Well, hello. :)

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I've been dealing with this annoying allergy/sinus infection thing, and haven't really had anything to post about. So, I guess I'll update a few things here and now.

I'm getting really excited. My surgery consult is a week from today. What does that mean? That means that I get to meet with the surgeon, and see what all my options are, and what she thinks is best for me. Now, this is not where I get my surgery date. I won't get that until I'm done with my SWLCs, which won't be until October. But, this is one step closer, for sure.

This month, I also have my 1:1 with the dietitian, and I'm interested to see what she thinks of my progress (twenty-two pounds lost so far), and to see if she has recommendations, and so on. I also have my psychological exam this month. My pre-op labs came back good... no H. Pylori, my Vitamin D was good. So, that's pretty much it with that part.

So, a little over a month ago, I bought a scale from a company called Greater Goods via Amazon. When I got it home, it didn't work, it weighed 14 lbs just from sitting it on the floor. I wasn't happy with it, so, I returned it, and gave it a bad review on Amazon. Well, the company found this blog through my Amazon account, and they were floored over my journey. One of their reps said that they totally wanted to support my life style change and weight loss journey, and so they offered me a free scale (an upgrade of the one I had previously purchased), as well as a $100 Amazon gift card to use as I saw fit. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was a scam at first. But no! They literally just wanted to help me out. So, my free scale is on it's way to me, and the gift card went towards protein powder, and a weights set for helping with my exercise. Thank you Greater Goods. You guys rock! :)

So, speaking of exercise, I got a crap ton of it yesterday. We took my daughter to the zoo (Can I just say that zoos need healthier food? I ate a burger, no bun, so, I stayed on diet there, but for a side, I bought a fruit cup to share, and it was grapes and strawberries [grapes are not legal], so, I went off plan there... I guess it's just good that I didn't order fries or something), and basically, we walked for 3 hours straight. I wish I had remembered to put on my FitBit... I'd love to have seen how many steps I had taken. :)

So, do you have a FitBit HR? I bought a secondhand FitBit Charge HR last winter, and I love mine. But I was always curious how accurate the heart rate is... apparently it's very accurate. I compared my heart rate to my heart rate on an O2 sensor at the doc's office, and it was spot on. Good to know! So, did anyone else do anything fun and healthy this weekend?

~♥~
Lady D

Sickness and Weight

Well, I've had a nasty sinus infection since last Tuesday. I'm slowly getting better now, but, when I was sick, I didn't want to eat hardly anything. So, I didn't. I lost like, 5 pounds in two days, but I've slowed back down again now. The bad part is, once I was starting to feel better this weekend, I wanted to eat everything in sight. *sigh* I didn't, much as I wanted to. I did however eat the right foods, just in slightly higher portions since my body was so starved. But, I didn't gain anything back, since I was still choosing the right foods. What do I mean, you ask? Well, for example, the past few days, I've eaten a cup of fruit, instead of 1/2 c. Or, I have a 7 oz. portion of lean protein at supper, but stuck to the rest of the amounts across the day. So, was I following the plan? Technically no. But, I at least was making smart choices in my not following the plan. Good news? I've lost 20 lbs. since my first SWLC. I'm down to 341.2 today. :)

I had to call the lab today where I had my pre-op tests done, because my doctor STILL hasn't received them! What did the lady at the clinic have to say? "Oh, I don't know why your doctor wouldn't have received those..." *rolls eyes* Great. Thanks. She supposedly faxed them when I called. I asked the doctor's office to call me back if they didn't get them in an hour or so. I might call back before the end of the day just in case.

So, how's your week going?

~♥~
Lady D

Affirmation!

If I ever needed affirmation that everything I'm doing so far is right, I got it at last night's SWLC. The class itself was a short one... only 45 minutes. We talked about a few different meal planning websites, a couple of helpful books, and a website that has great information on local trails. Once I look into each a bit more, I'll post links. :) The biggest thing we talked about however, was the changes that are coming to food labels. If you click on that last sentence, it will take you to the FDA's website, where they talk about the changes that are coming to our standard food label. I think that all the changes are for the better, especially the part where they talk about the amount of added sugar in a food. So, there's that. We also did a little food Q&A; are certain things ok for us, what are suggestions to help us stay on plan, ect. And then we weighed in.

This is where the affirmation comes in. Weigh in for each person is private. Everyone stands in a line, but, there's about five feet between the person in line and the person on the scale. There's also a privacy screen set up to block the scale from the front of the room. No numbers are said out loud, and it's honestly just a part of the class for me. My dietitian is super encouraging with everyone, telling them what a good job they've done if they've lost weight, and motivating those that may feel disappointed that they didn't lose more. As I said, you don't know how the person in front of you is doing, and since we haven't talked about how much weight you should be losing, I don't know how I've been doing. So, when it was my turn to step on the scale, it read 349 (my scale at home has me at 346, but that's ok). The dietitian started to write it down, looked at last month's weight, and was like, "Woah, woah, woah. Step back up on that scale." I half-laughed, and said, "It's for real, I promise." Sure enough, I stepped back up for the same weight. She was astounded. She said that was amazing. I asked her how much we're supposed to be losing, and she said what I was losing is fine, as long as I'm feeling satisfied at meals (which I said I was), and as long as I'm not fatigued. Well, I am fatigued, which is new, but it's getting better. She asked if I was getting all my fluids (I'm trying, but I'm doing better than I used to). She seemed happy. :) I'm happy. :) I see her again in a month, this time for my 1:1 SWLC. Well, I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing in the meantime.

EDIT 5/18/17

So, I was at home sick yesterday, and when I went to pick up my daughter from the sitter, I had to get dressed (I was in my pj's, and totally wanted to stay that way... but, I digress), and so I put on a pair of shorts that, to be completely honest, I've never been able to wear. They were given to me. They're a size 24... I've been in a size 26. They fit me perfectly. So, guess who has dropped a pants size? :)

~♥~
Lady D

Tough times...

Yesterday was a tough day, I'm not going to lie. I haven't been sleeping well lately (no reason in particular, just been staying up later, and I'm still getting up at the same time), and I can't have caffeine. I've always had a saying: "You can go without sleep or without food, but not both." Before I was on the diet, when I had a day (or days) where I wouldn't get enough sleep, I'd drink Mountain Dew (I don't do coffee), and load up on carbs and protein that day. Now, since I'm on the diet, I can't have caffeine, and I can't have carbs. It leaves me feeling extremely tired. :(

Yesterday started out great! My daughter and I had breakfast together, and then I took her out on a nice long walk in her stroller... where we had a horrible meltdown in the middle of the walk, because she didn't want to get back in the stroller after playing in the park, and I had to cut my walk short. Then, after she calmed down, and my husband came home (he had to make an emergency work run), he took me out to Mexican for lunch, since we realized that I could eat a small portion of fajitas, as long as I didn't eat the shells, or most of the toppings (sour cream, small amounts of the guac, ect.). While we were at the restaurant, my daughter was extremely well behaved, and enjoyed eating out with mommy and daddy. And the restaurant gave me a beautiful red rose for Mother's Day. So, not a bad lunch. Grocery shopping went good as well. You're probably thinking, ok... meltdown, not great, but so far, good day!

Well, my daughter fell asleep for her nap as soon as we got home from the store. It was when she woke up that she started being a typical two year old and throwing tantrums... oh, but wait, my daughter is only 15 months. *sigh* So, now I'm hungry (I was really hungry yesterday for some reason), dealing with tantrums, craving bread (I bought my husband and daughter some blueberry bagels (since we discovered that she LOVES bagels), and it smelled amazing, and I wanted some so bad and... yeah. I was going to make some cinnamon vanilla cloud bread, but forgot to buy the cream of tartar. So, mommy had her own little meltdown after the baby went to bed... and by went to bed, I mean got put down in her crib and then screamed at mommy and daddy for 30 minutes until mommy went back in and let her run around a bit more. *sigh* Happy Mother's Day to me.

Yesterday, as you can see, was tough. And previously, I would have turned to food. But I can't do that anymore. I totally resisted the bagel, I didn't dig into my husband's snack cake stash, and honestly, I ended up just eating 1 c. SF (sugar free) vanilla Jell-O pudding. Why? It satisfied my need for sweet while still staying compliant.

Oh! I bought some chocolate Fairlife milk yesterday, since that is compliant with the plan even though it's 2% (yeah, I don't get it either). Not a fan. Honestly, it tastes like a Slimfast chocolate shake. So, I'm going to finish the jug I bought, and then stick to my 1% white milk with SF Hershey's syrup.

So, the point of this post is that if you're truly committed to this change, you will find your willpower. I never thought I had willpower when it came to food, but last night I proved that I do. :)

~♥~
Lady D

Holy Meal Prep Batman!

So, this week I was bad... I didn't plan out my meals at all. And it burned me today bad. I usually plan to grill out so that I can have leftover meat for breakfast and lunch for a few days (yes, I will eat a part of a chicken breast or pork chop for breakfast to make sure that I'm getting my protein in), but this week, we've hardly grilled out at all. So, for breakfast today, my manager was bringing in Panera for catering. Now, don't go getting all worried, I didn't go off plan at breakfast. I ate some string cheese, and a small apple. Since cheese is counted as a protein, I'm still totally on plan. And for lunch, I walked over to the hospital and got a grilled chicken breast with a slice of pepper jack cheese on top, and some steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Now, since I doubt that the pepper jack cheese was low-fat, that was a little off plan, but I was worried that the chicken breast would have no flavor/seasoning on it (which it turned out it did, so, I know no cheese for next time. :)), so, the single slice of cheese being off plan I think is ok.

Seriously though, if you decide to make this lifestyle change, you WILL be needing to do meal prep. Tonight for dinner, we're grilling boneless skinless chicken thighs, so, I'll have breakfasts and lunch this weekend. :) I did find a recipe for a type of bread I can try too, which is good, since I'm totally craving a hot ham and cheese sandwich. I blame one of my PA's, who had a sandwich yesterday that smelled exactly like a hot ham and cheese. :) As soon as I make the bread (I might be going to get the ingredients tonight, so, keep a sharp eye on the blog!), I'll post the recipe, and pictures. In case I don't post this weekend, have a good weekend everyone, and to all the moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!

~♥~
Lady D

Learned my lesson *eye roll*

So, our Associate Appreciation Lunch was today over at the hospital. I new what they were serving in advance, and knew that I wasn't going to be able to eat any of it, but I figured the main cafeteria would still be open... well, about that. Apparently, they shut down the whole cafeteria today to do this Associate Appreciation Lunch. I mean, had I not started my journey, I'd have been thrilled. They had shredded BBQ chicken, hot dogs, corn on the cob, watermelon, ice cream treats, soda, bottled water, all free! But alas, none of that can I have. So, what did I end up doing? I ordered Jimmy Johns. I ordered an unwich (lettuce wrap sandwich). I ordered the Pepe (ham, provolone, mayo, lettuce, tomato), with no mayo, add Jimmy Mustard (a spicy brown mustard), and of course, no bread. The nice thing? Someone in my office decided she wanted Jimmy Johns too. So, she and I split the deliery fee and the tip. :)

Moral of the story? Bring a lunch every day, just in case there's something you can't eat. *sigh* #BariatricProblems

~♥~
Lady D

Commitment

**DISCLAIMER** I am not looking for pity, or words of encouragement with this post. This is just how I'm feeling today, and wanted to share.

Today is a tough day. It's one of the days where my mind starts spinning. Is all this really worth it (yes, I know it is), can I really do this (yes, I know I can), SURGERY! Surgery can be really scary. Especially when you start talking about exactly what these surgeries entail. And while I've had surgeries before, and I work in a surgeon's office, surgery can still sneak up on you, and go BOO! While I'm still 100% committed to this, and I know that it's the best thing, I think I'm allowed to have a moment to go AHHH! to the boo.

Anesthesia is a risk, surgery is a risk (infection, ect.), and this will literally be life altering. Once you have these surgeries (some of them), you literally cannot turn back. If anyone who is reading this is considering either RNY or VSG, you really, really, really have to be committed to this. As I said, I am. I have to be. I need to have this surgery. I want to be there for my husband, and my little girl. I'm not willing to kill myself (not have the procedure and die young due to a complication of obesity) versus having a procedure that can save my life. That would be like someone saying, "No, I don't want you to treat me, even though I have a knife sticking in my back, and if I move wrong, it will kill me."

I've lost 19 lbs. since I started my new job, and most of that is due to my diet. My co-worker yesterday said to me: "See, you're losing so much that you won't have to have the surgery. My daughter lost 80 lbs. when she moved in with my husband and I." I did the math on that. Even if I lost 80 lbs., I'd still need the surgery. I'm VERY overweight. I can't do it alone. I have the willpower, yes, but, I can't do it by myself. I can't lose the weight I need to. And if you get to that point, that's where you need to decide if you're committed to this journey... or not....

I am.

~♥~
Lady D

Pre-Op Labs

So, I went over to the MACL across the street from the surgeon's office that I work at, figuring that I could get my labs run on my lunch... little did I know that this MACL requires you to register as an outpatient before you can have your labs drawn. -.- Oh well, they're done now. Before I made the decision to go on this journey, my doctor had ordered an HbA1C, and a lipids panel as part of my yearly physical, so, I only had to get the Vitamin D drawn today. Hopefully my Vitamin D will come back ok, I've been doing the 3000 IU/day (actually, it ends up being 3200 because of my calcium pill), so, hopefully I wasn't deficient prior to starting that regimen. The urine test for nicotine was meh, a urine test. The interesting test was the h. pylori breath test.

I've never had to do one of these before. You're not allowed to be on certain acid reflux meds for 2 weeks prior to the test (I CAN START TAKING MY PRILOSEC AGAIN TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!), and you're not allowed to eat or drink anything two hours prior to the test. So, they have you blow into this bag, like you're blowing up a balloon, and then they make you drink this drink (kind of tastes like citrus Crystal Light, except as straight citric acid), which is still burning the back of my throat. :( Then you have to wait 15 mins, and then blow into a second bag, just like you're blowing up a balloon. It's an interesting test, as I said. So, what IS h. pylori you ask? Well, it's bacteria that can grow in your stomach that if you have it, you're more likely to have ulcers. Definitely something that needs cleared up... I don't need my new pouch to get ulcers. :(

So, the pre-op labs are done. :) I know that they sometimes order more pre-op testing, and I just found out the other day that I'll have to take a 4 hour class prior to surgery. That sounds fun. :/ Well, all for now! :)

~♥~
Lady D

Pizza and BBQ Sauce

So, as I've said, I'm craving pizza. And, I'm sure you've seen on Facebook, I've been coming up with interesting ways to curb that craving, while still being compliant. I thought I'd share the two recipes that I've made. While the pizza with the crust is more filling, the no crust pizza tastes so awesome. :)

So, the pizza crust for this recipe is super easy. It comes out a little like a cross between bread and scrambled eggs, but tastes like well, pizza crust. It's very easy. 8 oz. Reduced fat cream cheese, soft,

two eggs, Italian spices (the person who I got the recipe from used a scoop of multipurpose protein powder as well, which I'm going to get and try for next time), 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Mix the batter well, and then we poured it into a 9x9 pan lined with wax paper. I didn't spray anything or oil it, but next time I will, since the crust stuck really bad. Set the oven on 375*, bake for 13 minutes. Pull out the crust, and sauce and top (we used turkey pepperoni, banana peppers, turkey Italian sausage, and low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese, with another sprinkle of Italian spices), and bake until the cheese gets nice and bubbly. Even though the crust stuck, it was very good, and surprisingly filling. I could only eat 1.5 slices, and Brandon ate two and was full.

The second type of pizza that I made is a crust-less pizza. Literally, all I did, was to put a small spray of Pam into a small non-stick pan, and then do a light layer of low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese. Then I added my toppings. I turned the heat on medium-low.

And then, I let it sit. Once the edges start to brown, loosen them with a spatula, let it sit for a minute or two, and then turn off the heat. Again, let it sit for a minute or two, and then slide onto a plate. I cut it into four slices, sprinkle a little parm on top, and spoon a small amount of pizza sauce on top. The bottom gets all nice and crusty, and creates a faux pizza crust. It's delicious. Not as filling as the other, but, still nice and filling. :)

So, the last two days, I've been fighting myself on something to stay on diet... I'm craving BBQ sauce. I made my daughter chicken nuggets for lunch yesterday and today, and on Friday, when the vendor brought in chicken, they brought BBQ. The last two days, my daughter got BBQ with her nuggets. So, I've wanted BBQ sauce. I made pork chops last night, and had one again for lunch today. What's the problem with BBQ you ask? Well, per the diet, I'm not supposed to do sauces on my meats, and after reading the label of Bullseye BBQ, I get why... 11g of sugar for TWO tablespoons of sauce! Holy Cow! So, how did I talk myself out of it? Well, I used the gateway drug analogy; today, I talk myself into a little BBQ... tomorrow, garlic bread, baked potatoes, french fries, fast food. It worked. But I had to do it again today. *sigh* Not going to lie, I did take a little tiny dip of the tip of my finger into my daughter's sauce, which honestly, I think curbed the want. So, did I go off diet, technically. But, I'd rather do that little tiny dip (less than the size of a dime, just barely covering my fingertip) than to go completely off plan. So... how's everyone else's weekend going? :)

~♥~
Lady D

Kabobs/Vendor Lunch/Cancer Walk

So, last night, my husband made us the most awesome steak kabobs with green pepper and onion. Sorry that I don't have any pictures, but, they were too good to pause and take a pic. ;) Today, we had another vendor lunch. This one was with Boston Market. Again, I was a good girl, and only got some chicken, which I took the skin off of, a little bit of Caesar salad (no dressing, and I threw away the croutons), and an Oikos Triple Greek yogurt. Sorry that I keep talking about vendor lunches, but, for me, it's just a huge deal. I even took a pic today, because I was so proud of myself for only taking these small items, and that it's working. I've lost another pound!

Also, at work, we're doing a very large 3/6 mile cancer run/walk come September. I signed up for the six mile walk. If anyone is local, I'd love a walking buddy... if not, meh, I'll hook up my iPod, and just walk. :) If you're not local, but would still like to contribute, we have donation pages. Leave me a comment on here, and I'll give you the link. It really does go to a good cause.

~♥~
Lady D

Spicy Chicken Stuffed Peppers, and a Vendor Lunch...

So, last night for dinner, we did spicy chicken stuffed peppers, and they were oh so very good! It was fairly simple to make (except for the issue of hand shredding the chicken after I poached it), and only took about an hour total, and that was with putting a baby to bed in between. The recipe is adapted from one my husband found on Facebook. Two chicken breasts, totaling a pound, I poached in about 4 cups of light chicken stock, 4 cups of water, and a splash of white wine. As soon as they were done, I took them out of the water, and let them cool. I then hand shredded them, and started adding my other ingredients: about 1 c. non-fat Plain Greek yogurt, 1 c. Taco Bell brand salsa, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, cumin powder, dried cilantro leaves, dried onion, 1/2 packet of Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip. I mixed it well. I cut the bell peppers in half vertically, and scooped out the seeds and innards, and then spooned the chicken into the four halves. I did have a little bit of chicken mixture left, about 4 tbsp, which I just tossed, since I'm on a limited intake of food. Preheated the oven to 375*, topped the halves of the peppers with a mixture of low-fat mozzarella and cheddar cheeses (I was just going to do cheddar, but I ran out), and then I baked them for 30 mins. They came out fantastic! Here is a pre-bake shot, and a post-bake shot.

So, today at work, we had a vendor lunch. It's always hit or miss as to whether or not I'll be able to eat what a vendor brings, so, I always pack a lunch that day, just in case. Today, the vendor decided that McAlister's was the menu of the day. For anyone who has had McAlister's, it's carb heaven. However, she brought sandwiches, which meant that as long as there was no sauce/mayo on the sandwiches, I could pick the meat/veg off the bread, and just eat that. I didn't think, however until after the fact about the cheese that was on the sandwich. I bet it wasn't lowfat cheese. Oops. So, I guess you could say I cheated the diet today. However, I am happy to say it was totally inadvertent. Here's a pic of lunch today (ignore the bread, this was just off to the side, I didn't eat it).

Honestly, I only ate half the yogurt (the chocolate flavor is horrible), but with the meat and veg, and the two cheese sticks (that little bit of meat wasn't going to equal 4-6 oz. of protein), I'm completely full. My whole body has decided that less is more when it comes to eating, which is a good thing. So, anyone else have some good low carb meals lately? :)

~♥~
Lady D

Meal Ideas- It's Hard to Plan Good Meals. :(

So, my husband and I are getting bored of just eating grilled meat and a veggie. So, yesterday, my co-worker bought two fresh basil plants, since she uses fresh basil in her smoothies that she and her husband eat. Well, she let me take some home last night, and since neither my husband nor I remembered to pull meat out and I had to go to the store to get our main protein anyway, I was going to get the makings for naked chicken parmesan. And I have to say, with the fresh picked/chopped basil, the fresh chopped garlic, fresh ground black pepper, sea salt, oregano, and parmesan cheese, that sauce was awesome. Now, I'm not a homemade girl all the way. When we were at Fresh Thyme Market, we found this brand of sauce called "Little Italy," out of NYC. It's a very simple sauce, with almost no seasoning. But with my special seasonings, the sauce turned rich and robust, and even had a slight sweetness to it- enough so that my husband, who LOVES sweet sauces (I used to add 1/2 c-1 c sugar to my sauce), felt no need to add sugar to it... and it only had 4g sugar per serving to start!

Tonight, I pulled out some chicken breasts, and since we still have some peppers and onions (we've been doing a lot of turkey sausage with peppers and onions), I think I'm going to try one of the stuffed pepper recipes he found. He's pointed out two that he really wants to try; a spicy chicken stuffed pepper, and a Philly cheese steak stuffed pepper. I think we're going to go for the spicy chicken stuffed pepper tonight. If you end up personally making this decision, or even trying the diet, you'll end up actually cooking. It's hard to go to a fast food place if you can only eat protein and veggies.

I think I'll keep doing these meal idea posts if you guys like... if not, let me know. :)

~♥~
Lady D

The Diet... again.

So, firstly, here are the pictures of the spaghetti spaghetti squash. The one pic is a comparison of spaghetti noodles and spaghetti squash "noodles." The other is the final product, with sauce and a sliced up string cheese stick, because, you know, I can.

I got one of my co-workers to go on the diet with me. She said she wanted to lose some weight. Well, I've lost 10 lbs. since I started the diet. And it's hard, I'm not going to lie, and there are some days I don't adhere to it strictly... I'm not saying I eat what I shouldn't, but, for example, yesterday I wasn't feeling well, so, I didn't really eat much at lunch. So, I didn't adhere to my 4-6 oz. protein for lunch. I did eat a little more protein than I should have at dinner... not necessarily to compensate, but, I was hungry.

One of my wonderful doctors (I work at a heart surgeon's office) brought in fresh beignets for the staff today. I had to give him crap. I love beignets, but, obviously, with my diet, I can't have them. And last week was one of our NP's birthdays, and so someone brought in cupcakes, and a bunch of candy. I passed on it all. I did however dream of eating pizza the other night. That was weird. I've never dreamed of food before... but even in my dream, I was good. I took a bite of the cheese pizza, and then I was like... wait, I can't have this, and so I just picked the cheese off and ate the cheese. When I woke up, I was like- WOAH! Even dream me needs this change. :)

~♥~
Lady D