Sunday, January 31, 2010

What I Ate: 1/31/2010

  • Chike Nutrition protein sample in "Very Vanilla" (190 kcals, 28g protein, 8g net carbs, 3.5g fat) mixed with 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 3g fat). Total - (230 kcals, 29g protein, 9g net carbs, 6.5g fat). This has a nice rich consistency, but it wasn't as good as the Chocolate Bliss. I'm not generally one for stand-alone vanilla anyway. This went from "meh" to pretty tasty when I added some cinnamon and Splenda. I won't order a tub of this because I can use a lower-calorie vanilla protein if I'm just going to use it as a base for other flavors.
  • Ham and cheese omelette: 1/2 cup Publix EggStirs (60 kcals, 12g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat); 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice smoked ham (45 kcals, 7.5g protein, 0.8g net carbs, 1.1g fat) and 1 slice Hormel Natural Choice deli chicken (17 kcals, 3.6g protein, 0g carbs, 0.4g fat); and 1 slice Kraft fat-free sharp cheddar (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (147 kcals, 27.1g protein, 4.8g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 10 unsalted roasted pistachios (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 3g fat)
  • 1 scoop Lean Dessert Banana Nut Bread protein (Vitalady sample) (130 kcals, 20g protein, 6g net carbs, 3g fat) in 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 3g fat) with cinnamon, Splenda, and 3 tbsp. Free Cool Whip (23 kcals, 5g carbs) mixed in. Total - (193 kcals, 21g protein, 12g net carbs, 6g fat). This was pretty good - the banana flavor was a little too fake but it was okay - however, it needed doctoring to reach my standards. If I were better off I might buy a tub of this, but this is not a necessity in my protein arsenal.
  • Chicken, basil, and mozzarella panini! Wow, something I never thought I'd have again - and this was spectacular! 1/2 Flatout Light Italian flatbread (45 kcals, 4.5g protein, 3.3g net carbs, 1.8g fat) with 2 oz. chicken breast (60 kcals, 12g protein, 1g carbs, 1g fat); 1/4 cup Kraft fat-free mozzarella (45 kcals, 9g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat); 10 raisins (15 kcals, 0.2g protein, 4g carbs, 0g fat); 3 basil leaves; 1 tsp. mustard; and 1 pack of Splenda. Total - (175 kcals, 25.7g protein, 10.3g net carbs, 2.8g fat). I griddled the sandwich in a little Pam. This was so, so, so good.
  • 2 oz. tofu shirataki noodles with 1/4 cup homemade tomato-basil sauce (30 kcals, 1g protein, 5g net carbs)
  • 3 blocks Laughing Cow Light cheese (35 kcals, 2.5g protein, 1g carb, 2g fat) and about 2 tbsp. raisins (60 kcals, 20g carbs) :-(
  • 3 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (12 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in orange (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 2g net carbs)
Total:
937 kcals
107.3g protein
45.8% kcals from protein
70.1g net carbs - thanks raisins! :-(
29.9% kcals from net carbs
21.8g fat
20.9% kcals from fat.


I am struggling with compulsive eating again. It's so hard to stop. And it's usually stupid stuff like lowfat cheese and deli meat and PB2 and raisins - not anything that I particularly love or would otherwise crave. I would never leave the house specifically to buy something to binge on. I just eat whatever's in the cabinets because it's there and it tastes pretty good. It could be ANYTHING. This is the kind of habit RNY can't fix. How can I overcome this? I have to keep some food in the house!

Sunday was a day off exercise.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

What I Ate: 1/28/2010

  • 2 tbsp. skim milk in decaf Sbux coffee (10 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1/2 Flatout Light Italian flatbread (45 kcals, 4.5g protein, 3.3g net carbs, 1.8g fat) with 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice rotisserie chicken (50 kcals, 11g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), chopped fresh parsley, caraway seeds, and other spices, and 1 tsp. tamarind concentrate paste (5 kcals, 0.7g net carbs). Total - (100 kcals, 15.5g protein, 4g net carbs, 2.8g fat)
  • New product! 1 ProJoe "Nillacino" protein drink as creamer in 2 decaf coffees with sugar-free hazelnut, English toffee, and vanilla syrups (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g carbs, 0g fat). This tastes exactly the same as Believe Italian Cappucino. I bet the same company manufactures both products. They cost the same for me most of the time, maybe one will be a dollar or two cheaper than the others when items or shipping are taken into consideration. I guess I'll buy whichever product is most affordable at the moment.
  • 3 oz. chicken with 2 tsp. mustard sweetened with Splenda (115 kcals, 20g protein, 1g carbs, 1g fat).
  • Another new-ish product (to me, even though this is the first protein most post-ops taste): 1 sample pack chocolate Unjury (100 kcals, 20g protein, 4g net carbs, 0g fat) mixed with 1 cup unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze (45 kcals, 2g protein, 2g net carbs, 3.5g fat). Total - (145 kcals, 22g protein, 6g net carbs, 3.5g fat). Contrary to what I'd heard from others, Unjury's not bad. I added a couple packs of Splenda for sweetness, but that was more to address the lack of sweetness in the almond milk than the protein powder. The protein had an unintrusive, clean taste. Admittedly, it would probably be very lackluster in water, but in other applications, this protein could be quite versatile. But there was nothing special about it, so I probably won't buy it again. About Time, which tastes incredibly yummy, has virtually the same number of calories and more protein. Inspire dutch chocolate cake has 26 more calories, but 10 more grams of protein.
  • 4 pecan halves (40 kcals, 0.4g protein, 0.3g net carbs, 4g fat)
  • Ham, cheese, and mushroom omelet: 1/2 cup Publix EggStirs (60 kcals, 12g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat), 2 slices Hormel Natural smoked ham, diced (30 kcals, 5g protein, 0.5g net carb, 0.8g fat), 2 oz. baby bella mushrooms (20 kcals, 2g protein, 0.6g net carbs, 0g fat), and 1/2 slice Kraft fat-free sharp cheddar (13 kcals, 2g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (123 kcals, 21g protein, 4.1g net carbs, 0.8g fat). This was mega yummy. I added an odd combo of spices including coriander, cinnamon, paprika, and thyme, and then I hit it with some soy sauce and Liquid Smoke.
  • Caramel butterscotch protein pudding: 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1/2 scoop Inspire Caramel Latte protein (55 kcals, 15g protein, 0.5g carbs, 0g fat), 1.5 tbsp. sugar-free butterscotch pudding (23 kcals, 6g carbs), and sugar-free dulce de leche syrup, topped with 2 tbsp. Free Cool Whip (15 kcals, 3g carbs). Total - (133 kcals, 21.6g protein, 12.5g net carbs, 0g fat). This was really good too! I'm totally adding this to the long-term protein repertoire. Who would have thought?
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 3 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (12 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate grape multivitamins (15 kcals, 4g net carbs)
Total:
853 kcals
121.5g protein
57.0% kcals from protein
46.9g net carbs
22.0% kcals from net carbs
13.6g fat
14.3% kcals from fat.

Exercise was weird today. Tonight after work, I did 3 workout videos and part of a fourth: (1) 2 miles of the Leslie Sansone 5 Mile Fat Burning Walk (25 minutes); (2) All of Sansone's Walk Strong (33 minutes); (3) All of Sansone's Muscle Mile One (19 minutes); and (4) All of my old school Quick Start Yoga for Weight Loss DVD, which I haven't done in ages.

The yoga DVD is much, much easier than yoga class!

So, I had 98 minutes of a strange combo workout, with cardio, squats and lunges, hand weights, and yoga.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

What I Ate: 1/27/2010

  • 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice rotisserie chicken (50 kcals, 11g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat) and 1 Sargento Light string cheese (50 kcals, 6g protein, 1g net carbs, 2.5g fat). Total - (100 kcals, 17g protein, 1g net carbs, 3.5g fat).
  • New product! 1/2 Flatout Light Italian flatbread (!) (45 kcals, 4.5g protein, 3.3g net carbs, 1.8g fat) with 4 slices Hormel Natural Choice smoked ham (60 kcals, 10g protein, 1g net carb, 1.5g fat), 1 slice fresh tomato (4 kcals, 1g carb), fresh parsley leaves, and dressed with dried thyme and oregano and a little natural rice vinegar (0 kcals) and DaVinci sweetening syrup. Total - (114 kcals, 14.5g protein, 5.3g net carbs, 3.3g fat). More to follow in a later post after I've really gotten a sense of whether I like this or not.
  • 1 Believe Mocha Latte protein drink as creamer in 2 decaf coffees with sugar-free chocolate, and vanilla syrups (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g carbs, 0g fat)
  • 3 oz. chicken with 2 tsp. mustard sweetened with Splenda (115 kcals, 20g protein, 1g carbs, 1g fat)
  • Another new product! Hazelnut Creme AchievOne (80 kcals, 15g protein, 3g carbs, 0.5g fat). It tasted good, but so far every single one of my AchievOne drinks has had a huge clump of insoluble crud at the bottom. I think it's bad enough that I wouldn't buy them again.
  • Mushroom, tomato, leek, and cheese scramble: 1/2 cup Publix EggStirs (60 kcals, 12g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) with 2 oz. baby bella mushrooms (20 kcals, 2g protein, 0.6g net carbs, 0g fat), 1/4 cup fresh diced tomato (10 kcals, 0.4g protein, 1.4g net carbs), 2 tbsp. leeks (7 kcals, 1.4g net carbs), and 1 slice Kraft fat-free sharp cheddar (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (122 kcals, 18.4g protein, 7.4g net carbs, 0g fat).
  • Cookies and cream cheesecake protein yogurt: 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1/2 scoop Matrix Cookies & Cream protein (65 kcals, 12.5g protein, 2.5g carbs, 1g fat), 1.5 tbsp. sugar-free cheesecake pudding (23 kcals, 6g carbs), and sugar-free cookie dough syrup, topped with 2 tbsp. Free Cool Whip (15 kcals, 3g carbs). Total - (143 kcals, 19.1g protein, 14.5g net carbs, 1g fat).
  • 4 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (16 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs)
Total:
830 kcals
124g protein
59.8% kcals from protein
45.2g net carbs
21.8% kcals from net carbs
9.3g fat
10.1% kcals from fat.
Today's exercise was 55 minutes on the elliptical in the morning and a 75-minute yoga class tonight after work.

Just Registered for My First Athletic Event EVER.

That is, if you don't count Relay for Life or my high school's "March for Education," which was seriously like 1/4 or 1/2 mile. For me, Relay for Life was an opportunity to eat and socialize while supporting a worthy cause. Every couple hours I'd walk a lap. Anyway -

I just registered for the Cooper River Bridge Run, which will be held in Mt. Pleasant/Charleston, SC on March 27, 2010. It's a 10K. I will definitely be walking, maybe with 3 minutes of slow jogging interspersed here and there. Even so, I am experiencing a pleasant combination of excitement, anxiety, and a premature sense of accomplishment just for having the cojones to try something like this after 20+ years of obesity. Simply registering, let alone participating, feels surreal.

I hope I actually follow through with this, and I have a feeling that I will after paying almost $50 to sign up. Walking 6.2 miles isn't the scary part. That should be no problem. What makes me nervous is being a fat person in this environment.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

What I Ate: 1/26/2010

I've been eating a lot more slider-ish foods lately, so I'm trying going back to more dense proteins (of course interspersed with shakes) for a while. I don't want to head more into grazing habits, and I've realized that by sipping protein coffee literally all workday long, I'm basically grazing without the caloric consequences. I'm eating out of boredom at a desk job, and the all day protein coffee accommodates that bad habit. I should be trying to rid myself of that habit, not accommodate it.

I tell you, this process is all about continual self-assessment. This issue really sneaked up on me (NOTE: no, it's not "snuck." AskOxford says so.) I thought I was doing the right thing by sipping protein all day, but I've taken it too far.

  • 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice rotisserie chicken (50 kcals, 11g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat) and 2 slices Kraft fat-free sharp cheddar cheese (50 kcals, 8g protein, 4g carbs, 0g fat) with 1.5 tsp. mustard (5 kcals). Total - (105 kcals, 19g protein, 4g carbs, 1g fat).
  • 1 Believe Italian Cappucino protein drink as creamer in 2 decaf coffees (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g carbs, 0g fat)
  • 3 oz. chicken with 2 tsp. mustard sweetened with Splenda (115 kcals, 20g protein, 1g carbs, 1g fat)
  • New product: Chocolate About Time protein powder by SDC Nutrition (101 kcals, 24g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat), mixed into 1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk (23 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 1.8g fat). Total - (124 kcals, 25g protein, 1g net carbs, 1.8g fat). ZOMG. This was absolutely divine. It tasted like chocolate pudding, even though the milk wasn't cold. I have to say it: Thus far, About Time is the best protein I've ever had, with the best stats I've ever seen and incredible blendability. I just mixed it with a spoon; no Blender Bottle needed. I almost don't believe it. I had the Birthday Cake Batter flavor last week just mixed into unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and it was a revelation. The chocolate is a less unique flavor, but it's incredibly delicious without any doctoring whatsoever. I'm probably not making another big protein purchase for a while, but I think both flavors of About Time will be firmly on the next list (despite its stupid brand name.) Order samples for $2.99 here. Melting Mama reviewed About Time a few months ago, and she rated it pouchworthy. I rate it pouchworthy+! Try this try this try this.
  • Bacon, mushroom, tomato omelet: 1/4 cup egg substitute (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat) with 3 strips Applegate Farms uncured organic turkey bacon, diced (105 kcals, 18g protein, 0g carbs, 4.5g fat), 1 oz. baby bella mushrooms (10 kcals, 1g protein, 0.3g net carbs, 0g fat), and 1/4 cup fresh diced tomato (10 kcals, 0.4g protein, 1.4g net carbs). Total - (155 kcals, 25.4g protein, 2.7g net carbs, 4.5g fat).
  • Cookies and cream cheesecake protein yogurt (modified, reducing the amount of protein powder): 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1/2 scoop Matrix Cookies & Cream protein (65 kcals, 12.5g protein, 2.5g carbs, 1g fat), 1.5 tbsp. sugar-free cheesecake pudding (23 kcals, 6g carbs), and sugar-free cookie dough syrup, topped with 2 tbsp. Free Cool Whip (15 kcals, 3g carbs). Total - (143 kcals, 19.1g protein, 14.5g net carbs, 1g fat). I much prefer the taste of this with just 1/2 scoop of the protein, and the calorie reduction doesn't hurt either, even though it throws off the protein/carb balance a bit.
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 3 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (12 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
829 kcals
128.5g protein
62.0% kcals from protein
40.2g net carbs
19.4% kcals from net carbs
9.8g fat
10.6% kcals from fat.

Today's workout was the 30-minute Leslie Sansone walk. I'll get back to my more strenuous workouts tomorrow, I hope!

Recipe: Creamy Cannellini Bean-Pea Puree

As requested! This recipe is really easy, with significantly fewer spices than I normally use. I used the canned stuff for convenience, but this dish would be sublime prepared in slow-cooker, like a Crock Pot, with dry beans and fresh or frozen peas added toward the end of the cooking process.

Ingredients
-2 14.5- or 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, drained (preferably organic)
-1 15-oz. can no salt added green peas, drained
-1 14-oz. (or so) can low-sodium broth (preferably vegetable or chicken, but whatever you have on hand)
-3 large garlic cloves, chopped
-1 small pinch (roughly 1/2 tsp.) celery seeds
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Chives to taste, maybe 2 tbsp. chopped
-1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or whichever milk you prefer, but I would advise against regular skim because it won't be as creamy. Soy would be a delicious substitute, as would a fattier cow's milk.)
-4 oz. fat-free cream cheese (1/2 block or tub. You can also use neufchatel or full-fat cheese)

Equipment
You will need something to puree the beans and peas. I used an immersion hand blender, which is great because it doesn't require involved cleanup. This produced a creamy consistency, but it wasn't completely pureed. I wanted it to be smooth but with some texture. However, if you need or prefer a smoother puree, try using a blender or food processor. If you want more chunkiness, you could avoid the electronic gadgets and stick with a potato masher.

Directions
In a dutch oven or large saucepan, combine the drained beans, peas, broth, garlic, and celery seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer (just below boiling.) Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and let the mixture cook down until the beans are falling apart. This should take no more than 20 minutes, and probably more like 10-15.

When the beans are visibly mushy with a few of them coming out of their skins, remove the beans from the heat and puree the mixture to your desired consistency. Taste the mixture to see if it's adequately seasoned for your palate. If you need to, add more salt and pepper. Stir in the almond milk.

Bring the mixture, now pureed and milky, back up to a simmer and reduce to your desired consistency. Feel free to add more stock, almond milk, or even water if you want a soupier puree.

Once the mixture is the creamy, thick texture of mashed potatoes, stir in the cream cheese and chives. (Tip: Break up the cream cheese into little pats instead of adding the whole hunk all together.) Taste the mixture again to see if more salt or pepper is needed.

After the cream cheese melts, the dish is ready to serve. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information
The entire recipe as written above contains approximately 800 calories, 56g protein, 55g net carbs (77g carbs minus 22g fiber), and 7g fat. The recipe makes a lot, so you could easily get 10-15 WLS portions out of this recipe if not more.

Keep in mind that the stats change as you substitute ingredients. For example, using neufchatel instead of fat-free cream cheese will add 188 calories and 25g fat to the entire recipe but would slightly lower the carbs and protein. Using skim cow's milk will add 40 calories, 10g carbs (sugar, in the form of lactose), and 7g protein, while cutting 3g fat from the entire recipe.

Recommendations
I wouldn't necessarily call this a "protein dish." Beans have protein, but they also contain a lot of carbs - as you can see from the stats, the protein and net carbs in this dish are about equal. This is totally fine, but you might consider mixing in unflavored protein powder such as Isopure Unflavored, Inspire Pure, or Unjury Unflavored to increase the protein-to-carb ratio. Otherwise, serve alongside a protein source and eat this after a few bites of a more dense protein. I served the puree with pork tenderloin.

Alternately or additionally, for even more protein and creaminess, you could top this with a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt and sprinkle on more chives. The Greek yogurt mimics sour cream, but with better protein numbers.

This would also be good baked with a Parmesan cheese crust on top. Get creative!

Monday, January 25, 2010

What I Ate: 1/25/2010

  • 1 scoop Inspire dutch chocolate cake protein (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g net carbs, 0g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 1.5g fat). Total - (146 kcals, 30.5g protein, 2.5g net carbs, 1.5g fat). Typical of Inspire proteins, at least when I mix them into a liquid (not in Fage), this was delicious but lumpy. For some reason, they mix into Fage perfectly.
  • 1/2 Vanilla Oh Yeah! spread throughout the day in several decaf coffees (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • 1 Sargento light string cheese (50 kcals, 6g protein, 1g net carbs, 2.5g fat).
  • 4 tbsp. reduced-fat unsweetened organic coconut (70 kcals, 1g protein, 2g net carbs, 6g fat) mixed with 6 pecan halves, crumbled (60 kcals, 0.7g protein, 0.4g net carbs, 6g fat). Total - (130 kcals, 1.7g protein, 2.4g net carbs, 12g fat).
  • The last 1/4 cup of chocolate PB2 (104 kcals, 8g protein, 10g net carbs, 2g fat)
  • 1/4 cup scrambled egg substitute (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat) with Kraft slice Swiss (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) and Bilinski's tikka masala sausage (100 kcals, 14g protein, 2g carbs, 4g fat). Total - (155 kcals, 24g protein, 5g net carbs, 4g fat).
  • Cookies and cream cheesecake protein yogurt: 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1 scoop Matrix Cookies & Cream protein (130 kcals, 23g protein, 5g carbs, 2g fat), 1.5 tbsp. sugar-free cheesecake pudding (23 kcals, 6g carbs), and sugar-free vanilla and cookie dough syrups, topped with 2 tbsp. Free Cool Whip (15 kcals, 3g carbs). Total - (208 kcals, 29.6g protein, 17g net carbs, 2g fat).
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 3 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (12 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs)
Total:
975 kcals
115.8g protein
47.5% kcals from protein
52.4g net carbs
21.5% kcals from net carbs
30g fat
27.7% kcal from fat.


I had an extra meal today because I woke up really early to drive back to Columbia after a weekend in the Upstate. I started the day with a 6 AM protein shake before getting on the road.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

What I Ate: 1/24/2010

  • Tried peanut butter TVP (mimics oatmeal, but with much more protein and lots of fiber): 1/4 cup dry TVP (80 kcals, 12g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat), rehydrated and mixed with 2 tbsp. PB2 (53 kcals, 6g protein, 3g net carbs, 2g fat) and 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (10 kcals, 0.2g protein, 0.3g carbs, 0.8g fat) and sprinkled with cinnamon. Total - (143 kcals, 18.2g protein, 6.3g net carbs, 2.8g fat). I think I would have enjoyed this more if I were an oatmeal person before surgery. Since I wasn't, I didn't quite get the appeal. I may have it again one day, but I'm not craving it or anything.
  • 1/2 cup nonfat Fage (60 kcals, 10g protein, 4.5g carbs, 0g fat) with 1 scoop Inspire dutch chocolate cake protein powder (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g net carbs, 0g fat), 1 tbsp. SF/FF white chocolate Jello pudding mix (15 kcals, 4g carbs), and DaVinci Toasted Marshmallow syrup. Total - (201 kcals, 40g protein, 10.5g net carbs, 0g fat).
  • After church, I went with my family to Ryan's, a home-cooking restaurant chain often patronized for its post-church buffet ("Mega Bar"). I tried to get some kind of special gastric bypass deal because I knew I wouldn't be able to eat my money's worth from a buffet. The management refused to help a sista out, but the cashier helped a sista out by accident. I wound up getting an excellent deal. I had small bites of a bunch of little things off the bar. Most of what I ate was grilled chicken breast, being a "good" WLS patient who focuses on lean protein first! But I also had bites (less than 1 tbsp. in most cases) of turkey breast, cheese, pinto beans, bean salad, chicken salad, broccoli salad, chopped hard-boiled egg, and a couple of spinach leaves! I was good, except I overate slightly and left the restaurant feeling like a rock was in my pouch.
  • 1/3 cup leftover cannelini bean/pea puree from yesterday's dinner with Mom
  • Another (planned) peanut butter binge: An endless chain of Fitnutz and PB2. Not sure how much.
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate chewy bite (40 kcals, 6g carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 2 Bariatric Advantage orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g carbs)

Saturday, January 23, 2010

What I Ate: 1/23/2010

  • About 1/4 cup FitNutz Chunky (120 kcals, 10g protein, 6g net carbs, 5g fat)
  • Sausage and egg scramble: 1 link Bilinski's organic sweet apple chicken sausage, sliced (100 kcals, 12g protein, 6g carbs, 2.5g fat) scrambled with 1/4 cup Publix EggStirs (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (130 kcals, 18g protein, 7g carbs, 2.5g fat).
  • 1 Cappucino AchievOne. This tasted good, but it had this huge insoluble clump at the bottom, where I imagine all the protein was. Probably didn't get the full nutritional value of this (80 kcals, 15g protein, 3g carbs, 0g fat)
So, after the meals posted above, I didn't track the rest of my calories. I'd planned to stop for the day. I cooked dinner for my mom, and I knew I was going to be tasting and adjusting seasoning and wouldn't know for sure how many calories I was taking in. I think this is okay as long as it doesn't become a daily thing, and as long as what I'm eating is WLS-friendly.

Dinner was great! To start, I served "Turnips Three Ways": (1) thinly sliced raw turnip, pickled in apple cider vinegar, sucralose, and soy sauce and topped with red pepper flake; (2) roasted turnip with lemon and rosemary; and (3) chunky turnip and purple sweet potato mash seasoned with orange juice and zest, cinnamon, maple, vanilla, nutmeg, and sucralose and topped with chopped pecans. This was fun because I'd never cooked turnips before, and my mother swore she didn't like them. Turns out, she LOVED the pickled preparation and the turnip/sweet potato mash, but didn't enjoy the roasted preparation too much (neither did I.)

For the entree, I prepared a cinnamon and coriander pork loin with mushroom-leek-pink peppercorn cream sauce (made creamy with fat-free cream cheese!); braised fennel, apples, and chayote; and creamy cannelini bean/pea puree that tasted very similar to garlicky and creamy mashed potatoes (fat-free cream cheese was involved here as well, as was unsweetened almond milk.)

For dessert, Mom and I shared cinnamon-dusted peanut butter-pecan truffles that I made with regular PB2, peanutty chocolate-coconut truffles that I made with chocolate PB2, and a couple Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bites. Yes, the vitamins are good enough to eat for dessert ;-) I also served a dipping sauce made with plain nonfat Fage, vanilla flavoring, and sucralose.

Aside from nibbling on these foods, I ended the day with another PB2 binge session. I probably ate 1/2 cup of the chocolate PB2 before I went to bed. I'm definitely not buying that stuff anymore unless I have a very specific use for it!

I started the day with exercise, at least: Leslie Sansone 30-minute walk DVD and the Ana Caban pilates DVD.

Friday, January 22, 2010

What I Ate: 1/22/2010

  • About 1/4 cup chocolate PB2 - I cannot control myself around this stuff! (104 kcals, 8g protein, 10g net carbs, 2g fat)
  • New product: Mocha Java AchievOne. This was good! I tasted it solo (tasty) and then added the rest to decaf coffee with sugar-free chocolate and sugar-free Toasted Marshmallow syrups to create "S'more Latte" (definitely tasty, but actually not as tasty as the stand-alone version). (80 kcals, 15g protein, 3g net carbs, 0.5g fat).
  • 1 vanilla Oh Yeah! in several decaf coffees. I was stuffed ALL DAY from this! (220 kcals, 32g protein, 3g carbs, 9g fat)
  • Another new product: Chocolate AchievOne. I was working the shelter tonight, so I needed to bring a shake that I was likely to enjoy. Vanilla and other flavors are more touch-and-go for me, but chocolate-based flavors are usually acceptable. (I was wrong in this instance - NOT pouchworthy) (80 kcals, 15g protein, 3g net carbs, 0.5g fat).
  • Crunchy peanut butter Fage: 1/3 cup nonfat Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1/2 scoop Inspire Peanut Butter Cookie protein (66 kcals, 12.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 0.5g fat)and 2 tbsp. FitNutz chunky powdered peanut butter (60 kcals, 5g protein, 3g net carbs, 2.5g fat). Total - (166 kcals, 24.1g protein, 6.5g net carbs, 3g fat).
  • Yet ANOTHER new product! And one that I loved! I had a sample pack of "About Time" 100% whey protein isolate in Birthday Cake (Batter) flavor by SDC Nutrition. I mixed it with 4 oz. unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, mostly because I expected it to be gross and thought the milk would give it a better chance of being tasty. I was dead wrong - this was delicious!! I mixed it only with the milk, with none of my usual doctoring. What's more, unlike most of my proteins, About Time is sweetened with stevia! I'll definitely be ordering a tub of this awesome protein at some point in the future. Best part, aside from the incredible taste and the use of natural sweeteners? The nutritional value - (103 kcals, 25g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat). With the almond milk, it was (123 kcals, 25.5g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 1.5g fat).
  • Bacon, rapini, tomato, and cheese omelet: 1/4 cup Publix EggStirs (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat) filled with 2 strips Applegate Farms uncured organic turkey bacon, diced (70 kcals, 12g protein, 0g carbs, 3g fat), 2 stalks rapini (aka broccoli rabe) (8 kcals, 1g protein, 0g net carbs, 0g fat); 1/4 cup Kraft fat-free shredded mozzarella (45 kcals, 9g protein, 2g carb, 0g fat), and 1/4 cup fresh diced tomato (10 kcals, 0.4g protein, 1.4g net carbs). Total - (163 kcals, 28.4g protein, 4.4g net carbs, 3g fat).
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 1 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenge (4 kcals, 1g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs)
Total:
1,000 kcals
148g protein
59.2% kcals from protein
41.4g net carbs
16.6% kcals from net carbs
21g fat
18.9% kcals from fat.

Today I did 48 minutes on the elliptical for an alleged burn of 505 calories. I didn't realize how much I was sweating until the workout was over - I was drenched! So I guess it was a nice and vigorous workout. Resistance was primarily at 5, but I spent some time on 3 at the beginning and cooldown and went up to 7 for 5 minutes in the middle. I know some people can crank it all the way up, incline and resistance, but that's just not me!

I ate a lot today, but I feel okay about it. What pushed me over the edge was that random Birthday Cake protein shake, but that was all protein and completely worth it tastewise!

Scale Shenanigans

I've gone back to weighing myself almost daily. It doesn't freak me out as much anymore, and I think it's a good habit as long as it's not making me crazy.

Anyway, about ten days or so ago, I allegedly weighed 190.4 (or something close, give or take a few tenths of a pound.) Of course, the number went back up, getting to 194+ at least once. Unlike the last time this happened, I didn't worry about it.

So this morning, the scale said I weighed 187.7 twice and then 189 twice. I don't really believe my scale, and even if I did, I expect to fluctuate back over 190. Nonetheless, I want to mark this day as the first time the scale suggested that I might be in a new weight "decade," the 180s. We'll see how long it lasts.

My next goal is 188 pounds, at which point I move from an "obese" BMI to an "overweight" BMI. So it was a little disconcerting to see 187.7 on the scale first thing this morning and to know it probably wasn't true.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

What I Ate: 1/21/2010

  • 1 Believe Mocha Latte protein drink used as creamer in 2 decaf coffees. I added sugar-free vanilla, chocolate, and hazelnut syrups. (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1/3 of a cinnamon flaxseed microwave muffin - just egg substitute, ground flaxseed, baking powder, and a little salt seasoned with ground cinnamon and ground ginger (50 kcals, 4g protein, 0.3g net carbs, 3g fat) with 2 tbsp. prepared PB2 (53 kcals, 6g protein, 3g net carbs, 2g fat). Total - (103 kcals, 10g protein, 3.3g net carbs, 5g fat).
  • 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice rotisserie chicken (50 kcals, 11g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat) and 1 Sargento Light string cheese (50 kcals, 6g protein, 1g net carbs, 2.5g fat). Total - (100 kcals, 17g protein, 1g net carbs, 3.5g fat).
  • 1 tbsp. Oh Yeah! vanilla creme as creamer in decaf coffee with sugar-free English Toffee syrup - a new addition to my sugar-free syrup arsenal. (8 kcals, 1g protein, 0g carbs, 0.3g fat)
  • New product! Vanilla AchievOne ready-to-drink protein. (80 kcals, 15g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat). I sipped it solo for just a moment, but I primarily used it in a gingerbread latte because, as you may realize, I don't do vanilla by itself even if it's delicious like Oh Yeah!. I'm hoping to get to some product reviews this weekend. I have six different AchievOne flavors to try, so it may take awhile to get to this one.
  • Bacon, rapini, tomato, and cheese omelet: 1/4 cup Publix EggStirs (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat) filled with 2 strips Applegate Farms uncured organic turkey bacon, diced (70 kcals, 12g protein, 0g carbs, 3g fat), 2 stalks rapini (aka broccoli rabe) (8 kcals, 1g protein, 0g net carbs, 0g fat); 1/4 cup Kraft fat-free shredded cheddar (45 kcals, 9g protein, 2g carb, 0g fat), and 1/4 cup fresh diced tomato (10 kcals, 0.4g protein, 1.4g net carbs). Total - (163 kcals, 28.4g protein, 4.4g net carbs, 3g fat).
  • 1/4 cup PB2 (106 kcals, 12g protein, 6g net carbs, 4g fat).
  • Cookies and cream yogurt: 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1 scoop of my newly received Matrix Cookies & Cream protein (130 kcals, 23g protein, 5g carbs, 2g fat) and sugar-free cookie dough syrup. Total - (170 kcals, 29.6g protein, 8g carbs, 2g fat).
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 4 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (16 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 3g net carbs)
Total:
921 kcals
133g protein
57.8% kcals from protein
42.7g net carbs
18.5% kcals from net carbs
19.3g fat
18.9% kcals from fat.

I started the day with the Leslie Sansone 5-Mile Fat Burning Walk DVD, which is about 65 minutes long. It was a struggle to make myself get through it because my muscles were still sore from yoga last night, but it was great to get the workout in before work.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

What I Ate: 1/20/2010

It's the anniversary of President Obama's inauguration today. No further comment.
  • 1 Believe Italian Cappucino used as creamer in 2 decaf coffees. Aww, this was yum. I added sugar-free hazelnut syrup and it was just delicious. (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1/3 of a cinnamon flaxseed microwave muffin - just egg substitute, ground flaxseed, baking powder, and a little salt seasoned with ground cinnamon and ground ginger (50 kcals, 4g protein, 0.3g net carbs, 3g fat) with 2 tbsp. prepared PB2 (53 kcals, 6g protein, 3g net carbs, 2g fat). Total - (103 kcals, 10g protein, 3.3g net carbs, 5g fat).
  • 4 slices Hormel Natural Choice roast beef (60 kcals, 11g protein, 0g carbs, 2g fat) and 1 Sargento Light string cheese (50 kcals, 6g protein, 1g net carbs, 2.5g fat). Total - (110 kcals, 17g protein, 1g net carbs, 4.5g fat). I added this solid meal to curb the mini-binges over the last couple nights.
  • Protein eggnog - remixing an old favorite: 1/2 vanilla creme Oh Yeah! with sugar-free eggnog syrup, warm instead of my usual chilled version. (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • Omelet: 1/4 cup Publix EggStirs (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat) with 1 link Bilinski's organic sweet apple chicken sausage, sliced (100 kcals, 12g protein, 6g carbs, 2.5g fat), 1 strip Applegate Farms uncured organic turkey bacon, diced (35 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 1.5g fat), 2 tbsp. diced tomato (5 kcals, 0.2g protein, 0.7g net carbs), and 2 tbsp. fresh parsley (5 kcals, 0.4g protein, 0.4g net carbs). Total - (175 kcals, 24.6g protein, 8.1g net carbs, 4g fat)
  • 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1 scoop Inspire chocolate peanut butter fudge protein (127 kcals, 26g protein, 3g carbs, 1g fat). Total - (177 kcals, 32.6g protein, 6g net carbs, 1g fat).
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 4 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (16 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs)
Total:
871 kcals
120.2g protein
55.2% kcals from protein
38.9g net carbs
17.9% kcals from net carbs
20.5g fat
21.9% kcals from fat.

I started the morning with 30 minutes on the treadmill. Both of the ellipticals at the gym were taken (I exercise at the office.) I was running late, so I had to cut the treadmill workout short. The exciting part was that my base speed is much higher than the last time I seriously used the treadmill (I tried it out a few weeks ago and sort of did the first day of Couch to 5K, but I wasn't taking it that seriously.) The last time, which I believe was in August, 3.5 miles per hour was really fast for me. Today, I was cooling down at 3.5 miles per hour!

This is a big deal, because one of the things I want to accomplish in this weight loss process is for my everyday walking speed to increase. I've always walked really slowly. In law school, sometimes I would purposely take a circuitous route to avoid running into people on the way - I didn't want to go through an awkward scenario in which a classmates sees me, slows down and walks with me for a while to chat, then realizes that I'm not getting any faster and they're about to be late for class, and eventually says, "Oh, well . . . umm, I guess I better run. Talk to you later!" and then walks at a normal speed to get to class on time.

Also, I went back to yoga today! I enjoyed that strenuous (for me) workshop on Saturday. Tonight, the same instructor taught "Basic Yoga," which is the easiest class, so I took it. It was good. My calves are extraordinarily inflexible. :-/

Confession.

My "What I Ate" food logs haven't been completely accurate the past couple of days.

On both nights, I had an overwhelming urge to eat again at about 11:30 or midnight, after I'd already tallied up all of my food for the day. On Monday night, I was cleaning and felt a little woozy or something, and I really wanted an apple or raisins or some other fruit. I don't usually keep fruit at the house, so I ate some deli slices and Mt. Olive Splenda-sweetened gherkins and a little mustard instead.

I had the same thing happen last night, except I kept it to just the deli slices and pickles. I don't know exactly how many calories I consumed, but I'm sure it was less than 100 on both nights. I was still firmly under 1000 calories for my daily totals, and yesterday I was probably still under 900. The sweet pickles have practically 0 calories (the jar says a serving of 1 pickle has 0 calories, but 1 carb - so in real life that probably means each pickle has 4 calories.) The Hormel Natural deli slices I used are low-calorie and practically all protein.

I'm not sure how to categorize this behavior. On one hand, I ate food that I hadn't planned on, and that's a habit that could theoretically lead to more transgressions down the road. I have to be vigilant about letting bad eating behaviors slip back into my routine.

On the other hand, I think my body needed that food. I didn't have that crazed feeling that usually accompanies compulsive eating. I bet my blood sugar was low, especially on Monday night, considering that I felt better shortly after eating. I don't feel like beating myself up over something like this.

So I'm not going to. I'm going to be honest about having eaten off-plan for the sake of posterity, but I'm not going to feel guilty about it. In fact, because I think this was a result of not fueling my body properly, I've decided to build in an additional solid meal of deli slices and string cheese for the next few days. This way, I'm eating the same protein-rich foods from my "binges," but they are measured, accounted for, and incorporated earlier in the day. Also, this gives me less leeway to eat little snacks like pecans and extra pudding mix in my Fage yogurt.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

What I Ate: 1/19/2010

  • 1 Believe Chai Tea Latte used as creamer in 2 decaf coffees. For the first coffee, I tried an eggnog protein latte after hearing good things about the SBUX eggnog latte, which contains 350 calories in its tall, nonfat incarnation and 630 calories in the venti, whole milk version. Mine only had 60 calories, but maybe it needs all that fat and sugar -- my version was gross! Wish I hadn't left my gingerbread syrup at home. The second coffee was more straightforward, flavored only with sugar-free vanilla syrup. (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1/3 of a cinnamon flaxseed microwave muffin - just egg substitute, ground flaxseed, baking powder, and a little salt seasoned with ground cinnamon and ground ginger (50 kcals, 4g protein, 0.3g net carbs, 3g fat) with 2 tbsp. prepared chocolate PB2 (52 kcals, 4g protein, 5g net carbs, 1g fat). Total - (102 kcals, 8g protein, 5.3g net carbs, 4g fat). Umm, it is utterly insane how delicious this was. Insane. Insane. Insane. I like regular PB2 more than the chocolate version, so I am really looking forward to having this again tomorrow with the regular version. I'll be eating the other 2/3 of the muffin over the next 2 days.
  • 1/2 vanilla Oh Yeah! in coffee. Yum! (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • 5 pecans (49 kcals, 0.6g protein, 0.3g net carbs, 5.1g fat)
  • Breakfast for dinner - omelet: 1 link Bilinski's sundried tomato chicken sausage (90 kcals, 11g protein, 1g carbs, 4.5g fat) and 1/4 cup Publix EggStirs (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat) with 1/4 cup leeks (20 kcals, 0g protein, 2.8g net carbs, 0g fat) and 1/4 cup Kraft fat-free shredded mozzarella (45 kcals, 9g protein, 2g carb, 0g fat). Total - (185 kcals, 26g protein, 6.8g carbs, 4.5g fat). I was uncomfortably full after this, unfortunately. I HATE when I do that.
  • 1 scoop Inspire dutch chocolate cake protein (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g net carbs, 0g fat)mixed into 4 oz. unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 1.5g fat) mixed with 1.5 tbsp. SF/FF Jello white chocolate pudding mix (23 kcals, 6g net carbs). Total - (169 kcals, 30.5g protein, 8.5g net carbs, 1.5g fat). I forgot that I was out of Fage yogurt! Oh well, but it's good to get out the same old routine.
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 2 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (8 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs)
Total:
803 kcals
101.1g protein
50.4% kcals from protein
39.4g net carbs
19.6% kcals from net carbs
21.1g fat
23.6% kcals from fat.
I took today off from exercise, given all I did yesterday and all I'm likely to do tomorrow.

Monday, January 18, 2010

What I Ate: 1/18/2010

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Seems like an odd salutation, but oh well.

  • Sweet apple sausage omelet: 1 link Bilinski's organic sweet apple chicken sausage (100 kcals, 12g protein, 6g carbs, 2.5g fat) and 1/4 cup Publix EggStirs (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat). Total - (130 kcals, 18g protein, 7g carbs, 2.5g fat).
  • Gingerbread lattes, this time all at Starbucks where I was finally reading William Julius Wilson's More Than Just Race. 1 Chai Tea Latte Believe protein drink split between 2 decaf coffees with sugar-free gingerbread and sugar-free vanilla syrups. (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g carbs, 0g fat).
  • 1/4 cup regular PB2 mixed with sugar-free dulce de leche syrup and water (106 kcals, 11.3g protein, 6g net carbs, 3.7g fat)
  • 1/2 chocolate Oh Yeah! in coffee. This was sort of gross to me today. Oh well. (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • More sausage and eggs! 1 link Bilinski's sundried tomato chicken sausage (90 kcals, 11g protein, 1g carbs, 4.5g fat) and 1/4 cup Publix EggStirs (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat) with 1/4 cup leeks (20 kcals, 0g protein, 2.8g net carbs, 0g fat) and 2 tbsp. Kraft fat-free shredded mozzarella (23 kcals, 4.5g protein, 1g carb, 0g fat). Total - (163 kcals, 21.5g protein, 5.8g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • White chocolate dulce de leche protein pudding: 1/3 cup nonfat Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1 scoop Elite Gourmet Vanilla protein powder (114 kcals, 24g protein, 2g net carbs, 1.5g fat) and 1.5 tbsp. white chocolate sugar-free fat-free Jello pudding mix (23 kcals, 6g net carbs) with sugar-free dulce de leche syrup. Total - (177 kcals, 30.6g protein, 11g net carbs, 1.5g fat). This was really good! I wasn't sure it was going to work, but fortunately it was extremely tasty.
  • 4 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (16 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in orange (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs)
Total:
837 kcals
117.4g protein
56.1% kcals from protein
43.3g net carbs
20.7% kcals from net carbs
16.7g fat
18.0% kcals from fat.
Exercise was a 5-mile (90-minute) walk at Riverfront Park this morning, and the Ana Caban Pilates DVD this afternoon.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

What I Ate: 1/17/2010

  • 1 link Bilinski's organic sweet apple chicken sausage (100 kcals, 12g protein, 6g carbs, 2.5g fat) and 1/4 cup Publix EggStirs (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat) sprinkled with chopped fresh marjoram after cooking. Total - (130 kcals, 18g protein, 7g carbs, 2.5g fat). Last night I made the mistake of cooking leeks and sausage with the marjoram, which destroyed the delicate herb. I couldn't taste it at all. Marjoram has a bold flavor, but the herb itself is delicate. You have to add it at the end of cooking or sprinkle it on after cooking. Oh well, beginner's mistake! But I'm one ingredient closer to reaching one of my 50 goals for 2010 - cooking with or eating 20 new ingredients.
  • Gingerbread protein lattes galore. 1 Chai Tea Latte Believe protein drink split between 2 STRONG decaf coffees with sugar-free gingerbread and sugar-free vanilla syrups. I had one at about 11:30 and the next at about 2:30. (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g carbs, 0g fat)
  • An Oh Yeah! gingerbread latte. I got the coffee at Starbucks this time, and it wasn't quite as good as when I made it at home. This was an eye-opener! 1/2 Oh Yeah! vanilla creme in decaf coffee with sugar-free gingerbread syrup and a little Splenda (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • A play on gumbo: 1 link Bilinski's Cajun-style andouille, sliced into discs (90 kcals, 11g protein, 1g carbs, 4.5g fat), with 9 medium shrimp (54 kcals, 10.8g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), 1/4 cup leftover gumbo z'herbes - this was the last of it (about 18 kcals, 1g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 0.5g fat), and 1.5 tbsp clam juice (7 kcals, 1g protein). Total - (169 kcals, 23.8g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 6g fat). This was so good! I was surprised at how tasty it was. I'm sad to see that gumbo z'herbes go. I hope I can re-create these flavors with the fake andouille and shrimp again in the future!
  • 1/4 cup prepared PB2 and 2 tbsp. prepared chocolate PB2, both of which I miraculously found in a local health food grocery store this afternoon, Rosewood Market! The chocolate wasn't as delish as I expected it to be, but I'm thinking maybe I made it wrong. The regular was SO good! (158 kcals, 14g protein, 11g net carbs, 5g fat)
  • Simple version of cookie dough cheesecake: 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) mixed with 1 scoop Inspire ice cream sandwich protein powder (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) with sugar-free cookie dough syrup. Total - (166 kcals, 36.6g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 4 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (16 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in orange (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs, 0g fat)
Total:
884 kcals
128.4g protein
58.1% kcals from protein
38g net carbs
17.2% kcals from net carbs
18g fat
18.3% kcals from fat.

After all the exercise from yesterday, I kept it easier today by doing 3 miles plus cooldown (a little over 40 minutes) of the Leslie Sansone 5-Mile Fat Burning Walk.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

What I Ate: 1/16/2010

  • Gingerbread protein lattes! I used Chai Tea Believe protein drink as coffee creamer and added sugar-free gingerbread and vanilla syrups (the sugar-free gingerbread syrup is quite boldly flavored, so I combined it with the vanilla to add sweetness without as much pungency.) I had 1/2 the Believe for an early AM decaf coffee before my walk/jog at Riverfront Park, and I had the other 1/2 for a noon decaf before my yoga workshop. (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • Muffin with peanut butter, WLS-friendly style! 1/2 plain flaxseed microwave muffin - just flaxseed, egg substitute, baking powder, and sugar-free syrup (75 kcals, 6g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 4.5g fat) spread with the sample pack of FitNutz "pro" (essential fatty acid enriched) powdered peanut butter mixed with water and sugar-free syrup (60 kcals, 5g protein, 3g carbs, 3.5g fat). Maaaan. This took me back to childhood peanut butter sandwiches. I cannot wait to try this with the chunky and maybe a little sugar-free jam or plain fruit. Chunky is superior, but both the pro and the regular are also tasty and would be much better for savory peanut sauce and some other applications. Total - (135 kcals, 11g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 8g fat)
  • Another gingerbread protein latte. I enjoyed the first two so much that I decided to have it again, but this time I used 1/2 vanilla creme Oh Yeah! and added only sugar-free gingerbread syrup. Oh man. I could go through a lot of gingerbread syrup making these . . . (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • Sausage and leeks with marjoram: 1 link Bilinski's organic sweet apple chicken sausage, sliced into discs (100 kcals, 12g protein, 6g carbs, 2.5g fat) sauteed with 1/4 cup leek rings (20 kcals, 0g protein, 2.8g net carbs, 0g fat) and sprinkled with fresh marjoram. Total - (120 kcals, 12g protein, 8.8g net carbs, 1.5g fat.)
  • 17 roasted and salted pistachios (68 kcals, 2g protein, 2g net carbs, 5g fat)
  • 1/2 cup nonfat Fage (60 kcals, 10g protein, 4.5g carbs, 0g fat) with 1 scoop Inspire ice cream sandwich protein (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) and 1.5 tbsp. sugar-free white chocolate pudding mix (23 kcals, 6g net carbs) with just a splash of sugar-free cookie dough syrup. I had 1/2 cup Fage instead of my usual 1/3 cup because I wanted to get my calories and protein up, especially given all the exercise I did today. Total - (209 kcals, 40g protein, 12.5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 4 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (16 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in orange (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs, 0g fat)
Total:
793 kcals
101g protein
50.9% kcals from protein
40.3g net carbs
20.3% kcals from net carbs
20g fat
22.7% kcals from fat.


Okay! Today was a huge exercise day and I definitely made up for missing a few days this past week. First thing in the morning, I walked a little over 5 miles at Riverfront Park. (It's gotten a touch warmer, so the weather was tolerable.) I walked faster than normal and jogged for a few intervals.

Then this afternoon, I attended a 3-hour introductory yoga workshop at City Yoga. Man. The instructor, Annie, worked us. I'm sore! I learned a ton, so I'm thinking about buying a multi-class pass to check out a few of the regular classes.

The type of yoga practiced at City Yoga is anusara, which according to Annie differs from some of the other types of yoga in two ways that I found memorable: (1) While some other forms of yoga focus on the need to transcend the body and the natural world to reach enlightenment, anusara practitioners strive less to transcend the body and the natural world, viewing both as part of the process of reaching enlightenment (I could be botching this point a bit, but I like the general idea because it reminds me of some principles of ecofeminist theology, which I've been drawn to in the past); (2) While some other forms of yoga are focused solely on the individual, so your practice is strictly a solo endeavor, anusara is more communal and there are a good number of poses that require a partner. I do NOT like this aspect of the practice AT ALL. However, I know I dislike it because of issues that I should probably work through at some point, so perhaps I should stick it out.

Friday, January 15, 2010

What I Ate: 1/15/2010

Happy Friday!

I have news, but I'm not allowed to share specifics for a few more weeks. I'll just say that my confidence about being able to find a job for next year turned out to be well-founded. Yay!

Anyway, here's the menu:
  • 1 Believe Mocha Latte protein drink used as creamer in 2 decaf coffees. This was the Believe drink I got free a few weeks ago from Bariatric Eating. I don't really care for the Mocha Latte flavor on its own, but it's delicious in coffee. Not quite as good as Oh Yeah! or even Believe Italian Cappucino, but good. (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 4 slices Hormel Natural Choice roast beef (60 kcals, 11g protein, 0g carbs, 2g fat) with 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light cheese (35 kcals, 2.5g protein, 1g carb, 2g fat)
  • 1/2 Oh Yeah! vanilla creme in another decaf coffee as creamer with Torani sugar-free chocolate syrup to make a warm mocha. (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • 1 Al Fresco Sweet Italian Style chicken sausage (130 kcals, 15g protein, 1g carbs, 7g fat), sliced into discs and sauteed with 2 tbsp. leek discs (10 kcals, 0g protein, 1.4g net carbs, 0g fat), 2 tbsp. black radish discs (3 kcals, 0.3g net carbs), and seasoned with curry powder and fennel seeds. Yummy! This was my first time cooking black radishes or leeks. I'm trying to meet my 2010 personal goal of trying/cooking 20 new ingredients. Total - (143 kcals, 15g protein, 2.7g net carbs, 7g fat).
  • Samples of FitNutz powdered peanut butter. OMG! These were delicious. You mix them with a little water to create peanut butter that has 74% fewer calories and 91% less fat than the regular stuff. I also added Splenda. I tried the chunky (60 kcals, 5g protein, 3g net carbs, 2.5g fat) and the regular (50 kcals, 6g protein, 4g net carbs, 1.5g fat) tonight, and I'll have the "pro" with added Omega-3 fatty acids in the morning. After I try the "pro" tomorrow morning, I'll review the whole line in a separate post. So far, I'm ALL about the chunky! It tasted like Jif as far as I was concerned. The trick is to add less water than the instructions call for. I see peanut butter flaxseed muffins and thai peanut sauce in my future! Total - (110 kcals, 11g protein, 7g net carbs, 4g fat)
  • Caramel protein cheesecake: 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) mixed with 1 scoop Inspire caramel latte protein powder (110 kcals, 30g protein, 1g carb, 0g fat) and 1.5 tbsp. SF/FF Jello cheesecake pudding mix (23 kcals, 6g net carbs), with sugar-free dulce de leche and cookie dough syrup. Total - (173 kcals, 36.6g protein, 10g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 2 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (8 kcals, 2g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins, one in grape and one in orange (13 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs, 0g fat)
Total:
817 kcals
112.1g protein
54.9% kcals from protein
40.2g net carbs
19.7% kcals from net carbs
21g fat
23.1% kcals from fat.
Oh, exercise . . . I'm annoyed because I woke up early to do an hour-long Leslie Sansone DVD, but I felt some tension or pain in my chest last night that hadn't completely gone away this morning. I decided to refrain from today's workout. I want to win the 10 in '10 challenge, but I don't want to die doing it. :-)

What I Ate: Chef John Besh Special Edition

Written on December 28, 2009. Posted on January 15, 2010. Will backdate for searching convenience in the near future.
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I just returned from a spectacular trip to New Orleans courtesy of the US-Ireland Alliance.

I’ve fallen in love with the city. I may move there one day; who knows. In any event, I want to be a frequent visitor. It has been over seven years since my first trip to New Orleans, and I hadn’t been back since. I never went down for any post-Katrina service work before this week, I’m ashamed to admit.

Anyway, while there I went on a journey (a pilgrimage, if you will) to Restaurant August, Chef John Besh’s first restaurant in downtown New Orleans. It was just five blocks or so from the Ritz-Carlton, where I was staying.

I’m still in the losing phase of my RNY, but you don’t get an all-expense paid trip to New Orleans every day and I couldn’t dream of going there without getting a taste of Besh’s cuisine. (I love Besh. Michael Symon is cool, but Besh was my choice for the first season of The Next Iron Chef.) I knew I wouldn’t be ordering a ton of food, so I sat at the bar and ordered four appetizers instead of a full entrée.

Instead of stuffing myself full of food, I focused on analyzing and enjoying the taste of each dish and trying to understand the flavor combinations. In fact, I asked the server so many questions that at the end of the night, she asked me if I was a culinary student! (I wish.) Consequently, I left the restaurant satisfied, but not remotely stuffed. I tasted; I didn't gorge. It's miraculous that I, of all people, didn't clean my plate when faced with such sumptuous cuisine. Thanks RNY!

The verdict: Spectacular. One of the best meals I've ever eaten.

Working around my nutritional constraints while getting to taste and enjoy the food wasn't effortless, but it wasn’t impossible. For example, the server recommended the potato gnocchi, but there was no way I was ordering that. It just wasn't worth it! They tried to give me some tasty looking fresh baguettes to start the meal, but I sent them right back without touching them so they wouldn't be wasted. My foie gras came with more brioche, and I pretended it wasn't there. I wanted to save my limited pouch space for the most special foods. I tried to avoid all white items, but I wound up eating some especially pouch-worthy pasta (Course 4). Overall, I had a terrific time at August and look forward to going back soon with friends who can eat more than me!

Here are detailed reviews of each dish:

Amuse-bouche: Seafood custard sabayon with bonefish caviar and a crunchy stick of brioche. See someone else’s photo here.

This was gorgeous – a foamy pale yellow served in an eggshell and topped with black specks of caviar and a bit of chervil with the brioche stick sticking out of the top. I had one tiny bite of the brioche stick and a few small spoonfuls of the custard with the caviar. I also ate a few pieces of very creamy fish that were at the bottom of the egg. I guess I ate about 1/3 to 1/2 of the amuse. The dish was rich but not heavy; there was a light seafood flavor throughout that was accentuated with bites of caviar or with the creaminess of the fish. If I have any criticism of the amuse, I think it could use a bit more textural complexity. I know that’s the purpose of the crunchy brioche stick, but there’s a disproportionate amount of custard to get through with only a teensy piece of brioche. It’s possible that the chervil was there for textural contrast as well. They serve bread at the same time as the amuse, so another possibility is that they don’t give you a lot of brioche because you could achieve the textural variation by eating a bite of custard and then eating a bite of bread.

Course 1: Heirloom beet salad with crab, mizuna, hard-boiled quail eggs, thickly sliced bacon, and black-eyed pea croutons in some sort of very light vinaigrette. See someone else’s photo here.

This was fantastic. It was hard to stop eating it. However, I must say that I’m not sure why they call this a “beet salad.” There were beets, but beets were not predominant; there were just as many pieces of egg and bacon on the plate as there were beets, and there was a big spoonful of crab salad too. I would call this salad a play on a classic chef’s salad, which traditionally has ham, turkey, bacon, egg, croutons, etc.

My favorite ingredient was the black-eyed pea croutons. I didn’t know what to expect, but they are basically black-eyed peas that have been fried until very crispy. I LOVED them! They were flavorful and gave the salad much-needed crunch.

Overall, however, the salad was more than the sum of its ingredients. There was nothing particularly special about the flavor of any individual ingredient except the croutons. The lump crab was very subtle and had been dressed with some sort of mayonnaise-based sauce, similar to what you’d find on any homemade crab salad. The beets and quail eggs were subtly seasoned as well—thankfully, because if each ingredient had been seasoned to death, the salad would have been chaotic. This way, the ingredients were harmonious.

My only minor criticism of the beet salad was the bacon. Everything on the plate was harmonious, but if you added a bite of the bacon it overwhelmed the delicate flavor of everything else on the plate. I could not taste the beet at all when I had it with the bacon and the mizuna. I understand wanting to use this really high-quality bacon, but I would have preferred the bacon to be less plentiful and diced more finely.

Course 2: Foie gras three ways. See someone else’s photo here.

The three ways were: (1) Pastrami foie gras served with a tomato salad; (2) German-style foie gras wrapped in Baumkuchen spongecake with champagne gelee and balsamic reduction; (3) Foie gras crème caramel with blackberry caramel.

Unexpectedly, my favorite was the Baumkuchen. It was sweet, but not overly so, and I enjoyed the way the sour champagne gelee and the balsamic reduction balanced the sweetness of the cake and cut through the richness of the foie gras.

First runner-up was the pastrami foie gras. Nothing thoughtful to say here; it just tasted good.

My least favorite was the dessert foie with the blackberry caramel. I didn't really taste the protein. My palate primarily picked up the caramel, which wasn't unpleasant, but also wasn't special.

Course 3: Truffle-larded veal sweetbreads on a romaine leaf in lemon-herb sauce.

This was my favorite dish, and that's saying a lot. It tasted AMAZING.

It was my first time eating sweetbreads. In case you didn't know, sweetbreads are the thymus and/or pancreas of whichever animal has been slaughtered. Sounds yucky, but boy - thymus gland and pancreas make for really good eating! This dish was reminiscent of particularly moist fried chicken, or perhaps chicken-fried steak with a beautiful lemony sauce replacing the nasty thick white gravy that usually accompanies that dish. The sweetbreads were upscale, but homey. Love.

Course 4: Acorn squash “mezze luna” with satsuma, local chestnuts, and fennel.

I’d looked at the sample menu online before going to August. Even though I knew it was just a sample menu, I’d still selected four dishes in hopes that they would be on the menu. The sweetbreads were a substitute for the gumbo z'herb that I'd been planning to select. The acorn squash dish was one of the four dishes I was planning to order, and of course it wasn't available that night as an appetizer.

Fortunately, I saw it available as part of one of the tasting menus and requested to have it as part of my meal. They had no problem with this whatsoever, and I'm so happy that I got to eat it. I actually did not know this was a pasta dish until they served it to me, but at that point I ate it anyway because I viewed this as a very, very special occasion.

The dish was sublime. I probably ate the highest percentage of this than any other dish. It was basically acorn squash ravioli with a better sauce than normal, full of butter, Parmesan, and laced with satsuma. You could really taste the squash in the pasta. The parmesan and satsuma, which I would have thought an odd pairing, melded beautifully. The chestnuts were rich and creamy in texture. The one truly unique addition to the dish was a few fennel fronds that were apparently on top, though I don’t remember seeing them in the bowl. I noticed the taste of fennel and asked the waitress if the dish contained fennel or star anise, and she confirmed that at some point, fennel fronds were in the dish. This addition added complexity to the dish; definitely saved it from being your everyday squash ravioli.

One criticism: Unfortunately, the edges of some of my ravioli were tough. I’m no pasta expert, so can’t hypothesize about why. For all I know, they were supposed to be that way.

The last perk of the evening was that Chef Besh's book, My New Orleans, was on sale at the restaurant! I just had to buy one. Sure, I could have bought it at Books-A-Million with a discount, but here it was just list price AND . . . it was autographed!

No, I didn't meet the Chef. First, I don't think he was there because he's on a book tour. The man also owns 5-6 other restaurants, so even if he was in town, there was a good chance he wouldn't have been on the premises. Second, I only bought $65 worth of appetizers, and that's not the level of purchase that gets you a meeting with the chef. I wasn't even gonna try. Maybe next time I'll take a non-op who can eat more and thereby make me feel entitled to perks. :-)

Thursday, January 14, 2010

What I Ate: 1/14/2009

  • 1 Believe Chai Tea protein drink, spread out over 2 decaf coffees as creamer (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 4 slices Hormel Natural Choice rotisserie chicken (50 kcals, 11g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat) with 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light cheese (35 kcals, 2.5g protein, 1g carb, 2g fat)
  • 1/2 Oh Yeah! vanilla creme in another decaf coffee as creamer with Torani sugar-free chocolate syrup to make a warm mocha. (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • 6 roasted and salted pecan halves (60 kcals, 0.6g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 6g fat)
  • Coconut-tamarind shrimp with sauteed baby bok choy: 12 medium shrimp (72 kcals, 14.4g protein, 1.2g carbs, 1.2g fat), 2 tbsp. reduced-fat unsweetened organic coconut (36 kcals, 0.4g protein, 1g net carbs, 3g fat), 1/2 cup stir-fried baby bok choy (5 kcals, 0g net carbs, and tamarind paste with a little soy sauce added (5 kcals, 1g net carbs). Total - (118 kcals, 14.8g protein, 3.2g net carbs, 4.2g fat)
  • Cookie dough protein cheesecake: 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) mixed with 1 scoop Inspire ice cream sandwich protein powder (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) and 1.5 tbsp. SF/FF Jello cheesecake pudding mix (23 kcals, 6g net carbs), with sugar-free cookie dough syrup. Total - (199 kcals, 36.6g protein, 11g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 4 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (16 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1 packet of drink mix (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
Total:
778 kcals
101.5g protein
52.2% kcals from protein
38.2g net carbs
19.6% kcals from net carbs
19.2g fat
22.2% kcals from fat.
I rode the elliptical for 65 minutes this morning for a supposed burn of 675 calories and an alleged distance of 4.94 miles. I was annoyed not to make it to 5!

I also did the Ana Caban Pilates DVD again tonight. I really need to improve the flexibility of my calves and hamstrings.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

What I Ate: 1/13/2010

Happy surgiversary to me!

  • 1 Believe Italian Cappucino protein drink (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat), spread out over 2 decaf coffees as creamer
  • 4 slices Hormel Natural Choice roast beef (60 kcals, 11g protein, 0g carbs, 2g fat) with 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light cheese (35 kcals, 2.5g protein, 1g carb, 2g fat)
  • 1/2 Oh Yeah! vanilla creme in another decaf coffee as creamer with Torani sugar-free chocolate syrup to make a warm mocha. (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • 10 roasted and salted pistachios (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 3g fat)
  • 3 oz. shrimp (100 kcals, 21g protein, 0g carbs, 2g fat) cooked with 1 sheet of flaked nori (10 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carb, 0g fat), 1/2 cup stir-fried baby bok choy (5 kcals, 0g net carbs), 1 tbsp. reduced-fat unsweetened organic coconut (18 kcals, 0.2g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 1.5g fat) and tamarind-soy vinaigrette (5 kcals, 1g net carbs). Total - 138 kcals, 22.2g protein, 2.5g net carbs, 3.5g fat). This was really delicious, but probably too many flavors going on. There were so many bold flavors that I couldn't taste everything. In particular, the nori was a little dominant and the coconut was relegated to the background. That was my last sheet of nori, so I'll probably try this again tomorrow using just coconut and no nori.
  • Cookie dough protein cheesecake: 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) mixed with 1 scoop Inspire ice cream sandwich protein powder (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) and 1.5 tbsp. SF/FF Jello cheesecake pudding mix (23 kcals, 6g net carbs), and 2 tbsp. Free Cool Whip (15 kcals, 3g net carb), with sugar-free cookie dough syrup. Total - (204 kcals, 36.6g protein, 14g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 3 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (12 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs, 0g fat)
Total:
779 kcals
109.3g protein
56.1% kcals from protein
39g net carbs
20.0% kcals from net carbs
16.5g fat
19.1% kcals from fat
Went in early for work this morning, so no AM cardio and I wound up nixing my PM workout as well. Horrors. Aiming to make up for this tomorrow!

Happy "Surgiversary" To Me: 9 Months In

This time nine months ago, I was on the operating table having RNY gastric bypass.

This morning, I weighed 191.9 pounds. This means that I've lost 146.1 pounds from my highest recorded weight of 338 in May 2002, and 112.1 pounds since my last pre-op appointment. I'm only about 4 pounds from reaching my next goal of 188, which will officially move me from an "obese" body mass index ("BMI") to an "overweight" BMI.

I need to lose 38 more pounds to reach my goal of 154, which would bring me to a "normal" BMI of 24.9. In reality, I want to lose more than that in case of a bounce back - but we'll see what my body chooses to do over the next several months.

The weight loss has definitely slowed, but that's normal. I'm fine with a slowdown as long as it keeps coming off. On December 1, 2009, I posted that I was "on the cusp of greatness" because I weighed 200.1 pounds. I broke through to "Onederland" (below 200 pounds) shortly thereafter, but then I fluctuated for a while and even weighed over 200 pounds again on a few mornings. Thus, over the past six weeks or so, I've lost fewer than ten pounds.

With RNY, the speediest weight loss tends to occur in the first six months. The rate of loss slows at that point, but it shouldn't completely stop until 12-18 months out. I hope this is not the case, but in reality, it could take me another nine months to lose the last 40 pounds.

I'm mentally prepared for that. My life has changed so positively as a result of this surgery. I'm more active than I used to be. I travel more. I was visiting friends in DC last weekend who live in a top floor walk-up, and I climbed those stairs, carrying luggage, with ease. More fundamentally, I don't feel abnormal anymore. I actually feel like I'm in my twenties instead of my fifties. Now that I no longer imagine myself encased in a fatsuit, I can be patient about this last little bit of excess weight. I am definitely going to remain diligent about my diet and exercise, but I recognize that the results aren't going to be as immediate as they were a few months ago.

Not just my weight, but also my attitude has changed over the past nine months. I've become an optimist. A lovely woman at last night's support group drove this home for me. She approached me after the meeting and told me how much she loved my positive attitude. I thought, "Whaaa . . . you're talking to me???" She said that I radiated confidence and positive energy.

My closer friends (and some that aren't so close, in truth) would think "positive" a strange adjective for me. No, I'm not the most negative person and I'm not the least confident, but I've never been Mary Sunshine. In eighth grade, I actually wrote an essay about the virtues of pessimism. The last couple years of college and every single moment of law school were an endless stream of second-guessing and self-doubt. I can always find the good in others, but I'm a terrible self-critic. (This is an INFP trait, by the way.)

But the nice woman at support group was right - my perspective on life is fairly positive right now. My life isn't close to being perfect. I live far away from all of my closest friends, and I realized fairly recently that I hate the legal profession altogether and need to drum up a new career from scratch. I don't have a job lined up for next year, and I have no idea what I want to do. But even with such a high level of uncertainty, I'm confident that everything's going to work out. I don't know how, and I don't know when, but I have faith. I don't think I could have said that nine months ago.

Of course, weight loss isn't solely responsible for this change in outlook. Over the past few months, I escaped the New Haven insanity vortex (Yale Law), passed the bar, started a new job with a very pleasant work environment, and moved into a lovely apartment that I have all to myself. I live in a warmer climate, which is important to me. I get to see my grandmother, mom, sister, and nephew on a regular basis because I'm only a couple of hours away from them. These factors are all conducive to happiness. But I still believe that the biggest contributor to my newfound optimism is the weight loss. I don't feel trapped by excess fat or by any other circumstance or condition. Minor setbacks aren't affecting my outlook the way they used to.

I sound like Mary Poppins right now, but I'm not delusional. I know I'll be battling the disease of obesity for the rest of my life. But now I'm fighting with an AK-47 instead of a slingshot.

I'm nine months in, and the view from here is grand. I'm thankful for all of the people who made this possible, including my mom, administrators and professors at the Yale Law School and the Yale Health Plan (long story), and Dr. Robert Bell of Yale-New Haven Hospital's bariatric program.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

What I Ate: 1/12/2010

I accidentally left my drink mixes at home this morning. It was traumatic at first, but sort of freeing not to have an automatic 50 calories and 12 net carbs as part of my diet. I'm going to try to stick with it for a few days. Buying fewer of those drink mixes could save me a lot of carbs and money!
  • 1 Believe Chai Latte protein drink (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat), spread out over 2 decaf coffees as creamer
  • 3 slices Hormel Natural smoked deli turkey (50 kcals, 10g protein, 1g net carbs, 1g fat) with 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light cheese (35 kcals, 2.5g protein, 1g carb, 2g fat)
  • 1/2 Oh Yeah! vanilla creme in another decaf coffee as creamer. This was really good, I added 1/2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa and Torani sugar-free chocolate syrup to make a warm mocha. (115 kcals, 16.5g protein, 2g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • Omelet: 1/4 cup egg substitute (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carb, 0g fat), 2 oz. shrimp (60 kcals, 11.4g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 1g fat), 1 strip Applegate Farms uncured organic turkey bacon (35 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 1.5g fat), and 2 tbsp. leftover gumbo z'herbes - yep, still eating it! (about 18 kcals, 1g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 0.5g fat). Total - (143 kcals, 24.4g protein, 2g net carbs, 3g fat)
  • Cookie dough protein cheesecake: 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) mixed with 1 scoop Inspire ice cream sandwich protein powder (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) and 1.5 tbsp. SF/FF Jello cheesecake pudding mix (23 kcals, 6g net carbs), and 1/4 cup Free Cool Whip (30 kcals, 6g net carb), with sugar-free cookie dough syrup. Total - (219 kcals, 36.6g protein, 17g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs, 0g fat)
Total:
742 kcals
110g protein
59.3% kcals from protein
39g net carbs
21.0% kcals from net carbs
12g fat
14.6% kcals from fat.

I did the elliptical this morning for 45 minutes and supposedly burned about 475 calories. The estimated distance was a bit over 3.5 miles.

I backed this up tonight with another 30-minute Pilates DVD, thanks to the 10 in '10 challenge I'm doing with a group of politico friends. We have to get in 180 separate workouts this year, and I don't want to fall behind!

Support Group Recap

Tonight, I went to the bimonthly support group meeting at Palmetto Richland. One of my contacts where I used to post at the Bariatric Eating message board told me about it, and now I've attended three times.

There was a disproportionate number of lapband people there, which made it somewhat less useful for me. However, the biggest news is that there were two eight-year RNY post-ops. Wow! It was amazing listening and learning from them.

One of them had a lot of complications from her surgery which were, according to her, brought on by mistakes made by her first surgeon. I have no idea what kind of complications she had or what mistakes he may have made. What was fascinating is that she said that even after seven additional abdominal surgeries to correct various problems, she would still choose to have the surgery because now, she has a life. That is a powerful testament to the wonders of this surgery.

At eight years out, she's had minimal regain. You can tell she has a lot of excess skin, but she is still normal-sized. She works out regularly and eats according to the same diet she started off with eight years ago. She said that even 8 years after surgery, she still feels like she doesn't belong in regular clothing stores!

I found this woman very inspirational.

The other eight-year post-op had a lot of interesting - but scary - thoughts to contribute. She lost over 120 pounds after the surgery but regained 50, and has since lost over 20 pounds of her rebound weight. Her dad also had the surgery but has regained all of his weight. He can eat just as much now as he could pre-op! Her main point is that the further out you get, the less the surgery does for you. She feels like she's on her own again. This wasn't my first time hearing this from a long-term post-op, but it's still jarring.

Because regain is my worst nightmare, I found most of this post-op's comments horrifying instead of inspiring. One positive thing she said was that she still no longer eats certain "bad" foods like pasta, white bread, and rice. She isn't even tempted by them.

Of course, this begs the question - if you were eating right, why did you regain 50 pounds? Is some regain inevitable?

What I Ate: 1/11/2010

I tried something different in the morning and afternoon with my protein drinks. Over the course of several hours, I sipped on some combination of three protein drinks, 2 mixed with decaf coffee and 1 which was a combination of all three proteins. First, I put 1 tbsp. of Oh Yeah! and about 1.5 tbsp. Believe into a grande Starbucks coffee at about 8:45 AM. I had deli slices and cheese for the next meal. Then I repeated the chai with 1 tbsp. Oh Yeah! in coffee later. My last meal at work was a chocolate chai, prepared using the rest of the Believe Chai Latte, 2 tbsp. vanilla Oh Yeah!, and 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder.
  • Believe Chai Latte protein drink (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1/4 cup vanilla creme Oh Yeah! protein drink (32 kcals, 4.5g protein, 0.4g net carbs, 1.3g fat)
  • 1 scoop Inspire dutch chocolate cake protein drink (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 3 slices Hormel Natural smoked deli turkey (50 kcals, 10g protein, 1g net carbs, 1g fat) with 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light cheese (35 kcals, 2.5g protein, 1g carb, 2g fat)
  • Had a run-in with nuts again. 10 pistachios (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 3g fat) and about 10 peanuts (52 kcals, 2.3g protein, 1g net carbs, 5g fat). Total - (92 kcals, 3.3g protein, 2g net carbs, 8g fat). These made me nauseous for at least an hour after I ate them. When will I learn that most nuts don't agree with me??
  • Shrimp, bacon, and okra omelet: 1/4 cup egg substitute (30 kcals, 6g protein, 1g carb, 0g fat); 7 medium shrimp (42 kcals, 8.4g protein, 0.7g carbs, 0.7g fat); 1 strip Applegate Farms uncured organic turkey bacon (35 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 1.5g fat); and 2 okra pods (8 kcals, 0.5g protein, 1g net carbs, 0g fat). Total - (116 kcals, 20.9g protein, 2.7g net carbs, 2.2g fat)
  • 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) mixed with 1 scoop Inspire Peanut Butter Cookie protein powder (132 kcals, 25g protein, 1g carbs, 1g fat) and 1.5 tbsp. SF/FF Jello chocolate pudding mix (23 kcals, 6g net carbs), and 3 tbsp. Free Cool Whip (23 kcals, 4.5g net carb). Total - (218 kcals, 31.6g protein, 14.5g net carbs, 1g fat)
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins in grape (15 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 5 packets sugar-free drink mix (50 kcals, 12g net carbs)
Total:
899 kcals
122.8g protein
54.6% kcals from protein
50.6g net carbs
22.5% kcals from net carbs
16g fat
16.0% kcals from fat
I was tired from my late night drive back to Columbia from the Charlotte Airport, so no morning cardio. However, I did the Pilates DVD late last evening.

Monday, January 11, 2010

What I Ate: 1/10/2010

'Twas my last day in DC ::sigh:: No totals below, because I can't begin to know what was actually in that tofu scramble. I know some kind of oil.

  • Protein latte: Made just like yesterday's protein mocha, except with 1/2 vanilla Oh Yeah! instead of the chocolate. Fortunately, the vanilla didn't have any lumps though! (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • Brunch at Busboy's & Poets! We tried out the new 5th & K location in the increasingly popular Mt. Vernon Square neighborhood. It's weird because it has no real bookstore like the 14th & V location, but it's a terrific space and much bigger than the original Busboys. I loooooove Busboys - not so much for the food, but for the ambiance. I had the vegan "egg" scramble, which is tofu with vegetables served with vegan sausage that looks to be soy-based. I think they added turmeric to the tofu to make it yellow like eggs with minimal flavor interference, since turmeric has such a delicate flavor. Anyway, I got EXTREMELY FULL from this, and I'm not sure why. I mean, I had 2 vegan sausage patties and a little tofu with mushrooms, tomatoes, and peppers. I definitely overate, but the uncomfortably full feeling slipped up on me! This would have been a good time to pull out my measuring spoons, for sure. In any event, it was fine - the food itself was very healthy, and the oil or margarine they used kept me sated literally from 3 PM until nearly 11 PM when I got to my car in Charlotte.
  • 1 Muscle Milk Light protein shake (new product!) I was at the Charlotte Airport and wanted to grab one more meal for the road. I saw this at one of those magazine shops, and the stats didn't look too bad considering that all I'd had to eat was the vegan scramble and sausage and one protein shake. This was extremely tasty! It reminded me of the chocolate Odwalla protein drinks I occasionally indulged in as a pre-op (too much sugar for now.) The Muscle Milk Light has a few too many calories compared to the amount of protein to become a regular part of my protein arsenal, but I will definitely have it on occasion when I can afford the calories. What's really nice about this shake is that it's so accessible: I've seen it everywhere from airport stores, to gas stations, to Bi-Lo and other supermarkets. (160 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • 14 pistachios (56 kcals, 1.3g protein, 1.4g net carbs, 4.5g fat)

Sunday, January 10, 2010

What I Ate: 1/9/2010

I'm not sure of the totals because I'm in DC and didn't measure my food as much as normal, but here's the list!

  • 1 packet Starkist albacore tuna (90 kcals, 18g protein, 0g carbs, 2g fat)
  • Brunch at Eatonville Restaurant: 5 large shrimp that were supposedly steamed, but I think I saw some butter/oil remnants on the plate; about 1/4 cup sauteed spinach and tomatoes; about 7 small strawberries, 1 raspberry, 4 small pineapple chunks, and 3 grapes. The shrimp, spinach, and tomatoes were from the deconstructed shrimp and grits that I ordered. I asked the server to hold the grits and the gravy.
  • Protein mocha: I ordered a tall decaf coffee in a venti cup from Starbucks, then added about half of a chocolate Oh Yeah!. This was exceptionally rich and tasty, except that the Oh Yeah! seemed to have been sitting at Vitamin Shoppe for a little too long and had clump issues. Oh well - wasn't perfection, but was still pretty darn good. (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • Dinner at Zengo: Way too much edamame (maybe 2 cups of pods?) and camaron (shrimp) ceviche with avocado and passion fruit. See my thoughts on Zengo below.
  • Another protein mocha, prepared as above (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 4.5g fat)
  • Approximately 7 pecan halves (70 kcals, 0.7g protein, 0.5g net carbs, 7g fat)
Thoughts on Zengo.
Tonight was my first time at Zengo, a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant in DC's Gallery Place/Chinatown neighborhood. I've passed by the place numerous times over the years, but I never felt motivated to dine there until friends suggested it. As mentioned above, I went with the simple and safe choices - or so I thought - of edamame and shrimp ceviche.

Zengo found a way to make edamame, ordinarily a very smart choice, greasy. Zengo serves two styles of edamame: (1) steamed and grilled, and (2) "xo style," which is non-vegetarian. I ordered the normal ones thinking they would be the healthiest choice, as I wasn't looking to splurge. To prepare Zengo's normal version of edamame, I think they steam the pods and then grill them in something oily. My hands were shiny after eating these. Seriously - why would you add grease to edamame?

Admittedly, the greasy-grilled edamame have a delightful smoky scent. I enjoyed eating them. However, none of that rustic flavor is imparted to the edamame beans themselves. Zengo's edamame grilling method imparts unctuousness and aroma, but not flavor.

The ceviche was pretty good - a nice balance of tangy, sweet, and spicy. Nothing to write home about, but tasty. I asked the server about oil/mayonnaise, but I forgot to ask about sugar which I'm sure was in there. I'm actually not as uptight about a little added sugar as I am about added fat, mostly because I tend to have worse reactions to hidden fat than to added sugar.

Dessert: I dipped the back of a spoon into the sauce on my friend's lemon-yuzu cake, which comes with Chinese five spice custard sauce, ginger ice cream, and a sesame lace cookie. I didn't taste the cake, but I was underwhelmed by the sauce. It had a little too much anise in it, I think - the licorice flavor overwhelmed the other flavors. I could pick up a slight bit of the ginger flavor on a second taste. My friends' reviews of the lemon-yuzu cake were mixed - one enjoyed it; two hated it. The churros y chai (churros served with a chocolate chai mousse) apparently taste divine.

Finally, a word about the service: I think our server meant well, but he seemed to think we were idiots who couldn't possibly know anything about food. I asked him whether there was oil added to the marinades for either the ceviche or the tiradito. He launches into an explanation of what ceviche is, seeming to think that the mere fact that ceviche is "cooked" in citrus juice means that the chef doesn't add oil on top or in the marinade. I cut him off, responding, "Umm, I know what ceviche is; I'm just asking whether there's any added fat in the marinade." I think I forgot to ask about sugar because he was so patronizing when I asked a straightforward question about fat. All he should have said was, "No."

Likewise with the server's response to my question about tiradito, which I know for a fact is sometimes marinated in aiolis or other oil-based sauces (see Chef Michelle Bernstein's spin on shrimp tiradito, which incorporates mayonnaise.) His response, "No, no oil, tiradito is sashimi." (That's not completely accurate, by the way - like ceviche, there's acid in the tiradito sauce/marinade which sometimes "cooks" the fish slightly, unlike traditional sashimi. Tiradito is sliced sashimi-style. See here.) But even if tiradito were as raw as sashimi, that wouldn't necessarily mean that the marinade has no oil. I mean, if you add oil to edamame, you could add oil to anything, right?

Overall, I had reasonably tasty food and was happy that the servers didn't force us to leave even though we sat there and chatted for about 2 hours after dinner and paid with five separate credit cards. Zengo was very group-friendly tonight. Would I return? Definitely wouldn't suggest it, but I'd go back at someone else's behest. There are a few other things on the menu I'd like to try. I'd hope for a different server, however.

Friday, January 8, 2010

What I Ate: 1/8/2010

  • 1 Believe Chai Tea Latte protein drink, mostly as coffee creamer but the leftover used in the evening protein shake that I had at the shelter. (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 3 slices Hormel Natural smoked deli turkey (50 kcals, 10g protein, 1g net carbs, 1g fat) with 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light cheese (35 kcals, 2.5g protein, 1g carb, 2g fat)
  • 1 packet Starkist albacore tuna (90 kcals, 18g protein, 0g carbs, 2g fat)
  • Creamy vanilla/chocolate chai shake: 1/2 Oh Yeah! vanilla creme protein drink mixed with my leftover Believe chai protein drink with a dash of Torani sugar-free chocolate syrup (110 kcals, 16g protein, 1.5g carbs, 4.5g fat). This sort of tasted like the Mocha Latte Believe protein drink, but with a hint of cinnamon.
  • Protein Fage cookie dough pudding: 1/3 cup nonfat Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1.5 tbsp. white chocolate pudding mix (23 kcals, 6g net carbs), 1 scoop Inspire ice cream sandwich (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) and 2 tbsp. Free Cool Whip (15 kcals, 3g net carbs). Total - (204 kcals, 36.6g protein, 14g net carbs, 0g fat)
  • 1 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bite (40 kcals, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat)
  • 3 Bariatric Advantage calcium lozenges (12 kcals, 3g net carbs)
  • 1 Celebrate grape iron + c (5 kcals, 1g net carbs)
  • 2 Celebrate multivitamins, 1 in grape and 1 in orange (13 kcals, 4g net carbs)
  • 5 packets sugar-free drink mix (50 kcals, 12g net carbs)
Total:
729 kcals (hmm . . . a little low)
103.1g protein
56.6% kcals from protein
48.5g net carbs
26.6% kcals from net carbs
11g fat
13.6% kcals from fat.

I had two workouts today! I did an hour on the elliptical this morning for a supposed burn of about 615 calories (I know the numbers are fake, but I'm still proud of them!) I went to 7 on resistance again. It kicked my butt, but that's a good thing.

I also did my Ana Caban Quick Start Pilates for Weight Loss DVD again tonight. Ana Caban actually commented on my blog a couple of days ago! I'm going to write a separate post about her website, La Buena Life, soon (this weekend, maybe?) But yeah, I've been a fan of her work since 2007, but the personal contact has me all "rah rah." (It doesn't take much to win me over. Haha.)

Headed to DC for the next couple of days. I can't wait! I'm going to my emotional home!