Making a NewLife, One Day at a time

Pumpkin Praline Granola ~ DELISH!

2011-09-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

I will confess..I love granola in my yogurt. Plain and simple. I need that crunch.. I love the extra flavor.. Since I have an obsession with granola, I decided that I needed to start making my own for one reason: the stuff on the shelves is high high high in sugars!! So, my quest for SF granola began.. just in time for me to find this recipe on the blog by my BE friend, Linda (thanks Linda!).. and then I tweaked it a bit to be more like my taste.. and thus was born (drum roll please!)

Pumpkin Praline Granola

1/4 c pure pumpkin puree (not the pie mix!)

1/4 c Hazelnut flavored Agave

1/3 c Whey Low Gold (you could use Splenda granular, not Splenda Brown, it has real sugar)

3 T Sugar Free Praline DaVinci Syrup

1/2 t vanilla

1 egg yolk

2 T Pumpkin Pie Spice mix (more or less to your taste)

1/4 t Kosher salt

3 c old fashioned oats (not quick cooking kind)

1 c chopped pecans (or walnuts)

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, agave, whey low, praline syrup, egg yolk, spice and salt.
Stir in the oats and nuts, and mix well until all flakes are coated.

Preheat oven to 275. Coat a 11 inch cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray and spread the oat mix evenly. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until deep brown, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container.

Makes approx. 15 servings (1/4 c each)

stats per serving : Cals 135, Fat 8g, Net Carb 16g, Sugars 8g, Protein 6g

2 years? Where did the time go??

2011-03-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

Can't believe today is my 2 year surgiversary! Down 175 lbs today.. whew! Time flies when you are having fun. I think back to where I was 2 years ago and I am so thankful for being able to turn my life into something way more fun, meaningful and productive.
In the past two years, I have:

Lost 175lbs.. well.. 180 but then there was that bounce factor.. lol. I really would like to be about 10lbs smaller.. but if I ever have plastic surgery, I'll probably lose that 10 pretty easily.
Had my gall bladder removed.. pesky thing.. glad it's gone.. sortof.
Started leading an exercise class at Weston Church of Christ.. it's open to the public and FREE!
Started exercising more than 1x per year.. yep..more like 2-3x per week as a "I'm exercising" and more if you count all the running around I do.
I wrecked my car by hitting a telephone pole. Looking back, that was the start of some really bad luck.. but I am over it and it won't control me.. right? I make the future what it needs to be. With God's will and help that is.
Lost my job.. yep.. it sucks, but I can't wait to see what career the future holds.. Glad I am a slimmer person so that I can avoid that discrimination factor that everyone ignores is there.
I am a size 8 some days and and size 12 some days.. I love whatever size I am.. it's great! It's not the size of your pants, but the size of your self esteem!! :) Mine's pretty big today.. the esteem that is! My goal size was 12.. from a 24/26 and today, I put on my size 10 jeans.
I have begun writing a book and a cookbook.. yep. It's coming soon-hopefully! Comment if you want to be notified!
I love to have my pic taken. Amazing.. I know.

I am sure there are other wonderful things that I am not able to remember right now.. The mind is the first thing to go ya know.

So.. on to food. Today I had a new recipe for lunch.. (no pics.. sorry!)

Ranch Chicken Salad

4oz chicken breast, cooked and diced

2 T cucumber, diced

2.5oz Fage 0% Greek yogurt

1/2 c Hellman's lite

4 T from a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix

Mix the Yogurt, Hellmans & Ranch dressing. Mix in chicken and cukes and enjoy.. however.. the longer it sits (like over night) the better it is. It's good right out of the bowl when you are finished too!

Well all, share the love! Have a great March 11th!
Love you all!

Weekend.. here we come!

2011-02-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

This week has been an incredibly busy one.. how come being unemployed makes the days go even faster than when you are employed? There are never enough hours in the day.. for sure!! Last weekend, I went to Tennessee to see my sister and her family. Had a great time. Left her some Click! Protein because, let's be honest, there is just too much caffiene for this little lady, but she needs it since she has 3 kiddos! She likes it and is using it as her "sweet" while she is doing the Atkins thing. When I got home, I started in on the whole making food thing. This week has been a cooking frenzy. Lot's off goodies for sure. Lot's of protein happening in my life. My hubby has some IBS and he even commented that he's been feeling better this past week since we have been eating healthier! WOW! I feel like I have made a difference.
I am trying to get so much done these days, in case I get a job soon and all.. Been working on new recipes for the better part of the evenings too. I am so ready for the weekend though, spending time with my hubby and doing fun things. What have you been up to friends? I find that I spend a ton of time on the internet.. I gotta give up that addiction soon. I've been working on spring cleaning..yuck. Trying to tie up my brain cells so I don't think about that job interview I had last week or how much time I've already been unemployed. I have been trying to use this "vacation" time wisely. I have never NOT worked.. While in high school I had a pizza shop job.. ahh.. good times there.. and then I worked 2 jobs the summer after graduation. Went to college full time and started working at the bank, almost full time there too. So, I believe everything happens for a reason and this little respite is something that I needed and never would have taken otherwise. I get paid severance, so financially, God has seen I am taken care of. I have time to complete all those projects on my "to do" list plus ones that have come up. I have been building my craft show business and expanding in ways that I wouldn't be able to if I had been working.. I get to have snow days when the weather is bad. In my book, life is still good, no matter what. I do want to go back to work, don't get me wrong, but this chapter of my life is going along just fine in my book..

You know when you have that moment when you know one chapter of your life is over and a new one has begun? I am so there.

This week's menu highlight was Chicken Parm for WLS Folks.. anyone can eat it, but it's soo good for us WLS people! My version is based on a recipe I found on my support group board! I made the hubby some spaghetti noodles and he was a happy camper!

Chicken Parm, WLS Style

4 boneless chicken thighs
1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups prepared Spaghetti Sauce, lower the sugar the better.. or make your own! (see below)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cooking oil in a 9x9 glass baking dish, put 1/2 c of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom and then set aside. Heat oil on medium heat in medium frying pan. Dip each thigh into the egg and then place thigh into the bread crumbs, on one side only. Put breaded thigh into hot oil, crumb side down. Cook 3-4 minutes and then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Place browned thighs crumb side up in prepared baking dish. Cover browned thighs with remaining spaghetti sauce and top with mozzarella and parm. Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese is melty and chicken is cooked through.

Nut Info: Cal 333 Fat 11g Carb 25 (will be less with low sugar sauce) Protein 32g
My Sauce:
2 T olive oil
1/2 c onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cans diced tomatoes

1/2 small can tomato paste
basil & oregano, to taste

Heat oil in frying pan, add onion & garlic. Saute until onion is transluscent. In a sauce pan add tomatoes, paste and herbs. Add in onion n garlic. Simmer 20 minutes or until sauce is thickened. I add various in season veggies and puree until smooth.

Here comes the Blizzard!!

2011-02-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

Now..I'm not talking about a Dairy Queen delight with millions of calories that I used to believe were worth it.. no, I am talking about a real live, storm as big as the Blizzard of 78 storm.. I am unemployed as of late, so I had all day to work on preparing for the storm. Forcasters have been telling us for days that we were going to be getting 10"-20" of snow and ice too. The just couldn't tell us who was getting the most ice.. and the most snow. Winter Storm warnings started Monday.. Blizzard Warnings were brought on today. Where I am sitting right now seems to be in this small pocket of "could go either way".. we live really close to the county line for the Blizzard.. ugh. So anyway.. back to the preparations! Yesterday, I made Stuffed Shells for my hubby and a dish of just the ricotta filling for me.. and I forgot to take pictures.. sorry. Then I made a crockpot of Beef Stew. I can't wait to dig into that! I'll post pics when we do! I also made some Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I experiemented with the recipe, and I didn't get it right. Better luck next time. They are still tasty!

Crockpot Beef Stew

4 T Olive Oil

1 pound beef stew meat, trimmed

2 T butter or margarine

4 T flour, divided

2 cans low sodium beef broth

1 c carrots, sliced

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 c corn (fresh or frozen is best, but canned is just as good!)

1 small onion, diced

1/2 t dried oregano

1/2 t parsley flakes

1/4 c barley

Salt N Pepper, to taste

Place carrots, potatoes, corn and onion in a medium crockpot and turn crockpot on low. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Dredge stew meat in 2 T flour and brown in oil, processing in batches if need be. When all meat is browned, remove from skillet and place in crock pot with the veggies. Place butter in hot skillet that you just browned the meat in and stir until melted. Add in remaining 2 T of flour. Stir together and cook until flour is a light brown. Whisk in about 1 cup of the beef broth to make a thin gravy and add in salt, pepper, parsley and oregano. Cook until bubbly. While the gravy simmers, add remaining beef broth to crockpot. Add hot mixture to crockpot and stir. Cook on low 5 hours. Add in Barley using more if the broth is too thin. Cook an additional 2 hours or until barley is cooked and sauce is thick.

You are worth it! Believe!

2011-02-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

The past few months I have been trying to work on my listening skills.. I have been listening to the world around me to see how I can make a difference. At my support group, there are several people who are "works in progress" just like me.. some on them have high energy and are constantly smiling and some are asking questions that make me wonder how I can help them gain more self esteem and be the most successful post op they can be. Our support group is an open question/answer forum with pre-ops & newbies being encouraged to ask questions that the veterans or the nurse facilitator can answer. Last month, one of the ladies asked how you deal with all the extra skin. I replied.. SPANKX! Another one asked how to keep accountable when you feel like you haven't lost any more weight and your clothes are not fitting any different. My suggestion was to be diligent about taking pictures and measurements so you can look back at where you have been. Hang a picture of you that you used to like on your mirror. Chant "I am beautiful then.. and I am beautiful now." Several people gasped at my suggestion.. so I told them about my journey.. and how I and posted pictures on my Facebook account so I could keep track of me, for me. Yes, other people can see it.. they can comment. All feedback to date has been so uber-positive and so uplifting, I don't see that I would have taken my journey any other way. Several people started whispering. What did I say wrong?!? That kind of made me mad.. but then as I look back on it.. I shouldn't be. What I heard was a question asked, what I didn't see is that wasn't the real question.. The real question was "How can I love me no matter what?" That question is better left to professionals.. not me! I try to help where I can.

You are more than food, stronger than a craving, more complicated than a habit, & more thoughful than a mindless eater...

2011-01-29T09:11:00.000-08:00

Powerful quote I found at the eye doctors office the other day.. It kind of hit me between the eyes. See..lots has been going on in my life.. We made it thru the holiday's relatively unscathed. I found a couple of low sugar cookie recipes to make my belly happy & waistline the same size. I didn't gain any weight thru the holidays either! YEAH. Then.. the ball dropped.. I went to the doctor a couple of days after Christmas only to find that I needed to have my gall bladder out, so I just had it removed this past Wednesday. In between all the surgery mess, I lost my job of 18 years. It moved to another city.. I did not. There were 3 of us that were let go for "reduction in workforce" & yes, we did get severance.. but those token gifts didn't make any of us feel better. Jobs are scarce here in Northwest Ohio. BUT I am a positive attitude kind of girl, so I say, "What the Heck" and I can't wait to see what God has in store for me.
Now.. back to the quote.. it made me think about me. I was never a emotional eater, but I was somewhat a bored eater. My job kept me focused on my goals and grounded me enough to attain them. I was always super busy and the timers on my computer reminded me to eat and drink and take my vitamins. Since I don't have that crutch anymore, I have also been working on eating better and getting back into the swing of the vitamins and proteins & relying on my memory to tell to me when to take it. I know I am not getting enough of either. I am resolving to use my fitday.com account to calculate my calories, protein intake and vitamins daily. I am also going to try to post here daily now.. pics and all.. to keep me accountable.

Well..I have been tinkering around with the idea of writing a book and a cook book for a long long time.. now's the time to begin! Let me know if you try my recipes, and what you think. They are always a work in progress..and suggestions are welcome!

Here's today's offering..

Cottage Cheese Parfaits

Makes 1 serving

1/2 c fat free, small curd cottage cheese (I like Meijer Brand)

2 T mandarin oranges

1 T Sugar free raspberry preserves

1 T ground Flax meal

Nutritional Stats: Calories 140, Fat 2 grams, Carbs 15grams (net) (only 8 sugars), Protein 14 grams

So, my question to you is this, what are you "more than, stronger than, complicated than, and thoughtful than?"

I Like it Spicy these days!!

2010-10-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

I've been such a busy girl!! Vacation, weekly day trips to Columbus for work, leading an Exercize class, Band practice.. I don't have time to be this busy! In my haste, I haven't been such a good person in the eating realm.. and I have been hungry for Mexican food. So tonight, I made my Stuffed Banana Peppers. OMG wonderful goodness and my belly likes it. I am in heaven!

Stuffed Banana Peppers

1 small onion, diced

2 small banana peppers, diced

5 mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, diced (or 1/2 t garlic from a jar)

6 cherry tomatoes, split

1-15oz can pinto beans, drained

1/2 packet of taco seasoning

1c chicken broth or water

6 medium banana peppers

1/2 c shredded mozarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x10 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside. Cut the tops off the medium peppers, and slit down 1 side. Remove the seeds and membranes. Set aside. Spray a medium saute pan with cooking spray. Add in onion and saute 3-5 mintues or until onion is transluscent. Add in the diced banana peppers, mushrooms and garlic. cook 3 minutes or so, then add tomatoes, taco seasoning & beans, cooking until beans can be mashed with the back of a spoon. Mash beans, and cook 3 minutes additional minutes. Add in the chicken broth stirring until smooth. Add in 1/4 c of the mozzarella cheese. Remove from heat. Stuff mixture into the banana peppers and place stuffed peppers in the baking dish. Bake 20 minutes and then top with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with your mexican favorites, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

Makes 3 servings.

Lazy Day at the Homestead

2010-09-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today was just one of those, rainy, stay in your jammies, kind of days!! After the busy week we've had, it was nice to just be lazy.

Here's a recap of highlights of the week:

Monday (Labor Day): We went to the Mud Hen's game (our Local AAA basball Team). It was the last game of the season, and Hen's won! Good way to end a very pitiful and bad season. The best part was after the game! We got to be part of a major motion picture movie, tentatively named "Home Run Derby." We got to be extras in the final movie sequence. Watch for us, I'm wearing a bright orange top and Steve's right next to me. :) No release date was given, so we'll have to see when it's out. Dinner was so easy, I don't even remember what I made.. LOL

Tuesday: Back to work, short work week yeah! and Boo! Those short weeks get ya!! Dinner was crockpot Fajitas. I will post the recipe as soon as I perfect it.. it was pretty yummy though just the way it was.

Friday: Football Season! Went to see the Otsego Knights play against Anthony Wayne. Our Knights didn't win, but they made a good show. Tonight's dinner was leftover Fajita with some shredded cheese on top. Love it.. it gets better every day. Too bad that was the last of it..

Saturday: Back to today.. sleepy, lazy.. worn out. I don't know why, so I am trying to baby myself and see if that will help. I did do some cooking today...

Crockpot Turkey Soup (and noodles for Steve)
Pumpkin Bread (for Grandparents Day gifts tomorrow!)
Chicken Salad (for lunches next week)
Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake (Recipe below)
Taco Turkey n Beans (Recipe below)

Taco Turkey N Beans (makes 8 ~ 1/2 cup servings)

1 small Onion, chopped or sliced into rings

1/4 c sweet red pepper, chopped

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey

1 - 15oz can Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed

1 t Chili Powder

Pinch ~ Onion Powder

Pinch ~ Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Pinch ~ Black Pepper & Sea Salt

Pinch ~ Garlic Powder

Pinch ~ Oregano

Pinch ~ Paprika

1 c shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese

Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream (optional)

Tortilla chips or Taco Shells (optional)

Spray frying pan with cooking spray. Saute onion and pepper until onion is transluscent. Add in turkey, smashing turkey into crumbles as it cooks about 5 minutes or so. Drain any liquids. Add in pinto beans and cook 5 mins or so until beans are easily smashed with a potato masher. Add in spices, mix and cook for 3-5 minutes until everything is smooth. Dish into individual servings or you can make tacos or nachos. Top with Cheese and yogurt if desired.

Stats (with out tortillas or Taco Shells): Cal 190, Fat 9g, Carbs 10g, Protein 19g

Dessert You Say? I made this for the church dinner tomorrow:

Strawberry Swirl Cheese Cake Bars (makes 12 servings)

Crust:

20 sugar Free Chocolate Chip cookies (I like Murray's Brand)

1/4 c margarine, melted

1/4 c almond flour

Filling:

3/4 c Splenda

1/3 c lemon juice, divided (fresh from 2-3 lemons is best by far)

8oz reduced fat cream cheese

16oz non fat, plain Greek Yogurt (you can make your own.. see note below)

1 large egg

1 t vanilla extract

2 T flour

4 T Sugar Free Strawberry Jam

2 T SF Maple Syrup

Preheat oven to 325.

Place cookies in blender/food processor and process until crumbs. Add in melted butter and almond meal. Press into the bottom of a 9x6 glass pan. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes or until edges are browned.

Combine Jam and 1 T lemon juice in a small bowl. Nuke for 1 minute and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and splenda until smooth. Blend in the yogurt, flour, remaining lemon juice, vanilla and maple syrup. Mix well. Beat in egg until well mixed, but don't over beat. Pour mixture into crust. Place tablespoons of strawberry sauce across the top of the mixture and use a knife to swirl. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until cheesecake slightly jiggles in the center. Cool completely on cooling rack, uncovered. After it's completely cool, transfer to refrigerator, cover and chill 2 hours or overnight. If cheesecake isn't completely cool, you'll get soggy cheesecake.

Stats: Cal 202, Fat 12g, Carb 19g (3g of sugar & there are some sugar alcohols to subtract, but my calculator doesn't say how much), Protein 8g

Making Greek Yogurt:

Place 1 large container of plain non fat yogurt (any brand will work) in a fine mesh sieve lined with paper towels or a coffee filter. Drain overnight in fridge. VIOLA! Greek yogurt.. now wasn't that too easy?

Hope you are having a great weekend!! Go Buckeyes!

Been too busy to blog! It's Canning SEASON!

2010-08-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year for me... I love it so much it ranks up there with Christmas! It’s canning season! It’s the time of the year when I tuck fruits of the harvest into gently sealed jars or freezer bags to sleep until it’s time for wintertime consumption. Yep. It’s lots of work. Hot and Sweaty.. lots of burned fingers but, to me it’s worth it. I love knowing EXACTLY what I am consuming… I think that my OCDness is coming out.. sorry.

Thanks to my friend Denise and her generous family, I have hit the motherload on the fruit and veggie front.. lots of things I never have canned/frozen before. Let’s see… she gave me corn, carrots, cucumbers for pickles, apples for applesauce, peaches, zucchini, yellow summer squash, green beans. Those are just the things that I am freezing/canning. She also has blessed me with eggplants, celery, peppers. My flowerbed garden is producing the most wonderful banana peppers and more tomatoes that I know what do with (I only put in 1 plant and wondered if that would be enough, now I am glad it’s only 1!) Holy cow, I am in heaven.

This year’s canning project is a little bit different.. see, Steve has decided that he likes veggies now.. some.. Corn.. carrots.. zucchini.. yellow squash..green beans.. SWOON!

Wednesday night, I was busy, I made applesauce, canned the peaches, froze the corn, carrots and squash. Steve helped me out too. He did the stuff like loading the jars into the dishwasher, husking the corn, (even taste testing the kernels after I cut them off the cob) and he even packed peaches into jars for me! Friday Night and Saturday morning I am doing the pickles and green beans… making zucchini cake from Here.. Eggplants will be turned to Eggplant Parmesan and Almost Lasagne. I even froze them.. who knows the skys the limit.. I’ll be cooking all night! I am so psyched.

What have you been doing to keep busy these days? Drop me a line and keep in touch!

It's Fair Time!!

2010-07-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, in early July, Steve and I went to the Three Rivers Fest in Fort Wayne. The morning paper had a whole section on the festival and as I was browsing I noticed that there was a section on food. I am always interested in reading about food.. less calories, same enjoyment in my book... until I read about the new sensation this year... DEEP FRIED BUTTER. (I think i just threw up a little bit). Ok, when I was heavy, I did not care for fried food, so now, I don't even miss it. I had heard of deep fried twinkies.. even deep fried candy bars, but butter? That's way over the top for me... The thought alone made me gag.. but, the investigative reporter wanna be in me made me go and see what it was.. NO I DID NOT EAT it.. gag.. ugh.. gag again.. but I digress.

SO Steve and I went to the festival and sought out the booth selling these obese making gems.. you know to see what they looked like.. LOL they were breaded "sweet cream" butter balls that were deep fried.. That doesn't sound good to you.. they also sold deep fried twinkies.. deep fried choc. chip cookie dough.. deep fried snickers & milky ways.. OMG.. I was walking away gaggin..

Ok, I have taken a lot of flak for this story.. I understand that we all make choices in our lives.. before surgery some people might like this kind of thing and it's maybe what got you to the point of having to have surgery to loose the weight. THEN when you have this gut changing surgery, your choices are now made for you.. mostly...within reason. Some of us still crave this kind of thing. Not me. I hope not ever. The smell of greasy food makes me faint. LOL

Now.. what have I done to combat this fried butter and fair food phenomenon? I have cooked up food that is not only yummy, but looks good on the plate. I got this recipe out of an old low carb cookbook and tweaked it a bit to suit my palate. Like strawberries? try this..

Stuffed Strawberries

4 oz fat free cream cheese

1/2 t vanilla extract

4 packets of Splenda

1/4 t cinnamon

1/2 quart of strawberries, cleaned

Mix together cream cheese, vanilla, Splenda and cinnamon. cut the bottom tip off of the strawberries so that the strawberries can stand up. Hollow out the top of each strawberry and then put 1/2 t of filling in each one. Cover and refridgerate until time to serve.

as Julia used to say Bon Appetite!

4th of July Fun ~ and a new recipe!

2010-07-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

This year, the 4th was a bit more fun that last.. although the heat still makes me feel like poo. Last night we went to see our beloved Mud Hens lose their 10th straight game. Before the game however, we had a nice picnic with my parents and sister, Abby (inside of course, it's 90s here!) where we had Taco Wings, potatoe salad, baked beans, and a new dessert that I invented..

Red, White and Blueberries
1 box (4 serving size) Jello Vanilla Pudding
2 cups skim milk
1lb fresh strawberries, cleaned and sliced
1 c fresh blueberries
1 c sugar free strawberry pie filling
1 package of 8 individual Sugar free Angel Food cakes (optional)

Directions
Mix together milk and pudding, refridgerate. Clean berries, place in a mixing bowl and add the pie filling, mixing gently. Place 1 cake on plate, add in 1/4 c vanilla pudding. Top with berries mixture. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 regular servings, more for WLS patients
Stats (without the cake): Cals 70, carbs 14.7, fiber 1.6, sodium 199.6, protein 2.5

Hope your 4th was great.. now it's off to the pool to swim!!

I am in love...

2010-06-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a new protein shake to replace my beloved Caramel Latte Inspire that is out of stock.. Today I made this shake and it's wonderful!!

It's Like a Mocha Freeze (like Starbuck's Mocha Frappuccino)

4 oz. unsweetened Almond Milk (I used plain, but chocolate would be divine!)
4 oz. water
1 sleeve instant coffee crystals decaff
1 oz. Torani Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup
1 scoop "Gosh That's Good" Chocolate SF powder (or sub 1 Tablespoon Hershey's Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup?)
4-5 large ice cubes

I put it all in my Magic bullet and whirred it up. If you have some, a dollop of SF whipped cream might be nice too.
I had today off work, but we were out and about running errands. Off to Columbus for work tomorrow, back in BG for Thursday and off again on Friday.
See ya soon!

Busy weekend, busy life

2010-06-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how busy I am these days. My house has been a mess.. hubby has been eating out of boxes (frozen pizzas, boxed mac & cheese..etc. all the good stuff) I haven't been cooking at all, even for myself, which is a bad thing.. BUT.. it was All for a good reason, I have been busy, but is that a real reason or a cop out? (OK, cop out.. I agree!) Last night, I had enough of the mess.. and I cleaned like a mad woman, the counter, the cupboards, heck, I even cleaned the oven (thank goodness for self cleaning ovens!! LOL). Today when I got out of bed, I treated myself to a cup of Joe and started cooking.. it's amazing what a clean kitchen will do to motivate you! Today's concoctions are:

1. SF Peach Cheesecake Yogurt

Trader Joe's plain Greek Yogurt
SF cheesecake pudding powder
sliced canned peaches

2. Cottage cheese salad

Small curd cottage cheese (large container) mixed with..
Orange SF jello powder (small box) then add...
SF Cool Whip (half a container) and finish with...
Mandarin oranges (small can, I used about a half of can)

3. Crustless SF Strawberry Pie for the hubby (ok, I might sneak some too.. I did clean the ENTIRE kitchen ya know)

1 small tub of SF strawberry pie glaze mixed with..
1# container of strawberries (washed, cleaned & hulled.) and then topped with
3 T graham cracker crumbs mixed with 2 T melted margarine.

I am pooped now, and have to go to the grocery store so I can cook some more.

Life is great, when you lose all the weight!!

Love you guys!

1 year later... what a difference a year makes

2010-03-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have been really lax in updating my blog... but I have been really busy enjoying my NewLife!

What a difference a year makes! One year ago, on March 11, 2009, I was in the hospital having life changing surgery. Today, I am living proof that this surgery works... if you follow the rules. I am still very very very strict, but I do indulge is something sounds kind of good, and even then occasionally. The rules.. yep, there are still rules that have to be diligently followed. Those weren't just for the weight loss phase of this journey. Yep, they can be hard to follow, but if the weren't hard, they wouldn't be called rules. I have changed my eating to include mostly clean, unprocessed food if at all possible. I cook from scratch as much as humanly possible, and I have instituted a weekly cooking day where I spend 2-3hours cooking wonderful concoctions for the week. Usually this cooking day is Saturday, sometimes Sunday. Scratch cooking isn't as hard as you think, but I guess i have always enjoyed cooking. Every couple of weeks, I start cooking day by making a batch of homemade sugar free applesauce in my crock pot. While that cooks, I usually make some sugar free jello or pudding for weeknight snacking. My favorite snack is protein pudding.. I always like to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. I always cut up a small block of cheese into 1oz portions and sometimes I bake some sort of sugar free treat for Steve to take in his lunches. While those are cooking, will I start planning for the weekly dinners. I peruse the grocery ads and whatever is on sale is usually what we are going to eat.. we eat ALOT of chicken.. ask Steve! I love to surf the internet and look for WLS friendly recipes... and I have found a few that I really love, you're welcome to love them as well.

Try:

The World According to EggFace http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/

Elana's Pantry (Gluten Free stuff) http://www.elanaspantry.com/

Healthy Indulences http://healthyindulgences.blogspot.com/

And of course, my all time fav recipe site: BE! http://bariatriceating.com/BEhealthnutrition/recipes.php

OK enough about food, it's making my hungry! (HAHAH... I never get hungry.. i just know what time I have to eat!) Keeping with the 12 theme, here are 12 things I can now do because I had weight loss surgery.

1. Cross my legs.

2. See my collarbones, ribs, and hip bones? I have those?

3. Run in place with the Wii for 3 minutes.. and not die!

4. "Feel" my tailbone.. ouch.

5. Do 3+ flights of stairs and not be out of breath! (100 stair steps)

6. Buy my clothes in the normal section of stores.. you know, where you buy them.. Missus and Juniors!

7. ... in a size 10

8. Sit on my hubby's lap comfortably.. for both of us.

9. Give up taking drugs.. for insulin resistance you silly goose!

10. Play with my niece and nephew and not be out of breath.

11. Did I say anything about buying cute clothes?

12. Lose 1 shoe size, 4 1/2 ring sizes, and 16 clothing number sizes... all in one Year!

Here is the link to my pictures from the last 12 months.. I can't believe the changes. I can finally see her in the mirror.. you know, the woman that I have always seen in my mind. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=68770&id=529697772&l=939565e3d4

So, here is my year in review... what has changed for you in the last 12 months?

9 months in.. posting it a bit late..

2010-01-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

Today is December 11th. To most of you, it's "Just December 11th, nothing special here, 14 days until Christmas. But to me, it's my 9 month anniversary or "rebirthday." As of today I lost a whopping 167 lbs. I also wanted to reflect on 9 months...

9 months can be a long time (ask a mommy to be) or a short time (ask a cancer patient who's been given 9 months to live.) It's all in your perspective. For a baby, 9 months is about the time (give or take a few weeks.) to bring a new baby into the world. In March, I got a new baby tummy and I have had to learn and grow as the months pass, just like after a baby is born it begins to learn and explore new territories that are foreign to him or her. For me, it's learning to eat a new healthier way. Giving up things that are bad for me (refined sugar for example) and finding new "legal" replacement are a way of day to day life for me. Planning is key!! I knew this journey wouldn't be easy, even though I have heard numberous times that I took the "easy way out." Rest assured friends, this was not the easy way out. But for me, it was the only way out of the fat prision I had put myseld in. But, this experience has helped me grow. I now appreciate simple things like sugar free popscicles instead of full sugar ice cream when it's hot out and fitting into those size 12 pants.

I went shopping with my sister's on Black Friday and I was able to squeeze thru a very skinny pass thru (carts against a wall...) I would NEVER EVER been able to do that before, I would have never even attempted it. It was great and it was liberating! I now feel like I can do anything. Growing thru this process has been an eye opening experience for sure. There are so many things that I appreciate daily that I couldn't do before surgery and I can now. Things others take for granted that for me were not even possible until now (think 4 flights of stairs and still not out of breath!)

I found this quote by John Maxwell the other day and I hung it beside my computer at work. It continues to inspire me each and every day. The quote says "If we are growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone."

I've shared my story of rebirth and growth with you each month so I have a question for you...

How are you growing??

Merry Christmas!

That Tuna recipe...

2009-11-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-11-29T18:12:00.000-08:00

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!!

2009-09-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-07-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-11T14:52:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

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