Mondays are so exhausting for me. I run from the Lab, to TAing, to class. I didn’t stop once today – lunch was eaten on the run! I’m definitely ready to wind down tonight with new episodes of How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory! 
Last chance to enter the Taste of Nature giveaway! You have until 10 pm MST tonight to enter
Today started out with good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?
I always want to get the bad news over with, and then feel better about the good news.
Bad news: I woke up this morning in so much pain. The mid section of my back (near my rib cage) was shooting with sharp pains. I could barely move. 
I’m not sure what this is from but it’s been happening on and off this summer. (maybe I need to do more core work?) Anyways, since I could barely move, I certainly did not get a run in this morning.
Good news: When I finally could move, I weighed myself, like every Monday. I lost a pound! This brings me to a total of 5 pounds lost from a combination of daily food blogging and running 3 x a week. Something about that number 5 makes it seem like this combination will really work for me: I don’t deprive myself or go crazy counting calories, but I’m able and excited to eat nutritionally, and so far I’ve been steadily losing weight at a reasonable pace.
A post is coming soon about why I hate counting calories, and my history with weightloss. In short: it’s been full of ups and downs, and I need to eat in a lifestyle I can continue for a long time.
The good news and bad news this morning deserved an awesome breakfast: oats in a jar!
Luckily, I had this jar of White Chocolate Wonderful waiting for me, with only scrapings of peanut butter left.
It occurred to me while I was eating this deliciousness, that I’m pouring a very hot liquid into a plastic container. Are there unknown chemical radicals leaching into my oatmeal? A lot of people avoid microwaving plastics for the same uncertainty.
When gladware/tupperware/etc. says “microwave + dishwasher safe” this only means the container will not warp under high heat. It means nothing about possible chemical changes in the plastic composition, and what these changes could mean to your food.
Nothing has been proven to show that heating plastic is dangerous… but nothing has been proven to show it is safe.
Personally, if I’m using the microwave, I try not to use plastic, and I try to hand wash my tupperware/gladware. And I think to be safe, I won’t be making oats in a jar anymore.
Back to scraping the remainders out with a spatula for me!
Other snacks today included a Taste of Nature Quebec Cranberry Carnival bar. I really enjoyed it, the sunflower seeds made it very filling and the cranberries made it slightly sweet.
So far, this bar and the Persian Pomegranate are my favourites.
A whole wheat BLT bagel while running across campus…
And some yogurt + granola + blueberries on the drive home.
Dinner was a homemade panini: grass-fed beef + carmelized onions + reduced fat swiss cheese on a thin bun and grilled in the George Foreman. Easy and tasty!
I’m off to watch some Monday night funny tv
Check out this heartwarming story!
I’ll be back later on tonight to announce the winner of my Taste of Nature giveaway!
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I hope your back feels better, soon!! Have fun watching tonight’s TV – I’m about to do the same
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That panini looks delish!
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Congrats on losing 5 pounds!
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o girl i am so proud of you! 5 pounds is stellar! keep up the good work!!!!!!
i do hope your back is feelin better thought! ice it perhaps!
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you can microwave the oats in a regular bowl, then pour it in the jar. That’s what I usually do.
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Allison Reply:
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:20 am
Erin, I cook my oats on the stove, then pour them into the PB jar. It’s the hot oats/plastic container effect I’m curious about…
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White Choc Wonderful is by FAR my most favorite peanut butter. We have PB&Co in stores here, but they stopped carrying the white chocolate! I am so mad, I need to get some online. Glad to be following along with you.
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