Fluffy Snack * Recipe

So... I've mentioned that I'll also include some of the recipes I go through while on my journey.  I have recently been craving something sweet but know there's a lot of things off-limits.  So it took some creative thinking and trial and error in order to satisfy my sweet-tooth healthily.  (Healthily... is that a word?  Hm... lol).  I now present to you... my Fluff!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pkg of Sugar Free/Fat Free Pudding mix (your choice of flavor)

1 1/2 Cups of non-fat milk

1/2 tub (4 oz) of sugar free Cool Whip

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the pudding mix and milk together (I use less milk than the directions ask for, to make the pudding a little more thick, before adding the cool whip, so it doesn't get too runny or soft.)  Once it's well mixed - add in 1/2 tub of Cool Whip.  Let sit in bowl in the fridge for at least 10 min. Then eat!

TONIGHT:

The version I made tonight was SF/FF Chocolate Pudding Mix & added in a few drops of Orange flavoring at the end.  Then I added a small pinch of mini chocolate chips on top.  Delicious, but wasn't the best one I've made so far.... Here's a pic of tonight's fluff, I only put 1/4 C in my cup, but usually can't eat it all.

MY FAVORITE VERSION:

I used SF/FF White Chocolate Pudding mix & added in a few drops of mint flavoring.  I also added a few drops of green food coloring, just for fun.  Then I topped it with a small pinch of mini chocolate chips.  DELICIOUS!!!  

Here are the stats for this snack... for those that are wondering... 

(Per 1/4 Cup)

Calories: 74.1

Fat; 2.9

Carbs: 10

Sugar: 2.6

Protein: 1.9

(Without Mini Chocolate Chips)

Calories: 51.1

Fat: 1.6

Carbs: 7

Sugar: 0

Protein: 1.6

Not sure what new version I'll make next... maybe some SF/FF Cheesecake flavor pudding mix, with some yummy flavoring added in.  Who knows... These TOTALLY satisfy my sweets craving, no matter how little I eat of it.  (My husband usually eats what I don't... Nice!)

ENJOY!!

One Pal to Another

We had a BBQ a week ago & I was discussing with my friend that it's a lot of work tracking your foods and trying to figure out how much protein, fats, sugars, etc that you're eating, along with water and exercise.  She suggested using My Fitness Pal.... and showed me some of the features on her phone before she took her beautiful new baby home for the night.  I thought about it and it seemed like an excellent idea.  Another tool to help guide me on my weight loss journey.  

I put the (free) app on my phone... and messed with it for a few minutes and OMG - I love it!  It's super easy to learn & use and it's extremely helpful!  I've been in a stall for a few weeks, not sure what's going on - even though my dr says it's normal, it just doesn't seem normal.  After a week of tracking my food, I realize that I'm only eating 400-600 calories a day.  Who lives on that??  (My body is obviously in starvation mode.)  I am supposed to stay around 800-900 after my surgery, most of that should be protein rich foods... but I'm not getting anywhere near that!!  I never would have known that if it weren't for my pal & my fitness pal.  So I'm thankful for the suggestion and have learned so much by using it!!  

I've also learned that not ALL pre-made meals are tasty!!  I enjoy cooking... I LOVE it... but some days I just don't feel like it.  So I bought a few (high protein) diet type boxed meals and obviously, picked the ones that looked the tastiest.  I figured - FISH - high in protein, salmon is yummy... I'll get this one!!  

Oh Good Lord!!  It was horrific!!  First of all the salmon was about the size of a poker chip (NOT like the salmon pictured on the box), and it was also full of tiny little bones.  Yuck.  Then the sauce was almost rancid... tasted funny.  The combination of veggies in this particular box meal were strange and not appealing.  I added some salt & lemon juice to try to aid in it's tastiness, however it was practically unedible.  Complete fail on this box!!  So I warn anyone, looking for a yummy, quick, pre-made salmon meal - don't get this one!  You'll regret it. 

So... those are my adventures for the day... eating icky food and doing the math on my caloric intake... as well as preparing for our fantasy football league draft day.  With football season coming up, I can't wait to find some healthy alternatives to Game-Day Foods!!  I'll keep you updated if... no WHEN I find some!  

Anyhoo - -  Enjoy My Fitness Pal... and DO NOT try the salmon!! 

Take care, 

I Don't See Food Anymore

It's no joke when they say grocery shopping will take longer after this surgery.  You read labels on everything you put in your cart - it takes at least 3x longer than it used to take, just for a run to the store.  Ugh!  But it's worth it, I'm learning new habits and sticking to them.  

Before & After??

I just realized I actually have some sort of before and after photo's... which is huge for me, cuz I hate pictures - and everyone knows this about me, so most people don't attempt to take my picture.  However I have a great friend named Sheila who is so strong and loving and is teaching me to love myself.  She pushes me outside my bubble and venture outside my comfort zone, in order to be a better, stronger, happier person.  She was present at both of these pictures - and it was her idea to take them.  I begrudgingly stayed at the other end of the camera & now I'm happy I did.  (I may even allow MORE pictures of me taken, so I can document this journey.)  So... here's the best I can do for a side-by-side.... 55lbs difference.

After looking at those pictures, I DO notice a slight difference.  But I think I need to work on my 'head' a little more to work on my confidence.  Then I may see myself for who I am and for how far I've come.  Thank you Sheila, for pushing me outside my box.  

Much Love,

This Stall Will Not Win!

So... I had my 3 mo follow up appointment with my surgeon.  I went in there, knowing I've been in a stall for almost 3 weeks now and feeling pretty bummed.  They weighed me and I was down 2 lbs (which  makes it a 3 lb loss in the last 3 weeks - - no celebration needed.  Ugh!)  Overall, I'm at a loss of 61.5 lbs.  In 3 months - that sounds pretty good to most people, but I just don't think it's enough.  Then the dr puts it into perspective for me - and asks, "Do you notice your clothes fit differently during your stalls?"  I answer him, yes.  

I bought a pair of jeans in a size I haven't fit in in years, telling my oldest son, Ethan, "I'll buy it a little bit too small for now... knowing I'll lose more weight and eventually fit into them."  He said, 'Sounds like a plan."  So I purchased them.  Got home, and just for kicks put them on - they were a bit loose.  Since they are super cute jeans - I decided to keep them. 

My dr said I'm doing good and that he plans on me losing an avg of 2lbs a week for the next 3 mo.  I hate to say it - but I didn't like that comment - I want to lose more.  I want to like my body and how I look and I feel like the only way to feel that way is to lose more weight.  

..... But then I remember things that have made me feel better.  My oldest son, Ethan, convinced me to sit on the swings in our backyard.  The same swings I haven't been able to fit in since we moved here.  I did NOT want to be embarrassed again, after trying & realizing I'm too big for the swings... but he was persistent.  So I sat down and I fit.... on the swings... and could swing!  I comfortably fit on our swings - and I was ecstatic.  So I was swinging in our backyard for a few hours with my boys.

..... Then I remember looking in the mirror this morning before I got into the shower.  My sides are closer together, my stomach is smaller, my arms are flabbier (not necessarily a good thing, but it shows I'm losing weight there, too.)  Overall... I'm shrinking.  I need to realize that even though it's going slowly... it's still going.  The eating, the sacrificing, the walking... the extra HOUR at the grocery store because I have to read all the labels... it's all paying off.  Even though I don't always SEE the difference or FEEL the difference... I know I'm changing.  Slowly and surely, it's working.  

So... this stall will not get the better of me... I will continue with the good habits and follow my dr's orders.  He's happy with where I'm at - I should be too.  

Much Love!

Closer

Cheater, Cheater, Junk Food Eater!

I am part of a handful of WLS Support Facebook groups and I'm quite irritated with some of them lately.  For the most part they are supportive, people ask good questions and share positive stories to help others stay motivated.  Every now and again there's someone who posts a comment or recipe that just makes you wonder why they ever had weight loss surgery to begin with.  One of my pet peeves: 

1) People who enter into this major surgery without doing ANY research first.  They don't read about it, google it, ask questions or do anything to learn more about it.  They think (sorry for my bluntness) "I'm fat, so I'll get surgery, it seems to be the quickest and easiest way to lose weight".  There are plenty of people on those support pages that ask the basic of questions that can easily be answered by doing a little of their own research.  It's THEIR health, it's THEIR lives - why wouldn't they want to do their own research??  Something else that bothers me: 

2) People who don't follow their own doctors instructions.  Every patient is different - every journey is different.  Height, starting weight, lifestyle, medical and mental illnesses - - all of these play factors into what the doctor tells you to do after surgery.  So going onto those support groups and saying, "My doctor/nutritionist recommended I not drink after surgery - well, I'm 1 month post-op and have a date this weekend, I'd like to order a drink.  Think that's ok?"  Um.... how about you take the advice of a group of strangers who don't know your history - instead of your actual doctor??.... No!  The BIGGEST thing that upsets me.... 

3) Cheaters!  They've recently had WLS and make comments like, "I won't deprive myself of a treat now and again...." as a way of justifying the fact that they ate pizza, donuts, a cheeseburger and fries! We all got overweight because of a number of reasons, and more than likely it included a real, serious food addiction.  Just like every other addiction, if you slip a little, you'll easily go back to your addiction.  Your body can't handle those foods in the beginning and your weight loss will definitely suffer because of your cheating!  I think part of this thinking is due to lack of research, but also - crooked thinking.  "I won't deprive myself of a treat....".... um, yes, I WILL deprive myself of a treat.  I got overweight for many different reasons, but one is that I didn't deprive myself of all the yumminess around me.  I want a different lifestyle now, I want to be healthy and happy, and to do that, I WILL, for dam sure, deprive myself of a treat.  

The only thing that reduces my irritation is the fact that it is THEIR life and they will be derailed by their actions, not me.  Hopefully posting their happiness about their cheating on those support groups doesn't convince other, non-educated WLS patients it's ok to follow.  But I will read those posts and smile and say, "at least I didn't cheat today, like so-&-so" and keep sipping my water.  

I see a therapist, have for many years, for many reasons.  And he says things that just make sense... one thing that really sinks in is, "It took you many, many years to get this way, it won't go away overnight."  It's a "duh" moment, but hard to realize sometimes, no matter how much I want to lose weight overnight.  The next best thing he's ever told me was that "If nothing changes, then nothing changes."  We will always weigh what we weigh if we always eat what we've always eaten.  It's THAT simple!!  

 *** Side note: There are times when people slip and don't mean to.  Or there's a weak moment and they DO indulge, shortly after having WLS.  Then they feel horrible, they eat better afterwards and work out twice as hard.  They realize the error they made and try not to do it again.  Those are not cheaters, in my book, they are human.  I'm not looking down on them or criticizing them, as I'm sure we've all been there or will be there at some point.  The cheaters are those that knowingly go into the cheat situation and have no regrets about it later, then boast about it on facebook.  Ugh!!

I need to remember - 

It's not a diet, it's a Lifestyle Change!

Keep me in your prayers, I need the strength!

Much love!!

Scrambled Eggs * Recipe

 I LOVE cooking and I LOVE food!!  I have a food blog (that I haven't updated for quite a while....) called Love of Yum.  However my way of cooking and eating has changed so much, because of my weight loss surgery, so I figured I'd combine my WLS Blog with my Recipe Blog.  They are very much related, anyway.  So... I'll start out with a recipe that WLS patients swear by.  It has a great amount of protein in it, it's healthy and easy to make... for breakfast (which I never eat, but need to!)

* * SCRAMBLED EGGS * * 

So... I scour websites and pinterest pages all I can, in order to find WLS friendly recipes, mainly HIGH protein, LOW sugar & carbs!  One specific recipe keeps popping up, everywhere!  Scrambled eggs with cottage cheese.  I love cottage cheese, but haven't really been able to tolerate eggs since my surgery.  It upsets my pouch!  This morning, I woke up super early and figured - Eh, Let's try it!

I made a double batch, so I can share with  my son, who's trying to lose weight as well (not a WLS patient).  Here's what I did: 

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs

1/4 C cottage cheese

sprinkle of garlic powder

sprinkle of parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Scramble all ingredients together

Lightly spray pan with fat free cooking spray

Cook, move, flip, wiggle and shake until scrambled eggs are to your liking.

Eat.

My review on these (highly recommended eggs) is that they truly aren't that bad.  I actually liked them.  I still had a bit of intolerance from my pouch, so I could only eat about 1/2 an egg worth, but it was yummy.  My son really enjoyed them, as well.

If you need a small, light, protein-packed breakfast... 

hope you try this & enjoy!!

The best project!!

On Avg - I'm Doing Well.

I told myself I would post more often to my blog... but that just hasn't been happening.  Either way - I'm still succeeding and struggling with my weight loss journey, but I knew it'd be difficult, so I'm just rolling with it.

Like I've said before, I weight myself once a week on tuesday mornings - and as of yesterday morning I have lost a total of 58 lbs.  Sounds like a good number, but I'm about 3 months post op and I continually compare myself to others I see on Weight Loss Surgery Support Groups - who have lost more, sooner.  I know if you start out bigger - you lose faster.  I know everyone's body types are different therefore everyone loses differently and at different speeds.  But it's still hard not to compare.  When I put it into perspective, however, I have lost an average of 20lbs a month - and that sounds pretty good.

I'm still struggling with eating - I think the biggest thing holding me back is that I'm not eating enough.  I drink oodles and oodles of water, as I'm supposed to, however I eat basically one meal a day, at supper-time.  For lunch, I eat a slice of deli roast beef, rolled around a small slice of cheese.  Doesn't sound like much but boy does it fill me up.  I'm loving my vegetables and fruits - but that won't make sure I get the adequate amount of protein in.... so I've got to focus on my meats and protein shakes.  Shakes - - ugh - - I have not been good at keeping up with those.  When your body doesn't get enough calories it goes into starvation mode and saves up your food.... instead of burning it as fuel, like we hope.  So - I need to eat a little more to lose a little more - - which is SO hard for me to wrap my head around.

I have yet to take a full body updated picture... so I can do 'side by sides'.... but I have a new face shot, that's the best I can do for now, to document my journey.  I feel a bit different, I look a bit different and I'm still losing.  So I'll say on average.... I'm doing well!

Much love, all!!