No Dough Pizza!

I am posting this from the library since my computer is on the fritz, so no picture of this yummy goodness so you will just have to try it.  Since my surgery I can not have most types of breads and doughs.  A friend sent this recipes to me and though its not the kind of pizza you would pick up with your hands, it is sooo good, AND it makes the pizza craving go away!  It is both bariatric and diabetic friendly, only one ingredient is not a protein, yet it is yummy, and ooey gooey goodness for ANYONE to enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 package cream cheese (room temp)
2 eggs
garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (I used a roasted red pepper blend)
pizza sauce
1 package shredded cheese
your favorite pizza toppings (I used turkey pepperoni and turkey sausage)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cream cheese, eggs, garlic, and parm cheese together until cream cheese is well blended.  Pour into greased 9x13 baking pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  It should now almost resemble tofu.

Put sauce, cheese, and any toppings on now baked cheese mixture.  Bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Let sit for a minute and enjoy!


This whole recipe is nothing but protein and would be great for you bariatric patients.  I am one month out and it went down great!  Hope everyone enjoys it!

Back to Work

I went back to work Monday.  I must say even though it was a bit of a rough day, I am so glad to be back.  Boredom had set in and taken completely over my life.  While I was down I not only got all of my thank you cards done, but my Christmas cards are done, AND I started to crochet a blanket! lol
Tuesday went much better.  Not so much pain and a bit more energy.  I think I just needed to get back in the swing of things.  Still sticking to small things like a protein shake or pudding cup at work.  I am so scared of getting sick at work.  I would be so embarrassed if that happened.
I am also down to 394! Its hard for me to think of myself 111 pounds heavier than I am now, but the reality is that I WAS! I have come so far and have so much farther to go.  I cant wait to see myself in one year!

1 Week Post-Op

So its been a bit over a week since surgery and I am feeling pretty good.  I had a pretty rough time at first due to a complication.  The stapler mis-fired and tore my pouch.  Surgery took almost 5 hours instead of just 1 1/2 hours.  I was in the hospital for 5 days and in a HUGE amount of pain.  Things are much better now and I have already lost 18 pounds!  I have graduated up to squishy foods like mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs, and will go back to work in about 1 1/2 weeks.

Big Changes Coming

So there has been so much going on, it has been hard to find time to sit down and write in my blog! I am still working, David now has 2 jobs, he also has PT for his foot, and then I have all of my classes and doctor appointments for the gastric bypass.  All of this using ONE car.  Most days I feel like I live in the car...lol  But it is all worth it in the end.

To catch everyone up, I was approved for surgery!!!!! I go October 14th, which is only 9 days away! Its so surreal at this point.  For years it was something just talked about and even through the classes it wasn't a reality.  But now its here, big, and right in my face.  A bit scary, but so ready for it.  It has brought MANY unaccounted for expenses and I am sure there will be even more.  I have no idea how we are going to pay for things, but God knows what we need before the surgery and He will supply those things.

My plan is to blog often, good or bad, about my surgery and weight loss.  I want it well documented.  Not just for me, but for others as well.  Its overwhelming when you go through this alone and not knowing anything.  I have some wonderful support groups online and at the hospital that help me through understanding all of this.  And a wonderful support system of friends and family.

As you can see, my lily ticker (in the upper left hand corner) has moved again.  I am down 79 pounds!  And I have completed 4 out of 7 goals.  21 pounds until I complete my next goal.  I am so proud of myself.  A lot of people are like, "If you already lost 79 pounds why are you getting the surgery?".  I kind of get tired of explaining it, especially since they still don't get it after I do. I am doing MAINLY for myself, but for my friends and family, and my future family.  I need to be around for them.  I need to be able to do things with them.  When I weighed 505, I couldn't walk 100 feet without a cane and the only time I left the house was to go to church. THAT is not living.  I might as well have already been dead.  And I will be if I don't do this.

Pray for me.  Pray for David. Hes got a lot to deal with in all of this.  Hes scared for his wife, but VERY much supportive. This may be my last blog before the surgery so if it is, Ill see you on the flip side!

Almost Forgot!

I almost forgot to move my weight loss ticker! (in the upper left corner of my blog) I have been doing a 50,000 step challenge with a group on FB the last few weeks and since then I have continued to go down in weight AND inches!  Every day is a challenge for me and I am really feeling motivated.  Some days it seems like I will NEVER get my steps in and then other days it happens without even trying!  I am so thankful with the support I have found in 2 different groups.  My 50,000 step challenge group, and my bariatric support group.  Some of the best support I have ever got and coming from people who were once complete strangers.  And of course I cant forget my family and friends who are continuously there for me!!!!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken (Better than Take-Out!!!!)

I LOOOOOOOVE me some Chinese food! Most recipes are a bit difficult though with a million ingredients so I don't bother to make them.  I DO make an egg roll that is baked, not fried, but we will save that for another day! :)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound boneless chicken, (cubed and/or sliced)
• 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• flour or corn starch to thicken sauce

DIRECTIONS

• Cube raw chicken, set aside.  Mix all ingredients, EXCEPT flour or corn starch, to make sauce.  Add chicken and marinade for an hour in refrigerator.  

*I put it all in my crock pot and let it chill to save washing dishes.  If you do it that way, make sure you let the pot sit out for ONE HOUR after marinading and before turning it on.  Your crock pot can crack if you heat it when it is that cold.*

• Pour entire mixture into the crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours WITHOUT lifting the lid.  Stir the chicken and if the sauce is not thick enough to your liking, add a little flour or corn starch until it is.  Serve over rice.

ENJOY!!!!

Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups

This recipe turned out so yummy, even my husband who hates ricotta cheese, loved it!  The picture above is not my own, but it was much prettier than mine.  The pictures below ARE mine though.

• 8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
• 14 oz freshly shredded, low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup Ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg white
• 1/3 cup freshly, finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/4 oz)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 - 4 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/6 inch thick slices)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup marinara sauce, recipe follows
Simple Marinara Sauce
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions listed on package to al dente. Drain pasta (DO NOT rinse with water) and align lasagna noodles in a single layer on a large sheet of parchment or wax paper.

• For filling, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese and egg white until well blended. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Mix in 12 oz. of the Mozzarella cheese and season with black pepper to taste (I wouldn't recommend seasoning with salt just because the cheeses already have plenty of salt).

• Place 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle and spread into an even layer, going from one end of the lasagna to the other. Align 4 thin tomato slices over cheese mixture then sprinkle fresh basil over top. Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end. Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Align lasagna roll ups, seam side down in dish. Top each roll up with about 2 Tbsp of the pasta sauce (covering edges of pasta so they don't dry out while baking). Sprinkle top with remaining 2 oz. shredded Mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven, plate pasta and garnish with plenty of basil ribbons. Serve warm.

(This picture is before the sauce and cheese is put on)

Simple Marinara Sauce

• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions to hot oil and saute about 3 minutes until soft, adding garlic during last minute of sauteing. Pour in crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow sauce to cook for about 25 - 30 minutes (which will allow some of the water in crushed tomatoes to evaporate) while you prepare pasta and lasagna filling (you can freeze or refrigerate left over sauce in a small airtight container for later use, adding fresh basil if desired).

ENJOY!!!!!

Been Too Long!

Trying to keep up with my blog seems impossible at times. LOL So lets play catch up!

I have decided to go ahead with the gastric bypass.  My health is going down faster than I can lose the weight I need to lose so I believe this is the best option for me.  I believe I can use this as a tool to lose the weight and keep it off!  I have to do a 3 month program before I can have the surgery.  I have done my first group session and have 2 more to go, plus a few dr. appointments.  I will be reviewed by the September review board and we are looking at an early October surgery.  That isn't very far away! Right now I am just trying to continue in weight loss, shop for things like protein shakes and bars, and prepare as much as possible.

Support for this kind of thing can be a hard thing to find.  My husband is very supportive but I know he is scared to lose me.  But if I don't do this, he will lose me anyway, just slower.  My immediate family is also for it.  They know the importance of it.  My friends are pretty much divided.  Some are being a great support, and then others just want to talk about the negative side of things.  Some is out of concern, but I think others is out of jealousy.  I would have to say though, I have a lot more people supporting me than others do.  I could not imagine going through this without the support of people, especially my husband, he is everything to me. :)

I have had a few people ask me where I get my motivation from because they just cant seem to find any.  First off, I DO struggle with motivation, A LOT! Right now I am struggling with motivation to go to the gym.  I am getting my steps in and doing cardio everyday, but no gym lately.  The best thing I can say is to try and try again until you find the thing that motivates you the best.  Get a good team of support that will encourage you on good AND bad days.  I am part of a group on FB that has encouraged and motivate me to keep stepping and keep moving and this past week I logged in 25 miles, AND losing weight even though I haven't gone to the gym!  Support is a big part of any success.  Not everyone can find it from their family and friends, but I just want to put it out there that I will be a support for ANYONE trying to get healthy and lose weight, even if we don't know each other, we will get to know each other. :)

I have also started working again!  I started at Lane Bryant in February.  I REALLY like my job.  Physically, it is hard for me at times, especially in the beginning.  Some nights I come home and just cry from the pain. Things are getting better though, and they will get even better the more weight I lose!

David is also doing well with his weight.  He has lost almost 50 pounds!  At first it was just from not drinking soda, but he is now exercising every day!

Well, I think that is it as far as playing catch up! I know I have said this before, but I will try to post more often. lol

Just Another Monday

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. No excuse, just haven't.  I recently purchased a pedometer, which I am SUPER excited about! As of right now I am getting in 5000 steps a day, sometimes more.  I will be slowly making my way up to 10000 a day.  I also got a job! Its a lot to be working again.  At first I didn't think I was going to be able to do it.  It took so much out of me.  I am getting back into the groove of things though.  It is only part-time, but I have to start somewhere.  It still takes a lot out of me, but I am able to deal with it better now.  

Spring kind of skipped right over us and summer seems to be just about here.  I will have to make a huge effort to keep up the walks and not let the heat get to me.  The more weight I lose, the less the heat bothers me.  Its more the humidity than the heat that bothers me.  There are a couple of different hikes David and I want to go on.  He is hurt right now from an injury at work but I am hoping that is better soon.  I will do a weigh in at the beginning of June and get a new poll quiz up on here soon. :)

Never Ending Journey

I saw this image today on facebook.  Such a simple cartoon, yet it fully depicts my life right at this moment.  This journey I have been on with weight loss has been such a struggle.  Its had good moments, great moments, and horrible moments.  That mountain just seems so high and sometimes seems to be getting higher.  But in the end, WILL be worth it all.  Worth all the sweat, pain, and tears.  Trust me, there are plenty of all of those things.

I have been putting off getting weighed and measured for quite awhile, but had no idea it had been since OCTOBER! I just sucked it up and did it the other day and since October I have gained 3 pounds and 1 inch.  I know that doesn't seem like a lot for most people, but for me its unacceptable.  I should have LOST, not gained.  

I am back to the gym on a daily basis, even hit a zumba class the other day.  My diet I cut back even further on the carbs and sodium.  I also started a small part-time job at Lane Bryant.  I really like it and even though my body feels like melting jello, lol, I am glad I took that extra step and put myself out there.

As Dory says..."just keep swimming, just keep swimming...."

Ready for Spring!

I am soooooooooo ready for spring to get here! I love the snow but I am way over it now.  Time for some warmer weather.  This past week I have had a cold and 2 ear infections...About 3 weeks ago I had the flu for over a week.  This really puts a dent in my exercising.  I have started being more committed to DAILY workouts and even have an exercise buddy again.  I really hope she stays committed and for 2 reasons.  First, for her own health, and then for my health.  She is my 3rd workout buddy and no one ever lasts for more than a month or so.  Its fun, new, and exciting at first, but when they find out it is actually REALLY hard work, they quit.

So come on, lets get it warmed up outside, get some motivation going, and get that weight loss ticker moving south!

Spring Tease

As you can see I have not posted in my blog for awhile.  Besides being sick for over a week, I have just not been pulling my weight, no pun intended, when it comes to my fitness.  I have been avoiding getting weighed and measured, and apparently I have been avoiding my blog because I have nothing good to report.  Now I do.  I am back at the gym, and back into the swing of things.  I do not want to use "lack of motivation" as an excuse, but it was definitely there.
Winter is hard to get through physically.  I am always afraid of falling, the cold can be painful for my body at times, and its just gloomy and makes me not want to do anything.  The other day we had our first spring teaser.  It was gorgeous out and the second I woke up, all I wanted to do was go outside.  So I headed straight for the gym.  It has only been a couple days, but every day I have woke up WANTING to go to the gym.  As soon as it gets just a little bit warmer it will be nice enough to take Sayuri to the park, which we both love.
I hope this is the start of a new motivation.  I need to just do it and keep moving forward! I will be weighing and measuring the first week of April no matter what.  I am hoping to see good results and that I will finally get to my my ticker in the upper left corner of my blog.  Its been quite awhile since it has moved.

Try, Try Again!

Even though I was able to "maintain" my weight over the holidays, I just haven't been able to LOSE weight in a few months.  Its quite frustrating to me and I decided I needed to examine why this was happening.   There has to be something I am not doing or have stopped doing.  One thing I stopped doing was tracking my food.  That always helped me so much.  I was able to see if I was eating too much or too little for the day.  So I have started tracking my food again using www.sparkpeople.com.  I joined that site a couple of years ago and was steadily losing weight when I used it.

When we are given tools like this to use, we need to utilize them or they go to waste and we get no where.  I am not going to think about the last 6 months, but starting over again.  When you start over, and over, and over, again, I do not see that as failure.  Failure would be giving up all together.  I see it as success in NEVER giving up.  Keep moving forward and try, try again.  There is a saying I like...."I got it on the first try", said no successful person EVER!  It takes multiples tries to succeed and I will eventually get there.

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Oatmeal

This is a very simple recipe.  It took me about 5 minutes to put together.  It was so nice to wake up to the smells of apple, cinnamon, and brown sugar in the house, and great to warm the body on a cold winter day.  I found the recipe on sparkpeople.com.  Just click on that link and it will take you straight to the recipe.  I normally would post the whole recipe myself, but theres no need to with this one. 

*** Make sure you do NOT use quick oats with this recipe. If you do, you need to increase the water by a cup.

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork (or Chicken)

I found this recipe on www.kraftrecipes.com.  They have a lot of pretty simple recipes.  Most are quick as well.  The website has several features that include special dietary recipes, and will even make a grocery list for you.

I usually do not post a recipe until I have tried it, so this is a first for me.  I will be making it tomorrow night and will post on FB how it turned out.  IF, for some reason, it is a major flop I will post on my blog what went wrong and what to do instead, but I doubt that will happen.

This will be a great recipe for those chinese cravings.  I ALWAYS have chinese cravings, but most food from a chinese restraunt is so bad for you, even though it tastes oh soooo good! So try this on for size and see if it helps!

1-1/2  lb. boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth
3/4 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks in juice, drained
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cups instant white rice, uncooked

PLACE meat in slow cooker; top with onions.
ADD broth and barbecue sauce; cover with lid. Cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours (or on HIGH 4 hours).
STIR in remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, on LOW 30 min. or until rice is tender.

This recipe couldn't get any more simple. I cooked my own rice, used reduced sodium chicken broth, and used chicken instead of pork.

Weigh in After the Holidays

I had a doctors appointment yesterday and got weighed. I didn't lose anything, but I maintained my weight, which is ok with me.  It is EXTREMELY hard NOT to gain weight over the holidays. The average American gains 7-12 pounds during the holiday season.  I still ate the yummy foods, but I did it in moderation.  Very proud of myself!  I determined to move my weight loss ticker (in the left top corner of the blog).  It hasn't gone up, but it hasn't gone down in awhile either.
They also reduced my blood pressure medicine by 50%! This is the first medicine that they have ever reduced for me! It really makes me excited to see myself going in the right direction to get off of my meds and stuff.  I did not get measured yet this month and probably wont until February.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff (NO MUSHROOMS!)

*I couldn't get a good picture of what I actually cooked so I pulled one from google images.

This is another great slow cooker recipe.  Its a 2 part recipe, but you can take 8 hours to do the first part if you need to, so its still a good one for doing while not home.  I had come to REALLY dislike beef stroganoff.  Anyone who was at the farm in Texas with me will know exactly why.  It was served to us a few times a week and was NOT very good.  Most like was the hamburger helper version....yuck!  I don't like mushrooms so I left those out, but it turns out nice and creamy!

2

lb.  beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

10

oz.  fresh mushrooms, halved

1

 onion, chopped

1

clove  garlic, minced

1

cup  beef broth

2

tsp.  paprika

1

tsp.  salt

1

cup  sour cream

2

Tbsp.  flour

1

Tbsp.  dijon mustard

1

pkg.  (16 oz.) egg noodles, uncooked

2

Tbsp.  chopped fresh parsley

PLACE meat, mushrooms, onions and garlic in slow cooker. Add broth, paprika and salt. Cover with lid. Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours (or on HIGH 4-5 hours).

MIX sour cream, flour and mustard. Stir into ingredients in slow cooker until well blended. Cook, covered, on LOW 15 min. Meanwhile, cook noodles as directed on package.

DRAIN noodles; place in large serving bowl. Add meat mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with parsley.

ENJOY!

Taco Ring (Pampered Chef Recipe)

This turned out so yummy! I was really worried that putting it together would be difficult, but the hardest part was filling it with the meat, and even that wasn't actually that hard.  This is perfect for parties and other functions.  You can prepare it, stick it in the fridge, and bake it once people start to arrive so its nice an hot once you start eating.  Only takes 20 minutes to bake! Here's a couple of step by step pictures as well to help you along. There is also a cheeseburger version that I will be trying soon.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef             1 pkg. taco seasoning                             1 cup shred. cheese

2 cans crescent rolls        2 Tbsp. water

Garnish:

green bell pepper             salsa                    lettuce                 tomato

chopped onion                olives                   sour cream

*I left out the olives and then forgot the tomatoes so you wont see those in the picture...lol

• Preheat oven to 375.  Brown ground beef and drain grease.  Stir in taco seasoning, water and cheese.
• Unroll crescent rolls and separate. Arrange triangles in a circle on a round baking pan (covered with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray) with wide ends overlapping in center and points toward the outside. There should be about a 5 inch diameter in the center.

• 
  
• Scoop meat mixture evenly onto widest ends of dough at center of ring. Bring points in and over and tuck underneath the wide end.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• You can garnish with bell pepper, lettuce, salsa, tomatoes, onion, sour cream, olives, etc.

* Instead of using shredded cheese, I used sliced cheese.  I laid one layer of cheese down BEFORE the beef mixture, and then another one on on top of the mixture, then folded the dough over.

**The bell pepper salsa cup is very easy to make. Just cut off the top, the smallest amount you can.  Scoop out the middle.  Cut the sides into 1/2 in triangles to make the gagged pattern.  Fill with salsa, and put in the center.  Wait to put garnish and salsa cup in the middle until right before serving so it doesn't get warm.