not going to beat myself up over it.
    .-= Ang´s last blog ..New Year- New Dishes! =-.

  20. Fran

    I love having routine, it makes eating healthy and exercising so much easier.
    I agree one shouldn’t feel guilty about food and just enjoy it. As long as you don’t eat snacks everyday it’s okay to enjoy them now and then.

  21. Jody - Fit at 53

    Yup, I always like getting back in to the routine of eating better & exercise if I have had to break from it.. the bod feels so much better! Love even more your attitude of not feeling bad about what you ate.. you know you will be back at it so why waste that negative energy, right! Good for you!

    Looking forward to your book review!
    .-= Jody – Fit at 53´s last blog ..Bites &amp Nibbles Count! Blog Help Needed =-.

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