Two of my sister-in-law Rochelle's friends from work also had my surgery and have been really successful with it. The other day Glen's dad came by to drop off some stuff, and one of the things he gave me was a decorated box. It was from these two sweet women, and it was filled with some of their favorite things that helped them to be successful - a journal for logging calories (which I have not been doing since I generally just watch to make sure I am having four 200 calorie meals a day), small spoons, drink powders, gas strips, protein bars, tuna packet, almonds, and a fat/carb counter book. I was overwhelmed with gratitude at their kindness, when we haven't even met before.
We are still having crockpot days. We have had the stuffed cabbage soup, chicken in creamy sauce, spaghetti, and tortilla soup. It's great to make two a week, then set out the leftovers and everyone can choose what they want (and microwave it) on some other day. Also, the girls have been really getting into salad, which is great. Sometimes we just have a salad bar, and I cut up lunchmeat, and we also have garbanzo beans, lowfat cheese, and sunflower seeds, for good protein.
I am on the search for a good protein bar. I am going to try to get as picky as I can. This is everything that I want from it. I would like it to be around 200 calories or less. I would like it to be high protein (perhaps > 15 g?), and I would like the protein source to NOT be soy. I have read from different sources a lot of bad things about soy , especially the soy that we use here in the US. I would like it to be low or moderate in fat. I would like it to have a couple of grams of fiber (not the super high fiber bars). I would like it to have real sugar and/or stevia as the sweetener source, not splenda (sucralose) or high-fructose corn syrup. Then of course I would love for it to taste good, and if there are a couple of different flavors, even better. I do love almonds and peanut butter. I do not like marshmallow-flavored bars. I would not mind if it costs a little more, since it would be one of my four meals, maybe up to $3 per bar. If anyone reading this has any ideas of a great bar, let me know. I have done some internet searching, but it's hard to do a search with all the components that I want so it takes some investigation time. I found one on Mercola's website with high-quality ingredients, but it's 300 calories per bar, and is super high in fat (although it is coconut oil, one of the best fats for you). AND you have to buy a case for $65. It works out to less than $2 per bar, but I would want to see if they'd send me a sample because I don't want to buy a whole case and discover that I do not like them. Oh, and I don't want to make my own homemade bars.
Exercise is still my struggle. And I am eating fast. I hate cold food. I am also not supposed to be drinking while I eat, but that is really difficult to comply with. I am doing well with eating low fat and high protein. The other day, I ate a protein bar on my break, got busy at lunch so I didn't eat. Stayed at work till 4:30 and was really hungry. So I tried a plain cheeseburger at McDonald's, minus one bun. It was nasty. I ate about a third of it. It was so greasy. I don't ever get sick, but it took the whole ride home just to feel normal again. If there is a next time, I am going to try the grilled snack wrap, no sauce, and rip off some tortilla. I didn't get that this time because it doesn't seem to have much chicken on it, and I felt like I needed more protein.
We went to the Outback last night after Cami's Nutcracker tryouts (she didn't make it into the production, but we are SO proud of her for trying, and being willing to try again next year). I did have a small piece of bread, and two small pieces of the bloomin' onion. I had half of a salad, but then after all that, I only had room for 2-3 small bites of grilled chicken (from the kids' menu) and a bite of broccoli. Not a lot of protein, but I felt okay, and it was kind of fun having a little of several things.
Oh! And another first...I picked the girls up from school at 1:00, and I ordered Domino's Pizza (new by the dance studio). I ordered a medium, thin-crust ham and pineapple pizza for me, and a usual large for everyone else. I told the guy that I had the surgery, and I don't know if he did it special for me, but he cut my pizza into smaller squares. Anyway, I tried it with great success. I had two small pieces, which would probably not even equal to a regular piece of pizza, especially with the thin crust, but it was really good. It's great being able to have some modified lower-fat and lower-carb versions of regular foods, in small amounts. I hear of people who tried to find ways to be able to eat MORE by eating "slippery" foods and I know that I do not fall into that category. I do not want to be that person who is always saying "Whoa is me, I can't have that because I had surgery." The Bible talks about if you are going to do acts of service, do them cheerfully, not always making a face, and that's kind of how I feel about this. So I just try to have small amounts or modified versions so that it fits well within my plan.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
It's Crockpot Monday
I am making food in the crockpot every Monday. Today I am making spaghetti, which is basically hamburger, Hunts sauce, Garlic Garlic, and some green peppers, so I am not posting the recipe on facebook. Any recipes that are interesting will be posted in my notes. I am not sure how I will do with the spaghetti, since it's not particularly high in protein, and I will be eating some noodles, but I will give it a whirl.
Right now I have lost almost 53 pounds. I have bought two things that are size 20, one mismarked 16/18 (but I had to get it anyway for the number, LOL), and a 1x. The rest have been 22's and 2x, though the are getting looser on me. We went to Partridge Creek yesterday and I looked at Lane Bryant for a jean jacket. They had one for $60 so I didn't buy it. I found a clearance blazer for 9.99 that was originally 79.99. It was a 20 and fit nicely so I got it. I love sales!
We had the dance competition bowling fundraiser. They had pizza and pop, but I brought my iced tea and they had a turkey wrap at the snack bar, and I had less than half of it. A few people that didn't know about my surgery noticed that I had lost weight, so that was cool.
Gotta fly to work. Today is my crazy day. Crockpot, work, staff meeting, feed/visit Dad, get Cami to dance, grocery shop, eat dinner, go to pool, go to sleep, the end. :-)
Right now I have lost almost 53 pounds. I have bought two things that are size 20, one mismarked 16/18 (but I had to get it anyway for the number, LOL), and a 1x. The rest have been 22's and 2x, though the are getting looser on me. We went to Partridge Creek yesterday and I looked at Lane Bryant for a jean jacket. They had one for $60 so I didn't buy it. I found a clearance blazer for 9.99 that was originally 79.99. It was a 20 and fit nicely so I got it. I love sales!
We had the dance competition bowling fundraiser. They had pizza and pop, but I brought my iced tea and they had a turkey wrap at the snack bar, and I had less than half of it. A few people that didn't know about my surgery noticed that I had lost weight, so that was cool.
Gotta fly to work. Today is my crazy day. Crockpot, work, staff meeting, feed/visit Dad, get Cami to dance, grocery shop, eat dinner, go to pool, go to sleep, the end. :-)
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Let the school year begin
So far everything is going splendidly with the new school year. Having a cup of coffee and a protein drink in the morning is just enough, and it takes me just about the whole car trip to drink the protein, probably mostly because I am on the phone with Glen and/or one of my sisters during half the trip! :-) Then I take a frozen meal or a salad for lunch. Ken's has a great low-fat Asian dressing. One person told me they can't tolerate lettuce, and I was worried about that, but I have had no problems. The only thing I had a weird reaction to was something I knew I shouldn't have, rice. I had had a little rice in the stuffed cabbage Lean Cuisine meal, and I thought maybe, unlike my sister Patti, I could tolerate a little rice. One day I made a Lipton rice side dish, and took about a teaspoon. As soon as I ate one bite of it, I didn't really feel like I was going to get sick, but it felt more like I was having a heart attack (great). I got up and walked around, and eventually it subsided. I have been able to have some crackers and also toasted bread. I have not tried noodles. I try to find high fiber things. I got some of those flatbreads and circle breads, and will eat just half at a time. I am able to tolerate a tortilla, but I eat a half or less.
So far I am just making regular dinners but I just have a smaller amount, and I eat more protein and veggies and just a small amount of the carbs. I am buying a book called "Really Fast Slow Cooker Meals" which I am REALLY excited about. I don't want to do a lot of prep. We are going to have a slow cooker dinner for sure every Monday. Julie, Cami, and their friend Alyssa will eat as soon as they get home from school, then after my staff meeting and going to my dad's to take him dinner, I will grab a snack and take Cami and Alyssa to dance. Julie and I will walk while Cami is dancing. Then I will come home and eat dinner, and we'll go to the pool later.
A couple of times I have used my "Please let this bariatric patient order a kids meal" card. I used it at Outback and got the kids' grilled chicken with a side of broccoli, and ordered a salad - yum!!! I got kids' turkey at Bob Evans. Yesterday I got a chicken taco (not puffy) at El Charro with a side of beans, though the dork waiter charged me the a la carte price, not the kid price, but I wasn't going to argue - it was delish, and I couldn't eat all of it (which was true at all three restaurants).
My weight lately was moving down reeeeeeally slowly, but still moving down. Then this morning it was a bigger jump. I am just a touch under the 50 pound mark, and very close to the 40% mark. I am really happy about that. Dr. Hawasli said I could lose 100 by Christmas. I'm not sure about that, but it would be so cool.
I went to Salvation Army and bought a bunch of stuff for $47. Got some things at 5 for $5, but then when I found other cute stuff at full price, still $2.99 to $6.99, I bought it all. Then I got two pairs of pants for work, black and brown, at Sears, and a few other things here and there. I try not to spend over $15 per item, but I do think the pants were a little more, but still on sale and in the low 20's. I bought a shirt that was a 16/18 that fit me, plain black and not exciting, but a good basic staple to my wardrobe and the size was fun to see. What I really want is a pair of jeans and a jean jacket. I probably would not even wear them together (as Michael Kors would say "too matchy-matchy", LOL). I have not found a jean jacket yet, and I keep waiting on the jeans because I want to buy the smallest size possible.
Right now I am wearing a 22 or 24, 2x or 3x. I started at a 26/28, pretty much 4x with occasional 3x. I am not BUYING anything that has a number above 22 or 2x. I still own some bigger numbers that fit me and I wear them. Some clothes are big, but not falling off, so I wear them. I have some 4x capris that ran small and couldn't wear them before, and now I can wear them and they are just the right size. I am not hung up on the number, but will not spend time buying any more of them! If anybody reading this has any clothes, anything size 12 through 22 that you don't want any more, I will gladly take them! The higher numbers would need to be in fall/winter stuff, not summer. I would especially love things I hate spending money on: coats, bathing suits, dressy clothes. If you have any REALLY good stuff that you wanted to sell instead of giving away, I would come look at them.
As for exercise......my nemesis. When I don't have another obligation, I will be at the pool Monday and Wednesday for water aerobics. Please join me because it's so much fun, and even better with a friend there. It's cheap, only $2.50 with a punch card AND older kids can come if they are actually exercising too and not kicking water on the older ladies' hair. If walking is your thing, and you need a walking buddy, I will be walking Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays while my girls are at dance, up and down Utica Road, starting at the corner of 15 and Utica at the dance studio. If you're interested in coming, let me know and I'll give you the times I will be there.
Well...I think that's about it. No other new news in my world that I can think of right now.
So far I am just making regular dinners but I just have a smaller amount, and I eat more protein and veggies and just a small amount of the carbs. I am buying a book called "Really Fast Slow Cooker Meals" which I am REALLY excited about. I don't want to do a lot of prep. We are going to have a slow cooker dinner for sure every Monday. Julie, Cami, and their friend Alyssa will eat as soon as they get home from school, then after my staff meeting and going to my dad's to take him dinner, I will grab a snack and take Cami and Alyssa to dance. Julie and I will walk while Cami is dancing. Then I will come home and eat dinner, and we'll go to the pool later.
A couple of times I have used my "Please let this bariatric patient order a kids meal" card. I used it at Outback and got the kids' grilled chicken with a side of broccoli, and ordered a salad - yum!!! I got kids' turkey at Bob Evans. Yesterday I got a chicken taco (not puffy) at El Charro with a side of beans, though the dork waiter charged me the a la carte price, not the kid price, but I wasn't going to argue - it was delish, and I couldn't eat all of it (which was true at all three restaurants).
My weight lately was moving down reeeeeeally slowly, but still moving down. Then this morning it was a bigger jump. I am just a touch under the 50 pound mark, and very close to the 40% mark. I am really happy about that. Dr. Hawasli said I could lose 100 by Christmas. I'm not sure about that, but it would be so cool.
I went to Salvation Army and bought a bunch of stuff for $47. Got some things at 5 for $5, but then when I found other cute stuff at full price, still $2.99 to $6.99, I bought it all. Then I got two pairs of pants for work, black and brown, at Sears, and a few other things here and there. I try not to spend over $15 per item, but I do think the pants were a little more, but still on sale and in the low 20's. I bought a shirt that was a 16/18 that fit me, plain black and not exciting, but a good basic staple to my wardrobe and the size was fun to see. What I really want is a pair of jeans and a jean jacket. I probably would not even wear them together (as Michael Kors would say "too matchy-matchy", LOL). I have not found a jean jacket yet, and I keep waiting on the jeans because I want to buy the smallest size possible.
Right now I am wearing a 22 or 24, 2x or 3x. I started at a 26/28, pretty much 4x with occasional 3x. I am not BUYING anything that has a number above 22 or 2x. I still own some bigger numbers that fit me and I wear them. Some clothes are big, but not falling off, so I wear them. I have some 4x capris that ran small and couldn't wear them before, and now I can wear them and they are just the right size. I am not hung up on the number, but will not spend time buying any more of them! If anybody reading this has any clothes, anything size 12 through 22 that you don't want any more, I will gladly take them! The higher numbers would need to be in fall/winter stuff, not summer. I would especially love things I hate spending money on: coats, bathing suits, dressy clothes. If you have any REALLY good stuff that you wanted to sell instead of giving away, I would come look at them.
As for exercise......my nemesis. When I don't have another obligation, I will be at the pool Monday and Wednesday for water aerobics. Please join me because it's so much fun, and even better with a friend there. It's cheap, only $2.50 with a punch card AND older kids can come if they are actually exercising too and not kicking water on the older ladies' hair. If walking is your thing, and you need a walking buddy, I will be walking Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays while my girls are at dance, up and down Utica Road, starting at the corner of 15 and Utica at the dance studio. If you're interested in coming, let me know and I'll give you the times I will be there.
Well...I think that's about it. No other new news in my world that I can think of right now.
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