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!!!