My Gastric Bypass Story

November 29, 2017

EASY Eggs, Bacon & Toast Muffins

Here is a fun recipe I love to make for the family that is an excellent source of protein for us Gastric Bypassers. These are so EASY to make and yummy to eat.

I made a batch of these the other day and had to share them with all of you because they are a great way to get some protein in for breakfast, lunch or dinner – when ever you want to eat them.

My favorite part is how EASY they are to make, that is always a bonus and I am going to share how it is done.

Here is what you need to make these:

Eggs
Bacon
Toast (I butter mine, but u do not need to)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or any cheese u like) – optional
Salt Pepper
Muffin Pan

Are you ready for how EASY this is? Ok here we go….

Preheat your oven to 350

First Toast your bread. I used White, but of course Wheat would work. Then I buttered the toast – again you do not need to do that – my family likes it that way. I have made it both ways and it is good either.

Then I just found a cup from my cabinet that I used to cut a piece of the toast into a circle that would fit in the bottom of my muffin pan once cut. If you have a round cookie cutter that works too – I just grab what is handy. You can save the extra toast for the family, give it to the dogs or toss.

Once you cut your toast circle place it in the bottom of your muffin pan at the bottom. Oh and make sure to spray the muffin pan with Cooking Spray first – that helps get them out later.

Then take some Cooked Bacon Strips about 2 (I use the pre cooked in the box or you can cook some regular bacon up to use) and wrap the inside of the muffin pan as shown in the picture. So far so easy right?

Next crack an egg into the middle – sprinkle with Salt & Pepper and if you like sprinkle some shredded cheese on the top (extra protein folks !!)

Stick them into the oven and let cook – it takes about 20 minutes or so – just check them and watch, when your egg turns white and the egg snot is gone (that is what we call the uncooked egg – ha ha) they are done.

Does that look delish or what? Just pop them out and you have a meal at your finger tips – no fork needed – well I do not use one. The egg was cooked and the yolk was still a tiny bit runny the way I like it, but you can cook it fully. Yummy !!

November 29, 2017

An Extremely HOT day spent at Hershey Park

So this past Wednesday I spent the day in Hershey Park that was for my daughter’s end of the year celebration for her school. Of course we had some unusual weather for this time of year and the day we went happened to be about 92 degrees and humid.

I am not one for hot and humid at all – I am more of a 65-70 degree girl and anything above or below that makes me miserable most of the time – especially when it is 92 degrees and humid and you have to walk a crowded park all day long. Just my luck to have this kind of weather on the one day we were spending it at the park – ahhhhh. But I sucked it up because I was there for my daughter and I wanted her to have fun, that is what it was all about right?

My daughter brought her BFF along and then it was me and my hubby. I was surprised how crowded the park was for a school day, but it seemed there were lots of school trips going on. So hubby and I just followed the girls around and let them lead the way and go on the rides they wanted. I do not do rides – not a fan at all of roller coasters or rides that spin so fast that I taste puke in my mouth afterwards.

The girls went on a few roller coasters and thank god the Boardwalk (Water Park) was opened for them on this hot day because they girls even got crabby and had headaches from the heat that they needed some time to cool off in the water. I did however go on one ride – I did the Classic Cars where you drive at 5 miles per hour on a track in a circle – yup I am a trooper – lol.

All in all it was a fun day – long and hot and I was wiped out the next day. Hershey Park is a nice smaller park and the kids love it. If you ever have the chance to visit I highly recommend it – just try and do it on a day where the weather is a lot cooler and you are not spending $3.00 per water bottle – what a rip off.

Oh and let me add – the last time I was at Hershey Park I was twice the size and extra miserable. It was not as bad being lighter on my feet this time around so that was a big plus.

Can u believe I did not even eat any chocolate while I was there either? Just crazy!!

November 29, 2017

Eating more and dropping weight – True Story

Today I woke up and did my official weigh in and was SHOCKED to see the scale went down 2 pounds since last week. Yesterday on Mother’s Day I stepped on the scale and saw I went back down 1 pound, but was no way expecting to see another one gone this morning.

3 weeks ago on my weigh in day I hit 179 lbs which was a big goal of mine to be under 180 lbs. It was a celebration for me, but then the next week I jumped back up to 180 lbs and sat there for 2 weeks. Oh yes the wonderful Weight Loss Roller Coaster Ride like I wrote about in my last post. I was not happy about that of course, but just came to terms with it.

So this morning I went on the scale and was nervous because yesterday I snacked a lot on cookies and even had an Italian Sub for dinner (well 1/2) and thought the scale was going to be up even more. When I stepped on the scale and saw 178 lbs looking back at me I almost fell over. Instead I ran to my office downstairs naked to grab the camera so I could photograph the scale to show my hubby when he came home from dropping my son off from school. It was hysterical that I was running naked through my house to get the camera. Ok wait I lied I had on my fuzzy pink socks – lol

I never in a million years expected to see my weight drop this week because the entire week I ate more than I had in quite some time. On top of that I even had 2 instances that I ate more than my stomach could handle and got sick (I did not throw up – just that horrible stomach pain sick). I also has made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies for the kids and hubby and found myself eating a bunch of those as well.

So I got to thinking about it all and have come to the conclusion that I must have kicked my metabolism back into gear by eating more. I have said in the past that I thought my weight loss slowed down because I was hardly eating much and that could be very true. Now don’t get me wrong I am not gonna start pigging out or anything, but I think I have to make a much better effort to remember to eat during the day vs. skipping meals or forgetting to have one. It is not that I am trying to avoid eating it is just sometimes I am busy and simply just forget because I am not hungry.

For what ever reason this week I just ate a lot more than normal – I think it may have had something to do with the horrible weather and being stuck in the house and also I was having some additional pain in my back and a little depressed for a few days. In the end it seemed to pay off.

So as of today I am down a grand total of 108 lbs since my Gastric Bypass Surgery and now only 13 lbs away to my next goal of reaching 165 lbs. Holy Crap – that seems so doable!!!

Stay Tuned….

November 28, 2017

Stuffed Grape Leaves and I love each other

I know I am 100% Italian, but sometimes I really think I am adopted and Greek. I love Greek food, but I love nothing more than Grape Leaves they are a true love of mine.

Have you ever had Stuffed Grape Leaves also known as Dolmas? The Grape Leaves I love are stuffed with a mixture of rice, spices and packed in a oil. I love the ones that come in a can and I eat them cold just as is. Ohhhh so good, but an acquired taste none the less.

Me and Grape Leaves go way back to when I lived in NY. There was the best Greek restaurant there I would frequent often (very often) – I am also a HUGE fan of Greek Salads as well as Gyros. Boy do I miss that place. When I moved from NY to Florida I missed my Greek food fix so much I would have my father who still lived there ship me their special dressing and cans of the Grape Leaves since they were very hard to find where I was living. Crazy right.

The worst was when I was prego with my son – of course I had to crave them of all things. My hubby found a place about 40 minutes from where we lived and would drive there to buy cans so I could get my fix and my father would also ship them to me as well. That is how much I love them.

The first time I ventured to have some was a couple weeks ago when out shopping with my son. They had them at my grocery store at the salad bar so I got a couple to see how I would handle them as a treat. I handled them well, but did not handle the fact I did not get more – they were sooo yummy.

So they other day I went out for a day of shopping with my sister and she took me to this Greek Place here in PA where I live now. I got myself a Gryo – did not eat it all at once, but boy was it tasty (not as good as NY, but tasty). On the counter they had cans of Grape Leaves, so I got one – how could I walk away from it.

I opened that can the next day and they were completely gone in just 2 days. I was in heaven – complete bliss with every bite !!! OH how I have missed eating them. While they are not high in protein I did not care one bit !! 4 Grape Leaves had 8 grams of fat, 160 calories, 20 carbs and only 2 grams of protein. Ya know what that did not matter – what mattered was that I was able to indulge on an old favorite with no issues. I am now sad because I have no more, but it was a treat and ya know what I will do it again for sure!!

So just because you have Gastric Bypass Surgery does not mean that you will never be able to eat some of your favorite foods ever again. In time you can try them while you hope and pray you have no bad reaction. I am just glad my old favorites are not sweets and chocolate or I would probably be in trouble. I have yet to have anything high in sugar and for all I know I will be able to handle it, but high sugar items scare me. I so do not want to experience the “I want to die dumping”.

Have I mentioned how much I love Grape Leaves? I really really do !!

See we can still have love affairs with our food, even after surgery.

November 28, 2017

Smoking after Gastric Bypass Surgery – Bad Idea

I figured I would address the elephant in the room, well my room at least. That elephant is evil cigarette addiction it’s a bad idea, and even more so after having Gastric Bypass Surgery.

When I started this blog I promised I would share, the good, the bad and the UGLY – well this falls under the UGLY and BAD for sure. Thankfully most will not have to deal with this, but if you do you will understand this post. Smoking Sucks !!!

I have been a smoker for many many years, yup an absolute horrible habit and one I wish I never ever started. Over the years I was able to quit cold turkey with no issues, but something always made me go back and pick them up. I have quit for long periods of time and also short periods of time over the years. I am fully aware of the damage they can do and the risks involved in this stupid habit.

I have lost family members to cancer, one being my mother when I was only 8. She did not die of smoking related cancer, but she was also a smoker and cancer is cancer to me. I have lost others to the “Cancer” disease and have had some who thank god are in remission. I have watched my husband struggle with his lung issues (long story, but mainly related to work incident) and he was once a smoker as well. So what the hell is my problem? Why do cigarettes have such a hold on me?

With that all said – when I got my first date for my Gastric Bypass Surgery I had to sign a contract saying I would quit smoking no less than 6 weeks prior to my surgery. I got myself some nicotine patches, roughed it out and did just that. Yes I was climbing up the walls, ripping my hair out, but I did it !! Then right before that surgery date I got declined by my insurance company. I went into a major depression and was losing my mind – so what do I do? I freakin’ smoke after I went crazy quitting and knew when I got approved for the surgery in a few months from then I would have to quit all over again. I should be committed right?

Well the time came when I was finally approved and I had my new date – so guess what I had to do – quit again. So I went insane all over again, but I did it and I swore that was the very last time. So I had my surgery and afterwards I was fine. I still battled the cravings, but fought those suckers tooth and nail until….. About a month after my surgery I fell into another depression (see post HERE), my hormones were going bonkers from all the changes and breaking up with my food, my comfort, was so very hard. I broke down and smoked a cigarette. I told myself I would only smoke one. Yup who was I kidding, like that was gonna happen.

So here I am back with a habit that I have yet to shake, yet again. I know I have to or I may end up with lots of possible complications that can happen from smoking after having Gastric Bypass. Even though I started taking an antacid daily (Omeprazole) since I started in hopes to stall any of them that does not mean poop.

Gastric Bypass and Smoking Complications:

Ulcers – This is #1
Slows down healing by decreasing the blood supply
Increases chances of leaks
Increases chances of incisional hernias
Increase chances of developing Gall Stones

Ulcers are the #1 risk of Smoking after surgery among the many others. Our new pouches are very small and having an ulcer occur would not be very good at all and could potentially be dangerous. In addition to that your doctor may want to do an Upper Endoscopy to see what kind of ulcer may have occurred. The most common is a Marginal Ulcer that is caused from smoking and it is usually treated with medications. BUT sometimes ulcers can bleed, cause scarring and or perforation with leakage of gastric contents. None of that sounds fun to me – you?

So what is wrong with me and why can I not quit this stinky habit? Habits suck they really do. If you smoke or have you know all to well just how hard this is – the hold these cigarettes have on us is crazy, let alone the money we spend to buy them. I am writing this post to help me get on the track to quit yet again, but this time truly will be the very last. I know I am not alone with this smoking after gastric bypass, but most will not fess up. I want to be open with all my readers, I am only human and I have my flaws just like the rest of you all.

Recently I started experiencing some burning in my belly and the red light went off – could I be developing an Ulcer? Even if you do not smoke you can develop one after bypass, but because I have chosen a no-no – my risks double for one. Have I stopped smoking yet? – unfortunately I have not, but I am like I said working up to quitting again. I am in tune with the feelings/burning in my belly and will discuss if it continues at my next appointment with my surgeon on May 22nd – he is gonna kill me when I confess, but I am hoping to have quit by then. Oh I just gave myself a goal I guess. Time to set that quit date it seems.

So with that being said I will keep you all up to date and let you all know when that quit date is (gonna have to be before May 22nd I know that). I will need all the support I can get and you may see some crazy posts during that time – I do get a bit looney, so that is a warning.

Wish there was some magic wand way that can help those of us with quitting smoking, but there is not. It is one of the biggest head games I have ever played and I cannot believe I am going to be taking part again. Ugh !!! I just hope this time I come out a true winner.

November 28, 2017

First time eating at a Restaurant since my surgery

Can you believe I am in week 14 after my Gastric Bypass Surgery and this is my very first time eating out at a restaurant? Yes it is true and boy was I nervous about it as well.

On Tuesday I decided to go out to lunch with one of my besties for some well needed girly time. I was very nervous about it and how I would do and the first thing we had to decide was where to eat. I did not want to drive far and where I live it is pretty rural and we are limited in choices unless we travel over 20 minutes. That’s good ol’ PA Dutch Country for ya.

While she was on her way over I kept thinking about all my choices and I even went online and looked up their menus to see if anything on them would work for me. I could not believe I was looking up menus in advance, but I wanted to be prepared. In the end we decided to go to a local country buffet – OMG yes a buffet. I had never been there before, but I knew they had a bunch of meats on the buffet, fresh veggies along with a salad bar. Yes of course they had all of those starches too, but I was ok with that as long as I had good options. I thought it was a great choice other than the fact it was a buffet.

Again this was my first time there – this restaurant has been there forever, but I had never gone before. Maybe it is because it is all PA Dutch food and that is normally not my thing, I did not grow up here and some of the food is strange to me. But I was willing to give it a try and maybe just maybe I would like something new, I am a country girl now ya know.

First I went up to the buffet and scouted out all my choices. Now here is a funny story… While I was looking at what was there I had asked my friend what something was being I did not recognize it, she was born and raised here. I pointed to what happen to be Ham Balls in a Pineapple sauce. It looked pretty interesting and I said “Hmmm not sure all that sugar would be good for me” after I said it this over weight guy says – “Are you a Diabetic like me?” I said no I just recently has weight loss surgery.

He then began to tell me he wants to have it done as well and his doctor is trying to discourage him from it. So there I was at a buffet talking to him about all the pros and cons and answering all his questions. I also told him how Gastric Bypass Surgery is known to be a Cure for Type 2 Diabetes and that he should get a new doctor or pursue it on his own. Can you believe it? I was talking it up at the buffet about my Gastric Bypass Surgery, ironic or what? lol. Hey I am willing to tell my story anywhere in hopes maybe it can help someone else.

So anyway once that was over I proceeded to make up my plate which you see in the photo above. (yup I took my phone out in the middle of the restaurant a snapped a picture of my meal – yes I got some looks, but I am a blogger and I have no shame – lol). I picked some Meatloaf, a 1/4 of one of those Ham Balls, some Turkey with gravy, a regular Meatball, some Carrots, Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes. I know you are probably saying – Holy Crap did she eat all of that?

The answer is NO I did not. I had fun tasting it all – protein first of course. Ya know what that Ham Ball with the pineapple sauce was amazing and one of my favorites of it all. After I tasted a bunch from that plate I went up for another tasting and that time I took some more Turkey, a small Salad and I tried some Corn Pie for the first time.

My friend had gone up for dessert and I was full, but not sickly full as I would have been at a buffet prior to my surgery. I was very proud of myself – I could have kept going because the food was sooo good, but I kept myself in check.

Before I left I actually wrote down this blog address on one of my business cards and handed it to the guy I spoke with earlier and told him to stop by and read about my journey. I really hope he does and makes the choice that is right for him. I sit and think why the heck would a doctor tell someone who would clearly benefit from WLS not to have it. He said his doctor said to him just diet and exercise and you will be fine. I hope he gets a new doctor for he also has a baby son who would love to has his father happy and healthy to grow up with. Makes me so mad.

So in conclusion my eating out at a restaurant went much better than I expected. Oh well I did cheat and sip some water less than a 1/2 hour after finishing. That is hard for me sometimes and I just have to have a drink. It’s not like drinking is gonna kill me right?

So I have conquered the eating out, what is next? Bring it on !!!

November 28, 2017

My thirteenth week after Gastric Bypass

Week number 13 – sounds scary right? If your superstitious I guess. Well this week was not too bad at all, hubby was finally home from the hospital and it was beautiful out and I started doing my yard work.

Yes this week started my job of Yard Slave. We have a nice bit of property and as soon as it gets warm out the outside work begins At the beginning of my week I had 4 yards of Mulch delivered and was ready to go.

The weather could not have been more beautiful – just the right temperature. I like to get my mulch done when it is cooler because I hate to sweat too much – so it was perfect and it meant I would be getting in lots of exercise which I normally hate doing. So it was really a win win – yard starts to look great and I get in a work out.

Oh and that is a photo of my new Lilac Bush I planted in the yard – so excited !!!

Here is what I ate so you can see each day for the thirteenth week:

(I am not gonna add the times on – just the order in which I ate)

April 16th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
Bite of my daughter’s Bagel (I could not resist)
1 Cube Steak with Ketchup
2 Slices of American Cheese
SF Ice Pop
Omelet with American Cheese
2 SF Ice Pops

Today was so nice out that I ordered 4 yards of mulch and had it delivered. It was time to start getting some yard work done. I was outside almost all day working my butt off (oh how I wish it worked that way – lol). I was so proud that today was the first day I was able to get in over 64 ounces of fluids – thank you hard work !!

April 18th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
Gyro – Small
Protein Shake
Piece of a Tuna Sub
Piece of a Tuna Sub
SF Ice Pop

Once again I was outside all day working on the yard and mulching. Today we ordered out for lunch and I decided to get a Gyro. It was not a large one, but I was able to eat the whole thing. Yes I did have a small belly ache, but I ate 2 Papaya Enzymes afterwards and that helped. It was so damn good. My daughter had gotten a Tuna Sub for her dinner and I ended up eating a piece of that at two different times – not a huge amount, but that was also delish !!

April 18th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
Piece of Tuna Sub
Cheese Its
4 Corn Nuggets
Salad with Feta Cheese & Blue Cheese with Italian Dressing

So once again I was out doing yard work all day and then some food shopping. It seems I did not eat too much today now that I am typing it up. I did snack on a bit too many Cheese Its while taking a break from my work and guess what? I think I had mild dumping. I felt my heart race a bit – no sweating, but I felt like crap. I had to sit and rest a bit until it went away. I guess that is what I get huh? Not a good food day for me at all.

April 19th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
Handful of Cheese Its
1/2 Chicken Sandwich with 1/4 Pickle
Few French Fries
1/2 Hot Dog in a Roll
Handful of Smoked Almonds

It was yard work all day yet again and also a conference at school for my daughter. Yup I went for those Cheese Its again even though I felt like crap the day before eating them, but I only had a few this time. I made Hot Dogs for dinner and decided to eat 1/2 of one which I did and I seemed to handle it. Again – not the best food day and it seems I did not eat enough yet again.

April 20th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
4 Small snack sized Turkey Sausages
Protein Coffee
1/4 Pickle
Cheese Its
1 Slice Swiss Cheese
A couple fork fulls Green Beans
1/4 Pickle
2 Slices of Salami
1/2 Chicken Sandwich with 1/2 Pickle

More yard work today and some consignment shopping. I had lots of stuff to drop off (fat clothes – woo hoo) and I bought some treasures as well. Gosh as I keep typing in what I have eaten I am seeing I am not eating enough at all. Ugh !!!

April 21st

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
2 Slices of American Cheese
Fresh Veggies – Broccoli, Tomatoes, Celery & Carrots with Ranch Dip
1/2 Chicken Sandwich with 1/2 Pickle
Grapes
Spicy Shrimp Dinner with some White Rice
Handful of Smoked Almonds

And the yard work continues on… I am working hard. For dinner hubby made this Sweet Chili Spicy Shrimp dish which I loved even if my mouth was on fire. I was very nervous my stomach was not going to be able to handle it, but all was good. By this day my body was starting to really feel all the yard work exercise and I was so sore. I knew it was going to rain tomorrow so I was looking forward to a nice break.

April 22nd

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
3/4 cupish Corned Beef Hash topped with a Fried Egg
Handful of Smoked Almonds
Grapes
Protein Coffee
2 Slices Muenster Cheese
Handful of Cheese Its

Thank God for rain – today I got to be lazy. I slept until 10:30 and played on the computer and laid back in bed and caught up on some of my shows. Even with a lazy day I still did not eat enough – seems to be an evil pattern forming.

I was so busy this week working outside and enjoying the great weather that it seems I forgot to eat. Funny thing is that I feel like I am pigging out all day, but when I sit and type in my food journal I notice that I am really hardly eating at all. I tried hard to get in a protein shake as much as possible – which I now mix with my coffee for that extra kick – it still does not seem to be enough.

On the plus side I had gotten in all my fluids almost each day I was out doing yard work and I got lots of exercise. That is good right?

So how did my Weigh In go? Not at all like I thought it would with all that moving I did. I only lost 1 lb. Am I happy about that? Heck no – I am pissed !! I worked like crazy all week and to see only 1 lb on the scale is depressing I am not gonna lie.

I am going to contact my nutritionist to look over my food journals and tell me what I am doing wrong. I have a good feeling I know what she is gonna say – I am not eating enough at all. I will let you all know if I am right. For now I just have to try and re focus on Week 14. Sadly it is freezing and rainy out – so my yard work is on hold. I guess I may have to use the treadmill this week.

I hope my nutritionist can shed some light on this slow weight loss, because I am really getting frustrated – it is going on too long now.

Stay Tuned….

November 28, 2017November 28, 2017

Photos ~ Before and After Gastric Bypass Week 13

Everyone loves to look at before and after photos when people are losing weight and of course I am going to share mine. The photos I am going to share today are from week 13 after my Gastric Bypass Surgery.

Every Monday on my weigh in day I have the hubby do a photo shoot of me so I can watch the transformation. I have him take them from front, back, and sides while dressed. Then for my own stash I also have him take some with me just in my bra and underwear – Yes hubby likes taking those for sure. Those I will not be sharing online of course, but taking those really helps me see the changes.

Well I slacked a bit taking pictures, but had good reason – things got a bit crazy in my home the past couple weeks with my hubby in the hospital and being outside busy with yard work. So because I missed a couple weeks I decided to just take one of me today (Week 13 Weigh In) and put that up against my before picture. As of today I am down a total of 38 lbs – wish it would have been more by now, but what can I do. I gotta stay on this crazy gastric bypass roller coaster ride and just go with it.

So there I am in my mug shots at week 13 (hate these pictures – just sayin’). I am now wearing a size 24 jeans vs. a 26 in my starting photos, but they are HUGE. I just cannot get into a size 22 just yet because of my butt – the waist is so big. I am also avoiding buying any new jeans since warmer weather is coming and I will be wearing shorts. I do have some size 22’s I am trying on and hoping to fit in soon.

For me I lose weight on top first and I carry the majority of my weight in my butt and legs. I cannot tell you how excited I will be to have thinner legs one day.

As you can see under my big baggy shirt I am not big in the middle, just below. It is truly my butt that holds my pants up so they do not fall off. Even when I was thin back in the day I always had trouble finding pants to fit me right because of my smaller waist. We all carry weight differently I guess.

Yup so there I am – I am losing weight, but slow and steady.

November 28, 2017

My twelfth week after Gastric Bypass

Another week down, but this was one Crazy Week for sure. Things were all off for me this week between my daughter getting her braces on and my hubby ending up in the hospital.

So my week started off with my daughter getting her braces put on on Monday along with this crazy herbst appliance that will pull her bottom jaw forward to correct her overbite. She did great and was so excited to finally get them on, but Tuesday when she was due to go back to school from spring break she needed another day off due to soreness.

Then on Wednesday I had to bring my hubby to the ER for a bad Asthma Exacerbation. I think he caught my son’s virus and it went right to his lungs. It is a very long story, but my husband has COPD among other lung issues that steamed from a dust exposure at work 5 years ago and when he gets sick it effects his lungs very bad. It makes his breathing horrible and takes him 2 times longer to recover.

So I brought him to the ER Wednesday evening and they admitted him and did not let him go home until Sunday. So needless to say my week consisted of driving back and forth to the hospital, stress and having my eating schedule all off. I did the best I could under the circumstances. If anything I did not eat as much as I should have, nor did I get in all my protein or my liquid daily.

Here is what I ate so you can see each day for the twelfth week:

(I am not gonna add the times on – just the order in which I ate)

April 9th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
Picked at some Green Beans
Watermelon
1/4 Cup Smoked Almonds
1/2 Turkey Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread with Mayo, Salt & Pepper
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer
Handful of Special K Cracker Chips – Sour Cream & Onion

Today my daughter got her braces put on. We were exhausted from Easter Sunday and being up so late, but we got her to the orthodontist on time. She was so excited. After we got home we all relaxed and I made sure she was comfortable – yup I was playing nurse. Seems playing nurse and taking care of everything I forgot to really eat today.

April 10th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
Flounder with Tarter Sauce
1 SF Tastykake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar
Bite of Feta Cheese
1 Cup Three Bean Salad
1/4 Cup Smoked Almonds
SF Ice Pop

So today I had my daughter home from school due to her mouth being so sore – so I got to play nurse for another day. I played nurse in between working and I also polished my nails with a Strawberry design. Not a bad day today – just average I guess.

April 11th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
1 Cup Three Bean Salad
1 Cup Three Bean Salad
Handful of Special K Cracker Chips – Sour Cream & Onion
2 Slices American Cheese
A couple bites of the kids Macaroni Cheese
Cup of Tea with Splenda

Today I just worked and took care of hubby who was not feeling great. Later in the early evening my hubby started to get worse with his breathing and I knew I was going to need to take him to the ER at some point. About 8:30pm we decided it was time because he was getting worse. So off to the ER we went as I drove like Mario all the way. When we got there it was packed, but due to his distress and condition they took him in immediately. It was a long night in the ER and when they said they were going to admit him I left and that was around 2:30 am – I was exhausted. By the time I got home it was about 3:00am and while laying in bed I saw something roll across my bedroom floor with a line up of cats following it. I turned on the light and I see that my son’s hamster Felix had escaped from his cage – just what I needed at 3:30 am. So there I was on my hands and knees chasing after a hamster – it was quite comical. I finally caught him and brought him back to his cage and I am glad I saw him before the cats did him in. I finally feel asleep, but my alarm was set for 5:45 am to get the kids up and off to school. Not much time left to sleep.

April 12th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
1/2 Protein Shake
1 Piece of Beef Jerky
1 Chicken Cutlet Parmesan (baked) with Meat Sauce with some linguine noodles
SF Jello and whipped cream
Protein Shake
1/4 Cup Smoked Almonds

I got the kids off to school this morning one eye open. Then I checked my email and was able to drink about 1/2 protein shake. I went back to bed because I was exhausted and ended up sleeping until 1:00 pm. After the kids got home from school at about 3 I went back to the hospital to visit my hubby. I ended up staying there until about 8:30. I had a Chicken Cutlet I got from the hospital cafeteria along with some SF Jello. When I got home I made sure to have a protein shake. My sister was here with the kids so I sent her off on her way and went to bed early – I was still so tired.

April 13th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
A few bites of Ham and Mashed Potatoes
1 Banana
Starbucks – I had a SF Mocha Frappachino
Salad, Few French Fries and a Bite of a Hot Dog
Couple pieces of fruit
1 Egg Salad
2 Slices American Cheese

Today I had the joy of getting our taxes done – I hate taxes. I ended up going to H&R Block again because my taxes are ridiculous and I just could not deal with them again this year. Last year was the 1st time I had someone else do them – sucks when all of the sudden you owe and this year was no different. It is just too much stress for me to figure it all out so I was ok letting someone else deal with it. It turned out to not be as bad as I thought it would be.

I cleaned the house a bit and when the kids got home from school we went up to the hospital to visit hubby. My hubby wanted some coffee from Starbucks so we stopped there on the way. I was a big Mocha Frapp fan prior o surgery so I asked if they can make one sugar free and I was surprised that they could. So I got one – it was OK, not the same as the real deal, but it worked. We ended up having dinner at the hospital but the choices today were not so great for me. I ended up having a salad and picking from my kids food. I also picked from some fruit my hubby ordered from his hospital meal for me. When I got home I tried to get some more protein in with a 1 Egg Salad and American Cheese – I did the best I could.

April 14th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
2 Slices of American Cheese
Picked French Fries
Grilled Chicken with Italian Seasoning
Fruit Salad
Bites of Crab Salad
1 Cube Steak with Ketchup
SF Ice Pop

So this morning I cleaned the house because they thought they were going to release my hubby from the hospital today. Well they decided he had to stay for another day. So me and the kids went up to see him along with his request for McDonald’s Mocha Frappes and the kids got McDonald’s for lunch as well. I ended up picking at a few French Fries on the ride there. I called my hubby and since I was bringing him some McD’s for lunch to order his hospital lunch for me to eat – so I had him get some grilled chicken and fruit for me – hey we are paying for it anyways right? So we stayed with him for the afternoon.

On the way home we stopped at the grocery store and I picked up a Cube Steak which I cooked up for my dinner quickly at home to get in more protein. Then me and the kids watched TV and that was our day.

April 15th

Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
Potatoes at the hospital from hubby’s breakfast
Coffee with 1/2 1/2 and Splenda
1/2 cupish Crab Salad
Watermelon
3 Slices of American Cheese and 1 Slice of Ham
1/2 cupish SF Ice Cream
Salad with Feta Cheese, Tomatoes & Italian Dressing
A handful of Smoked Almonds

Today I woke up early hoping that they were gonna release my hubby from the hospital. I vacuumed and let the kids sleep in and went up to the hospital and got there by 9:30 am. I am happy to report he was free, but did not get out until about 1:00pm. I had some stops to make on the way home to pick up meds and some groceries and them home we went. I was so exhausted from all the running, but so happy to have him home.

We relaxed for the rest of the day – I ended up napping for a few and we watched some movies. I was not very hungry today – probably from all the stress this week and exhaustion. Just happy hubby is home and I get to be his nurse now – and of course he likes that – lol.

So as you can see my week was turned upside down. It was stressful and exhausting. I did my best with my eating while running back and forth to the hospital and the choices I had. I know I definitely did not eat as much nor did I get in all my liquids by any means.

As far as my exercise challenge from last week went – NADA. It did not happen. But I did do a lot of walking from my car to my hubby in the hospital so I would say that counts right?

My weight Loss this week was zero. I am not surprised by that at all. With all the stress I was under this week I was expecting no less. I did weigh myself in mid week and saw a loss, but I ended up at the same as last week when I stepped on the scale today. I did eat late last night and my bowel movements (yeah I know gross) this week were off. I know next week I will see some movement and I am not at all worried about it.

I am just happy my hubby is home from the hospital and feeling better. Now I can get back into a semi normal routine and see that scale move for me next week. It amazing what a toll stress can have on our bodies. I am hoping for a great week – so here I go….

Stay Tuned….

November 28, 2017

Three Bean Salad – Great source of Protein

If you like your beans then you will definitely like this Three Bean Salad which is extremely tasty and a great source of protein. Oh and best part – it is super EASY to make.

As soon as the warmer weather starts to come I think of salads – not your regular green salads, but pasta salads, potato salads etc… But for us that have gone through Gastric Bypass Surgery having those too often with the high carbs is not a great idea. Of course I have had some already here and there, but just very small amounts – I do not deprive myself of anything as long as my pouch allows me to have it.

So I have been looking for some other tasty salad recipes to try and this Three Bean Salad was one of them. I actually made this last night and it was so good that I knew it was worth sharing and so here it is:

What you will need to create this Three Bean Salad:

1 Can of Green Beans (14 1/2 ounce) – Drained
1 Can Kidney Beans (16 ounce) – Drained
1 Can Garbanzo Beans (15 1/2 ounce) – Drained
1/2 Cup Chopped Green Pepper (I used a 1 small one)
1/2 Cup Chopped Red Onion (I just used 1/2 a medium red onion)
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic (I used the minced garlic from the jar)
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
3 Tbsp Splenda
1 (.7 ounce) packet of dry Italian Dressing Mix

So I gathered all my goodies for this recipe and was ready to give it a try. Note: I was originally going to use fresh garlic, but got lazy and went for the jar of minced garlic instead – lol. I then chopped up my Pepper and Onion and was ready for assembly !!

Now this cannot be an easier – so my kind of recipe !!

Get a bowl and dump in all your drained Beans, then toss in the rest of the ingredients and Mix.

I then put mine in the fridge for a few hours to marinate before I ate it.

I ended up having it for dinner and ate about a cup of it with no problems, it was sooooo good. It has a sweet and tangy flavor and I honestly was nervous about the Splenda making it too sweet and it did not at all. I really enjoyed this and it is a great side dish or a meal like I had it for.

Here is some Nutritional Info for this Recipe:

Serving Size – 1/2 Cup
Calories 130
Fat 4 grams
Cholesterol 0 grams
Sodium 380 mg
Carbs 20 grams
Fiber 6 grams
Sugars 2 grams
PROTEIN 5 grams – Nice !!!

Enjoy !!

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