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

.

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!!!!

Halo Top is awesome...but sometimes you need cupcakes!!!

Yes we all love Halo Top!  It was a gift to all of us who love ice cream and need protein, low fat and low sugar.  It makes us feel guilty and God knows I love GUILTY!!!  But even with ice cream...sometimes you need cake or in this instance, cupcakes.

I made these cupcakes for a birthday party.  They were amazing and light.  I know cake is normally a no-no but sometimes you have to have a good responsible cake.  I added a little more blueberries because I love them.  Enjoy!!!!

This is from Cooking Light!

Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
10 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
Frosting:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh blueberries (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°.

Place 12 decorative paper muffin cup liners into muffin cups.

To prepare cupcakes, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with a knife. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine melted butter and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk, milk, and 1 teaspoon rind to butter mixture; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not overbeat). Stir in juice. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; garnish with blueberries, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories 236  Caloriesfromfat 29 %  Fat 7.7 g  Satfat 4.6 g  Monofat 2 g  Polyfat 0.4 g  Protein 3.7 g

Lab work and xrays...almost ready

I had 'one of those days' today.  I had labs and xrays scheduled for today and a nutritionists visit.  My doctor's office is a hot mess.  I have never dealt with people who were so disorganized and just plain unprofessional.  They used to be great...in the last 6 months things have gone down hill quickly.  There were numerous calls this week with numerous instructions.  I had a feeling things would be bad.

First of all, they sent me to the wrong place.  The folks there were AWESOME.  Called the doctors and spoke to numerous folks until they got it right.  They gave me directions where to go.  Well, kinda.  They sent me to the hospital but the hospital has at least 40 huge buildings and so it took me a while to find where I was suppose to be.  Thirty minutes later, I was where I needed to go.  Pleasant people all around. But guess what?  No orders in the system.  Once again, a kind person called the office and talked to a myriad of people about what I needed.  Then she ordered what I really needed.  See, she had this surgery in the past and knew what I needed.  Thank goodness!

At this point I am almost 12 hours without water...which means I will be a pin cushion before they find a vein.  But everyone was super pleasant.  The worst test included jabbing a needle in my wrist to get blood from an artery.  Dear lord.  But that was over quickly.

I was late for my appointment with the nutritionist because of the run around. When I got there, I unloaded on her and complained about the craziness.

The funny thing is...when I left there and went and got lunch, I was sensible in my selection of lunch.  I did have coffee which I needed badly, but I ordered a low fat wrap and water.  My previous self would have ordered dessert.  But with all  that stress and pain, I focused on my goal.  And that my friend, is a WIN!!!

Try to remember that you are on a journey...it is a marathon.  And if you let people knock you off course, it spells disaster for you not them!  Hugs!

Cooking Light magazine makes my life easier...and tasty

Most of the push back on diets swirl around the never ending salad and flavorless food.  And recipes sound good but when you cook them they look horrible.  That is why I get cooking light magazine in the mail.  I love the color photos and wonderful recipes.

Cooking Light doesn't skimp on flavor. They provide recipes that remind you full fat/carb food without the fat and carbs.  I am a huge fan.  They have made me a foodie!

Last night I made one of the sheet pan chicken recipe.  I didn't have any squash so I used what I had in the fridge.  Tasty and wonderful.

To keep eating healthy you have to become open to different flavors and textures.  Magazines like this help you to branch out.  Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Maple-Mustard Roasted Chicken with Squash and Brussels Sprouts

ACTIVE TIME20 mins

TOTAL TIME1 hr

YIELD

Serves 6 (serving size: 4 oz. chicken and 1 cup vegetables)

Ingredients

·         1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, divided

·         1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

·         1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

·         4 (10-oz.) bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

·         4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 lb.)

·         3 large shallots, peeled and quartered

·         1/2 acorn squash, seeded and cut crosswise into slices

·         8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (about 2 cups)

·         2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

·         1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

How to Make It

1.      Place a large rimmed baking sheet in oven; preheat oven to 425°F (leave pan in oven as it preheats).

2.      Combine sage, mustard, and syrup in a small bowl; brush evenly over chicken breasts. Carefully remove pan from oven. Add chicken to pan; bake at 425°F for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Discard any juices from pan.

3.      Add butternut squash, shallots, acorn squash, and Brussels sprouts to pan with chicken. Top vegetables with butter, oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper; toss. Spread in an even layer around chicken. Sprinkle chicken with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove bones from chicken before serving; discard.

When life brings you down, don't eat...get a plan!

I am an emotional eater.  I get upset, I eat.  I get mad, I eat.  I am wronged, I eat.  And I don't eat things that are good for me...oh no, I eat crap.  And the worst thing is, the crap tastes like crap.  And I know it is bad for me.  But, I do it anyway.  And you know why, because I know that the crap I put in my mouth, will make me feel more angry and more mad and more sad.  I will feel like a loser...a failure.

Well, in order to get yourself ready for gastric bypass you have to start thinking differently.  You have to look at those actions and call them for what they are...a crutch.  You have to stop being your own worse enemy.  You have to take responsibility for letting others decide your destiny.  Will there be times where you slip up and eat crap?  Dear Lord yes!  But even those times, you must name it for what it is.  But how do you do that?

Somebody disappoints you.  They let you down.  Do you eat cake?  No, you tell them they disappointed you , then you put a plan in place so it doesn't happen again.

You are overlooked for a promotion.  Do you eat cookies?  No, you talk to you manager and find out why you were overlooked and put a plan in place to remedy the issue.

Somebody calls you fat or another heinous name.  Do you make pancakes?  NO!  You tell them you are working on yourself.  You tell them you are not where you want to be, but you are on track to be there.  And you double down on your exercise.  You have a plan.  You are amazing.  You got this.

Food is not our friend.  Food is energy needed to make us spectacular.  It is a tool to help us function and be healthy and happy.

You are your best friend.  You can make a difference in your own life.  Be strong!

Next time you shop...bring a magnifying glass

Have you ever noticed how SMALL nutrition facts are on labels?  I am old...my eyes are weak...but I HAVE TO READ THE LABELS!!!  You ask why?

Here is a news flash...YOU CANNOT LOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF IF YOU DO NOT EAT HEALTHY FOOD!!!! 

But you say...food is  food.  I buy chicken and some rice package that says it is healthy and some veggies and all is good.  Really?  All is good?  That rice package?  Did you check the sodium?  

Let's look at this one...sorry Uncle Ben...Uncle Ben's ready rice chicken flavored whole grain brown rice.  Now we all have been told that whole grain is awesome.  And brown rice is better than white rice?

This is the scoop on this one....

Do you see the sodium is 710 mg per serving? 41 g of Carbohydrate?  That doesn't sound wonderful?  Regular brown rice has 10mg of sodium per serving.  I think you would be better off with that.  And if you just left the rice off of your plate..you can see where I am going with this?

But, you have to do your research.  You have to read every label.  You have to take your time shopping.  If not, you will never lose and keep the weight off.  You will never get rid of those pills and aches and pains.  You must eat well...so read your labels!!!!

Being strong is hard...this is why we fail....

I have a sweet tooth...actually I have a whole set of sweet teeth.  I love bakery items and especially the sweet rendering of a little bakery called Rachel K's in Washington, NC.  She is very talented and her food is amazing.  My true love is her chocolate croissants.  I have dreams about them,  The only thing I asked for on my birthday was...Rachel K.  It is that good or bad

So yesterday I was getting my hair done down the street from Rachel K's.  The sweetest girls work at the salon.  Capelli by the way.  They walked down to Rachel's to get dinner while I was processing.  And guess what they brought back for me?  chocolate croissant!!!  I said no thank you...you eat it.  Miracle, right?  Then I had to watch them eat it.  I know I looked at the croissant like it was God's answer to salvation...but I held fast.  The brought back a whole bag of wonderful pastries and I held firm.

Was I happy? NO But, I know I am killing myself.  I know the answer is in my hands.  I know that surgery and healthy living tastes better than a croissant...well, maybe just as good.

Stand tall dear friends!!!

Embracing the process

The road to surgery is long and complicated.  Besides the soul searching and doubt is the winding road of insurance and doctors and nutritionists.  Then there is the different patients...some patients are trying to get healthy, some are dealing with life or death situations, some are tired of dieting.  Some patients are very well educated and some aren't.  But to get to surgery, we all have to go through the same process with the same people.  There is no variation.

So be calm...this will not all happen over night.  Crap I have been at it for almost a year now.  But I see the future and it is beautiful.

Keep dieting...keep focused...and keep moving my friends!

Trouble with going when I am losing

Oh no I am active...plenty of exercise...I mean going...yep that one.  The problem I think is the lack of roughage.  When you are getting ready for surgery you have a lot of liquid meals.  Even though the protein shakes have some fiber, it is not enough to keep things cleaned out.  And that can make you irritable and bloated.

How do you get around it?  Well, I have tried many things.  What I have found is to add fiber to the shakes.  I have bought citrucel and tried it but the orange flavor really didn't work for me.  Then I tried miralax.  And that was wonderful.  I put some in my shakes twice a day and it keeps things going. It also didn't cause a massive increase in gas.  Metamucil will really stir up the gas!  The increase protein and lack of fiber is stressful to our systems.

Even if you don't experience this during prep, post surgery you definitely will.  Miralax uses the water you drink to help prepare your system.  If you still are having issues, try a stool softener.  Sometimes it isn't the creation, but the travel :-)

Hang in there my friends!

Some days I am so lazy...what do I eat?

I am normally very serious about cooking a healthy meal at night.  It is my only real meal during  the day.  I normally have a protein shake for breakfast and lunch.  But some days after work I am beat.  Just had it.  Now the tricky thing is I live 10 miles from the nearest restaurant and it is greasy fast food.  So I have to be ready to prepare something. UGH!!!

So I stock some things as go to meals in the freezer and pantry.  Things that don't expire or require alot of drama to whip up.

My favorites? 

Frozen Turkey burgers.  Lean meat and quick to pan cook.  You can jazz them up with what you have handy

Frozen veggies.  Add them to the burger and you have a meal.  They keep forever.

Frozen rice.  If you have a Trader Joe's, stock up.  The rice comes in packages and you just nuke them.  Nothing added.  Awesome.  If  you don't have a Trader Joe's look for frozen rice in your grocery store.  But buy the kind without salt and seasoning. IF your grocery doesn't stock this, look for a pre-cooked rice in a package that has nothing added.  It will make your life easier.

Tuna in the package.  I prefer while albacore.  Can be whipped into a salad quickly.

Pita/wraps - I keep a couple packages in the freezer.  Take any of the above and stuff it in a pita or wrap and you have dinner.  Add side or fruit or yogurt and life is truly good.

Canned beans - I always buy my faves in reduced sodium/vegetarian.  A turkey burger over black beans is awesome.  Make sure and rinse them so you get rid of extra salt, etc.

What do you say...can I have some Satay?

Why yes you can!!!!  I love a good satay sauce..the fatty creamy peanut butter, the fatty creamy coconut milk and all the other fatty delicious ingredients that make you swoon.  But on a diet?  You can achieve that same nirvana without the calories and FAT!!!

Instead of peanut butter how about almond butter?  It is better for you without all the fat.
Instead of coconut milk how about light coconut milk?  Much less fat.

2 tablespoons of almond butter.
2+ tablespoons of lite coconut milk (Start with 2 tablespoons then add some if too thick)
1 tablespoon of lime juice
2 teaspoons of reduce-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon or more to taste of sweet chili sauce

Whisk the almond butter, coconut milk, lime, soy, and chili until smooth.

I personally find that putting it on the stove on low heat and whisking it makes live so much easier.

I usually serve this with turkey meatballs, veggie noodles, and bok choy.
I just discovered bok choy and I am in love.  Slice it in thin strips then sautee in a little olive oil and garlic and ginger.  Just soooo good.

Enjoy!  If you have any questions, just ask the Fat Girl!!!

Inspire PURE Unflavored Protein..I give it a F-

I am preparing for surgery so I have been trying to get used to consuming lots and lots of protein.  I knew that I would have to sneak protein in where ever I could.  Including, soups and broths.  So I searched out for a good protein powder that had no flavor and could be mixed in with hot items.

So I turned to Inspire PURE unflavored protein.  32.99 for 20 serving was steep but I thought I would not be using for every meal.  Just sparingly.  So I followed the following instructions...

To Use: Blend 1/2 scoop with a tablespoon of liquid before folding into or blending into larger quantities. Blend ‘liquid’ Pure into hot soup, V8 juice, fruit smoothies, chili, stews, refried beans, pudding, chicken pot pie, or any semi-liquid food or liquid. Pure does not affect the taste or texture of the liquids or foods that it is blended with. 

I did just use about 1/4 of a scoop and 1 tablespoon of water.  Then I put it in a cup of decaf coffee.  Dear LORD what a disaster.  The protein powder clumped in little bits and was disgusting.  It was like when I used powdered creamer in the old days. Just awful.  I stirred and stirred trying to get it to un clump.  I just dumped it out.  I guess it really is not the product I thought it would be.

I have used it in cold smoothies and it was fine.  Just not in hot.  I guess I will keep searching....

Bariatric Psychology Questionnaire....Am I too crazy to have surgery?

Yep...I have my own personal underground garage :-)  Part of the process of having weight loss surgery is seeing a psychologist.  Now, I understand that they want to make sure you do not have any evil lurking issues to address before they do this major surgery.  You have to be in the right frame of mind.

I was sent a 20+ page document/questionnaire to fill out.  Now, I have had people question my sanity many times but some of the questions asked on this form started to make me think I was totally normal.  Then I took a step back and realized, the poor people who answer yes to some of these questions.  They must feel so out of control and in so much pain.  To not be able to control your binge eating...even in the middle of the night.  To binge and purge...over and over again.

I filled out the document and skipped the parts they told me to.  Then I went back and read those parts.  It made me feel sad and lucky at the same time.  I am sad that there is so much pain in this world.  And our self image can be so tortured by what we weigh and how we look.  And lucky, because even though I am obese...morbidly so, I have a positive outlook on life.  I see my weight as an attribute of my body not as the definition of who I am.  Do I wish I did not weigh so much? YES  Do I think if I weighed less I would be a better person? NO...I would be thinner and healthier.  I would still be an awesome person regardless.

If somebody reads this who is struggling with their weight, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE..know you are special and fabulous at any weight.  Your weight does not define who you are.  Your actions and kindness define you.

If somebody who loves somebody who is struggling with their weight reads this, PLEASE BE KIND.  How you approach somebody who is struggling can make the difference in them getting help and continuing to struggle.  Do not ignore the issue, just be KIND.

Stress eaters unite..you know who you are!!!!

Ahh yes...the eating of all things sweet when I am stressed.  I forage through the cabinets and refrigerator looking for anything bad for me and sugary sweet.  I've been known to eat semi sweet chocolate bits.

Why bring that up now?  Well I am oncall this week at work.  Calls coming in all times of the day and night.  Stressful situations...so I feel a slip starting.  So what can I do to keep myself on track?  Well there is a few things.

1.  Try to manage your stress.  Yeah, that one makes me laugh too.  BUT, you can add a little more exercise the weeks you know you are having alot of stress.  If you are visiting relatives or relatives are visiting you, just take an extra long walk. Or when they say awful things to you, just think of something funny in your head.  I know, this is the hard one. Sleep when you can, and be kind to yourself.

2. Purge Purge Purge the bad foods from your house.  If you are dieting, you should have already done this.  If not, stand in that pantry and get rid of anything that might tempt you.  Even the baking chocolate.

3.  Fill your fridge with quick healthy meals and snacks.  The urge to fill the stress with food will happen.  When it does, try some yogurt or fruit.  It makes it so much easier to do if you have those in the house.  When you are stressed, you don't have the energy to make a meal.  Make sure you have healthy meals frozen or frozen turkey patties and frozen veggies available.  You can make a quick meal without the stress.  And my go to when I am oncall, anything in the crockpot.  Dump low cal ingredients in the crockpot and let it go.

4.  Try to be kind to yourself.  If you go off the ranch, then don't beat yourself up.  Stand up and brush yourself off and do better tomorrow.  If we were perfect, life would be boring.

Need a good recipe for the crock-pot?  From Cooking Light with less than 200 calories a serving!

Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili

This soup has a mild chile flavor. If you want more heat, increase the amount of chili powder and don't seed the jalapeños.

• Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup, 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro)

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped seeded jalapeño pepper (2 peppers)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• Preparation

  1. Combine first 12 ingredients in a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
  2. Ladle soup into bowls; top with sour cream, cheese, and cilantro.

  Nutritional Information

  Amount per serving

  • Calories 197
   
  • Caloriesfromfat 0.0 %
   
  • Fat 3.8 g
   
  • Satfat 2.3 g
   
  • Monofat 1.1 g
   
  • Polyfat 0.2 g
   
  • Protein 11.2 g
   
  • Carbohydrate 28.9 g
   
  • Fiber 8.9 g
   
  • Cholesterol 8 mg
   
  • Iron 2.8 mg
   
  • Sodium 591 mg
   
  • Calcium 129 mg

Saturday yum day!

I love Saturday...it has so much promise.  I made a list for WalMart and me and hubby took off.  Now, I am a southern girl who lives in this little town.  I have a Food Lion and a WalMart.  Neither stocks unique or wonderful ingredients.  Sometimes I have to just make do.  This was one of those weekends.

I had a recipe that called for miso...no.  Not gonna find that.  So I improvised.

Saturday's recipe was again from Cooking Light.  I only eat bread on the weekend and if we have french bread, I scoop out the middle so there is just a tiny bit of bread left.  For this recipe, I hollowed it out then toasted the bread to hold the filling.  I also use almond milk instead of regular milk.  I suggest cutting the milk to a cup.  You can always add later.  I served this with a fruit salad.  It was a hit.  It says it is a sloppy joe but to us it tasted more like beef stroganaff on a sandwich.

Turkey and Swiss 

Sloppy Joes

YIELDServes 4 (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 12 ounces ground turkey breast
• 2 cups thinly sliced kale
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 ounces presliced mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns

• How to Make It

  1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add turkey; cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add kale, onion, thyme, garlic powder, and mushrooms; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Whisk together milk and flour. Add milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove pan from heat; stir in cheese, pepper, and salt. Spoon about 3/4 cup turkey mixture onto each bun.

Monday...ugh but a good food weekend!

I really do NOT like Mondays!  The weekend is always so much fun and relaxing.  Wake up when you want...do what you want...watch TV.  I have a ton of hobbies so there is always something waiting for me to explore. I paint, sew, and really like to cook and bake.  Baking is off the list right now, but the others are ready and waiting.

My work is very brain intensive so I find peace in my hobbies.  I started Friday night.  I have a subscription to Cooking Light magazine.  Of all the magazines I have received through the years,  this has been the best investment I have ever made.  When you are on a diet, you get sick of the same food over and over again.  The magazine gives me ideas on how to try something different.  And for that, I am thankful.  The pictures get me excited about cooking.  Sooo...on Friday after work I made these amazing Brownie Energy Bites.  The recipe calls for hazelnuts but I do not like them, so I substituted pecans. Sometimes something as simple as  this can lift your spirits.  Dinner was cod with black beans and sauteed spinach with onions and garlic.  Even my husband was impressed.

Brownie Energy Bites

ACTIVE TIME20 mins

TOTAL TIME1 hr, 10 mins

YIELDServes 20 (serving size: 1 brownie bite)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
• 12 whole Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 2/3 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

How to Make It

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spread nuts on a small rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes, stirring once. Cool 10 minutes. Rub off skins. Reserve 20 hazelnuts. Pulse remaining hazelnuts in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer chopped nuts to a small bowl.
3. Pulse dates in food processor until almost pastelike. Add almond butter, cocoa, 2 tablespoons water, vanilla, and salt; process until well combined. Turn mixture out into a bowl; divide into 20 equal portions. Roll each portion around 1 whole hazelnut to form a ball. (Mixture will be oily.) Roll each brownie ball in chopped hazelnuts to coat. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

What makes you so special?

I have admitted that I am Fat...then I blog about how to lose weight.  I tell you I am definitely going to have bariactric surgery, then I go on about what to eat.  Hmmmm...seems kinda crazy right?

Well, if you are thinking of having some kind of surgery, know you will have to spend 6 months to a year proving you are eligible and worthy.  It doesn't matter if you have a BMI of 50 or not.  You still have to go through  the drill.  And it has to be monitored.  So if you think you are ready to start the process, then go see a surgeon and start the process.  You will have to prove you are dieting and exercising.  You will go to the doctors monthly and be questioned and poked.  Then the actually process starts with psychologists and tests and more monitoring.

So start now.  Go see the surgeon.

I am 7 months into this journey.  I started off at about 300 pounds. I am down to 240.  I still have 100 pounds to go.  Amazing huh?  But is this all talk?  Am I just full of myself?

Here are some pictures of me before I got mad

That is my lovely husband and me last February.  How many chins to you see?  3 - 4?  I was super heavy then.  I just didn't care.

And another  from the Fall before that.

And here I am today.  In my office with my sweet dog.  I have started my journey but have a long way to go.

Dressing on the side...of the garbage can

We all know when we diet we are suppose to eat more veggies.  Have a salad the skinny girls say...order the dressing on the side.  Order the fat free dressing.  Yeah, cause I like eating lettuce dipped in crap.  That was my life long goal...to eat crappy stuff.

So in my endeavor to eat more veggies I started my adventure into salad dressings...or as I like to say, salad hooochie mamas...cause that stuff was dressing nothing.

If I ate the 'normal' dressings, they were full of fat and chemicals and calories but they tasted good.  If I ate the 'diet' dressings...dear lord, those tasted awful and were either so sweet or chemical tasting and still had calories.  And if they took out the sugar they put in the sugar substitutes which gave me a headache and belly ache.   Ahhh...salad with a side of puking.  LOVE IT.

So, what did I do?  I looked at the stuff I liked about salad dressing.  Tangy, sweet, and fruity.  I gave up on the creamy...I knew that was not gonna happen.

So I went to the store and bought 5 things:
white wine vinegar
a good olive oil (grapeseed is good too)
dijoin mustand
no sugar added jelly of my liking (raspberry) - fruit only is awesome
raw honey

Now some of you are gonna say the jarred stuff is a couple of bucks and that stuff is pricey.  True, but you can make a lot of jars of dressing with those items plus use it for other stuff.

Now how much of this or that is kinda trial as you go.  I normally start with a 2 to 1 vinegar to olive oil with a little salt and pepper and about 1/2 teaspoon (or squirt) of mustard.  If you hate mustard, leave it out.  Put that in a plastic container with a lid and give it a really good shake.  Taste it.  Not tangy enough, add some more vinegar.  Too tangy add some more oil.  Now, if you like your dressing fruity but not sweet, add a tablespoon or less of the jelly/jam. Shake away.  If you are like me and needed a little more sweetness, give it a squirt of honey.  Shake.

This will store in the fridge.  So you can make a bunch once you find you zen and not be scrambling.  I have fallen in love with blood oranges..so I just squeeze those in instead of  the jelly.  Sometimes I use a juice to flavor it.  Sometimes just the honey.

I know, some of you are gonna say...but the sugars.  Well, yes. BUT, with this I will eat a salad or veggies EVERYDAY.  Without this, I stand at the frig and ignore the cucumbers calling to me.

Now some of you must have a creamy dressing...try this...fat free plain yogurt, a little honey, and mustard (any kind you like).  Adjust to taste.  This is a nice tangy honey mustard.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!