Cuppa goodness

Pre-workout breakfast: Life bar, banana and yogurt
Workout: Ran 5.51 miles; average pace, 8:57.

Great fall morning - a bit brisk but not cold. A bit damp but no rain. Leaves crunching underneath my feet. Birds chirping as I made my way around the river greenway. No near-death experiences. Just a fantastic day for a run.

And I felt good, too. I listened to my body for pacing cues and enjoyed the scenery and quiet of the early morning.

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After a good day or two of self-loathing, I'm starting to feel better. More in control. I feel like I am making good decisions, listening to my body for hunger cues and not allowing myself to feel guilty.

My saving grace? Eating more at dinner and limiting myself to one "treat" at night - not the ice cream, popcorn and hot chocolate that had been the norm. And that treat has been a guilt-free hot chocolate. (No worries, I'm still eating ice cream. I usually enjoy it on my lunch break when I go home to take out Denali.)

Guilt-free Hot Chocolate

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or 1/2 c milk mixed with 1/2 cup water
1 package fat-free hot chocolate mix (I prefer the Kroger brand, which has added calcium)
1 to 2 drops mint, peppermint or coconut extract (or your favorite flavoring)

Warm milk in a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave for about 1 minute, 45 seconds. Meanwhile, put packet of hot chocolate and flavoring in the bottom of the mug. When the milk is hot, add about a quarter-cup to the mug with the mix and stir with a fork. Yes, a fork. Stir until most of the lumps are gone. Add the remainder of milk and stir till it's completely combined. Sit on the couch, turn on last night's "Parenthood" and enjoy! After all, made with 1 cup of milk, this has two dairy servings and less than 75 calories!