What I Ate: October 19, 2010 - and New Vitamins!

As you may know, I am a big fan of Celebrate bariatric vitamins for my multivitamins and iron. (I prefer Bariatric Advantage's calcium options.) I recently tried some of Celebrate's new flavors: I tried the 60 mg iron + C in Berry, and the multivitamin in Pineapple-Strawberry.

I'm not sure the Pineapple-Strawberry is as good as my old standby, the Mandarin Orange, but it's tasty. I'll definitely be adding it to the rotation.

The Berry iron has a tad more iron flavor than my beloved 30 mg Grape chewables, but they are still tasty and have none of the truly horrendous aftertaste of the Bariatric Advantage iron chewables. It's not surprising that the 60 mg pills would have a stronger iron flavor than the 30 mg. Also, my ferritin was a little lower than preferred in my March labs, so I want to take larger iron doses. I'd been taking 2 grape irons, but that's costly. You can get twice the amount of iron in the Berry vitamins for the same price.

Enough vitamin talk. Here is today's food & exercise report:

• Chocolate-ginger protein frosty with 2 tsp. ground flaxseed: 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese, 1/2 scoop chocolate Matrix, 1.5 T Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder, 2 tsp. ground flax, a few slivers of ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and 5-6 ice cubes
• A couple T half and half in Sbux decaf
• Too many pistachios and peanuts - probably 2 or 2.5 oz.
• A couple more T half and half in decaf coffee
• 3 oz. of my whole chicken salad, a tiny slice of the "Moist Apple Cake" with vanilla buttercream. I forgot to mention that I got the apple cake recipe from Bariatric Eating!
• The last of the caprese from Sunday - 4 bocconcini and 4 grape tomatoes
• Omelet made with 2 small eggs, 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice smoked turkey, 5 grape tomatoes, and 3 small mushrooms
• Yummy strawberry protein frosty
• Late night: 3-4 leftover banana chunks with the NSA chocolate ganache, leftover from Sunday :-(

Today's exercise was 50 minutes on the elliptical at the 14th & F Washington Sports Club. I detest that location. It's full of people that are even stodgier than the average DC set.

I listen to music when I work out, and occasionally I hum along with a bar or two. I'm way too out of breath to sing full voice, or to sing continuously. Most people are wearing their own headphones and are thus blissfully unaware that I'm not always completely silent when I exercise. But this morning, apparently a few haters complained about me to the WSC staff, and one of them came over and told me I was disturbing the other guests. I raised an eyebrow, rebuked Satan, and went right back to what I was doing. I don't complain to the management when the other guests disturb me by constantly passing gas et al., so they should just tolerate it when I let a few inadvertent words from a song pass through my lips. They can get over themselves. This would never happen at Columbia Heights or even the Gallery Place location.

Tonight was my second DC RNY support group meeting, and the first that was led by the bariatric psychologist. It was a good meeting, but I have never felt more C-R-A-Z-Y. I mentioned that I was getting adjusted to being in DC with a bunch of people who never knew me at 300 pounds, and that I didn't know how to react when my roommate gave me a few pieces of her old "fat" clothes (Size 12.) I also mentioned that I wanted to lose some more weight and/or have plastic surgery. The group members seemed aghast. I mean, I'm happy with where I am. But I really do want to shed the excess skin and feel more normal. And also, yeah, I'm a little sad that I'm the kind of person normal-sized people give their old fat clothes to. Maybe that's a little crazy in the grand scheme of things.

Recipe in Progress: Sardine Mousse with Indian-Spiced Eggplant Pancakes

I've been wanting to play with sardines. I discovered via Obesity Help that they are actually a great post-RNY food. For some reason - I guess because I associate them with my grease-lovin' late granddad - I assumed the canned version was terribly unhealthy.

I couldn't have been more off-base: 1 2-oz. serving of Wild Planet sardines canned in spring water is just 73 calories, 13 grams of protein, no carbs, and just 2 grams of super-healthy Omega-3 fat. In a word, stellar.

Plus, I recently read on Susan Maria Leach's blog that women often reap more benefits from food sources of calcium than from supplements. Sardines are a terrific source of calcium and Vitamin D, among other nutrients. But, to receive all of the benefit from eating sardines, you gotta eat the skin and the bones. [Cue the "ews"]. Susan Maria linked to her blog post on her Before and After Help message board, and both her and one of the moderators were hatin' on sardines.

Because I'd been wanting to try them again anyway, I took their disdain as a challenge. Last night, I made this:

My plating left much to be desired, but the flavors were amazing. The mousse itself is ridiculously easy to make. No heated cooking required!

However, this recipe isn't perfect. It's in progress. I think next time I will add some avocado, tofu, and/or fat-free cream cheese to stabilize the mousse a bit more and to raise the creamy factor. Fresh basil would probably be really good instead of the dried. I could also add some unflavored gelatin and mold it to make something really fancy. But I want to put the idea and flavors out there now, and I'll tweak it when I decide I want sardine mousse again.

SARDINE MOUSSE

What you need:

• 2 oz. canned sardines in spring water, with skin and bones (I used Wild Planet wild sardines from The Fresh Market)
• About 20 grams onion, lightly sauteed in nonstick spray to dull the raw flavor
• 1 garlic clove
• Juice of 1/2 small lemon
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (if you don't have smoked paprika, try adding 2 tsp. Liquid Smoke and 1/2 tsp. regular paprika)
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tbsp. Splenda
• 1/4 cup pasteurized egg whites, like All Whites [Note: even though they don't whip as well, you definitely need to use pasteurized whites because this is a no-cook dish].
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• Food processor
• Hand mixer

What to do:

1. Place all ingredients except the egg whites and cream of tartar in your food processor. Puree until smooth.
2. In a clean bowl, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar and whip to soft peaks using the hand mixer.
3. Very, very carefully fold the sardine puree into the egg whites until well-combined. Voila! Keep chilled until ready to serve.

EGGPLANT PANCAKES

What you need:

• About 20 grams yellow onion, diced (any kind of onion would work, but would add a slightly different flavor)
• About 100 grams eggplant, diced small, skin-on
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1T apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. Splenda (or 3 packets)
• 1/4 cup pasteurized egg whites (like All Whites)
• Nonstick spray
• Parchment paper (optional)
• Food processor (or you can finely dice the eggplant by hand)

What to do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute the diced eggplant in nonstick spray over medium heat just until they are translucent. While the onions are sauteing, salt the eggplant and let the salt pull out some of the bitterness.
3. Once the onions are soft and slightly browned, add in the eggplant. Stir in the garam masala, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and curry powder. Let it cook down until the flesh is softened and there's some "stuff" sticking to the bottom of the saute pan.
4. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar (add water too if needed), and stir in the Splenda.
5. Chop the eggplant mixture in the food processor. Don't puree; just chop finely. Put in a bowl. Stir in pasteurized egg whites to make pancake batter.
6. Portion out the pancake mixture on a cookie sheet coated with nonstick spray or lined with parchment paper. (I made 4 pancakes). Bake in oven at 350 until cooked through and brown around the edges (about 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven). Enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
This entire dish, which I designed to make one serving, contains approximately 223 calories, 26.7 grams of protein, 17.1 NET grams of carbohydrate (not including any fiber grams), and 2.2 grams of fat. Note that these are very generous estimates, including calorie and macronutrient counts for all of the spices, the vinegar, and the Splenda.

The sardine mousse contains 138 calories, 19.4 grams of protein, 8.7 NET grams of carbohydrate, and 2.2 grams of fat.

The eggplant pancakes contain 85 calories, 7.3 grams of protein, 8.4 NET grams of carbohydrate, and 0 grams of fat.

You should be eating more sardines. In addition to the calcium, Omega-3 fats, and deliciousness, they are also one of the most "green" seafood choices. Read the labels for sodium content, but other than that, you can't go wrong with 'em.

March Menu for 2010 Dinner Challenge

Aside from my individual 50 goals for 2010, I'm participating in a competition to complete 10 challenges in 2010 with 40+ other people. One of the challenges is to cook a meal each month consisting of at least 2 courses that is shared with at least one other person.

Because I'm in South Carolina for the year and don't hang out with many people, I've come to rely on my mom to be my dinner companion for purposes of this competition. It's really fun - I get to be as inventive as I want to be, and because she's my mom, she can critique things she doesn't like without bothering me too much. The process is significantly improving my culinary skills, I think.

We had March meal this past Saturday evening. Part of the "egregious waywardness" I mentioned in my last post was related to cooking this meal. Of course, most of it wasn't - everything I prepared was WLS-friendly or at least WLS-tolerable, and the craziest stuff I ate wasn't a part of this meal whatsoever (as you'll see, there's no Edy's slow-churned ice cream or Cheerios on this menu.) But, that's another subject for another post (maybe. If I decide to relive the horror.)

Anyway, here's what I cooked for my mom Saturday night, with photos from my Blackberry:

Beverage

Spiced Strawberry-Rhubarb Apple Cider

Braeburn apples, strawberries, rhubarb, lemon, cinnamon, ginger, clove, artificial sweeteners

Appetizer
Shrimp & Grits

Carolina shrimp, soy grits, squid ink, fat-free cream cheese, fat-free cheddar sprinkle, extra lean turkey bacon, avocado, jalapeño

Entrée
Venison Rouladen
mustard, dill pickle, extra lean turkey bacon, scallion, in soffritto

Savory Cheesecake
fat-free cream cheese and sour cream, spinach, chicken breast sausage, mushrooms, leeks, toasted light Italian Flatout triangles, Fiber One-parmesan crust

Braised Cabbage
granny smith apple, pinto beans, tomato, lemon, white sesame seeds

Dessert
Deconstructed Chocolate-Hazelnut Soup
white chocolate frozen Fage 0%, vanilla caramel sauce (Nature Sweet brown), sweet potato, pecans, baked banana chips, "candied" orange supremes, fresh strawberries, Nutella (NOT WLS-FRIENDLY! Ok for non-op mom! And the soup itself has no Nutella in it - cocoa, choc protein, Almond Breeze, SF syrup - all good stuff)

Cooking is one of my favorite creative outlets. I've already designed the menu for April, and it's going to be interesting! There's a spring/Easter/Passover/pea & carrot theme. I can't wait.

If I can afford it, my next goal is to learn more about plating and get some different shapes of white plates to complement the food better. I know this month's entree looks particularly bizarre. Oh well - I'm a work in progress.

I'll spare you a detailed exposition on the food for now, but can give more details, reviews, or recipes if anyone's interested. However, I must let WLS people know that soy grits leave much to be desired texturally. But with 130 calories, 19 grams of protein, 14 total grams of carbs with 7 grams of fiber, and just 1 gram of fat in 1/4 cup dry (over 1/2 cup cooked), I'll definitely be eating them again.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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: 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)

What I Ate: 12/31/2009

Backdated for future searching convenience. Posted January 18, 2010 at 7:14 PM.

• More brussel sprouts, prepared with turkey bacon, onion, and blood orange (140 kcals, 13.5g protein, 7.5g net carbs, 2g fat).
• 1 Believe Italian Cappucino, spread through the day as coffee creamer (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
• 1 Chik-Fil-A grilled chicken filet (106 kcals, 21g protein, 2g carb, 1.5g fat)
• 1 scoop Inspire ice cream sandwich (126 kcals, 30g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) in 1/3 cup Fage (40 kcals, 6.6g protein, 3g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1 tbsp. SF/FF cheesecake Jello mix (15 kcals, 3g carbs)
• 10 large local shrimp, cooked with red pepper and other seasonings (75 kcals, 14.2g protein, 1g carbs, 1.3g fat)
• Various artisanal cheeses from Whole Foods in Greenville - Morbier, Valdeon, Fourme D'Ambert, 3-Year Aged Gouda, Goat Gouda Hollandaise. I got these from the leftover bits basket in the cheese section, which makes having little WLS-sized portions really easy!
• 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 orange (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)

There are certain things I like to eat to celebrate New Year's. Cheese is at the top of the list! I love fancy artisanal cheeses to ring in the new year, and even though we were having a midnight breakfast at church, I brought along the food that I wanted to eat. I brought the shrimp, which were local shrimp I purchased from Whole Foods earlier in the day, for lowfat protein. But after the shrimp, I had cheese and it was awesome :-)

Cool New Product: Starbucks VIA - In Decaf!

Anyone who's ever looked at my food log knows my great enthusiasm for decaf coffee, particularly of the Starbucks variety.

But Starbucks is an expensive habit, and I won't go to a coffee shop twice a day anyway. I've been using some good substitutes for Starbucks, including Folger's instant decaf and Nescafe Taster's Choice instant decaf.

Sadly, those delicious substitutes might get kicked to the proverbial curb come November 17, 2009. That's when Starbucks will begin offering the decaf version of its new "VIA" line of instant coffees. Here's the press release. It's lame that they didn't offer decaf in the first place, but I'm glad they're getting their act together now.

It could turn out to be gross, which would be okay considering that Folgers and Nescafe have been wonderful for me over the past few months. I'll keep you posted.

P.S. In case you don't know, many RNY patients are told to avoid caffeine for some period of time after surgery. I'm not entirely sure why: some say it contributes to dehydration; others say it irritates the reconfigured stomach. I don't remember how long my surgeon said to avoid it - three months, maybe? But I haven't missed it, so I don't see the need to get myself hooked to it again. I was already weaning myself off caffeine well before I decided to have surgery. The only thing I'm annoyed that I can't try is the Believe ready-to-drink protein lattes from BariatricEating.com. The chai tea is most tempting, followed closely by the mocha latte.

Calorie/Carb Counters: Be Careful With Splenda!

Thanks to my friends at Bariatric Eating's Before and After Help discussion board, I learned today that Splenda has calories and carbs. To be exact, one packet has four calories and one gram of carbohydrate. More starkly, one cup has 96 calories and 24 grams of carbohydrate.

I had no idea.

This information basically makes everything I've said on this blog about my calorie intake a big, fat lie. You can add 40 calories (at least) to every day. I usually take 5 packets of Splenda in each protein shake, and I love the sweet/savory combination so a lot of my other foods have Splenda in them as well. I have a serious sweet tooth and Splenda, I thought, was a miracle drug.

How do they get away with calling this product a "no-calorie sweetener"? According to Splenda's website, it meets the FDA's guidelines for a no-calorie product because of the small amount of calories.

Apparently, it's the dextrose and maltodextrin that they add to the sucralose (the real sweetening agent) for bulk that yields the carbs and calories. See this post from Low Carb Freedom blog for more details. To avoid these additives, you can use a liquid sucralose product like Sweetzfree or EZ-Sweetz. You could also stick with other sugar substitutes, or even a natural product like stevia. I've been told that you can boil the actual stevia leaves and build a sweet syrup to sweeten liquids.

I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I'm quite upset about this.

Leslie Sansone 5-Mile Fat-Burning Walk - Go Buy It!

I've mentioned in at least one previous post that I've been a longtime fan of Leslie Sansone, the inventor of Walk at Home aka Walk Aerobics.

We go way back! Back in the early 2000s, my mom ordered a 3-video set of Sansone's workouts from QVC (the Walk Away the Pounds series.) She didn't love them because she felt like they were too easy. She let me have them, and I loved them enough for the both of us. Sansone has a unique philosophy in the aerobics world: The steps are not what's important - moving is what's important. It fits in well with my whole egalitarian thing; it's equal opportunity exercise for the uncoordinated among us.

I pretty much memorized the videos, so I sometimes did the movements while I was listening to music or watching TV. I lost about 25 pounds on study abroad in Southern Africa in 2003 by doing Walk at Home in all of the random hotels, homestays, and huts we lived in for six weeks, and I lost about 30 pounds when I was living in Ireland from doing Walk at Home in my room to iTunes.

That's the backstory.

Anyway, I went to Target yesterday and picked up a new Sansone DVD, the 5 Mile Fat Burning Walk. It's a 65-minute workout if you do all 5 miles, but you don't have to.

I just finished it and I LOVED this one! My VHS tapes of her came out in 2000, and this DVD came out in 2008, but the steps are still the same basic formula with a few added flourishes to keep it interesting. But it's actually nice that you don't have to spend the whole hour making sure you're watching her or thinking about what you're doing because the steps are so easy.

One of the added flourishes in this workout is a 2-minute "boosted walk" at the end of each mile. This "boost" is actually jogging in place instead of marching, which gives those who can handle it an extra challenge. However, Sansone realizes that lots of people turn to her workout because they can't handle extra fitness challenges, and she is very clear that people who shouldn't be engaging in high-impact aerobics should not do the "boost." To drive this point home, most of the people in the video don't do the boost. Only Sansone and one back-up exerciser do the boost in miles 2, 3, and 4.

I'd say this is slightly more strenuous than the average Sansone workout - but that's not saying a whole lot. I'm still "Class II obese" and I could get through the whole thing and felt good afterward, but it was a slightly tougher workout than I've ever experienced from her. I sweat a decent amount, but still not as much as when I have a brisk elliptical workout. On the other hand, she engaged a lot more of my muscles, especially my shoulders, glutes, quadriceps, and outer thighs.

This video also tells the story of Nicole, one of the back-up exercisers who lost over 100 pounds through Walk at Home. One of my favorite aspects of this video is that Sansone introduces the viewer to her cast members, like they are old family members. At the end of the video, each of them is introduced as part of the credits and it mentions what they do in life, whether they have children, and whether they are in other Walk at Home videos. It's pretty cool.

The only thing I dislike about the video is that Sansone leads the first and fifth miles alone, with no back-up exercisers. Sansone is most entertaining when she's interacting with her cast members, so I would have preferred to have them there for all five miles.

This is first-rate. Highly recommended.

A Tribute to Fage ("Fa-yeh") Greek Yogurt

Fage Greek yogurt, how I love thee.

Greek yogurt is a WLS post-op's dream, in my opinion. I always use the Fage 0% (nonfat) plain version, so that's what I'm shouting out. But I'm sure other Greek yogurt is just as tribute-worthy.

I am less than 3 weeks post-op, but I have already used this wonderful stuff in practically everything I've cooked and/or eaten, including:

• curried egg salad
• refried beans
• my modification of Shelly's baked ricotta (both in the ricotta base to make the fat-free ricotta creamier and in the tomato/asparagus sauce to make it richer)
• creamed spinach
• cream cheese dessert

I don't even like yogurt. Never have. I will probably never eat this stuff by itself or as the main part of a dish. But as a supporting player, it is awesome. It's reminiscent of sour cream.

Next up: I'm going to use it as the base of a thyme and rosemary-infused cream sauce for poached tilapia once I can start eating fish on Tuesday. Wish me luck. :-)