My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

Postpartum Health Journey – Week 2

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Taking a more holistic approach to my health this time around is proving to be helpful…feels more balanced to be honest. This week was good in some ways and definitely showed me areas of improvement in others (another reason why I like the four categories I picked – helps break things down a bit more).

General thoughts

A few things I forgot to share last week…

Measuring overall progress – In light of keeping it real, I am weighing myself about once a week/every two weeks right now, but my main focus from a postpartum body perspective is how my clothes fit. And more importantly, how I feel on a day-to-day basis. Do I feel strong? Am I exhausted? Do I feel depleted? Am I reacting more than responding?

Length of workouts – I shared last week that my plan right now is to do a mix of strength, cardio, and core rehabilitation workouts. In terms of length of each workout, right now I’m able to manage 20-45 minutes on a given day depending on what’s going on, if the baby is napping, if anyone is around to help, etc.

Vitamins/supplements – In terms of vitamins and supplements, I’m currently taking a prenatal vitamin, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, and a pre/probiotic.

Week 2 – Physical health journey

So this week was Friday-Thursday, and in that time, I squeezed in four workouts. Everything from Peloton rides (ranging from 30-45 minutes) to Peloton and Bodyfit by Amy* strength workouts. From a physical health perspective, it was a good week.

I will say that I’m taking it much easier on my core than I did with Kaiden. Vishnu really wants me to be careful (rightfully so) because he knows how all in I can be with my workouts, and he doesn’t want me to create permanent damage somehow.

*Bodyfit by Amy is an amazing and free YouTube channel with hundreds of workouts and challenges that an be done at home (and some with no equipment). I’ve been doing Amy’s workouts since I was pregnant with Kaiden, and I can’t recommend them enough. She has everything from prenatal to postnatal, HIIT, strength training, pilates, tabata, etc.

Week 2 – Nutritional health journey

My sweet tooth is a little out of control, so I’m currently working on reigning it in a bit by coming up with alternative ‘treats’ for when the craving hits. Will share more as I experiment and learn.

I’m also focusing on adding more protein to my meals and snacks. For example, I’ve been making a nut mix at home with pecans, almonds, walnuts, and a few chocolate chips. I figure that’s better than eating chocolate chips on their own!

And finally, definitely working on increasing my veggie intake. Step one – eating more salads for lunch!

Week 2 – Mental health journey

Still keeping up with therapy! Love my therapist so so much as well as the relationship we’re building.

I’m reading again and started with ‘The Midnight Library.’ Mainly squeezing in pages while I pump, but that’s better than mindlessly scrolling!

My parents are coming to help me this weekend since Vishnu’s on call and working 7a-4p+ both Saturday and Sunday. Woo hoo for living in Atlanta!

Week 2 – Social health journey

Last week, I talked about how I was going to try new ways to control my social media usage. Turns out I don’t need anything new. I just need to go back to my old rules. So from now on, I’m capping my time on IG to 100 minutes/day. After that, I delete the app from my phone. Hopefully this helps!

In terms of our social life, we have a white elephant get together this weekend with friends. Vishnu’s also going to a Hawk’s game with friends on Friday. And last weekend, we had friends over for dinner andK + V went to a Santa event. Given the fact that we have a newborn at home, I feel like this aspect of our life is on track. We don’t attend everything we’re invited to, but because we personally need friend time and want Kaiden to be out and about with new friends, we’re weighing our choices accordingly.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for this week! Wish me luck for week 3!

Postpartum Health Journey – Week 1

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Hello hello! I’m excited to share my postpartum health journey on here because these are the kinds of posts I wish someone had written when I had Kaiden.

So here’s the lowdown…these posts will be very personal to my journey based on my experience(s) and recovery. That doesn’t mean you can’t borrow ideas or follow along, but please do keep this in mind. Also, please remember it took nine months to grow your baby. We just can’t expect things to go back to where they were a few weeks after birth. Everything takes time. Something I’m reminding myself of often.

I’m going to be sharing the physical, nutritional, mental, and social aspects of my journey on here because I don’t think you’re truly healthy unless all of these are taken into account. I also need some accountability in some of these areas, so this will be a great way to do that.

Ok so let’s get into it…

My experience and recovery

So for anyone who doesn’t know, this was a repeat c-section delivery for me. I had an emergency c-section with my firstborn, and my husband I decided another c-section would be the best route given my last delivery.

The delivery itself was fine. By the time I got home three days later, I was going up and down stairs and was also fairly mobile. I honestly thought I was in the clear in terms of the worst being over with.

Then, a week and day later, I found myself back in the hospital for postpartum hemorrhaging. This was way harder on me than my delivery itself for many reasons. I won’t go into the details, but I’m thankful for the way things played out. My recovery after this was a little longer and still ongoing in ways. But I’m getting there. I’m mobile and able to be active and keep up with Kaiden, so I’m thankful for that!

Key takeaway – everyone’s experience is different. Don’t compare and GO SLOW. A few days, weeks, or months of rest and recovery aren’t that big of a deal in the long run. Better safe than sorry.

My health journey plan

I’ve had six whole weeks to think about my health journey plan and what I want to do to get back into the swing of things.

This may be the most anti climatic thing to say, but my plan is to keep things simple and go back to the basics. I don’t believe in diets. I’ve tried a few and they never work for me. I don’t believe in deprivation. I don’t believe in cutting out entire food groups or ingredients. None of these methods work. And now that I have little eyes watching me all the time, I want to make sure I’m a good role model for them.

So that said, I plan to exercise 4-5 times a week – a mix of cardio, strength training, and yoga/stretching. In terms of my diet (what I eat, not a specific plan), I plan to focus on the things I need to add in versus remove. That seems like a more sustainable and fun idea versus removing the things I truly love and enjoy. My mental health plan is to keep going with therapy and continuing with 360 degree self-care, meaning not just the indulgent things but other deeper things like creating boundaries, etc. Socially, I need to be more mindful of my time on IG, but this is also about who and how we’re filling our time. Now that we’re in GA, I want to see my friends and family but need to ensure it’s filling my cup and not taking away from it.

So that’s the plan in a nutshell…

Week 1 – Physical health journey

I AM SO SORE! As I sit here and type this out, my legs are so freaking sore! I haven’t felt this way since I started at my gym in 2019!

This week, I got in three solid workouts (this week is Monday-Thursday for the purposes of this blog post). I did a low impact Peloton ride, a postpartum core workout, a full body strength workout, and another Peloton bike ride. I plan to do a Body Fit by Amy strength workout today.

Vishnu felt like I was pushing it a little bit this week, but I felt pretty good except for the soreness. But I figure that’s expected no matter when I start. In terms of the bike rides, I’m not striving for any particular numbers. I just want to get through the workout at my own pace. And with the strength ones, I thought I’d be able to pick right back up where I left off at 37 weeks, but no dice. I used mostly 8 and 10 pound weights for my strength workout on Tuesday, and it was still really hard for me. Baby steps!

Week 1 – Nutritional health journey

So I did great on Monday and Tuesday – lots of veggies were consumed, and I drank a ton of water. Then on Wednesday, I ate a ton of carbs (more than usual) and was ravenous most of the day.

Here’s the thing though – when you’re breastfeeding and/or pumping (I’m pumping), you burn through a lot of calories. For example, I pump 6 times a day and usually have an output of about 6-8 ounces each time. You burn an average of 20 calories for every ounce produced, so if you do the math, that’s roughly 720 calories a day. That’s a lot! And the way this whole thing works is that you have to eat to keep up your supply.

So while, I want to be more mindful in this area, I recognize I just need to listen to my body and let it do it’s thing on some days while still try to adhere to the let’s add in some good stuff plan.

That said, the one thing I need to be better about is meal/snack prepping. We have all the goods ready to go, but I just need to prep little baggies of nuts and chop up veggies the night before or make a batch of hard boiled eggs on Sunday. I know from experience that these small actions add up…just need to motivate myself to do it.

Week 1 – Mental health journey

I had a therapy appointment yesterday…a must in my mind! I love my therapist and really feel like she’s a good fit for me. She’s so empathetic yet knows the exact questions to ask to get me to see things different. Love our time together.

My mom’s also be over a ton to help out, which does wonders for my mental health. I’m so thankful they live close by, know how to handle Kaiden (a big part of the equation), and are able and free to help us. I honestly don’t think I’d be standing without her or Vishnu.

Speaking of Vishnu, we’re doing so much better communicating this time around. He’s also around more, which is just amazing on so many levels. Mostly because he gets to experience parenting in a more hands on way with both K and M. And he’s able to take a lot of things off my plate, which is always good for my mental health!

Other than that, I’m doing pretty good from this perspective, much better than I was with Kaiden. I think the weather also has something to do with it. Even though it’s starting to get chilly, the sunshine does wonders for your mind. The new variant does have my head spinning as does the most recent school shooting. But I’m trying to focus on the steps I can take versus everything that’s wrong with our country.

Week 1 – Social health journey

Let’s not talk about my IG usage. Just kidding…I said I wanted accountability, and the first step is transparency. I need to be more mindful of my usage. Period. I have no reason to be on as much as I am, and I have a few ideas I need to test out for how to stay off more than I am on that I will share next week after putting in place. More to come…stay tuned!

In terms of social relationships, I think I’m doing pretty good. We’ve obviously had to say no to a lot because of Mila and Covid and all the viruses that are spreading like wildfire right now. But I also realize there are different ways of keeping in touch and hanging out – Kaiden and I went out to lunch with a friend and her son, I talked to another friend on the phone for a bit and just caught up, another friend that I hadn’t seen in a while came over and hung out, and some other friends came over on a weekday morning so we could just talk and hang without kids interrupting every five seconds.

The one thing that does ease my mind is that everyone has been great about wearing masks when they come over. Not that I doubted our family/friends, but that does put my mind at ease a little. Also, our people have a lot of common sense and know to stay home if they’re sick or have been recently.

We have some more fun things coming up over the next few weeks, and yet again, I’m just so thankful to be able to experience the holidays with all of our loved ones this year!

That’s week one in a nutshell. These are all changes I want to keep up in the long term, so slow and steady is my motto!

My Month of No Dessert – All the Details

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Ok, if you’re reading the title of this blog post and thinking, “YOU gave up DESSERT? The queen of all things chocolate!,” you are right to be shocked because it’s true. I did in fact give up dessert for the month of February.

Didn’t have any of this in February, but you can bet I did on March 2nd!

But let’s back up a bit first, so I can share some context…

Why did you give up dessert?

As y’all know, I traveled to London at the end of October for my company’s global conference. And even though I was able to squeeze a few workouts in here and there, I didn’t make healthy decisions in the food department. This means I ate A LOT of dessert and drank a lot of wine. Which is fine as an isolated incident, but in my case, it wasn’t.

Then came November and Thanksgiving and more dessert, more wine, and just more regular unhealthy choices.

Then came December. I had my team meeting at the beginning of the month – more dessert and more wine. Then we went home to Atlanta where I didn’t even think twice about what I was eating and drinking. I did manage to workout, so there is that.

When we got back to Chicago, I was flipping through pictures on my phone when I realized that I just didn’t love the way I looked. It wasn’t anything dramatic, but it just didn’t sit right with me. I then happened to step on a scale the next morning and saw a number that I haven’t seen in like 15 years (except when I was pregnant).

I started think about all the decisions I made that led me to this point and came to the conclusion that something needed to be done.

And trust me, it wasn’t the number on the scale that did me in. I know that with better eating habits and some solid weekly workouts, I’ll get back on track. What really opened my eyes was that I was eating things I don’t normally like – like an orange souffle cake (I HATE orange and chocolate together) or a mango flan (umm no!). But I was eating those kinds of things mindlessly.

I was also reaching for something sweet multiple times a day. Chocolate chips here, a piece of chocolate dessert there, etc.

Basically, something needed to change.

Why Give Up Dessert Completely?

In really simple terms, I needed a reset. I needed to give my cravings some space to outgrow themselves. And I figured that after a month, I would be able to come back much stronger to where I could be more selective about what I chose to indulge in and what I chose to skip.

So what did this look like exactly?

Essentially, I gave up desserts. Not sugar but things that would be considered dessert for me – cookies, cakes, brownies, ice cream, chocolate chips, etc. To that end, I also steered clear of muffins and things that could be interpreted as dessert because I truly wanted to decrease my craving.

For the month of February, I avoided these things. I didn’t use other things to dissipate the cravings either. Sometimes, I’d eat fruit or drink a La Croix, but I didn’t use something sweet to combat the desire for what I really wanted.

Did you have any support?

Yes! My little sister joined me on this month long quest because she was kind of in the same boat. She found herself mindlessly eating desserts and wanted to stop that habit.

The rule for the month was if we caved and had something sweet, we owed the other person $5. 🙂

Did you lose weight doing this?

Not a pound, my friends! It took me 3 months to put on the extra pounds, so I know it’s going to take a bit to take it off. Especially because I didn’t really alter my other meals. It’s not like this was a diet or anything like that. I still ate my normal diet (which is still healthy but doesn’t involve any deprivation).

What results did you see?

My cravings have subsided substantially! For example, I no longer look for something sweet after my main meals. Also, on March 1 when I could technically eat whatever I wanted without a $5 penalty, I didn’t have anything sweet. Just didn’t want it.

Essentially, I accomplished what I wanted! This wasn’t about weight loss, it was truly about combating my habits around sweet foods.

Now what?

I’m still going to try and keep my dessert consumption at bay (1-2x a week). I will also try and be much more mindful when eating desserts so that I truly enjoy every bite. And finally, I won’t eat things that I don’t truly love – like orange souffle. Ha!

Look, I definitely think a life of moderation is the best life, and that includes one with chocolate. With that being said, mindfulness will absolutely be key going forward!

Let me know if you have any questions! Happy to share more.

postpartum acne

My Postpartum Acne Journey – the Not So Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

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The postpartum period is hard.  Mentally, physically, emotionally.  Along with trying to figure out how to keep your little human alive, you’re faced with so many changes in such a short period of time.  Looking back, it all goes by so quickly, but don’t get me wrong, when you’re in the thick of it, the days feel like years.  Ha!

One of the things I dealt with almost immediately was postpartum acne.  While my skin remained fairly clear during pregnancy, specifically during my second and third trimesters,  as soon as Kaiden was born, things went haywire.  Because of how everything went down, I wasn’t immediately able to give my skin the attention it deserved.  Or at least the wash it deserved, so maybe I have a part to play in the initial flareups, but what came days and months later definitely felt more hormonal.

In the days that followed, my stress levels ebbed and flowed, my emotions were a bit all over the place, etc.  Combine that with my newfound pumping hobby, and you have a hormonal hot mess new mom who’s face looked like it did about 20 years prior.

I won’t go into every detail, but trust me when I say, my skin went from not so good, to bad, to ugly.  So much so that I refused to be in pictures with Kaiden.  I’d always want to stay behind the camera.

I tried lots of different things to control my breakouts – topical medicines/creams, dietary changes, LOTS and LOTS of water, etc.  Nothing seemed to work.  In fact, it just kept getting worse.

postpartum acne

Me.  Everyday for about seven months.

Fast forward to the end of this past January.  Vishnu sat me down (probably after I cried to him about how ugly I felt) and made me see the light – I needed to see a dermatologist.  I was so resistant to this idea because I didn’t want to be on the ‘typical’ acne drugs again.  And given that I had a horrible experience with a dermatologist in Miami, I was scared a visit (and the subsequent ‘treatment plan’) would end up making things worse.

I somewhat hesitantly made the appointment.  I wish I could say that the doctor I saw solved all my problems.  She didn’t.  She wanted me to use a cream that would cost us $500 a month along with an oral medication.  Although, she did confirm that my acne was hormonal.

I then decided to make an appointment with a NP I absolutely love at my gynecologist’s office.  We talked about my options, and after lots of discussion (with her, Vishnu, my sister, my mom, friends, etc.), I decided to go back on birth control and use OTC Differin as well.

This was not an easy decision for me by any means.  In fact, the last thing I wanted to do was go back on birth control.  What I wanted was to be able to control my hormonal acne in a more natural way.

With all of that being said, I will say that the birth control has helped immensely.  My skin, while not perfect by any means, looks 110% better.  The painful flareups are no longer present, and the overall condition of my skin is also slowly improving.  I used the Differin for about three weeks and am now only using Drunk Elephant (DE) products as my topical agents if you will.

You guys, I LOVE DE.  I’m hoping one day I can transition off of birth control and continue just with DE and have clear skin for life (a girl can dream, right!?).  But honestly, it’s a brand I’m 100% behind and can’t wait to share more in my next post.

Stay tuned…

he Truly Healthy Vegetarian Cookbook - Coconut-Mango Smoothie

Cookbook Review | The Truly Healthy Vegetarian Cookbook

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As a vegetarian, Liz’s blog is a constant source of inspiration.  She makes good-for-you vegetarian food that not only tastes delicious but is also easy to make.  She takes the guesswork out of vegetarian dishes even carnivores will enjoy!

Before I tell you all about her new cookbook, let’s take a BIG step back.  Like seven years big.  That’s how long I’ve ‘known’ Liz!  We met through our blogs and have stayed connected ever since.  Personally, I was drawn to her truly down to earth approach to healthy living and life in general.  Like her food, she makes it all look easy.  I still smile every time I read about Liz’s fun adventures!

Ok, so now about her cookbook, The Truly Healthy Vegetarian Cookbook.  If you classify yourself as a vegetarian or are trying to incorporate more meat-free dishes into your life, this is the cookbook for you.  Liz is a certified health coach who’s created step-by-step recipes that anyone can make.  No matter what kinds of foods you naturally gravitate towards, you’ll find something to devour.  Between the pages of this book, you’ll find everything from a spicy peanut sauce to spicy enchilada soup to eggplant ricotta roll ups to chocolate chip chickpea cookies.

he Truly Healthy Vegetarian Cookbook - Coconut-Mango Smoothie

Mouth watering yet?

Hold your taste buds for 10 more seconds.

Liz graciously agreed to let me share a recipe from The Truly Healthy Vegetarian Cookbook with all of you.  After considering multiple options, I decided to make her Coconut-Mango Smoothie.  I know, right?  Every sip took me straight to a little cabana on the beach.  This smoothie is creamy, tropical, and filling.  You better believe I’ll be making this weekly once Spring decides to show up!

The Truly Healthy Vegetarian Cookbook - Coconut-Mango Smoothie

Enough from me.  Here’s the recipe so you can enjoy alongside me!

Coconut-Mango Smoothie
Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes

1 cup ice cubes
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

  1. Blend the ice, mango, pineapple, and coconut milk or almond milk in a blender until smooth.
  2. Divide between two glasses and sprinkle with the coconut flakes and chia seeds (if using).

Yes!  It’s that easy.

If you need a little vegetarian inspiration in the kitchen and are looking for a cookbook to introduce you to new recipes that are good for you, this is the one!  I mean, did you read what I wrote – CHOCOLATE CHIP CHICKPEA COOKIES.  Cookies made from beans that can probably be eaten for breakfast!  Wins all around!

Your turn – what’s your favorite cookbook?

P.S. Visit my Instagram page for a chance to win your very own copy of The Truly Healthy Vegetarian Cookbook!

Postpartum Food and Fitness

My Journey – Postpartum Food and Fitness

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I refused to title this post ‘My Postpartum Body’ or ‘Body After Baby.”  Phrasing it that way really irritates me.  Pregnancy is such a beautiful and miraculous experience, but for some reason, women oftentimes forget about everything their body did for them over the course of nine months and instead focus on reaching postpartum or ‘body after baby’ milestones.  Personally, I refuse to subject myself to that kind of mindset.  My body is still my body.

Before I share my journey and experience, I want to state that it’s just that.  MY journey and experience.  I’m not going to share pictures of myself or anything like that because 1. are you kidding me (shudder!)!? and 2. as I quickly learned, it’s not just about what your body looks like after nine months.  There’s so much more to this whole thing.

With that, here we go…

BACKGROUND

Let’s start with pregnancy.  It’s insane…in so many different ways…most of which are wonderful.  I remember being in awe of my growing belly and thanking my lucky stars for the opportunity to create life.  It was and always will be the best thing I ever did.  However, it comes with some side effects.  Those weren’t always so fun, especially the swollen legs, feet, and ankles.  But I got through it, and my body didn’t fail me.  Instead it enabled me with my long walks to and from work, my early morning workout sessions, etc.  Never have I been so thankful for the body I have!

Then came the actual delivery.  If you read my post about Kaiden’s birth story, you know it didn’t go according to plan.  But I do attribute (at least partially) the positive ending to the hours of exercise and movement I racked up over the course of the nine months.  It really does make a difference!

Then came a five night hospital stay because of all the complications.  Because of all the fluids they had to give me + the antibiotics, my body was SWOLLEN.  I mean, I looked in the mirror on day two, and immediately called out to my sister because what I saw freaked me out!  Everything from my waist down was inflated.  Vishnu said my legs felt like plastic, and even my mom was freaked out (although she kept telling me I looked great).  It took 2-3 weeks for the swelling to go away completely.  I never thought the day would come.

PRESENT DAY

Since that time, my body has continued to change.  It’s slowly normalizing (whatever that means!).  I will say though…I don’t think it will ever go back to the way it looked pre-Kaiden, especially in the belly area.  And you know what, I’m 100% okay with that.  I mean, I housed my child inside of me. That was his home for nine months.  It’s totally ok if that special part of me looks a little different.  And truth be told, I’ve never had a super flat belly, so how can I realistically expect to have one now.

With all of that being said, I am trying to be mindful of what I eat and reminding myself to move whenever possible.  Not because I want my body ‘back,’ but because I want to feel my absolute best for me and my family.  They really need me!  Ha!

Before I share a little more on my habits and the tools I’m using to help me along the way, there are a few things all mamas should be aware of before starting on their own journeys.  It goes without saying, but any and all decisions should be discussed with your doctor.  He/she really does know best!

If you’re breastfeeding or pumping, you want to ensure you’re taking in an adequate amount of calories.  This is not the time to start a restrictive diet (there’s never a good time for that but that’s a different topic for a different day).  Your body needs fuel to keep up with all the milk your producing, so if anything, eat more!  I’ve read more than one account of mamas restricting calories and losing their supply.

The same mantra goes for exercise.  If you want to keep your supply up, don’t aggressively exercise.  And more than anything, go with what your doctor says with regards to movement.  If you’re told to wait eight weeks (like me), wait eight weeks.  Instead of thinking about missed gym time, enjoy your baby.  It’s worth it!

And my final observation pertains to the number on the scale.  The number has never meant less to me than it does now.  Pregnancy has showed me that the number on the scale and what you see in the mirror don’t always correlate.  You can weigh what you did pre-baby and still not look the same, and on the flip side, you can weigh a little more and look better than expected.  My advice to all new moms is to remember that the scale is one small slice of a very larger pie.  Personally, I’m using my pants to measure progress.  Thankfully, most of my pants/jeans fit now but not as comfortably as they did before, so my goal is to get to the point where I truly feel like myself in my pants.  Ha!  And to be completely honest, I’m using my clothes because I don’t want to spend money on new pants/jeans.  Basically, I’m cheap!

Postpartum Food and Fitness

Ok so here’s my postpartum food and fitness non-plan plan…  🙂

Overall, my mantra is to take it one day at a time.  Life with a baby requires you to make plans and adjust as you go.  My vision of how I think our day will unfold rarely matches what actually happens.  And that’s ok.  Hey, if this type-A maniac can learn to roll with it, anyone can!

FOOD

When it comes food, the D word is a major no no.  As boring as it may sound, my philosophy is to keep it simple, fresh, and delicious.  The sugar monster inside of me wants all the goodies I can find, but I’m trying to lower my sugar intake as much as possible (re: not eliminate it because what’s the fun in that!).  I’ve also increased my water intake because the more water the better, especially for breast milk production.  I haven’t jumped back on the alcohol train just yet, aside from one beer and one glass of wine.  I’d like to keep it infrequent going forward…at least for now!  As far as eating out is concerned, I try to make the best choice I can in the moment.  We eat pretty healthy at home, so I don’t mind ‘splurging’ if you will every now and then.  Again, what’s the fun in always picking the healthy option!

I have a post in the works about meal prepping to avoid eating (crap) on the go.  Lots of thoughts on that now that time is a rare commodity! Coming soon.

FITNESS

I have even less of a plan when it comes to exercise. Ha! My philosophy is to move as much as possible whenever possible.  Sometimes that looks like designated gym time, sometimes that looks like a Barre3 online workout at home, and sometimes that looks like a long walk with my boys.  If possible, I’m trying to exercise intentionally 4-5 times a week for 30-40 minutes.  Key word is trying.  But really, it’s all about building up daily activity at this point in time.  One thing that’s super helpful with regards to working out is having a supportive partner.  Vishnu encourages me to do what I need to do for my self-care.  Have I mentioned that I love him because I do!

So that’s where I am at almost three months out!  Can you believe it?  Three months!

Hoping to fit in a 40 minute Barre3 workout tonight…or a nap.  We’ll see how I feel.  Agility at it’s best!

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Cereal

Peanut Butter Banana Oat ‘Cereal’

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Peanut Butter Banana Oat ‘Cereal’ is a delicious, easy to make, and filling concoction that’s perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

What was your absolute favorite food growing up?  Pizza?  Hot dogs?  Mac n’ cheese?  Cookies?

Me?  None of the above.  My favorite food was cereal.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I loved the ritual of pouring myself a big bowl of cereal (anything from Kix to Lucky Charms to Corn Flakes) and milk and digging in.

My love affair with cereal continued well into adulthood.  In college, my roommate Roshni and I were known for coming home from class,  sitting down at our dining table with a half gallon of milk and a box of cereal, and going to town.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love cereal.  In fact, during my last trip to the grocery store, I strongly considered buying a box of Banana Nut Crunch (my favorite as an adult).  But knowing one bowl at a time would never be enough, I chose not to go down that path.  Also, while most cereals aren’t the worst choice from a nutritional perspective, they’re certainly not the best.  Especially when you can never stop at one bowl.

What’s a cereal loving girl to do?  Make her own version using simple and healthy ingredients.  Duh!

You guys!  I eat this ‘cereal’* at least 1-2 times a week and usually for dinner.  It’s super filling and so delicious.  Personally, I enjoy the texture a lot – the perfect balance of creamy from the peanut butter and chewy from the oats.  The flavor is also on point – the nuttiness from the peanut butter, the sweetness from the banana, and the slight spice from the cinnamon.  And of course, you can’t forget the cold almond milk bringing everything together.  LOVE!

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Cereal

Pre-banana and almond milk

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Cereal

YUM!

I’ll stop rambling about cereal now and share my recipe.  I highly recommend you give it a try ASAP.  You won’t regret it!

Peanut Butter Banana Oat ‘Cereal’
Serves 1

1/3 cup raw instant oats
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon (or more!) peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1 banana, diced
almond milk, to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a cereal bowl, mix together the oats, salt, and cinnamon.
2. Add the peanut butter and work into the oats mixture until small ‘clumps’ form
3. Add the banana to the PB + oats mixture
4. Top off with almond milk (I prefer lots of milk!)
5. Add vanilla extract and mix everything together
6. ENJOY!

*I know this doesn’t fit the traditional definition of cereal, but this is my blog, so I’ll define it however I want!

Your turn – are you/were you a cereal person?  Favorite kind?

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