That Tuna recipe...

Hi All.. here is the tuna and cucumbers recipe as promised:

Angie's Tuna and Cukes
1 can of Tuna
1/4 cup of plain fat free yogurt (I like greek style Fage myself)
1 T Mustard
Dash of Salt
Pinch of Pepper
1 medium cucumber

Mix the tuna, yogurt, and mustard. Salt and pepper to desired taste. Set aside in fridge. While the mixture is chilling, peel the cucumber and slice lengthwise. Hollow out the seeds in the center. Stuff tuna mixture into the cucumber, if desired, slice into 2" pieces to serve. Makes 2 servings.

Stats: 123 cals, <1g Fat, 3 carbs, <1g Fiber, 24g Protein, 424mg sodium, 25mg cholesterol.

8 and a half months out... I am getting a bit Lazy about this bloggin business!

Time flies when you're having fun. It's been quite a wild ride so far, thats for sure! I can't believe I missed the 7 month update... Someone needs to remind me.. ahem.. Steve?!?

Here's the highlights for the last couple of months..

• Now I am down 164lbs. And yes, I am still loosing and yes, I still have a ways to go.. maybe another 10 or 15lbs. I don't know. I've decided to just listen to my body and let it decide where we are going to stop.


• Lots of random stuff is going on here. We have been selling items at craft shows in the area. Business isn't very good this year but Steve and I have fun together and I love to craft.


• Exercize is key to success even more now that before as my weighloss has slowed to a crawl. While I was loosing 15# a week it's more like 1 or 2 lbs a week.


• I have started to enjoy a bigger variety of foods... I love tuna fish with cucumbers, tuna fish casserole (with BE's famous crepes!) What? you want my recipes? Keep tuned in..


• I am becoming quite the creative protein barista and I have been encouraged to consider writing a book... who me? (It's really been my dream since a child to be a published author!)

On a down note, this past couple of months have been extremely hard because I lost my beloved Granpa on October 18th. Rest in Peace Pops. i love you and miss you. Thanks for being proud of me and thanks for telling me "ya look real good, I mean it!"

All in all life is speeding along and I am trying to keep up. Oh, and here are the holidays.

Enjoy your journey, I am Loving mine!

Love,

Ang

6 Months ALREADY!?! No way!!

Well, I can’t believe it! 6 months already? September 11th was my 6 month surgiversary! Where has the time gone? August 21 marked the 1 year anniversary of me starting this journey. I can’t believe a year ago, I decided to make the change, take the plunge if you will. I’m posting my picture from July 2008, it’s the closest thing I have as to a 1 year picture. I’m also posting my 6month anniversary picture too. Look at the difference… WOW! There are some days that I still can’t believe that I look so different, feel so good. It’s amazing. Last week, I had a crazy burst of energy… so I cleaned out my closets again, cleared out my old shoes, and cleaned out the dresser. It was a take no prisoners approach and I came up with 10 grocery bags of clothes that I can’t wear anymore, and yes, I did try them all on. (Steve got a great fashion show complete with the requisite “Do you think this makes me look fat?” and “Does this look too big?”) Ten bags is a lot of clothes. Most of these are going to friends who can use them (I’m of the reduce, reuse, recycle school of thought, and well, who can’t use free clothes in today’s economy?) I made a couple exceptions however and made a couple of baskets of the brand name stuff to take to consignment… I was so excited to sell my clothes and make some money to buy new smaller sized clothes… What a joke that turned out to be. First of all, I can’t really complain, but I am going to anyway, so humor me. Saturday, I took my baskets to Clothes Mentor in Perrysburg. After waiting for 2 hours for them to sort thru them, I made $21 and they only took 6, yes 6, articles of clothing. I mean, I have to be grateful that those are 6 pieces that I don’t have to get rid of, but I thought that they would take more. So, all week, I have been driving around with 2 baskets of clothes in my backseat, keeping me company all the way. I am going to take them to consignment, or, again, donate them to friends who can use them.
Lately, I have been getting the question “What’s the best part of losing all the weight?” The very best part is how much healthier I feel. ‘Nuff said. The second best part of the last 6 months is I can now shop in the “regular” sizes in the stores (at least for my tops). I got a size 14 skirt zipped this weekend. I am going to try it on again and see how close I am to being able to wear it in public. I need to shop for some jeans, I have none and I don’t like that. I am thinking Goodwill… unless anyone has some size 16s I can have…
We have been having fun trying new foods at our house. Or at least I have been having fun. Steve has tried lots of new foods… and there are very few that are going to be put on his plate again! He liked the Italian chicken. Stir Fry, not so much. I made him grill marinated chicken Shish-Kabobs for supper a couple weeks ago. He said he didn’t like the green pepper and onion (that made me laugh because he eats lots of those, he just doesn’t know it!) It’s been trial and error for him. Me, I eat pretty much the same things, day in and day out. Things I know work. I don’t try a whole lot of new stuff. I did eat some 7-Layer salad a couple of weeks ago. It was wonderful, so I may make some salad for dinner tonight. Tuna salad with cukes mixed in is my all time favorite, right up there with my daily dose of Chicken Cassoulet or chili. I love cucumber salad made with yogurt and Splenda instead of mayo & milk. It’s all about learning how to tweak your favorites so you can eat them and not have the sugars, flours, fats, etc and make them healthy protein choices. I know my taste buds are changing too because I can see all of you making the “yuck” faces! LOL. Well, I better sign off for now. Hope all is well for those of you who stuck around to read the end of this! See ya next time.

5 months into a different me!

Here it is already, Month 5! Time is flying by! I have now lost 125lbs and I can hardly believe it. Everyone always wants to know how I am doing, tells me how good I am looking, etc. I love that people are starting to notice a difference in me, both physically and mentally. A couple of weeks ago, one of the ladies that I work with asked me how much weight I had lost. At that time, I had lost almost 120lbs. She said to me, just so you know, you have lost ME! No way!?! That puts everything into perspective. I couldn't imagine having her ride on my back all day every day... and essentially, she has been for a lot of years and I didn't even realize it!
This past month has been very busy for me, with lots of non scale victories (or NSVs) happening every day. When you start out morbidly obese (ok, here it is, I said it out loud!) and you are at the point I am in the journey to weight loss, the simple things turn into big deals. Like last month when I listed all the really great things I could do now, there are lots of similar new experiences that I have had since then. Simple things, for example being able to sit comfortably in a regular folding chair, I never would have done that before my surgery! Well, before I went on vacation to the cabin, I promised Landon that we would take a ride in the paddle boat. He was so excited and we did just that, a couple of times!! He kept saying “Gigi, isn’t this FUN!” Last summer and the summers before, I couldn’t do that. I was too big. And that was NOT fun! This past weekend, I was swimming in my parent’s pool. Steve and I got to horsing around and I decided that I was going to jump off the diving board. I haven’t jumped off the board in probably 15-20 YEARS, but we were being goofy, so I got up there and did it! IT WAS REALLY FUN!
This summer there are a lot of changes going on in my life (including the bathing suit keeps getting bigger). I hope that there are lots of positive changes going on in your lives and that you take each moment as the gift it is. There is a quote that says “Yesterday can’t be changed because it’s history, Tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift and that is why it’s called the present.” Use your gift, treasure it, and use it to change your life.

WOW! 100lbs in about 100 days!!

In the last 100 or so days, I have officially lost 100lbs!! That in and of itself is an accomplishment to be VERY proud of, but I have also learned SO much about life in those 100 days that I don't really understand why my brain and my heart didn't get together sooner to convince me to have this surgery! I believe everything happens for a reason. Everythings has a certain sequence of events that will lead you to a final destination, think of it as steps that take to you who you are ultimately going to become. Steps you have to take to fulfill your destiny! Apparently, my destiny is to be a healthier person, who is proud of the things that she can now do... Here are a few things I am proud to say have been accomplished in the last 100 days:

• I now have a lap. Never have had one before, and boy are they handy!


• I can cross my legs! (this is the best thing ever!!)


• I can get up off the floor without thinking I'm going to need an army to get me up.


• I have more energy than I ever thought possible.. most days.


• I can exercize! (is that really an accomplishment?)


• I wear smaller size clothes! I love that people are giving me clothes to wear and I can fit into them.


• I can wear cute shoes all day without my feet swelling.


• I can shop all day without my back giving me problems. (I actually bought my first ever shirt at the GAP!)


• I look better in a bathing suit!! (ok, who really thinks they look GOOD anyway??)


• I can sit in a normal size chair...


• and on that note.. I fit into a seat in Tiger's Stadium!


• I was able to get off my medication for my Insulin Resistance, which by the way has been resolved all due to the surgery.


• My hubby can hug me more comfortably and does hug me more.


• I am an inspiration to others... and at this I am deeply humbled.

My favorite quote came from my nephew, Landon. When he saw my picture the other day Landon said, "She's so skinny and she looks like SuperWoman." Landon, I feel like SuperWoman too!!

Love you all.

2 months today!

Well, I made it to 2 months without incident! Or should I say major incidents. Most importantly, I have lost 75lbs as of yesterday! Yay!! This is really not an easy thing, as I have said before. Everyday is filled with choices.. for example, ysterday, we had a cook out at my Grams and I had a tiny bit of BBQ chicken (no skin), 2 green beans and a piece of cheese. It didn't all stay in my tummy, but the point is that each day I have to make good food choices.. sometimes called sacrifices, and I am proud of the choices I do make. I am proud of how much my body has changed!! There is a quote from my support group that is "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!" Boy do I believe it! I am posting my 2 month pic for you to celebrate with me. I am so thankful for the support I have been getting, and support and encouragement from people that I didn't even think cared!! Today I celebrated my new life and all the wonderful things that are happening in it. Why not celebrate yours?

Day 52.. sick with a cold, but high on life

Well, here it is, installment #2 of the blog of my new life. Not a whole lot to mention, but I didn't want all of you to think that I had forgotten about you.
The biggest accomplishment is that I hit 70lb of weight lost this week. Yeah! I am so happy, but, my body hasn't caught up too much because I am still wearing my same clothes.. ok, maybe not ALL the same clothes, I now wear a 2x top. The pants are getting looser and looser each day and this week I had to start wearing a belt.. I don't remember the last time that happened!
SO, I cleaned out my closet on Monday, Ok, I admit that I have a problem or better yet is it an addiction? I love my clothes. Fat clothes or not, I am sincerely attached to some of them... BUT I sucked it up and went thru both closets (yes, I have 2 closets of clothes) and seperated out all the BIG stuff.. I tried EVERYTHING on, Steve gave his input on how stuff fit and I made a couple of piles (sell or give away) I even put things in the give away things that were a little big... AND IT FELT GOOD!!
And then I realized something: As much as I loved the clothes, I didn't love the person I was when I was that size. And even though I am just beginning the journey, I realize they are JUST CLOTHES... they don't define who I am NOW...

Talk about a defining moment for ME! A mental victory today!

See, I used to be attached to my clothes.. they used to define me, but I am not that person anymore, so it's time to be rid of the old and start looking for the new me.

Day 22 and feeling fine.

Hello all, I kept saying I was going to create this blog.. and today is the day. I am 22 days out from surgery and I am feeling pretty good today. Yesterday, not so good as for the eating portion of the day, but you'll have those days. I seem to have conquered the mental bad day/good day cycle for at least now.

Weightloss Surgery isn't easy, that is for sure. You hear in the media that it's "the easy way out" but I can honestly tell you, it's not. There are some rules that you have to follow for the rest of your life and there are standards that must be kept in order to lose weight, achieve goal, and then maintain it.

No sugar. At all. Ever.

Very little fruit.

Very few complex carbs.

Very high protein.

Very high fluids.

Exercise.

Do not drink anything with meals or for 30-60 min after.

Keep junk food out of your house, and don't go to fast food joints.

No soda or any carbonated beverages.

No caffeine.

These are just the basics. There are lots of other "little" rules that become part of daily life.

I hope you enjoy following my journey. I will post pics along the way.

Love to you all,

Angie