Getting Fit #7: Alternative Workouts

This is the seventh segment of my Getting Fit series. This series features my friend Crystal, a rockstar figure skater and fellow oatmeal lover. You can her blog, Confessions of Crystal, and check out her Instagram,@crystalchilcott.

TOA: Happy Saturday, everyone! I have spent all week moving into my beauuuutiful new apartment that I love so much. Considering all the hauling, pushing, pulling, packing, unpacking, and building IKEA furniture (ugh) I've been doing, I took a pass on running this week. I was sweating enough as it was!

I always enjoy when I accumulate exercise without having to "exercise." I think that's how it should be: our lives should be so naturally active that we don't have to do absurd things like run in place on a treadmill.

This week, I asked Crystal to share with us her favorite ways to stay fit without having to run or lift weights!

Crystal: I honestly hate running. I like what it does for my body and I like how I feel afterwards, but the actual act of running is so monotonous. Most of the time, I actually like going to the gym, but this too can get repetitive. Being an active, physically fit person doesn’t mean monotony! There are plenty of ways to work out without actually going to the gym to “work out” or run.

Top Ten Favorite Alternative Workouts

10) Zumba Anytime I’m feeling bored with my interval sprints, I change it up by taking a Zumba class. Dancing to Latin and salsa music reminds me of my trips to Spain, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. The class always goes by quickly and is so much fun that I forget it’s a workout!

9) Jumping on the Trampoline When my sister and I were little, we saved up our money to purchase a trampoline. I have fond childhood memories of jumping on the trampoline for entire afternoons. In Colorado Springs, there a place called Trampoline World where they offer open gyms to use the trampoline. It’s definitely a fun way to release my inner child while working out!

8) Horseback riding My sister is a competitive equestrian and has five horses. While riding is a strengthening workout in itself, when you add in hauling water and feed to the barn and mucking out stalls, horses create quite a work out!

7) Swimming When I go swimming, I usually just stand or bob about in the water. But if I’m in the mood for an actual workout, swimming provides great resistance-free cardio. It works every muscle group!

6) Biking I was very impressed when I visited Boulder and Fort Collins because everyone biked everywhere! Seriously, there were more bike stands than parking places! Someday I hope to live in a city like that where I can incorporate exercise into my daily commutes.

5) Hiking I am lucky to live in Colorado, where there is no shortage of hiking trails. Hiking requires less effort at once and is a more stable pace, so it is easy to relax and enjoy the hike and not actually feel like I’m working out.

4) Rock climbing I don’t have much upper body strength, so my arms are always shaking after just two trips up a rock wall! It doesn’t matter, I still love the challenge!

3) Yoga There are so many different forms of yoga, I really think there is one for everyone. If I feel like doing a really hard work out, I do hot power fusion or hot yoga. I think that is more of a work out than even running. Sometimes 108 degree heat is too much, so I opt for a slow flow yoga class, which is relaxing and helps stretch my body.

2) Skiing I absolutely love skiing, especially in Colorado! Vail, Breckenridge, and Keystone are among my favorite places to ski in the state. The views of the mountains are unrivaled and skiing down from 12,000 feet is exhilarating. I already miss skiing! Plus, carrying my poles and skis whilst wearing ski boots proves to be another added work out!

1) Figure Skating I bet everyone saw this one coming, but figure skating really is an all-body work out! It takes a lot of strength to launch myself into the air, rotate, and land on a quarter inch of steel! Plus, getting through a four minute program is no easy feat! I train at 6,000 feet above sea level, which makes it even harder. Next week, I’m competing at over 8,000 feet, which is slightly terrifying!

TOA: Comment below--what are your favorite ways to stay active?

**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!

Oatmeal Recipes for 4th of July

Earlier this week, I confessed my true feelings for the 4th of July. However, j'adore berries, and it seems like the cool thing to do on July 4th is to eat foods made out of berries. I can get on board with that!

Here are FOUR recipes for the FOURTH of July (ha...). Have you tried any of these yet? Which is your favorite?

'Murica Overnight Oatmeal Parfait

The irony of this post is that I'm actually one of the least patriotic people you will ever meet. It's not that I'm not happy to be in America; I just don't care to celebrate it with some of the most annoying songs ever and the most obnoxious outfits of all time. Like seriously, calm down, Toby Keith.

(I should clarify that I by no means take my liberties for granted or do not respect those who protect our country; I just think that our flaunting of patriotism is what gets us so much flack from the rest of the world! Why do you think nobody likes Gretchen Weiners?)

However, I do like berries, and if eating berries means celebrating 'Murica, I'll be a little patriotic today. Here's to living in a country that provides me easy access to my favorite foods with minimal effort! Thanks, Founding Fathers!

Happy birthday, 'Murica. Oh, and I should also mention that--as of this week--I am a resident of Manhattan. SO. MUCH. PACKING. I liked Brooklyn, but the commute to work was terrible.

'Murica Overnight Oatmeal Parfait

Adapted from this recipe.

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 0 min

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Ingredients (serves 1)

For the Oatmeal

• 2/3 cup coconut milk (or 1/2 cup coconut milk + 1/4 cup plain coconut yogurt)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tsp liquid sweetener of choice (optional)
• pinch of salt

For the Parfait

• Blueberries
• Strawberries or raspberries

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients for the oatmeal in a mason jar.
2. Cover with lid and shake, shake, shake until combined.
3. Store in the refrigerator overnight (or for several hours).
4. When ready to serve, put a spoonful at the bottom of a fancy glass or mason jar. Drop a few berries. Repeat, alternating layers of oatmeal and berries.
5. Eat while listening to this and wearing your most obnoxious star-spangled overalls.

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**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!

Black Forest PB and J Oatmeal

The frustrating part about moving is having such limited groceries. I'm trying not to purchase any excess food before moving day, which means I'm stuck making oatmeal solely from pantry items. Luckily for you AND me, this gave me a reason to finally share a recipe I've been hoarding recently.

It's easy for me to say that this oatmeal can be whipped up without making an extra trip to the store, but it would be delusional of me to think that everyone keeps chocolate nut butter and cherry jam on hand at all times. I do. ^_^ Thus, when I had no fresh fruit this morning, this was the perfect oatmeal to make.

Grape and Orange Marmalade Oatmeal

I must share a story with you.

This is my last day of school as a first-year teacher. On one of the days earlier this week, a student (whom I love, of course) brought goodies for the teachers. My colleague came into our workroom holding a bag of cookies and encouraged me to check out my mailbox because the student had left treats for each of us, along with personalized drawings for gift tags. Like every time a student brings gifts, I felt the same mixed feelings: flattered, but disappointed. Nine times out of ten, I end up giving away the non-vegan food item to a coworker (but appreciate the thought nevertheless).

I hustled to my mailbox anyway, eager to see the drawing this student left me. What did I find?

Stewed Fig and Apple Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Happy Tuesday! Happy last week of school for me! Happy birthday to my older brother, Christopher!

There are so many reasons to be happy this week. One of the reasons includes starting every morning with this oatmeal. The inspiration actually came from my dislike of the appearance of fresh figs. Why are they so unattractive? Thus, I thought to myself: maybe if I stew them or make a compote, I can enjoy the flavor of figs without the ugly appearance.

Well, it turns out that stewed figs are, in fact, uglier than a regular ol' fresh fig. Bummer.

Roasted Strawberry and Almond Butter Oatmeal + Getting Fit #6

Yay! Oatmeal! You love oatmeal! I love oatmeal! Let's roast some strawberries and be friends.

But first, let's check in with Crystal.

This is the sixth segment of my Getting Fit series. This series features my friend Crystal, a rockstar figure skater and fellow oatmeal lover. You can her blog, Confessions of Crystal, and check out her Instagram,@crystalchilcott.

TOA: Hello! How's the concussion?

Crystal: It's better now, but I'm at home in Pennsylvania and haven't skated or worked out. It's driving me crazy! How did the last two weeks go?

TOA: Great! I finally reached my goal of running 3 miles (twice!), and oddly enough, it was at my fastest pace yet! (~10 min/mile)

Crystal: That is wonderful! Has your energy level improved?

TOA: Not particularly. I've noticed I have more energy Saturday through Monday, but the rest of the week, I'm hopeless. I'm moving around my running schedule around to fit my "high energy" days and doing the bulk of it on weekends and early in the week (Mondays and Tuesdays). Last weekend, I went on a hike with a friend instead of my usual jog to switch things up!

Crystal: That's great! Changing things up can help maintain your motivation and desire to run. Did you try interval running?

TOA: I did! This past Sunday, I didn't feel like running at all, so I gave the intervals a shot. Every time I felt like walking, I started sprinting instead. Surprisingly, it worked! That night, I ran three miles again, and my whole body was exhausted afterwards. It was such a great workout.

Crystal: That's great! That's something you can always consider if you're tired or not motivated. How do your strength exercises feel?

TOA: I'll be honest: the last time I did three miles, I skipped them. My whole body was limp.  But on this past Wednesday night, I only ran 1.5 miles (it was sweltering hot), so I did them. They are my least favorite part of the routine haha.

------------------

As I reflect on the last few months, I am so proud of how far I have come. Do I love exercising? Nope. Still hate it. Have I skipped a routine along the way? Definitely. Did I once go an entire week without running? Sure did. HOWEVER...have I given up? NO. The past several weeks, I have run at least twice (usually three times) every week. And I'm up to THREE MILES, and that's with my super exhausted body right now. I can't wait to see what I accomplish once summer vacation starts and I'm no longer a walking zombie.

Such a celebration demands some fancy porridge. I've been meaning to top my oatmeal with roasted strawberries for ages, but I finally tried it. It's actually absurdly easy--just time-consuming.

Oh, and great news: I made this jar of almond butter last more than three days (because that happened once...). It's been a solid two weeks and I haven't finished yet. Yay?

Roasted Strawberry & Almond Butter Oatmeal

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 5 min

6064015

Ingredients (serves 1)

For the Roasted Strawberries

• 5 strawberries
• 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For the Oatmeal

• 3/4 cup milk of choice, or water
• 1/4 cup quick cook steel-cut oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract OR almond extract
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (omit if using almond extract)
• 1-2 tbsp of almond butter
• pinch of salt
• sliced or slivered almonds for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an oven-safe ramekin with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Hull and quarter strawberries.
3. Toss with maple syrup and vanilla extract.
4. Place in oven for about 20-25 minutes, until warm and juicy but still holding its shape. Set aside.
5. Bring milk (I use 1/2 c almond milk and 1/4 c water) to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium. (If you'd like to add a teaspoon of flax or chia seeds, do so now.)
6. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add extract of choice, optional cinnamon, and salt. Stir.
7. When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, swirl in almond butter. I like to not mix it in completely because I like finding globs of it when I'm eating. :)
8. Transfer to a bowl. Top with sliced/slivered almonds and roasted strawberries. Add a splash of your milk of choice and any other additional toppings (shredded coconut, nuts, etc.).

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**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!

Salted (or not) Caramel Apple Oatmeal

One week remains of my first year of teaching! Each year, as my life and career become increasingly more demanding, I worry about how my blog will fit into my schedule. This year, I consistently worked 70-80 hours a week, yet I somehow managed to squeeze in a few hours each weekend to manage this blog.

...So if you're wondering why I'm not so great at responding to blog comments anymore, that's why. I'm sorry! I read and appreciate all of them!

Despite my long hours of classroom prep, I remained loyal to this blog. I think that's quite telling. No matter how stressful my life was, I made this blog a priority. Why? I enjoy it. Yes, it's a LOT of (more) work, but it's also gratifying and therapeutic.

This recipe, like many others, has been stumping me for at least a year. How could I make a VEGAN caramel sauce? It's not that I didn't know how--there are tons of recipes out there. I just didn't feel like making it (see above re: 70-80 hours a week)!

Berry Blackout Oatmeal

All of my favorite recipes just made a baby.

It's Brownie Batter + Fudgy Banana & PB + Nutty 'Nana Berry. It's the best threesome ever, and their baby is a GODDESS. YOU MUST MAKE THIS NOW. Cocoa powder + banana is my favorite oatmeal base. Strawberries are my favorite fruit topping. Peanut butter is MY LIFE. And this is CHOCOLATE peanut butter, so it's obviously the best thing that's ever happened to me.

Most Popular Recipes!

I work in a data-based school, which means we are constantly collecting and analyzing data about our students' progress to guide our decisions to further their growth. Although I am not a fan of over-testing kids, the past two years have definitely converted me to a believer in the value of data.

This is true of my blog as well. I love studying page views, "favorites" and "repins," and Instagram trends. Considering how frequently people tell me they enjoy my blog but don't know where to start, this post might help you decide what to try first! :)

Most Favorited on FoodGawker 

(@lauren_015)

I had to list these first, considering how honored I am every single time one of my recipes is published here. Whenever a post is "successful" here, it's the dairy-free icing on the vegan cake. According to my observations, the FoodGawker community will gravitate to the most aesthetically pleasing or "fanciest" recipes, as opposed to healthy or easy. Here are my most favorited recipes on FoodGawker:

5. Salted Brownie Baked Oatmeal: Revisited - Favorited 180 times

4. Bananas Foster Oatmeal - Favorited 183 times

3. Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal - Favorited 211 times

2. Elvis Oatcake Stack - Favorited 239 times

1. Choco-Banana Oatcakes with PB Mousse - Favorited 284 times

Most Repinned on Pinterest

(@lauren015)

Frustratingly, I cannot track every single time something is repinned on Pinterest from other people's pins; I can only track when people repin MY pins. Thus, this data was taken from my own Pinterest board, The Oatmeal Artist. Compared to FoodGawkers, Pinners are less picky about aesthetics and more interested in EASE and CHOCOLATE. :) Here are my top five most repinned recipes on Pinterest:

5. Brownie Batter Oatmeal - Repinned 320 times

4. Tiramisu Overnight Oatmeal - Repinned 327 times

3. Cookie Dough Overnight Oatmeal - Repinned 343 times

2. Chocolate Banana Overnight Oatmeal - Repinned 410 times

1. Peanut Butter & Banana Baked Oatmeal - Repinned 872 times

Coming soon... Most Liked on Facebook!

**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!