Jump on it

I went to the doctor yesterday for a few reasons, and I usually hate going to the doctor for a few reasons, one of them being that they always weigh me. Yesterday, though, I was kind of curious to see what my weight would be since I haven't really weighed myself since July-ish. I knew it would be lower than the last time I went to the doctor (which was last year and the time she told me I had fat on my liver and needed to lose weight) but I was a little worried about what the number would be. I don't feel like I've gained weight and I feel like I look more toned than I did in July but the number came up and according to her scale, I've gained about 10 pounds since July. It's weird because the number is still pretty high but I don't feel like I look like I weigh as much as the scale said. I'm not upset with the number because honestly, I'm confident in the way I look which is the whole point of my losing weight in the first place. But I do wish the number reflected more accurately how I feel like I look. I did take in to consideration that I was fully clothed, boots and all, and I had ran a half marathon two days before (which can cause water retention, resulting in weight gain) but I still wasn't thrilled with the number on the scale. I've decided to really buckle down, re-focus on my goals, and get that number down to where I feel it should be. I work so hard in the gym and on my runs, I want to look like I work out as much as I do. I know I look different than I did just 10 months ago and I am very proud of myself for getting to this point, but I want to continue to move forward, not stay where I'm at or move backward.



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Now that I've made that sweeping declaration, I'm going to talk a little about breakfast today because it was a good one. I've made pumpkin banana oatmeal a few times before and it is so delicious, I wanted to share it. The recipe is from Peanut Butter Fingers, but I changed it a little because she made the recipe for two servings and I only need one. The first time I made it, I didn't realize it was two servings until I poured it in to a bowl and thought to myself, "hm...that's a lot of oatmeal." I checked the recipe and sure enough, she has down that it serves 2.

Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal

(adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers)

serves 1

1 c water

1/2 c oats

1 banana, sliced

1/3 c pumpkin

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

nutmeg (optional)



Boil 1 cup water. Add oats, reduce heat, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add half of the banana slices and cook for another minute, continuing to stir. Add pumpkin and brown sugar, stirring until well blended. Add cinnamon and cook for about 3 more minutes, until oatmeal thickens. Remove from heat and pour in to bowl. Top with remaining banana slices and nutmeg if preferred.

I cut all of the ingredients in half from the original recipe but I keep the same amount of pumpkin and banana since I love both flavors so much. The cooked banana is really flavorful and really helps to thicken the oats. Of course, feel free to cut back if you don't want as much. The cinnamon is really noticeable in this breakfast dish but cinnamon is loaded with health benefits, including reducing leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells, so I say, the more cinnamon the better!