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My aching Back and Hip issue

Back and Hip Pain

last Friday I went to my primary doctor for my annual visit and took out my scroll of ailments to discuss and among them was my aching back and this new hip pain I have had since the start of summer.

Here is the deal… I have had lower back issues for years. I had an MRI done at the end of 2010 and found out I have mild stenosis and some other stuff in there. One of the biggest things for me to do was to get the weight off. Of course I then had my Gastric Bypass Surgery in January of 2012 – so I was hoping that would help alleviate some of the pain once I dropped some of the weight. Obviously that has not worked out for me as of yet – even after losing over 75lbs.

In addition to my lower back still being in pain, this past summer I started having issues with my left hip. I felt it the worst when I was out doing all my yard work like a landscaping slave. The pain was bad enough it went down my entire leg and ached like crazy. I also find at times I will limp to compensate for the aching I have there. Sooooo I dealt with it until I saw my doctor to see if he could make some sense of it.

I do have pain meds for my back which I also use now for my hip, BUT I try not to take them too much. I tend to take one in the afternoon to take the achy edge off and sometimes before bed so I can sleep.

So you would think losing that amount of weight would help ease the pain since I am not carrying so much any more right? That is what I thought as well. But then I came to the realization that yes I definitely helped my back by losing the weight, but because of that I have so much energy that I am also using it a lot more too.

The doctor told me the same thing – I am a lot more active now and also when you lose weight your body has to re adjust. My hip issues may be caused by how I walk now etc.. So with that being said he set me up an appointment to see an Osteopathic Doctor (never saw one of them before).

This is what they do: Osteopathic medicine is dedicated to treating and healing the patient as a whole, rather than focusing on one system or body part. An osteopathic physician will often use a treatment method called osteopathic manipulative treatment (also called OMT or manipulation) — a hands-on approach to make sure that the body is moving freely. This free motion ensures that all of your body’s natural healing systems are able to work unhindered. Sounds impressive so I was willing to see what they had to say.

My appointment with them was this past Wednesday and it was very interesting to say the least. I was tagged teamed by three ladies – you know the one doctor and then the residents. I love being used as an example – NOT, nah I do not mind just takes forever with all the explaining.

So they start by checking out my back and making me do the norm like touch my toes, walk and making sure I am not all crooked and stuff. I seemed to be ok, but again they had a few things to say about my lower back. Then on to see what was going on with my hip. After poking and prodding around they seem to think it is all coming from my lower back. There is this muscle called a Psoas Muscle and this muscle may just be what is giving me all this grief (stupid muscle !!)

Then they did some crazy thing of pressing where it hurt on that muscle to release the tension for me and I was shocked how much better it felt afterwards. So I walked out feeling a bit better along with a script for an xray just to check out that hip to be sure there is nothing else going on and I also get to go have some physical therapy as well. I am actually excited for the therapy to be honest – first appointment is Tuesday.

So here I thought losing all that weight would take away the pain, but it looks as though it has gotten worse. I am happy to say it is probably from all my exercise though and not all that extra baggage I was carrying around – sounds so much better so I will take it. Also note I have the worst posture and sit in a chair to work most of the day and I bet that does not help either. I have high hopes for the therapy and will keep you informed, wish me luck. Oh and that pressure thing they did lasted a couple days and the ache is back. Gonna make hubby do it for me later – they showed him how.

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Summer winds up and my kids are Back to School

School Bus

Does Summer have to come to an end? I had the best Summer in a long time and I am so sad to see it is just about over. Noooooo!!!!!

Yesterday the kids went back to school and my emotions are mixed. My son has entered High School into the 9th grade and my daughter went into 7th grade. How did this happen? I feel like I was still changing their diapers yesterday. That saying – Times goes by so fast and before you know it the kids will be all grown were not kidding. Damn them !!!

I know I have been on Hiatus all summer for the most part and not posting so much, but that is because for the first time in a very long time I have had the energy and desire to be up and out doing things. As you all know I work from home and I even avoided that all summer as well. Crazy right?

We did not go on vacation really – just a short visit to NY to see my brother and then non stop guests visiting in between tons of home renovations and construction (which is still not done, just sayin’). Then just a couple weeks ago we could not pass up a deal on a boat my hubby saw so we bought that and the past couple weeks we have been out on the lake.

Can I also add in for the first time EVER my kids never complained they were bored – no really it is true. They kept themselves busy doing their own thing this summer and I so enjoyed them. I am tellin’ ya it was fantastic. But they are back to school now and that means I need to try and get back into my routine and working – UGH. It will take me a couple weeks or so until that happens to make the adjustment because I enjoy spending my time outside while the weather still permits me to do so.

I was also guilty of not keeping up my Food Journals, it just got away from me and I hope to start that up again. Have I been good with getting in all my proteins etc….? The answer is Nope not at all. I have been been bad at keeping track and staying on top of that as well. Yes my tail is between my legs and even though I have tried really hard to eat protein as much as possible I know I have not gotten in what I should be. So hopefully I can get back into that routine as well.

Now mind you I have not gone back to my old eating ways, but I have strayed a bit more than I should have. For instance 2 times I have picked up a bag of Lays Dill Pickle Potato Chips from the store and nibbled on them over the course of a few days. I guess that is not so bad being I did not sit down eat the entire bag and make myself vomit or anything. I just at times need to have a guilty pleasure and that is one of them.

I have continued to lose weight over the summer and so even with me not being the Gastric Bypass Poster Child the scale has still been my friend. As I am writing this post my last Weigh In was yesterday and I am now down to 212 lbs from my starting weight of 287 lbs prior to surgery. I have always lost slow and steady and the pattern has stayed the same. I am very happy with a weight loss of 75 lbs in just 7 months time – I could have never done that without surgery. I am truly hoping to make that 100 lb weight loss goal before my one year surgiversary.

So I am still here my peeps and hoping to be posting more, but for now I have to go do some painting of walls in my new office space I would like to get moved into soon. Oh and I will get some new photos up within the next week or so so you can see my progress.

Stay Tuned………

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My Big Salads after Gastric Bypass Surgery

Big Salad

I do not know about you, but I love me a Big Salad !! I know I am not alone because so many wonder when they can start having salads after Gastric Bypass Surgery. I could not wait to have one myself and when I did it was like heaven.

I have always loved salads and I remember not long after I had my Gastric Bypass Surgery it was one of the things I could not wait to enjoy again. I prayed that when I did it would sit well with me. So when did I indulge? How long after surgery did it take me to give in? The answer…. Week 5.

My first salad was with Lettuce, Tomato, Feta Cheese and Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing and it was heavenly just as I thought it would be. I had no issues eating it at all. Do Note: I may have jumped the gun and some surgeons may not suggest to have one so early out, but again I am no Gastric Bypass Poster Child. I listened to my body and it said Eat It !! lol

Here is what is so great- Salads and Veggies are one thing I can eat A LOT of and have no major issues at all. I can eat a BIG Salad like the one in the photo which is not in a regular size bowl, but a large bowl and not be sick. It is mind blowing to me, but something that makes me very happy. If you think about it when the lettuce is chewed it shrinks down to almost nothing, but in a bowl it looks like so much – it is deceiving really.

My salad of choice is Butter Lettuce or Romaine with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Red Onion, Feta Cheese and Honey Mustard Dressing or a Vinaigrette. I do not do light dressing because it ruins it for me. Yes it is a treat fr me and I hardly eat a ton of calories during the day so if I splurge on my dressing it is just fine with me. Of course now as I am writing this I want to go make a salad, but of course I do not have the goods – guess what I am doing today? Going to the store !!!

So if you are like me and are dying for a Salad I say go for it – we are all different as to what our bodies with be ok with, but you will not know unless you give it a try and see. Again I can put down a BIG Salad and I mean BIG with not one issue and for me that is awesome. It is much better than saying I can eat 5 cupcakes right?

Salads make me HAPPY.

Social media got you down? Consider a social detox to improve mental health.

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Could my broken finger be from a Calcium deficiency?

Broken Finger

For the first time in my life – 42 years break free, I mean 29, I broke my very first bone. Could this be I have a Calcium deficiency???

Maybe I am jumping the gun on the whole Calcium deficiency thing, but call it coincidence that I was really slacking getting in my calcium for some time and then all of a sudden I get my first broken bone. One may have absolutely nothing to do with the other, but let me tell you that I am not slacking anymore because maybe just maybe they can be related.

So how did it happen? Oh funny story really…I punched my hubby. Yes it is true, but it was not for anything bad I was play fighting or getting frisky however you want to look at it. After 23 years together I am allowed to get in a punch or two when I want don’t ya think?

This happened on July 20th the day before my daughter’s birthday and her party. I was out food shopping and when I came home hubby came to help me unload the groceries (I know he is a great guy) and we started joking around. I started to play punch and when I went to hit him in the stomach (Yes I go for the gut) and what I would have thought would be a padded connection did not turn out that way. Hubby put hist fist up to block it – ugh !!! When I hit his hand with my left hand my pinky finger did something weird and hurt like hell – it was like I hit a concrete slab.

Let me tell you about my hubby’s hands – they are HUGE. Not to get all mushy, but they are one of the things that I fell in love with. I love big manly working hands and this is what he has and now I felt the wrath of the them in not the best way. So while my little pinky finger was stinging I immediately put ice on it as I watched it swell and bruise. At the time I just thought I bruised it and no big deal.

The next day it still hurt so hubby went and bought me a splint to wear to keep it straight. I wore the splint on and off over the weekend. It was not until Tuesday that I looked at my finger and thought “Geez it is still crooked and swollen I should probably have it looked at”. So the next day it was off to the doctors for an x-ray. I just thought it was bruised, but when they told me it was broken at the tip I was shocked.

All I could think about was could this be because I have not been good taking my Calcium like I should??? Yes it could be, but who knows. The doctor gave me a splint and told me I had to see a specialist. Really – for my pinky finger? But I did not want a crooked finger forever so I went with it.

A week later I had another xray and saw the orthopedic doctor who was a little shocked by the weird break. It turns out I chipped off a piece of the bone on the top knuckle and had a displacement fracture or something like that. The good thing was that I have no tendon tears or anything, but I would have to now keep it splinted for at least 6 weeks. Oh Joy.

I go back this Wednesday for another xray to see if it is healing so wish me luck – I DO NOT want to have surgery on my cute little pinky finger. So I guess that is what I get for punching my hubby. Will I do it again? Uh Duh Yeah I will when I need to, but this time I will be sure to make a good fist. lol

Oh and I have been really good about taking my Calcium Supplements since this whole ordeal – So I consider this a good warning for me not to slack off.

Do you like my Sad Face? Yes I can rock a splint like no one else – just sayin’

Have you taken your Calcium today?

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Eating Out after Gastric Bypass takes practice

Gastric Bypass Foods

How do we train our eyes and brain to stop thinking we can eat more than our stomachs can handle? Boy do I wish I had the answers because I could really use some.

The funny thing is that now that I have had Gastric Bypass Surgery my eyes together are probably literally bigger than my stomach. lol.

But we all know the saying “Our Eyes are too big for our Stomach” really means when a person wants more than is good for them. I seem to have very BIG eyes !!

While I have the problem of BIG Eyes at home from time to time, I seem to have it the worst when I eat out. I avoided going out to eat to a restaurant for a while after surgery, but took the plunge when I was 14 weeks post op (I wrote about it HERE). I did pretty well with my first outing, but everything was still fresh and new and I was a bit nervous as well. It was a buffet so of course I took more than I should have – why because my Eyes made me do it, but at that time I only took tastes of everything.

I have since gone out to eat multiple times and it seems with every time I go out I get more confident thinking I can handle more food or my eyes think so – lol.

I usually take pictures of what I order when I go out to eat so I am going to share some with you. Yes some people give me funny looks when I whip out my phone and snap a picture of my food in the middle of the restaurant, but do I care – NOPE not one stinkin’ bit. For all anyone knows I could be a food critic or reviewer – oh what a fun job that would be, hmmmm.

Lets start with when I took my daughter out for a day of shopping and lunch with Mom. One of the places we always ate prior to my gastric bypass surgery was a Chinese Buffet. It was my favorite place to go and when I did I ate myself every time into such a fullness that I thought I would pop.

The restaurant we would go to was HUGE and had so many choices it is mind blowing. My kids and hubby also loved going there as well. BUT when I was out with my daughter she wanted to go to the buffet. We did not go to the BIG one, but I took her to a small one, at her request, that was by the stores we were shopping at.

This was so hard for me because I love all the food and I LOVE Sushi Rolls. I told myself I would make smart choices and only chose food that was high in protein such as the meats, seafood and also some of the veggies with no rice. I did do that, but of course I filled my plate with way too much food – those damn eyes of mine. In addition to that my daughter and I shared a plate of Sushi as well.

Of course I ended up eating too much and felt so full and sick afterwards. I thought I had it under control, but obviously I over did it. I always carry some Papaya Enzymes in my purse and when I feel like that I eat about 3 of them and I swear they help. So after we ate we went shopping and guess where I started? In the bathroom with the craps.

The kids still ask to go to the other Chinese buffet and I just cannot do it. Maybe one day, but I am far from ready for that challenge. This is hard.

My in laws came up from Florida the week of the 4th of July and that Friday afterwards we all went out to diner at Red Robin. That was my first time ever there. Prior to getting there I looked up their menu online to scout out my choices so I was prepared – and let me tell you EVERYTHING sounded yummy.

So of course everyone started with appetizers and I was starving so I decided to start with some too, but there was so much fried stuff they were picking – urgh. I saw they had a Hummus and Veggie Appetizer so I picked that to be a good choice. Ok I am off to a good start. OMG let me say this – my appetizer was A-mazing. I was not always a fan of Hummus, but things have changed. I did not eat it all because I wanted to save room for my meal.

I ended up ordering their Fried Shrimp & Cod (I know fried is not so good, but the choices were kinda limited and I was in the mood for that). BUT I was so proud of myself when I subbed the fries with a salad. Of course when my meal came out I was pretty full from the appetizer. I immediately asked for a take home box – this way I could get it out of sight before I continued to pick at my food, because my eyes make me do that ya know !! I did eat a bit more than I should have, but I think I did pretty good at this meal and yes I did eat some of those Papaya Enzymes after my meal.

The hardest part about this outing was all the good food around me – I love comfort food, as many do, and I could have eaten it all. It was not easy at all, but I did not leave there feeling sick to my stomach so that was a success for me.

My next restaurant adventure was with my hubby and kids after a show to see Theresa Caputto (aka The Long Island Medium) perform locally. I love her show and I am a believer in that sorta stuff. Unfortunately I did not get a reading, but in a room of 1700 people that was not very likely. Regardless I enjoyed watching her read others who were blown away as much as all of us watching. And besides she had on some kick ass sparkly shoes that I could not take my eyes off of – I was like a deer in the headlights. If she did come to me I probably would of stared at her shoes and drooled like an idiot and said nothing – lmao. I just love anything that sparkles and glitters and these shoes were no exception.

So after the show and much deliberation we decided to try out The Seafood Shanty which is new to our area. I figured it was a good choice for me with the fish and getting in some protein. I ended up ordering the Broiled Seafood Platter which had Lobster, Shrimps, Cod, Crab Stuffing and Potatoes – yum yum yum.

Hubby and the kids ordered appetizers – some Crab Balls and delicious Lobster Bisque and Clam Chowder. I could not have that – so mad I love all that, but did not want to spoil my meal. I did however ask them to bring my salad out when they had their soups so I would not be tempted to pick. So I ate my salad while they had their appetizers – oh ok I ate one bite of a Crab Ball and a couple tastes of hubby’s Lobster Bisque too.

So when my Entree came – guess what? I was pretty damn full already – URGH. It did not matter my eyes said to eat some anyway so I ended up eating the Lobster Tail, a bite or two of the Cod, a few Shrimp and a couple fork fulls of the Crab Stuffing. UH Stupid is all I can say because not long after that I felt like crappola. I started with those fun hot flashes and full to the brim. So I ate my 3 Papaya Enzymes and just could not sit at the table any more – I had to excuse myself and try to walk it off outside while they all finished up. Where is my Self Control? OH yeah what Self Control?

I definitely paid for that and was ready to poke my damn BIG eyes out.

Thank god the sick feeling was gone by the time I got home, but that is no fun.

Yesterday was my latest trip out to eat. I took my daughter and my neighbor out shopping and we stopped to eat lunch at Friendly’s. Yes I could have ordered a salad, BUT I wanted some comfort and an old love of mine – I order myself a Reuben Sandwich.

Now I could have also just ordered a 1/2 sandwich, but those BIG eyes of mine said “No just order a whole” and so I did. I was nervous a tiny bit about it, but I have eaten a whole sandwich before – it is just the bread I was worried about. Sometimes if I eat too many carbs it just gives me the Blahs. And yes my sandwich came with fries that I could have also subbed, but I was in the mood for a couple and I decided not to. Well I ate the whole sandwich, BUT I did not eat all those fries. Yup I used some self control this time.- holy crap I did.

I just 3 fries and gave the rest to the girls – a proud moment indeed. I was not too full, but I finished it off with my 3 Papaya Enzymes just in case while I watched the girls eat their Happy Ending Sundaes which I did dip into for a few spoonfuls and survived.

I did however have to hit a bathroom at the first store we went to after that with a small case of the craps, but after that all was good and our shopping adventures continued.

As you can see from my eating out after Gastric Bypass adventures it is NOT Easy at all. Sometimes I do really well and other times I make myself sick, BUT it almost seems every time I order too much. That is when the old saying comes into play “Our Eyes are too big for our Stomach”, it gets you every time surgery or no surgery.

It is hard to break old habits and it is all a mind game really. There are times at home when I will fill my plate with more food than I should, but I have more self control it seems at home than I do when I eat out. Eating out can be a real challenge as you have seen and I know no matter how far out from my surgery I am it will not change, but hopefully I will get better at it.

Here are some of my Tips for Dining out after Gastric Bypass:

  • Avoid It – Ha Ha good one right?
  • Stay away from places you know will be too hard to handle (Like for me the BIG Chinese Buffet)
  • Look at the Restaurant Menu Online before you go and scout out your options
  • Order foods high in Protein
  • Eat your Protein first
  • Stay away from the Carbs and Sub Potatoes & Fries with better choices
  • Do not try anything new for the first time while out just in case
  • Always carry some Papaya Enzymes to help you digest (I swear by these)
  • Ask for a Take Out Box with your order so you can hide the food right away to avoid over eating
  • Stay away from foods cooked in high fats and things fried when you can
  • Forget Dessert – there will be no room, trust me.

Now let me also add in this. When it comes to drinking with my meals when I am out – I cheat (confession). I do not wait my 30 minutes after I eat. I know bad, bad, bad. I get thirsty and cannot help it. I take a small sip when I need to, But I never order soda. I usually go with Water or Unsweetened Iced Tea and add a Splenda. Again I am no Gastric Bypass Poster Child – just a human who gets thirsty and breaks the rules from time to time.

And yes I have heard of those who have Gastric Bypass Restaurant Cards – the kind you can take to your surgeon to sign saying something like this:

The above named patient has had gastric bypass surgery which has reduced his/her stomach capacity to less than 4 ounces. We request that this patient be allowed to purchase a child’s portion.

Not all places will accept these, but it is worth a try and maybe I will have my surgeon sign one to have on hand just in case. Ya know what I will actually create a template coming up for anyone who would like to have one to be signed and carry as well – so stay tuned for that – on my To Do List.

I do not mind ordering the regular meals and bringing it home, but this is a good option to help you stay more in control and away from the temptation or ordering too much and eating it like me. The other down side is the choices are limited and a lot of times kids meals are not so good for you either, just sayin’

So in the end Eating Out after Gastric Bypass takes practice – that is it in a nut shell. If you think you are not ready, then just avoid it. Simple as that.

If you have any tips please share them in the Comments below – would love to hear from ya.

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Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt Spotting

Healthy Choice Frozen Yogurt

Ok my Peeps I had another yummy food spotting in my shopping adventures yesterday that I had to share. Healthy Choice has now come out with Greek Frozen Yogurt !!!

So I am in Walmart yesterday gathering a few items from the food section to create Sushi for my daughter’s birthday this week and as I walked past the frozen section this end cap display caught my eye. I actually walked past it looked and then walked backwards because I was like “What is that?”.

My jaw dropped in excitement when I saw what it was. Remember my recent post on the Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt I did in June? Well I have been bummed that I have been unable to locate it it by me just yet. So when I saw these I was all giddy. This is exciting !!! BUT even with all that excitement I was unable to buy some because I was not going right home afterwards and if I did it would have melted before I made it home. Stupid HOT as Africa weather we are having !!!

I still took a photo of the display and had to share because I know it is going to be good when I get my hands on it. Here are some more Deets…

Healthy Choice Greek Frozen Yogurt Flavors available:

  • Vanilla Bean
  • Strawberry
  • Blueberry
  • Raspberry

Each box contains three 4 ounce cups of that flavor and each one is only 100 Calories. Eat one and you will get in 4 Grams of Protein as well !! Yet another delish way for us Gastric Bypassers to sneak in some protein. Also a great treat starting in your soft stage post op !!! Wooo Hooo, more options.

The Sugar is not too bad coming in at about 12-13 grams per cup depending on the flavor you choose. I would not suggest eating 2 at a time or you may have issues with it (aka Dumping Syndrome), but that amount should be fine unless you are very sensitive to sugar.

I cannot wait to go back and get some to try and when I do I will update with what I think, but in the mean time go find these and try them out.

Perfect to cool you off in this HOT weather !!

If you have tried these, leave me a comment below and let me know what you think.

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Roca Labs Mini Gastric Bypass with No Surgery ???

Roca Labs

I just recently heard of Roca Labs which says it will give you the same results of Gastric Bypass Surgery without undergoing the knife. Could this be the answer to all of those who are scared of the risk of surgery?

Ok first let me add in my disclaimer – I have not tried this product personally. All of my opinions about it are my own and I am not being paid to say anything about it. All I am doing by writing this is sharing information about a product or service related to my own experience of having had Gastric Bypass Surgery. I am not endorsing this product in any way.

So why did I start with that? Well from what I have read online this company does not like any negative reviews of this product and will go after those who write anything negative. Hmmmm??? I better watch what I say I guess.

I did find this in their contract you have to agree to before you purchase the product: You agree that, regardless of your outcome, you WILL NOT speak, publish, print, blog or write negatively about The Product or The Company in any forum. Geez that is weird – another Hmmmm moment.

So what is Roca Labs? Well in their own words:

A dose of the Formula mixed in water and taken in the morning creates a fast gastric bypass effect leaving only a small limited stomach size available for food intake, practically forcing you to eat HALF and lose weight from day one. Without Gastric Bypass surgery.

The patented β-Glucan® ingredient regulates your blood sugar levels and helps you overcome cravings.

WoW can you imagine?? A Magic Pill. So all you do is take this pill and it will make your stomach smaller just like you had the actual Gastric Bypass Surgery and regulate your blood sugar to eliminate cravings? Truly Magic if you ask me. Who does not believe in Magic right? Oh wait Magic can also at times be just an illusion right?

Here is my personal opinion (yes freedom of speech – 1st amendment – it says it in there). Again I have not tried this product so keep that in mind. If I saw advertisements for this years ago I may have looked into it from reading what it claims – hell why not I had tried every other way to lose weight before I made the decision to have Gastric Bypass Surgery. But as with everything else you have to read all the disclaimers and the fine print.

I wanted to touch base on this because I know how desperate we can all be when it comes to trying to lose weight. I have nothing negative to say about this product nor do I know if it really works as they claim it does. BUT I can say this: Use your head and be cautious. I find it quite fishy when a company tries to stop people from writing reviews of their own personal experiences with products good or bad. I mean really – come on now, what are they afraid of? another Hmmmm??? So many people out there are trying to find reviews on this product or find others who have tried it, but for some strange reason they are few and far between.

Could you imagine if my surgeon made me sign something that said I could not talk about or write anything about my surgery if it was negative? That would have made me stop dead in my tracks and rethink.

So that is my personal opinion and thoughts – mine mine mine.

If you have tried this product feel free to let me know about it in the comments below.

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A Simple Protein Yogurt Dessert Recipe

Protein Yogurt Dessert

I have to share this great Dessert Recipe idea with you all that is so simple and can be changed up so many different ways. You are gonna love this….

So for my 4th of July BBQ I made these Mini Key Lime Pies in honor of my in laws who drove all the way from Florida. After I made them and ate one all these other ideas on how to change them up hit me so I had to share it with all of you. I know I know nice of me right? yeah I think so too.

The bottom of these pies was created by using a Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust. All you do is roll it out and cut out 3″ Circles. Then you spray the bottom of a Cupcake/Muffin Pan and press the circle into the bottom creating a cup shape. Then you bake that for about 8 minutes or until lightly brown.

When done take them out and let cool. Now you have these mini pie crusts waiting to be filled – genius right? so simple it blows my mind.

For the Key Lime Recipe they were just filled with Yoplait Whips Key Lime Yogurt – you did not think I was gonna get all fancy making a Lime Curd etc… did you? No way I am all about EASY. Then they were topped with homemade whipped cream which was made with 1 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream and 1 Tbsp of Powdered Sugar and whipped on high until thick. Then a Lime Slice for Garnish. I kept them in the fridge until ready to be served.

So that sounds good right? Well that got me to thinking…..

For us Gastric Bypassers a fun way to change it up to make it more worth our while is to take your favorite flavor of High Protein Yogurt – such as Chobani or Fage and add that in the crust. Then you can top it with a Sugar Free Cool Whip and a garnish of your favorite Fruit. Now you will get some protein in and have a new way to enjoy it.

Just think of the possibilities….

The Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust’s nutritional facts are not bad at all and did you know it contains no sugar? I didn’t. So BONUS !!!

If you try this idea out or come up with a fun version do share it with me so I can add it on for others to see.

Enjoy !!

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Moooove Over Laughing Cow Swiss there are more flavors in town

Laughing Cow Cheese

Great news for those of us who have had Gastric Bypass and love the Laughing Cow Cheese. There is now a nice variety of flavor choices on the market.

I started eating the Light Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese wedges as early as 1 week post op – actually 6 days after my surgery. YES it was a cheat, but at the time I was dying for something with flavor and I caved.

Now remember I am no Gastric Bypass Poster Child as I have said in the past – I do not always follow the rules – so I would not suggest you cheat, but if you do it will be our secret – shhhhh.

The Laughing Cow Cheese is a great option when you can start eating soft foods. It is easy to get down due to being so soft, small in size and contains some much needed protein. Even though I started eating it before I should have I was lucky to have no issues with it, but that may not mean you would not so use caution.

The other day I was out shopping and I noticed lots of new colored Laughing Cow Cheese boxes so I stopped to look. I was surprised to see so many new flavors available. Now to be honest these could have been out in the stores for some time now, but being my closest grocery store is lame and does not carry everything I may have missed it. I was shopping in a bigger grocery store when I spotted these, but thought it was a great share with you all.

I always have the Light Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese on hand in my house and my hubby likes them as well. When we saw some of the new flavors we decided to get a couple to try as well.

Here is a list of all the Laughing Cow Cheese Flavors now available:

  • Light Creamy Swiss (Always have on hand)
  • Light Garlic & Herb (Just tried)
  • Light French Onion
  • Light Queso Fresco & Chipotle (Just tried)
  • Light Blue Cheese
  • Light Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil

So I picked up the Light Garlic & Herb and Light Queso Fresco & Chipotle to try. I honestly thought I would really like the Light Garlic & Herb the best of the two, but I was surprised that I liked the Light Queso Fresco & Chipotle the best and so did hubby. Don’t get me wrong they are both yummy – just preferred one over the other and we all have different tastes.

Best part is these Cheese Wedges have only 35 Calories per wedge, 2 grams or less fat and 2 grams of protein each. I usually eat mine as a little snack, but if you look on their website The Laughing Cow they have tons of yummy looking recipes you can make with them too.

Also remember that The Laughing Cow also makes the Light Mini Baybel Cheese which is also delish and packs in 6 grams of protein in one mini wheel of goodness – WoW.

I love the wheels – they remind me of Ladybugs spreading their wings and peeling them open is just 1/2 the fun I think.

So if you are a Cheese lover like I am or you are looking for ways to get in some extra protein or change up some flavors in the soft stage post op try these out. I have 3 mores words for ya – Yum Yum Yum.

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Lisa Lampanelli has the Gastric Sleeve

Lisa Lampanelli Weight Loss

Another Celebrity opts for Weight Loss Surgery. Lisa Lampanelli just recently revealed that her and her hubby both had the Gastric Sleeve.

Lisa Lampanelli appeared on Bethenny Frankel’s talk show Bethenny Ever After on July 9th and came clean about her recent surgery. Both her and her hubby had it done after years of trying all the other diets without success and facing some health issues – sound familiar?

I had fun watching Lisa on Celebrity Apprentice – she definitely made it that much more entertaining. She may lose her bigger size body, but she will not lose that BIG mouth that is for sure. All is good – I have a big mouth too and I actually enjoy her raunchy humor.

She had said on the show in just 10 weeks that she was down 52 pounds and feeling great. Her hubby at the same time was a bit ahead of her with his weight loss, but men tend to lose quicker anyways.

I say way to go Lisa and Jimmy on making a decision that will be life changing to you both. I also say another thanks to Lisa for speaking about it and not taking any offers from some of those diet plans who would be willing to pay big bucks for publicity.

I wish them both success with their new lifestyle and will be watching photos to see them change along the way – that is always fun.

So now we can add Lisa Lampanelli to the list of Celebrities who have had Weight Loss Surgery.