Eeeek

I'm currently sitting in the waiting room of my Bariatric surgeon waiting for my fill appointment. I'm terrified. After being WAY too tight for so long, I'm scared of getting sick again. But my stomach has rested for a few months after having 3.8 ccs taken out and I'm famished all the time so I need to do it. That doesn't stop my heart from racing and my palms from sweating, but all I can do is keep trying, right?

Weekly Weigh In - 7/20/15

Last week's weight: 233.1. Today:

2 pounds down after low-carb for a week and one cheat meal. I'll take it. 

Low Carb Treat - French Soda

If you have a hard time avoiding ice cold, sweet and creamy treats at this time of year (guilty!) I have found something that satisfies the craving for such things, and it's called a French soda. It's very simple and delicious!

In a tall glass, throw in a handful of ice, a splash of any flavor sugar free syrup (the kind you use to flavor coffee, some brands are DaVinci and Torani) - my favorite is coconut, but vanilla, raspberry, caramel, and orange are also wonderful, fill the glass almost all the way with plain bubbly water/club soda, and then add a splash of cream or milk.

Made with 2 tablespoons of half & half, this tasty concoction has about 40 calories, 1 gram of protein, and and 1 gram of carb.

Low Carb Bandwagon

I'm tired of the weight gain for no reason. After weeks of working out, eating healthy, and continuing to gain nearly a pound a week, I got really, really frustrated. Clearly what I was doing wasn't working. I decided to jump back on the low carb bandwagon because as much as I hate it I know it works for me. So I spent the weekend eating whatever I wanted and today I am back to bacon and eggs for breakfast, salads with protein for lunch, and protein and veggies for dinner. Here goes nothing. 

Weekly Weigh In - 6/22/15

Last week's weight: 230.4. 

This week:

This doesn't even make sense. I'm ready to cry, scream, and/or COMPLETELY GIVE UP. WTF????????

Weekly Weigh In - 6/15/15

Last week's weight: 229.5. This week:

I have no bloody clue how I managed to gain a pound, other than the three hardcore weight training workouts I did this week and the VERY hot weather we're having (water retention?) and the one hardcore cheat meal (grilled cheese and disco fries) and the one hard cider I drank when we went to see a band play the other night, but all I can do is move on. 

This week: more cardio, less weights (2 Zumba classes and 2 circuit classes), LOTS more water, and the cheat meal needs to be not quite so salty, fatty, and low in protein. 

As the lovely LBG says...onwards. 

Breakfast

Almost every day, I have homemade muesli for breakfast. If you're not familiar with muesli, a quick definition is:

...a breakfast dish based on raw rolled oats and other ingredients including grains, fresh or dried fruits, seeds and nuts, mixed with milk, soy milk, yogurt or fruit juice.

The way I make mine is that I go to the health food store and hit up the bulk food bins for raw rolled oats (which make up about 75% of the recipe) and any of the following (to make up the remaining 25%):

wheat germ

sunflower seeds

pumpkin seeds

sesame seeds

flax seeds

almonds

walnuts

pecans

cashews

dried cranberries

dried tart cherries *

dried apricots *

dried apples *

dried coconut *

cinnamon

nutmeg

ginger

* note: I use UNSWEETENED and UNSULPHERED dried fruits wherever possible. Cranberries are the only fruit I have not been unable to find unsweetened

You can really use any kind of nuts/seeds/dried fruit you like - most people use raisins but I don't like them. I tried using chia seeds once but it makes the whole thing very gooey and gelatinous. I didn't care for it. And keep the dried fruit content on the low side because it does contain sugar - I don't add ANY other sweetener so a little dried fruit does make it tasty, though, and things like dried cherries have big health benefits (reduce inflammation) so I like to use them.

I lightly toast the oats dry for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven, just until they start to get a nutty scent and get a touch darker. Eating the oats completely raw is perfectly fine, but it can cause a little gastrointestinal distress. I then mix everything together and store it in a glass jar in the fridge for about a week. I measure out a portion each day to take to work with me and eat it at my desk with skim milk or yogurt (I prefer it with milk). To serve, I measure out 1/3 cup of muesli, 1/2 scoop of protein powder (I use EAS Lean 15 in vanilla - adds 4 grams of protein and 25 calories), and 1/2 cup of milk and mix it all together.

This mix is very high in fiber (the really important kind that lowers cholesterol and increases satiety), omega-3 fatty acids, and best of all, it's really tasty.