WLS Heroes: Marc Ambinder

This is the best article about obesity I've ever read. Yes, it's that good.

Marc Ambinder, fellow RNY post-op, has created a work of genius as far as I'm concerned. This is a must-read.

Here's the header:

Beating Obesity
By 2015, four out of 10 Americans may be obese. Until last year, the author was one of them. The way he lost one-third of his weight isn’t for everyone. But unless America stops cheering The Biggest Loser and starts getting serious about preventing obesity, the country risks being overwhelmed by chronic disease and ballooning health costs. Will first lady Michelle Obama’s new plan to fight childhood obesity work, or is it just another false start in the country’s long and so far unsuccessful war against fat?

You simply must take time to read the whole piece. I've posted this on Obesity Help, BariatricEating.com, Twitter, and Google Buzz thus far. I also took it to support group last night and gave a copy to the group leader.

My one quibble? I love to watch what Ambinder describes as "fat porn." Read the article to see what I'm referring to! :-)

Also, Ambinder wrote a shorter blog post on this topic yesterday: Beating Obesity: First Principles.

And a related post today: Why Sin Taxes on Sugar, Soda Are a Questionable Idea. (Apparently Ambinder agrees with President Clinton's take on this issue.) I take no position on sin taxes. Instinctively, I like them, but the question is whether they will make any difference in the obesity epidemic. In any event, Ambinder's perspective is worth a read.

What I Ate: April 13, 2010 - Rebirthday Edition

::singing:: Do you know what today is?/It's my surgiversary/ surgiversary . . . surgiversary . . . my surgiversary (to the tune of Tony! Toni! Tone!'s 1993 hit "Anniversary." Hey, I'm a child of 1990s).

• 1 vanilla Oh Yeah! as creamer in 4 decaf coffees (220 kcals, 32g protein, 3g net carbs, 9g fat)
• 1 Spinachy Chicken Burger (recipe forthcoming?) (75 kcals, 12g protein, 3.5g net carbs, 0.4g fat) with 1 slice Kraft fat-free Swiss (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) and 2 small slices of tomato (5 kcals, 1g carbs). Total - (105 kcals, 16g protein, 6.5g net carbs, 0.4g fat)
• 1 100-calorie pack cocoa almonds (100 kcals, 3g protein, 2g net carbs, 9g fat)
• Chicken-bacon-ranch salad: 2 oz. chicken breast (62 kcals, 13.2g protein, 0g carbs, 0.8g fat), 2 strips Jennie-O extra lean turkey bacon (40 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), thinly sliced red onion (7 kcals, 1g net carbs), a little diced tomato (7 kcals, 2g carbs), 1 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) and lemon ranch dressing - Fage based (15 kcals, 1.5g protein, 2g net carbs, 0g fat) over mache/frisee/radicchio salad mix (10 kcals, 0.6g protein, 1g net carbs, 0g fat). Total - (166 kcals, 23.7g protein, 7g net carbs, 1g fat).
• Peanut butter cookie protein fage: 1/2 cup Fage with (60 kcals, 10g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 0g fat), 1 scoop Inspire peanut butter cookie protein (132 kcals, 25g protein, 1g carbs, 1g fat), and 1 tbsp. SF Hershey's chocolate syrup (8 kcals, 2g net carbs). Total - (200 kcals, 35g protein, 7.5g net carbs, 1g fat).
• Nibbles of carrots - was attempting carrot chips. It didn't quite work out too well, and I wound up eating the failed chips. (estimating 60 kcals, 1.4g protein, 12g net carbs)
• 2 Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate chews, 1 raspberry, one chocolate (30 kcals, 2.5g net carbs)
• 3 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (12 kcals, 3g carbs)
• 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
• 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)

Total:
913 calories
111.1g protein
48.7% kcals from protein. (The carrots got me.)
48.5g net carbs (would have been golden without the carrots!)
21.2% kcals from net carbs
20.4g fat
20.1% kcals from fat.

I celebrated my technical surgiversary, which was at 7 AM, with a Leslie Sansone walk DVD and the intermediate Pilates DVD.

After work, I went to the local support group meeting where a plastic surgeon was speaking. That would have been cool, except that he oddly spent most of his lecture talking about plastic surgery generally instead of focusing specifically on post weight-loss surgery body contouring. Me, being the impatient person I am, actually interrupted him at one point to ask if he had any slides on plastics after weight loss. I was tired of looking at disgusting trauma photos that had nothing to do with us. Time is money!

I'll be writing a more reflective rebirthday post this weekend, hopefully after doing something with more sentimental value to celebrate.

Oh, and FYI - I didn't quite reach my goal to be in the 170s. I ate too much this past weekend. I was actually in the high 170s on Thursday and Friday of last week, but now I'm back in the low 180s. Hoping to get back to the 170s soon!

What I Ate: April 12, 2010

• 1 chocolate Oh Yeah! as creamer in 4 decaf coffees (220 kcals, 32g protein, 3g net carbs, 9g fat)
• 1 scoop Nectar fuzzy navel protein (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (20 kcals, 0.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 1.5g fat) and 1/2 packet white peach tea Crystal Light (5 kcals, 1g carbs). Total - (115 kcals, 23.5g protein, 1.5g carbs, 1.5g fat)
• 1 charoset truffle (approx. 48 kcals, 0.5g protein, 8g net carbs, 2g fat)
• 1 100-calorie pack natural almonds and walnuts (100 kcals, 3g protein, 2g net carbs, 9g fat)
• Really big salad chicken-bacon-ranch salad: 3 oz. chicken breast (93 kcals, 19.8g protein, 0g carbs, 1.2g fat), 2 strips Jennie-O extra lean turkey bacon (40 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), thinly sliced red onion (7 kcals, 1g net carbs), a little diced tomato (7 kcals, 2g carbs), 1 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) and my spicy-smoky ranch dressing - Fage based (20 kcals, 1.5g protein, 2.5g net carbs, 0g fat) over mache/frisee/radicchio salad mix (10 kcals, 0.6g protein, 1g net carbs, 0g fat). Total (202 kcals, 31.9g protein, 8.5g carbs, 2.2g fat)
• Peanut butter cookie protein fage: 1/2 cup Fage with (60 kcals, 10g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 0g fat), 1 scoop Inspire peanut butter cookie protein (132 kcals, 25g protein, 1g carbs, 1g fat), and 1 tbsp. SF Hershey's chocolate syrup (8 kcals, 2g net carbs). Total - (200 kcals, 35g protein, 7.5g net carbs, 1g fat).
• 2 Bariatric Advantage raspberry calcium citrate chewy bites (30 kcals, 2.5g net carbs)
• 2 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (8 kcals, 2g carbs)
• 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
• 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)

Total:
943 calories
125.9g protein
53.4% kcals from protein
40g net carbs
17.0% kcals from net carbs
24.7g fat
23.6% kcals from fat.

Exercise: I did the Intermediate Pilates DVD this morning at 6:30 or so, and then went for a 3.5-mile walk after work.

Tomorrow is my one-year surgiversary. This time last year, I was recovering from an Olive Garden meal of spaghetti and meatballs and breadsticks, shoveling down as many bowls of Quaker Oat cereal as possible, and hanging out with my mom at the townhouse we were staying at in Branford, CT. It was fun times.

What I Ate: April 11, 2010

Also a travel day. Honestly, I ate a whole lot today. And the scale seems to be up after eating with reckless abandon the last two days. It's not a good look, esp. given that I was all set to meet my one-year goal. I'm doing a liquid diet tomorrow to see if that gets me back together. I was great on carbs, but calories/fat were high.

• 1 scoop Inspire chocolate peanut butter fudge protein powder in 1/2 cup skim milk (had to use skim milk because that's all the convenience store had)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs with 1 packet of smoked cheese (airport food)
• 1 Burger King tendergrill filet - just the chicken (btw, when I asked the salesperson for "just the filet," she told me she had no idea what a "filet" was.)
• 2 100-calorie packets natural almonds
• Weird but tasty "pasta" dish: 2 oz. tofu shiritaki noodles, 4 lean turkey bacon strips, spinach, a little diced onion, a little tomato, garlic, lemon juice and zest, oregano, basil, thyme, and a touch of fat-free cream cheese for a slightly creamy finish.
• 1 100-calorie pack cocoa-roasted almonds
• 1/2 cup Fage with 1/2 scoop Inspire peanut butter cookie protein, flavored with a little SF white chocolate syrup and topped with SF honey and SF Hershey's chocolate syrup

I went to yoga again today, but waited till I got back to SC for a basic class. I didn't enjoy it so much - didn't work up a sweat like I usually prefer; plus, it feels like I pulled like a tendon or something in my shoulder. I can't decide if this basic class was unusually slow or if I should spend more time in Level 1.5 or slow flow classes.

One cool thing is that I bought clothes from Ann Taylor in downtown New Haven this weekend. I've wanted to do that for a while - women from the law school would say Ann Taylor always had great sales, but I was ineligible for their clothes. This weekend, they had an insanely good sale. I got 4 spring sweaters for less than $70, 3 for $15, and one for $20. The original price on the $15 sweaters was $78.

What I Ate: April 10, 2010

So yeah, Saturday was a travel weekend day, but I'm posting my food anyway. Not all of the nutritional info; just the food.

• 1 Power Crunch cookies & creme protein bar
• 2 Oh Yeah chocolate mint protein wafers
• Handful of dry roasted peanuts and raisins (gotta love GORP!)
• 1 packet Starkist white albacore tuna with 1 100-calorie packet natural almonds
• 1 travel pack Inspire dutch chocolate cake protein in Sbux tall iced decaf Americano
• At alumni dinner: Lots of cheese, 1 hard-boiled egg, 1/2 dinner roll (ARGH), about 1/3 of an overcooked grilled beef tenderloin, a few small bites of braised red cabbage and sweet potato, 2 small bites of flourless chocolate cake. I'd feel pretty good about this if it weren't for the dinner roll and overeating the cheese. I'd planned to take a bite of the dessert. It wasn't that good, so it wasn't hard to stop at 2 bites!
• Kind almond-apricot coconut bar
• Bite of Edy's mint-cookie ice cream
• 1 100-cal pack natural almonds

I also got a great workout at Fresh Yoga in New Haven. I went to their Saturday morning Anusara class, which was a combination of Levels 1 and 2. It was probably the most advanced class I've tried: Not only did we do reclining hero pose (which I did for the first time on March 21 at City Yoga's Level 1.5, which is also when I did assisted wheel pose), but we also did salamba sarvangasana (supported shoulder stand), half-moon pose, fish pose, half frog pose, and a bunch of other new stuff that I don't remember. Very cool. I also really liked the instructor, Leslie.

It's funny about the salamba sarvangasana: I used to do shoulder stands all the time when I was younger, even when I was 300+ pounds. I had no idea I was doing a relatively advanced yoga pose! I was just messing around, pretending I was doing gymnastics. When I saw what she was telling us to do, I thought, "Oh yeah - I got this. I don't have basics like down dog, but I got this." Heh.

(If you couldn't tell, I posted the menu primarily to justify posting about the awesomeness of that yoga class. Haha.)

Free Travel Weekends?

When I'm traveling on the weekends, I'm adopting a sort of new policy: I'll watch my food, but I'm not gonna do all the calculations or stress too much about it.

Why? It's almost impossible to do it honestly. For example, last weekend, I had a small bite of my stepfather's meatloaf, a perfectly fine food for RNYers. But I don't know exactly what the ingredients were, nor did I weigh the bite. How do I count that? I want to be free to do those sorts of things without feeling guilty because, even though I know it's okay for me to eat, I don't know the exact calorie count.

Same with tonight. I'm in New Haven for a special event, and I'll be having the grilled beef tenderloin with cabbage and sweet potatoes. (Of the options, this was the most clearly pouch-friendly. Everything else came with regular high GI potatoes, polenta, or pasta, all of which I avoid unless prepared by a James Beard award-winning chef, and even then, I don't feel good about it.) If the dessert looks good/special, I may have a bite of it. I know I've made the best selection possible, but I still don't know how many calories it has.

It's really important to me to very honest on this blog when I post my menus. Accountability doesn't work if you lie. I've been tempted to leave things out so many times, like when I compulsively eat and don't know exactly how much I measured, or because I'm embarrassed (see, e.g., the calcium binge), or simply because I don't know the nutritional content of something. But I haven't. The only items I don't record are calorie-free liquids (for me, mostly water and decaf coffee) and sugarless gum. Vitamins, a tbsp. of milk in my coffee, all of that stuff - I try to post it all. I can't always have that level of control, however.

So that's what I'm doing for now. But ONLY (1) on weekends AND (2) when I'm traveling. Unless both of these are true, I'm screwing up when I don't post.

What I Ate: April 9, 2010 (aka The Anatomy of a Compulsive Eater's Slow Meltdown)

The eating day started off okay, but at about 2:30 PM when I had the cocoa almonds, it took a turn for the worse. By the time the day was over, I'd double-dipped on protein bars and eaten mint cookie lowfat (but not low-sugar) ice cream. It's so hard not to go over the edge the rest of the day once you've slipped. Usually, I fall apart at night, but Friday was different.

Rule #1 for compulsive eaters - or at least this compulsive eater: Go. To. Bed. The food doesn't become calorie-free after midnight!

• Praline cappuccino protein frappe: 1 scoop Nectar cappuccino protein powder (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweeetened vanilla Almond Breeze (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat) with SF praline syrup and Truvia. Total - (130 kcals, 24g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat).
• The last of my Mediterranean White Chili, a little over 1/2 cup (about 120 kcals, 16g protein, 10g net carbs, 1.5g fat). So yummy!
• 3 slices Hormel Natural Choice roast beef (45 kcals, 8.2g protein, 0g carbs, 1.5g fat) and 1 Babybel Light cheese round (50 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 3g fat). Total - (95 kcals, 14.2g protein, 0g carbs, 4.5g fat) and about 1 oz. cocoa roasted almonds :-( (150 kcals, 6g protein, 4g net carbs, 9g fat). Total - (245 kcals, 20.2g protein, 4g net carbs, 13.5g fat). I was still hungry after my roast beef and cheese, so the cocoa almonds made an appearance. Boo. This was where the day began to unravel.
• Chocolate Extreme Smoothie protein shake (170 kcals, 35g protein, 5g net carbs, 0.5g fat) - en route airport.
• 1 100-calorie pack of "natural" almonds (100 kcals, 4g protein, 4g net carbs, 9g fat) - midair.
• 2 Oh Yeah! peanut butter cup protein wafers (210 kcals, 14g protein, 6g net carbs, 13g protein) - at Grand Central Terminal. This was on my plan, and it was fine.
• 1 Power Crunch peanut butter creme protein bar (200 kcals, 13g protein, 9g net carbs, 12g fat) - also at Grand Central Terminal. This was not part of my plan, so it was not fine. It also sent me over my daily calorie target.
• 4 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (16 kcals, 4g carbs)
• 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
• 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)

Total before 2 AM - pre-ice cream:
1,211 calories
126.2g protein
41.7% kcals from protein
48g net carbs
15.9% kcals from net carbs
52.5g fat!!
39.0% kcals from fat!!

BUT - it gets worse.

I finally got to New Haven at about 1:30 AM on Saturday morning, then I had to go meet the person I'm staying with at her BF's house to get her key. I got to her apartment, neither her nor her roommate was there, and I no longer felt like going straight to bed. So, I did what any compulsive eater would do. I scrounged for food. I didn't see anything worth the excess calories at first, but eventually I came across Edy's Slow-Churned Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream. Perfect.

You know that saying, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"? Well, last night, when I was eating that ice cream, for a fleeting moment I doubted the veracity of that statement. I really did. Doesn't mean I'm going to make a habit of eating that ice cream, but I'm not gonna lie. It was delectable.

By the way, exercise was mediocre. I partied with Leslie Sansone on Friday morning. I did 4 miles of her 5-mile Fat Burning Walk, which took 50 minutes.

WLS Heroes: Zulekha Haywood

I'm late to the party on this one. But better late than never.

Zulekha Haywood is the daughter of supermodel Iman (pre-Bowie) and basketball star Spencer Haywood. She is also a badass RNY post-op who, in the March edition of Glamour, told an RNY story that counterbalances a lot of what you see in the media about depressed/crazy 600-pound people in obesity hospitals. She's young at 31, hip, and vibrant. I relate to several aspects of her story.

Here's a part of her article that particularly resonated with me:

Six months in, I was down another 80 pounds. For the first time in my life, I didn’t have to shop in a plus-size store. (Yay, H&M!) But it felt foreign and made me anxious. There were so many things to choose from, I enlisted friends to help me shop, because I couldn’t tackle it all at once.

Yeah, this. I still find shopping in regular stores weird and overwhelming even at a year out.

I mentioned in a previous post how long it was taking me to find a dress for an event this weekend. I spent hours shopping for the past 4 days after work. I probably tried on over 100 dresses. I returned to some stores 2 or 3 times. I only need one dress, but I bought two (cheap - Ross and JC Penney). It was a huge ordeal for an event that is really not that serious. But I'd never bought a dress in a regular size before - never! I didn't know how to conceptualize being a part of that.

It was also creepy how nice salespeople were to me, even at skinny people stores like White House Black Market. I still half-expected someone to kick me outta there.

I also loved Zulekha's list of previously attempted diets at the end of her article, and her closing comment about them:

You Name the Diet, I Bet I’ve Tried It

I did them all, and that includes:

Jenny Craig I lost 40 pounds with Jenny until I stopped buying the pre-portioned meals.
Slim-Fast Left me watching the clock from shake to shake.
Diet Pills I nearly didn’t walk across the stage at my college graduation because I was jittery from appetite suppressants.
Atkins What started as The. Best. Diet. Ever. ended with weeklong bouts of constipation.
Cabbage Soup Gave me gas.
Master Cleanse The cayenne pepper and lemon juice in this detox left me with horrible acid reflux.

Surgery was an extreme step, but it taught me and my body what my parents had preached all those years: At 31, I now know it really is about eating right and exercise. (emphasis added).

All I can say to Slim-Fast, Atkins, and Cabbage Soup is LOL. I can sympathize with some of her comments there, particularly re: Slim Fast!

I didn't do Jenny, but I did Nutrisystems, which is basically Jenny without the counseling sessions. That food was tasty. But I didn't even lose any weight on them because I acquired a habit of eating more than one meal at a time . . . heh! :-/ And, thank God, I never did Master Cleanse. Cayenne and lemon juice? Blech. I did, however, do a bunch of other diets. Too many to list right now. I took a bunch of diet pills too. I was more a fan of the ones that kept you from absorbing calories (e.g., Xenical, Alli), not the ones that left you without an appetite (most of them.) I knew early on that my problem wasn't physical hunger; I just liked to eat and it didn't matter whether I was hungry or not.

Of course, her last comment is Spot. On. Sure, I could have realized it was about diet and exercise without surgery, but I didn't have the physical and spiritual tools to make it last. I hope I do now. I don't want to be a major regain story.

Finally, I loved the last line of her article:

Looking back, the lesson that a woman’s worth can never be found on a scale is one that I have known all along. I’m proud of the fact that at 330 pounds, I didn’t hide from life, and I didn’t let my weight define me. At 165 pounds, I won’t do that either.

I can't say I sympathize with this. I wish I could.

I never let my weight hold me back from opportunities, but I did allow it to define me in important ways. The very outgoing persona I had in middle school in high school had the express purpose of deflecting attention from my weight. The persona served me well, but it wasn't genuine. I'm an introvert.

When I started law school at a little over 200 pounds, I was actually a little freaked out because classmates would forget my name or confuse me with other people. It was almost like I was just some generic no-name without my full obese flower blooming. Then, the next thing I knew, I was back at 300 pounds - no one ever confused me with anyone else at that weight!

Whatever. I'm rambling. But, Viva Zulekha! You absolutely MUST read the entire story at Glamour.com.

I want to hang out with her. Or, at the very least, I would prefer for her to be the public face of RNY, as opposed to Star, or even Al, or certainly the hapless people often featured on True Life or other reality shows featuring WLSers.

What I Ate: April 8, 2010

• 1 scoop Inspire chocolate peanut butter fudge protein powder (127 kcals, 26g protein, 3g carbs, 1g fat) in 1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat). Total - (167 kcals, 27g protein, 4g carbs, 4g fat). Tried changing up my pre-workout shake, but I wasn't a huge fan of this at this time of morning. It was just okay. Will keep experimenting.
• 2 sausage-onion Eggface bites (46 kcals, 6.8g protein, 0.8g net carbs, 1.4g fat) and the last 4 bacon-mushroom Eggface bites (80 kcals, 8.7g protein, 2.4g net carbs, 3.2g fat). Total - (126 kcals, 15.5g protein, 3.2g net carbs, 4.5g fat).
• 1 Believe Italian cappuccino in decaf (120 kcals, 20g protein, 5g net carbs, 0g fat)
• 1/2 cup Mediterranean White Chili (106 kcals, 14.4g protein, 8.3g net carbs, 0.9g fat)
• 1 100-calorie pack of "natural" almonds (100 kcals, 4g protein, 4g net carbs, 9g fat)
• Unfortunate run-in with dark cocoa-roasted almonds (about 225 kcals, 9g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 19.5g fat). I wanted to get the 100-calorie packets of these, but Target was out. Instead, I got 100-calorie packs of regular almonds and a regular container of these, hoping I'd have self-control. Ummm, of course not. Duh! Also, because I sometimes have fat tolerance issues, eating so many almonds upset my pouch for hours. I'm insane. I was getting nauseous as I was eating, but I kept eating them anyway.
• Late-night chicken-bacon-ranch salad (had to wait until my stomach settled): 3 oz. chicken breast (93 kcals, 19.8g protein, 0g carbs, 1.2g fat), 2 strips Jennie-O extra lean turkey bacon (40 kcals, 6g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat), 7 grams very thinly sliced red onion (3 kcals), 1 slice Kraft fat-free American cheese (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat) and my spicy-smoky ranch dressing - Fage based (12 kcals, 1.5g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 0g fat) over mache salad mix (10 kcals, 0.6g protein, 1g net carbs, 0g fat). Total - (183 kcals, 31.9g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 2.2g fat)
• 4 slices Kraft fat-free cheese (100 kcals, 16g protein, 8g net carbs, 0g fat) and 2 sausage-onion Eggface bites (46 kcals, 6.8g protein, 0.8g net carbs, 1.4g fat)
• 4 Bariatric Advantage chocolate calcium citrate chewy bites (60 kcals, 5g net carbs)
• 4 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (16 kcals, 4g carbs)
• 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
• 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)

Total:
1,269 calories
144.6g protein
45.8% kcals from protein
56.3g net carbs
17.7% kcals from net carbs
41.5g fat
29.4% kcals from fat.

Exercise was 35 minutes on the elliptical in the morning. So much for all that cardio I was supposedly going to get! I went to Starbucks after my workout instead of making it longer . . .

As you may be able to tell, I ate compulsively with both the almonds and the random post-midnight cheese. I'd already posted this, then the cheese came in. Oh well. I wanted to save both my higher-calories days for this weekend, but I may keep it lower-cal today (Friday) and Sunday. I have a dinner engagement on Saturday that will probably involve some less-than-healthy bites.

Numerical Goal for One-Year "Surgiversary"

In anticipation of my upcoming one-year "surgiversary" (next Tuesday! April 13, 2010!), I'm setting a little numerical goal: the 170s. I want to be at least 179.9 on Tuesday morning.

This is slightly ambitious. As you may know, I'm losing weight at a slow crawl at this point. My weight fluctuates + or - 10 pounds sometimes. But I've lost about 2 pounds over the past week or so, and this morning I got a bunch of different readings ranging from 181.6 to 179.3, with a mode of 180.0 (I think my scale may be a little on the fritz.) I probably won't meet this goal if the 181.6 reading was correct, but if the 180.0 was right, I should definitely be able to lose 0.1 pounds in 5 days - I think.

I've gotten more into activity goals, like participating in walk/run events or going to certain yoga classes. Numerical goals tend to be bad news in general, but especially for people like me for whom weight loss does not seem to correlate with plan adherence. For example, I lost weight this weekend, even though I went on a crazy carb spree that included Fiber One cereal, honey wheat dinner rolls, and sugar-free triple chocolate fudge ice cream. I'd planned to give myself that leeway, so I don't feel guilty about it, but it was still off-plan. A month ago, I was gaining weight despite following a low-carb, high-protein eating plan and exercising regularly.

For this reason, I won't be bent out of shape if I don't make the goal, or if my weight takes a turn upward. As long as I'm doing what I'm supposed to do, I'll be cool with it.

So, April 13th goal: 179.9. Root for me!

What I Ate: April 7, 2010

• 1/2 scoop Nectar cappuccino and 1/2 scoop Nectar vanilla bean torte (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat). Total - (130 kcals, 24g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat).
• 4 slices Hormel Natural Choice roast beef (60 kcals, 11g protein, 0g carbs, 2g fat) and 2 slices Kraft fat-free cheese (50 kcals, 8g protein, 4g carbs, 0g fat)
• 1 Pure Protein vanilla cream shake in two decaf coffees (160 kcals, 35g protein, 2g carbs, 1g fat)
• 3 sausage-onion Eggface bites (69 kcals, 10.2g protein, 1.2g net carbs, 2.1g fat) and 3 bacon-mushroom Eggface bites (60 kcals, 6.5g protein, 1.8g net carbs, 2.4g fat). Total - (129 kcals, 16.7g protein, 3g net carbs, 4.5g fat).
• 1 pack roasted/salted pistachios (120 kcals, 5g protein, 4g net carbs, 9g fat)
• Chicken-bacon-ranch salad: 3 oz. (when raw) chicken breast (93 kcals, 19.8g protein, 0g carbs, 1.2g fat), 1 strip Jennie-O extra lean turkey bacon (20 kcals, 3g protein, 0g carbs, 0.5g fat), 7 grams very thinly sliced red onion (3 kcals), and my interpretation of spicy-smoky ranch dressing - Fage based (12 kcals, 1.5g protein, 1.5g net carbs, 0g fat) over mache salad mix (10 kcals, 0.6g protein, 1g net carbs, 0g fat). Total - (138 kcals, 24.9g protein, 2.5g net carbs, 1.7g fat). This was incredible! Will definitely repeat . . .
• 1/2 cup Fage with (60 kcals, 10g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 0g fat), 1/2 scoop ice cream sandwich scoop (63 kcals, 15g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat) and 1 tbsp. cheesecake pudding (20 kcals, 5g carbs), 1 tbsp. chocolate syrup (8 kcals, 2g net carbs). Total - (151 kcals, 25g protein, 12.5g net carbs, 0g fat).
• 2 Bariatric Advantage chocolate chewy bites (30 kcals, 3g net carbs)
• 3 Bariatric Advantage cinnamon calcium citrate lozenges (12 kcals, 3g carbs)
• 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
• 3 Celebrate grape iron + c (15 kcals, 4g net carbs)
• 1 Solaray B-Complex strawberry-kiwi wafer (15 kcals, 2g net carbs)

Total:
990 calories
149.6g protein (wow!)
60.4% kcals from protein
43g net carbs
17.4% kcals from net carbs
21.2g fat
19.3% kcals from fat.

Exercise:
I decided to start the day with yoga! I did "Warm and Slow Flow" at 6:15 AM for 75 minutes. I usually do a Wednesday night Basic Yoga class, but my instructor is pregnant with twins. Even though I really like the person who is subbing for her this week, I wanted to sample somethings else and figured now would be a good time. But the main reason I decided to try the morning class this week is because I need to spend hours tonight shopping for my first regular-sized dress for an alumni event on Saturday.*

I plan to do serious cardio tomorrow morning, so I did the Quick Start Pilates for Weight Loss DVD tonight before Top Chef Masters.

*Shopping for dresses in the regular-sized section is totally overwhelming. So many choices! I've tried on 15-20 dresses for the past two nights and am confused about what to get. I like a lot of them, but what is my style? What will look good with a jacket/shrug on top? Are there any cute dresses with sleeves out there? I used to let Lane Bryant define my personal style - whatever they had is what I wore, and I liked that. Lane Bryant generally has a very "me" aesthetic. But now that I can't shop there, I'm totally in the weeds when it comes to my "look." I bought a dress tonight for a low price at JCPenney's. I hope it works.

What I Ate: April 6, 2010

• 1 scoop Nectar cappuccino protein powder (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze (45 kcals, 2g protein, 2g net carbs, 3.5g fat) with SF cookie dough syrup. Total - (135 kcals, 25g protein, 2g carbs, 3.5g fat). I love this morning shake, but I'm getting a little bored with it. I may try something different tomorrow.
• 3 sausage-onion Eggface bites (69 kcals, 10.2g protein, 1.2g net carbs, 2.1g fat) and 3 bacon-mushroom Eggface bites (60 kcals, 6.5g protein, 1.8g net carbs, 2.4g fat). Total - (129 kcals, 16.7g protein, 3g net carbs, 4.5g fat).
• TEN Calcets - Mega binge! Emotional eating due to work stress. (400 kcals, 60 carbs, 15g fat). Isn't this insane?!
• 1 Muscle Milk Light protein drink (100 kcals, 15g protein, 4g net carbs, 2.5g fat)
• Random tuna tetrazzini: 1 packet Bumble Bee tuna (70 kcals, 16g protein, 0g carbs, 1g fat) with 1/2 packet fettucini-sized tofu shirataki noodles (20 kcals, 1g protein, 1g net carbs, 0.5g fat) and 1 slice Kraft fat-free Swiss (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g net carbs, 0g fat) with a few onion slivers and a little mache (15 kcals, 3g net carbs). Total - (130 kcals, 21g protein, 6g net carbs, 1.5g fat).
• 1/2 cup Fage 0% (60 kcals, 10g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1/2 scoop Matrix cookies & cream protein (65 kcals, 11.5g protein, 2.5g carbs, 1g fat) with a couple packets Truvia and SF syrups. Total - (130 kcals, 21.5g protein, 7g net carbs, 1g fat).
• 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
• 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)

Total:
1,044 calories
99.2g protein
38.0% kcals from protein
87g net carbs
33.3% kcals from net carbs
28g fat
24.1% kcals from fat.

I had some challenges today. I made the very foolish decision to eat 1/3 box of Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bites after my Eggface bites. I was annoyed with something at work, but instead of feeling it, I decided to try burying it in tasty calcium. And now, I don't have have it anymore. I'm disappointed in myself for letting that happen, but I'm proud of myself for hopping back on the wagon. I didn't completely blow my calorie totals for the day, and even though the carbs are bad, it could have been much, much worse.

Anyway, on to exercise.

I had a really hard time dragging myself out of bed this morning to get to the gym. But I thought about something I heard once on Obesity Help. I don't remember the exact words, but the poster said something like: "Regular exercise is not about willpower or motivation; it's about momentum. You just have to keep the momentum going."

For some reason, thinking about exercise as a way to retain momentum instead of a reflection of my personal values, such as motivation or willpower, makes me want to do it more. Whether I exercise or not doesn't say anything about who I am as a person; it's just a question of momentum. I like that.

But I was still late rolling out of bed, so I just got in 35 minutes on the elliptical.

What I Ate: April 5, 2010

• 1 vanilla creme Oh Yeah! in decaf coffees (220 kcals, 32g protein, 3g net carbs, 9g fat)
• 3 sausage-onion Eggface bites (69 kcals, 10.2g protein, 1.2g net carbs, 2.1g fat) and 3 bacon-mushroom Eggface bites (60 kcals, 6.5g protein, 1.8g net carbs, 2.4g fat). Total - (129 kcals, 16.7g protein, 3g net carbs, 4.5g fat).
• 1 Pure Protein frosty chocolate shake (170 kcal, 35g protein, 4g net carbs, 1g fat)
• 15 raw almonds (105 kcals, 4.5g protein, 3g net carbs, 9g fat)
• Salad: Last 3 oz. of pork tenderloin (139 kcals, 24g protein, 2g net carbs, 4.1g fat), 1.5 cups fresh herb salad (10 kcals, 1g net carbs), diced raw red onion (10 kcals, 3g net carbs), dressing made with a little mustard, vinegar, DaVinci syrup, Liquid Smoke, etc. (5 kcals). Total - (164 kcals, 24g protein, 6g net carbs, 4.1g fat).
• 1/2 cup nonfat Fage (60 kcals, 10g protein, 4.5g net carbs, 0g fat) with 1 scoop About Time birthday cake protein (103 kcals, 25g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) and SF white chocolate and toasted marshmallow syrups and a drizzle of SF honey (15 kcals, 3g net carbs). Total - (178 kcals, 35g protein, 7.5g net carbs, 0g fat). I overshot. I was trying to hit 1,000, but went a few over. Should have axed the honey; I couldn't taste it anyway!
• 1 Celebrate orange multivitamin (5 kcals, 2g net carbs)
• 1 Solaray B-Complex chewable (15 kcals, 1.3g net carbs)
• 2 Celebrate grape iron + c (10 kcals, 3g net carbs)
• 2 Bariatric Advantage chocolate calcium citrate chewy bites (30 kcals, 3g net carbs)
• 3 Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate lozenges (12 kcals, 3g carbs)

Total:
1,038 calories
147.2g protein (no worries; had to make up for lost protein this weekend!)
56.7% kcals from protein
37.8g net carbs
14.6% kcals from net carbs
27.6g fat
23.9% kcals from fat.

I decided to take a day off from exercising today. On Saturday, I did a "Slow Flow" class at City Yoga in the morning and then Intermediate Pilates in the evening. Between the two of those, my hip flexors and lower back were on fire Sunday. Nonetheless, I went on a 4-mile walk Sunday afternoon. My body seemed to want a break today, so I took one and will get back to it tomorrow AM :-)

Recipe: Mediterranean White Chili

This chili may not be pretty, but it's delicious. Kinda looks like cottage cheese in this photo, eh? Guess it would be nicer served in a pretty bowl with some garnishes, like lemon slices or a rosemary sprig, but . . . oh well. :-/

Typically, chili has more of a Southwestern, Mexican, or even Southern flavor. This chili, however, is inspired by European food. I begin the chili with a classic French mirepoix and then add some spices and ingredients inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. At bottom, though, this makes a delicious and versatile pot of chili with beans - perfect post-op food. To make it more Mediterranean-inspired, you could use chickpeas instead of navy beans. I prefer the creamy texture of navy, white kidney, or even cannelini beans.

You can make this with fewer or different ingredients if you want. The keys to this chili are the caramelization of the mirepoix, the earthiness of the rosemary, and the brightness of the lemon. Everything else can be substituted or omitted.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground white meat (I used ground turkey breast, but chicken or pork would work as well)
• About 150 grams white onion, minced
• About 75 grams celery, minced
• About 50 grams carrot, minced
• About 50 grams garlic, minced (I used elephant, but you could probably use about 6 cloves of regular garlic, which has stronger flavor so you need less of it)
• 1.5 tbsp. chopped rosemary - fresh is best, but dried whole rosemary works
• Salt (start with 2 tsp., but to taste)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 2 tsp. each ground coriander and dried oregano (use dried. If you must use fresh, add it at the end of cooking, but I prefer dried for the chili)
• 1 tsp. each rubbed sage and ground white or black pepper
• 1/2 of a 15 oz. can of navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
• 1/4 cup softened fat-free cream cheese
• 1 tbsp. Splenda
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 2 roma tomatoes, large dice

Directions:

1. Combine the onions, celery, and carrot to create a classic mirepoix. The mirepoix for this recipe is 6 parts onion, 3 parts celery, and 2 parts carrot, but feel free to fudge those numbers a bit. The main thing is that you want a lot more onion than carrot and celery.
2. Bring a pot (preferably not a nonstick pot) to medium heat, spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with your 2 tsp. salt, and begin caramelizing the mirepoix. You want it to get brown and for some of the juices to stick to the bottom and turn brown. A chef would call the brown stuff "fond," and getting a good fond is what makes this chili delicious. Make sure nothing gets black, though - just brown!
3. Stir in the garlic and rosemary, then pour in 1 cup of your chicken broth. The pan should steam and release the fond. Stir to make sure you have it all.
4. Stir in the ground meat, trying to break it up as much as possible.
5. Add your coriander, oregano, sage, and white or black pepper, and stir to distribute through the meat.
6. Once the spices are distributed throughout the meat, add the other cup of chicken broth. Then, add the navy beans. Allow the chili to simmer for about 25 minutes.
7. After the chili has simmered and the liquid has reduced a bit, stir in the Greek yogurt, Splenda, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Allow the chili to simmer for 5-7 more minutes, or until it's reached your desired consistency. Taste and make sure you don't need to add more salt or pepper.
8. Melt in the cream cheese, then stir in the Roma tomatoes. (If you decided to use fresh oregano, you'd add this here as well. Fresh oregano is delicate and you must be careful not to add it too early.) Taste to check for seasoning, and adjust as needed. Chili's up!

Nutritional Information:
This recipe makes roughly 10 1/2 cup servings. One 1/2 cup serving made with the ingredients I used contains roughly 106 calories, 14 grams of protein, 8 grams net carbs, and 1 gram of fat.

Using ground chicken breast, a different kind of white bean, or a different brand of Greek yogurt would only slightly change these stats. Make sure to account for more drastic substitutions.

What I Ate: April 1, 2010

• Caramel nillaccino frappe shake: 1 scoop Nectar cappuccino protein powder (90 kcals, 23g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat) in 1 cup unsweeetened vanilla Almond Breeze (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat) with SF vanilla and dulce de leche syrups and Splenda. Total - (130 kcals, 24g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat).
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut (70 kcals, 1g protein, 2g net carbs, 6g fat)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs with 1 tbsp. sweetened mustard (161 kcals, 12.6g fat, 1.2g carbs, 10.6g fat). This was incredibly tasty. I'd forgotten how delicious hard-boiled eggs and honey mustard can be! I used to eat hard-boiled eggs every day back during bar prep (June-July 2009), and I believe I might have to bring them back!
• 1/2 cup Mediterranean White Chili (106 kcals, 14.4g protein, 8.3g net carbs, 0.9g fat)
• 3 oz. pork tenderloin (139 kcals, 24g protein, 2g net carbs, 4.1g fat), 1.5 cups fresh herb salad (10 kcals, 1g net carbs), a few pieces thinly sliced raw red onion (5 kcals, 1g net carbs), carrots (25 kcals, 4g net carbs). Total - (179 kcals, 24g protein, 8g net carbs, 4.1g fat).
• 1 slice Kraft fat-free Swiss (25 kcals, 4g protein, 2g carbs, 0g fat)
• 1/2 scoop Inspire peanut butter cookie protein (66 kcals, 12.5g protein, 0.5g carbs, 0.5g fat) and 1/2 scoop Inspire chocolate peanut butter fudge protein (64 kcals, 13g protein, 1.5g carbs, 0.5g fat) in 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (40 kcals, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 3g fat). Total - (170 kcals, 26.5g protein, 3g net carbs, 4g fat). I tried to drink this quickly - FAIL. It's times like this that remind me that I am, indeed, and RNY patient and I still need to sip thick protein shakes.
• 3 Calcet calcium citrate lemon creamy bites (120 kcals, 18g carbs, 4.5g fat)
• 3 Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate chewy bites (45 kcals, 6g net carbs)
• 2 Celebrate orange multivitamins (10 kcals, 2g net carbs)
• 3 Celebrate grape iron + c (15 kcals, 4g net carbs)

Total:
1,031 calories
106.5g protein
41.3% kcals from protein (meh)
55.5g net carbs
21.5% kcals from net carbs
33.1g fat
28.9% kcals from fat.

For today's workout, I went for a brisk 3-mile walk at the park tonight after work, and then after a very interesting Starbucks run, I did my old Quick Start Pilates for Weight Loss DVD. Yay!