Big Breakfast Club: Daily Manna 8/26

Today was such an up and down day with work, energy, and my overall mood. All I wanted to do ALL day was just go back to my bed. It was humid and rainy today, so that will be my excuse. Even if it isn't cold outside, the fact that it is rainy automatically makes me want to cuddle up in bed with a good book. Which is precisely what I plan on doing after writing this post! I woke up this morning, did my quiet time (I started a new Bible study on John and it is incredible so far!) and got ready for my workout. I ate my flat out bread (100 calories and high protein!) with a smear of peanut butter.

And yes, I pinterest at 4am. Don't judge :)

I had a great workout this morning! I ran 6 miles and it was really easy at the beginning and the end, with just a little difficulty sprinkled in the middle. I like to change the incline on my runs since I run on the treadmill (the air quality is AWFUL where I live at the moment), so I think my body is resisting that a bit! But that's okay, I'll just have to keep pushing! After my run, I did some strength training, working on my chest and triceps! Plus a plank :)

I really want to get better at my planks. I used to be able to do 2-3 minute ones last year! Oh grad school...how it ruins you. Maybe I will make my own Plank Challenge plan to help me out a bit...hmmmm...

I made breakfast at home before heading out for my hour-long drive to work. I had some fresh watermelon my mom had given me over the weekend which tasted like candy! YUM! As I have mentioned before, I've been struggling with getting hunger pangs midmorning. My shift at my internship is 7am-3:30pm, which means breakfast is eaten extremely early. I decided that, today, I would have a large breakfast. And this one was LARGE for me! I scrambled 2 whole eggs, 3/4 cup egg whites and a yellow bell pepper and placed it all on a tortilla with some salsa on top. My hope was that the fat from the two whole eggs plus the protein from all the eggs in general would help me stay full till 11/11:30. And my plan worked! My breakfast kept me so full that I was able to happily wait to take my lunch at 11:45am instead of having a grumbling stomach at 9:30am! I am happy to report that I am now a part of the Big Breakfast Club, and will not fear getting so many calories in that early in the morning!

For lunch, I made my usual salad, got my chicken breast, and meandered around the cafeteria for a little bit. At the sandwich bar, they had a side salad of broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, bell peppers, and red onions tossed in a light Italian dressing. Bingo! I knew this side salad atop my regular salad would taste so good! It was the perfect variation to my typical lunch and helped me not get caught in my salad rut :)

Around 3:30pm, I had my 100 calorie pack of cinnamon roast almonds and a plum. This plum was so juicy and red inside. Plums are definitely one of my favorite fruits so I thoroughly enjoyed my snack!

By the time I ran my errands after work (gas, picking up quest bars, etc), I was ready for dinner. I stopped by the grocery store and got a garlic rotisserie chicken. Once I got home, I picked out the white breast meat, saved the rest for tomorrow, and created my quick and simple basic food groups meal:

This meal filled me up, tasted great, and got the job done. And I have more of it left for tomorrow's dinner! Win-win :) As I've mentioned before, I am moving back home at the end of this week and trying to eat as simple as possible so I won't have any access food :) I can't wait to get back home to my own kitchen and cook all of my favorite meals!!!

Before ending this post, I want to share a quote I had posted on my Instagram a while back (@thejoyfulharvest if you want to follow!) I have been reflecting on it all day today...

I don't know about you, but I tend to focus on my past and the mistakes/victories I have had. I dwell on the former things whether they are the positive or negative aspects of my life. I try to think about what made me do the things I did in the past. However, today, I was reminded of this verse while reading the Socrates quote:

Isaiah 43: 18-19

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

I love the excitement of this verse! "See, I am doing a new thing!..do you not perceive it?" It's almost like God is standing with us, holding us tight, pointing off to something in the distance, and saying with excitement "there it is, right there! Don't you see it?!" God has a plan for us, and He is excited about it! What is the point of dwelling on the former things, when God's plans are alive and active and always moving us forward? I hope that these verses help us focus on the "new" thing instead of the old. Let us put our hopes and energies into what is coming instead of getting caught in what has already passed.

Have a lovely night everyone!