Prepping for surgery...WTH?

Most of the people who are on a weight loss journey have read everything there has ever been written about the process.  We pour over every little detail.  We know the steps ,what we should eat and what we shouldn't eat.  We have met with nutritionists...doctors...psychologists...we are READY!

And then we aren't...I have learned a ton about medicine in America through this journey.  Americans believe that our doctors/surgeons are gods.  They know what is best and they all agree on process and procedures...yeah, right.  What I have learned, is doctors are just like the rest of us.  Go into any place where 2 people do the same job and both will do it a little different.  So it is with doctors.

In my situation, I am working with a surgeon who does not believe in the 2 week liquid diet.  He believes in sticking to a low carb diet.  Another doctor in the SAME practice believes in a super strict liquid diet.  Their lists of food and recommendations are totally different.  Not only for people like me with a weird situation, but across the board.

So you ask yourself...what do you do?  Who do you listen to? And I say, listen to your surgeon...your doctor...your gut.  So how am I proceeding?  With liquid diet all day and super low carb for dinner.  But that is what I have been doing for the last year so I am lucky....I am ready.

BTW, April 21st is my day.  Wish me luck with all that is going on.

Insurance in America...makes me sad

For those of you reading this outside of the US, you can either skip it or just smile at my frustration. This is not a political post.  Healthcare in the US is not political.  It is just irritating.  And yes I know...duh.  But this is the first time I have encountered stupidity at this level.

So long story short, I have been on a journey to get weight loss surgery for about a year now.  The last year has been an active journey.  I have thought about weight loss surgery for at least 5 years.  But in 2016 I said, it is time.  I had become so overweight I was no longer close to healthy.  In fact, I was in a death spiral. So I got serious and in April I went to a consultation and signed up for the journey.  I took notes and got very serious about what I had to do.  I made 6 months of doctors appointments and checked in with the surgeons office to make sure they were getting my progress reports and if I needed to do anything else.  In December I finished my diet prep and called to see what the next steps were.  Well, that is when  the bad stuff started.  Seems my doctor had left the practice and I was suppose to have had all these tests and appointments but somehow I had "Fallen between the cracks".  What I have learned over the last 3 months, is the practice has fallen between the cracks...or as I like to say...gone to hell in a handbasket.  Epic turnover...runnus amuckus...never returning calls...wrong information...orders never reaching their destinations.  Chaos. And when everything was checked off and complete...it might take a couple of months for insurance to authorize.  REALLY?

So being a sane human, I asked about moving my care to another surgeon in town.  WHAT?! You can't do that.  I called the other surgeons office.  Well of course you can move to us, then you will start all over.  Another 6 months...another 10's of thousands of dollars in health care cost.

Again, being sane, I  thought this is nuts.  I will call my insurance.  Why would they want to spend +10,000 dollars again just to have the surgery performed by another surgeon???  And this is where I get sad.  You see, insurance rules are insurance rules.  You do have to start over.  You do have to have all the tests again.  Really?  Yes really.

So what is a sane person to do?  Take control and force the surgeons office to cringe when you  call.  Enjoy the constant harassment of your surgeons staff.  Tell them it is not ok to take months to submit your paperwork to insurance.  And call daily until they submit it.  Take control of your experience.  And pray my friends. And pray!  And be your own advocate.

Because this is your life...but it is just business to them.  They don't care that you are trying to make life better for yourself and fight the obesity epidemic.  All they think about is money and rules.

Its March Are you a lamb or a lion?

As the saying goes, March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb...though, in some parts of the country that is flipped.  But as March starts, how are you managing your weight loss journey?  Are you still that lion that started in January?  Careful about what you eat, setting goals, increasing you exercise?  Or have you become a lamb?  Eating whatever and whenever (grazing), without any goals, and just standing out in the field?  Or are you somewhere in between?

It is hard to maintain a focus on weight management over the long cold winter.  We get sidetracked.  We get tired of being good.  But that is ok.  We are human.  We get distracted from our goals.  But March starts spring.  And spring leads to warmer weather...and OMG...less clothes.  So let's get back on track.  Set some goals....walk a little farther...eat a little better.  Here is a recipe from cooking light to help!

Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Baby Potatoes
YIELD
Serves 2 (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 1/2 cup potatoes)
Ingredients

Cooking spray
8 ounces small Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 inch)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon honey
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon canola oil

How to Make It

Place a jelly-roll pan in oven. Preheat oven to 500° (leave pan in the oven as it preheats).
Carefully remove pan from oven. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add potatoes to pan; bake at 500° for 10 minutes.
Combine olive oil and next 5 ingredients (through honey) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes. Turn chicken over; drizzle chicken evenly with about 2 tablespoons mustard mixture.
Add chicken to jelly-roll pan with potatoes; bake at 500° for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and chicken is done.
 Drizzle potatoes with remaining mustard mixture; sprinkle with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Eggs - Its what for dinner on meatless Mondays!

I feel good about my meatless meals.  But we all know we need  that protein in order to feel full and happy.  That is where eggs come into play.  I used to make omelettes but they were always a bit messy and over wrought.  That is when I met my best friend the frittata.  I know it sounds all fancy but if you have eggs, some veggies and some cheese you are in business.

I like the frittata because it allows me to get rid of stuff in my frig and make a meal and get PROTEIN!!! Yippeee

So how do you start?  Heat you oven to 350.  Then get out a sautee pan that can go into the oven.  I normally start with an onion and some garlic.  Put a swirl of olive oil in a sautee pan over medium high heat and chop the onion and garlic and put it in.

While those are going, search you fridge for some wonderful stuff.  My favs are mushrooms, grape/cherry tomatoes and spinach.  Slice the mushrooms and put them in next. Half the tomatoes and squeeze the insides out and throw them in.  When all that has started softening and getting a little color, then put a couple of handfuls of spinach in and let it wilt.  I normally add salt, pepper and a little nutmeg at this time. Don't worry if your veggies get a little brown...they will be awesome with the eggs.

While all that is getting married, whip up your eggs.  I usually plan on 3 per adult with about a tablespoon of warm water and pinch of salt and pepper.  Whip them good until they are happy.

When you veggies are smelling great and the spinach is wilted down, dump the eggs into the pan. Shake the pan a little to distribute the egg around the pan.  Give it a couple of minutes for the edges to start firming up.  Then go get the cheese you like or that is in the fridge and put it on top...start with  1/2 cup and add if you want to.  I've even covered the top with sliced swiss.

Put the whole pan in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Check to see if it is done by shaking the pan.  If the eggs are still wiggly, leave it in another 4-5 minutes and check again.  Once the egg firms up, you are ready to eat.

So if you are building a shopping list, this is what you will need.
Eggs (I average 2-3 eggs per person)
onion
garlic
spinach or another leafy friend like kale
mushrooms...any kind
tomatoes or any other loved veggie (I keep sundried tomatoes in the house and that is great)
any other left over veggie you have in the fridge...artichokes, brussel sprouts, bok choy...
salt
pepper
nutmeg (just a pinch)
olive oil or any other oil you like to cook with

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Are your balls dry? Turkey MeatBALLS!!!

Meatballs...turkey meatballs to be exact...

We all feel good about using turkey meat instead of ground beef.  Lower fat...better for us...but sometimes they are sooo dang dry.  Well to be honest, all the time.  Flavorless yucky sawdust balls. Most are either hard as a rock (see below) or dry as sand.  And people are always suggesting dipping sauce,  That is code for this is gonna suck.  Or provide hints to make it taste good by adding fat laden ingredients.  So what is a girl to do?  I have been on a mission.

By thinking outside the box, I have come up with a scheme that produces juicy meatballs made from turkey.  The trick is in adding moisture that will last during the cooking cycle and will not leave a soggy mess.

First I add onion and garlic.  Finely chopped or even grated onion.  For 1.5 pounds of turkey I use a medium onion.  Don't like onion then reduce that but increase slightly the next few ingredients.  I leave mine raw.  It will make sense later.  Then the next secret ingredient is fat free plain yogurt.  I usually start with a big heaping tablespoon.  Salt and pepper and any other herb you love.  And finally panko bread crumbs.  A handful.  If you love egg in your meatballs, add one and just increase the bread crumbs.

The mixture should feel gross...nothing like beef meatballs.  This mixture should be looser and wetter and mushy.  You should be able to make a ball but it needs to be loose and not firm.  Now, ready for some more magic.  A skillet on the stove on medium/high with olive oil...just enough to coat the bottom.  Put the meat balls in the pan close together.  They help each other stay together :-)  Brown the top and bottom of each.  Then, but the skillet in the oven.  That's right, stick it in a 350 degree oven until the meatballs are done. The time to get done varies based on how big you made them.  Use your thermometer to check them.

I use these as a base to alot of flavor profiles.  Italian, mexican, thai..,turkey meatballs turn up at my house once a week.  They also freeze wonderfully.  Make a bunch and put them in a zip lock freezer bag and they are wonderful.  Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Love yourself...set goals!

I used to set huge goals...at the end of this year I will be 150 pounds.  And January would be fabulous.  I would lose weight and exercise and be so goal oriented.  Then February would come and I would be 10 pounds down...and March would come and I would be 15 pounds down.  And I would realize the goal was unattainable and become totally discouraged.  And the goal would be forgotten.

Finally after years of doing this craziness...I found out I was doing it all wrong.  I learned that my goal was fine it was just I was going about it all wrong.  And maybe my goal was a bit out  there.  I hadn't been 150 pounds since I was in my teens :-)  So I rethought this whole goal thing.  And after much deliberation and reading, I decided to state a goal with steps or sub-goals.

So my new goal was "Change my eating habits in 2016 so I could fit in my skinny clothes and not take liptor"
Well, that was a pretty big goal.  My cholesterol sucked and my skinny clothes were 60 pounds in my past.
But you know what?  I set out to do it.  I had an appointment with my doctor and a nutritionist and I told them what I wanted to do.  They gave me a list of things I had to do...reduce meat intake, reduce sugar, reduce caffeine, cut carb intake, increase exercise to 30 minutes a day, eat on a schedule.  So I started breaking my goal into steps:
By February 1 - weigh myself everyday
By March 1 - have 1 meatless day
By April 1 - only have beef/pork 1 day a week
By May 1 - Reduce sugar by 75%
By June 1 - Cut caffeine by 50%
By September 1 - 30 minutes a day exercise
By December 31 - Reduce carbs by 75%

How did I do?  I found all of them hard.  And I slipped on occasion....the sugar reduction was the hardest due to my intolerance for artificial sweeteners.  But I reached all my goals on a regular basis.  I've lost 50 pounds and can fit into my skinny clothes (skinny for me is a size 16 pants and x-large shirt).  And I never lost my way or felt totally discouraged.  Some days were worst than others...but I am in 2017 and still moving forward.

Be kind to yourself.  Make little goals that you can achieve and celebrate when you do!!!

Valentine's Day ... Today love yourself

Everybody who wants to lose weight does it for different reasons.  You want to fit into your skinny clothes...You want to find a man/woman...You want to wear a bikini...You want to be healthy...You want to stop being ugly....WAIT A MINUTE!!!!  No!!! You are beautiful the way you are.  You cannot be defined by your scale.  At no point in life does a number on a scale become a trigger for your beauty.

If you don't believe me, think about a skinny person you know.  Is she more beautiful than you?  Kinder than you?  A better mother/wife/girlfriend/person than you?  I bet not.  She is skinnier than you.  That is it.  She might not even be healthier than you.  If so, the hospitals would not have any skinny people in it...Think about that one!

On this journey to lose weight and get healthy, I first had to come to terms about why I wanted to lose weight.  I had to realize that I am a pretty cool person.  That I am not a bad person because I am morbidly obese.  I just need help reaching my healthy weight and staying at that weight.  And admitting I needed that help was the hardest.  After I got over that hurdle, I realized I loved myself.  I just didn't love the impact the weight had on my life.

So today my friends, before you love anyone else, LOVE YOURSELF!!!!