Slim Nights

Monday is definitely my longest day of the week so far. I wake up at 3am, do my morning thing (including writing this blog, breakfast, etc) leave around 5. I have a split shift at the gym from 6-10 and again from 12-3. That wouldn't be difficult, but I have started to regularly schedule personal training and fitness assessments around 6 and 7 pm, so I haven't been getting home until around 9 or a bit after. I do a pretty good job of packing my lunch, snacks, and dinner so that I have an adequate amount of food for the day, but it always seems after that long day I find myself having a second dinner or munching on some things when I get home. I'm sure many of you have a similar issue with your busy schedules. I get it. You want to get home, get comfy, and just chill. Nothing says relaxation like a plate of food and your favorite couch or chair, right? Well, if you want your clothes to be comfy and not extra tight, you might want to reconsider that second dinner.

In the morning, I usually mix up a Shakeology Greenberry shake with water and ice. A low-calorie, nutrient rich shake that gives me what I need first thing. I have a banana on the train and proceed with my day. Well, today I'm trying something different, at least for today and my late days at work. This morning I made a small parfait (recipe below), which is still lower-cal than a huge breakfast, but packed with protein and enough carbs to energize me for the morning. What I plan to do is come home tonight and instead of having a bowl of pilaf and/or other dinner-type foods, I will simply have my Greenberry shake, which will give me only 140 calories, a good amount of protein, fiber, and whole food nutrients that should support better rebuilding while I sleep and this will be the cure for my late-night munchies. I'll let you know how this shift goes, and I'll also keep you posted on my run training. October is slowly approaching, and I have started to ramp up my workout schedule and weekly mileage. Below is the recipe of my "power parfait" for this morning, and to find out more about the benefits of Shakeology, click on the title to this blog and/or visit www.shakeologylife.com. Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

Power Parfait
1 cup plain greek yogurt (Fage this time but I prefer Chobani plain)
1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey (an optional embellishment)

Nutrition Breakdown (from Livestrong myplate feature)
Calories: 248.5
Fat: .75g
Protein: 22.75g
Carbs: 38.25
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 32g