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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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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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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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My twenty fifth week after Gastric Bypass

Busy Week

25 weeks since my Gastric Bypass Surgery – WoW. The time is really going by fast – I am just about at 6 months post op and I cannot believe it.

Unfortunately I did not write in my food journal this past week – yup this is week #3 of my summer hiatus, but not to worry I am back on track so my food journal will be back starting week 26. Again I have so much going on between the kids being home for summer and construction projects in my house that I have slacked off – I know shame on me.

My eating is still about the same although I am probably not eating enough or getting in all my protein like I should either because I am not writing it down. I always try to choose food high in protein as much as possible, but I really should be tossing in a protein shake daily which I have not. I have also missed some of my vitamins in there as well, especially my Calcium and that is not good. I have to re-focus and get back on top of those things pronto !!

On a happy note my weight loss has gone into full gear and it is coming off like crazy. I started with such a slow weight loss and now every time I step on that scale I am shocked by the numbers. As of this morning I am down to 218 lbs – Holy Shit – that is just crazy. I am less than 20 pounds from ONEderland (199 lbs). Ya know when my weight loss started to really kick in? When the nice weather started along with my yard work. So all that talk about adding in the “E” word (exercise) that I hate so much really did make the difference.

I live on an acre of property and have lots of flower beds to care for and I just love being outside when the nice weather hits sitting on my patio or being in the pool. It is much different than the winter months of sitting at my desk working all day – which as a matter of fact I have been kinda on hiatus from that as well. My main business website is also in the process of a complete makeover as well – so everything is under construction – ahhhhh.

This week is gonna be pretty crazy. My daughter’s birthday is Saturday and I am having her friends all sleepover in the midst of a huge construction project starting Thursday where a wall is being moved between my son and daughter’s room. Soooo my upstairs will be off limits and I have to have the girls all camp out in the living room I think. That is ok it will work – yikes, I hope. Then the following week we are having a new office space built and that coming weekend my BFF is coming to stay for the weekend from NY who I have not seen in a few years. Then the following weekend my Brother, Sister in law and Nephew are coming to stay. So busy busy busy is all I can say.

Refinishing A Staircase

Here are some pics – That is my Hubby – aka DarthDan working on another long over do project of refinishing a staircase to our rec room. My Chicks are now happy in their new Chicken Coop for about the past week now. They are growing so fast and are probably just as spoiled as out other pets. Hopefully they will reward me with some eggs in the fall – I guess it is all depending if I have male or females, still not able to tell just yet.

So this coming week I am back to logging and trying to be good about taking all my vitamins and getting in more protein. OH did I mention I think I have a sinus infection? Yesterday I had a down day of laying in bed for most of it with a major sinus headache. Today I feel a little better, but I can still feel the pressure in my head from all the boogies. Lets hope that goes away quick since I have a very busy few week ahead of me.

I will work on getting up more pictures and you can check out My Weigh In Page to watch my progress. I still have so many posts I want to get up so I will work on that too.

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Yoplait Delights – my latest discovery of yumminess

Yoplait Delights

So in a local discount grocery store I was shopping in yesterday I found these Yoplait Delights. I must be living in a cave or my regular grocery stores are holding back on me because I had never seen these before or maybe I have not looked good enough, hmmmm??

Anyway these caught my eye and I picked up a box to try out. They happened to have a flavor called Grasshopper Pie which is right up my alley.

The nutritional facts looked good and they only have 120 calories in each cup, 15 grams of sugar and 4 grams of protein.

So last night for my dessert I opened one up to try and thought it was really good – so of course I had to share. It was a nice treat and just the right amount too. I went to Yoplaits website to look up what other flavors are available and there are lots of them. I did not see the Grasshopper Pie on there and I am thinking maybe they got rid of that one and that is why it was in my local discount store – just my luck. BUT the flavors they have listed sound really good and also worth a try if I can find them in the store.

Here are the flavors they have listed for these Yoplait Delights:

  • Chocolate Raspberry
  • Crème Caramel
  • Triple Berry Crème
  • Lemon Torte
  • Chocolate Éclair
  • Cherry Cheesecake

And on the website they say they are now only 100 calories and have 5 grams of protein – so I guess they made some adjustments – even better. Out of those flavor choices the Cherry Cheesecake is the one I would try next so now I will be on the look out for them at my store.

I think these are a yummy choice for those who are in the soft/pureed stage of Gastric Bypass and after to change things up. So if you have not tried these yet – I say go for it. I only share things that I personally think taste good and these qualify- even though I only tasted one flavor so far.

Be sure to check out Yoplait’s Website for coupons and see some of there other products – I did not know this, but they even have a Greek Yogurt with 2x the amount of protein in it – WoW!!

Just the right size and YES I still use my Nuby Baby Spoons, I got my second week after my surgery, when eating certain foods.

Let me know if you have tried them yourself and what you think.

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My twenty second week after Gastric Bypass

22

This week was fun – The A/C guys finished installing, got my Chicks and took a road trip to see my brother in New York.

Can I just tell ya how nice it is to have central air – I will NOT miss losing my windows to window a/c units anymore. It is the weirdest thing to have every room in my house the same temperature. Just amazing – oh and in the winter to have heat in every room – I cannot even imagine what that will be like. In addition to that we had them put in an air filtration system to help my hubby with his lung issues. Life is good and I can literally “Chill Out” in my house now, under a blanket in the summer – hee hee. Not a cheap renovation, but worth every single cent !!

We also got 4 Chicks this week and I did a post all about them HERE. They are so darn cute and I cannot wait to see them running around in the yard and hanging in their coop.

Then on Friday to Sunday I took a road trip with my sister and my kids to visit my brother, sister in law and nephew in upstate NY. I hate the car ride – 4 1/2 hours is not my favorite, but I had a great time. I was a little jealous leaving my husband home alone with 4 chicks though – lmao.

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

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

June 18th

  • 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 Bagel with Scallion Cream Cheese
  • 1/2 Bagel with Scallion Cream Cheese
  • Iced Coffee
  • 1/2 cupish Cucumber Salad
  • 1 cupish Hamburger Helper Stroganoff
  • Bite of a Brownie
  • Peach

Today we were up early with the A/C guys here to work, but we left for a few hours to go get our Chicks. On the way to get them we stopped at a bagel store – bagels had always been my favorite prior to surgery and I decided I would get one. I ate 1/2 on the way to get them and the other 1/2 on the way home. Of course for awhile after the second half I felt like crap for carb overload. It did not last forever, but boy do hate that. The rest of the day was spent hanging and watching the Chicks and they are beyond cute cute cute.

June 19th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Slice of Bread with Mayo
  • 1 Piece of Grilled Chicken, Stuffing and Broccoli
  • Peach
  • Handful of Frosted Mini Wheats

Today the A/C guys finished the installation – took 5 days. They did it just in time for the heat wave coming tomorrow – wooo hooo !!! I made them cupcakes as a thank you – Pink Lemonade Cupcakes to be exact. Later that day I could not wait to put all the stuff back in the attic that was piled in my bedroom. I feel so organized now – it is a wonderful feeling indeed !! Oh and I stayed cool while I did it – BONUS !!

June 20th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Protein Coffee
  • Chicken Nuggets dipped in Honey Mustard, Green Beans and a handful of Tater Tots
  • Handful of Frosted Mini Wheats

Today was a HOT day out (not inside- lol) so we all decided to go in the pool. I ended up eating a bit too much for dinner which was a quick pot luck meal with the Chicken Nuggets. So needless to say after dinner I felt blah for a bit.

June 21st

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Protein Coffee
  • A few bites of a Mufflata Sandwich and some Italian Pasta Salad
  • English Muffin Pizza – 1 whole english muffin
  • Finished the rest of the Mufflata Sandwich

Today was deadly heat and I was exhausted – all the days of getting up so early with the contractors caught up with me – so I napped today. I also think the mufflata and pasta salad helped put me in a carb coma, but I had nothing much going on so a nap was well deserved.

June 22nd

  • Water
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Handful Pretzels dipped in Sour Cream (my sister’s fault)
  • 1 McDonald’s Hamburger and a few fries
  • 1 McDonald’s Hamburger
  • Starbucks Skinny Frappuchino
  • 1 1/2 Chicken BBQ Thighs, Tater Tots and a Salad

Today we left for NY to see my bother. Road trip with my sister and the kids. I had McDonald’s with the kids on the way – I had 2 hamburgers, but ate them over an hour apart. It took us about 4 1/2 hours to get there and I just hate a long car ride, just sayin’. I think I am worse then my kids complaining and asking how much further every 10 minutes. At the rest stop I got some Starbucks, of course a skinny with no sugar – it was ok. For dinner my sister in law made the best BBQ Chicken and I will be recreating it and sharing soon – so stay tuned.

June 22nd

  • Water (drank over the course of the day)
  • Coffee with Half & Half and Teaspoon of Sugar
  • 1/2 Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese
  • Hot Dog and a few chips with dip
  • 2 Sugar Free Cookies – Joseph’s Sugar Free Cookies
  • Handful of Pretzels
  • 1 cupish Shrimp, Veggies and Pasta, 1/4 Crab Stuffed Portabello Mushroom & Greek Salad
  • Blueberry Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt
  • Watermelon

Today we went out shopping to some stores that I wanted to visit that are not in PA. I found some yummy treats such as Joseph’s Sugar Free Cookies and Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt. I found some other cool treasures in my travels as well, but those were not edible – lol. The rest of the day we sent hanging out and we cooked a delicious dinner which was pasta with shrimp and sauteed veggies – it was soooo good !!!

June 22nd

  • Water (drank over the course of the day)
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer
  • 1/2 Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese
  • Peach
  • Small Greek Salad
  • 1 cupish leftover Shrimp, Veggies and Pasta
  • 2 Sugar Free Cookies – Joseph’s Sugar Free Cookies
  • 1 McDonald’s Hamburger and a few fries
  • 1 McDonald’s Hamburger

Today I just chilled out at my brother’s – I watched my kids and my nephew swim and my brother who is a photographer took some fun photos later in the day. The photo at the beginning of the post is one of them. Then it was time to head back home – urgh that long drive yet again. And as you can see I had McDonald’s yet again because it was at the rest stop on the way home. I am sooo sick of it and that will be the last time I have it in a very long time – yuck !!!

I had a busy week, but it ended with some great time with my family. I could have done without the car ride though. This week I felt like I had way too many carbs and not enough protein. Between Bagels and the McDonalds it was overload. Next week I will be sure to stay away from all the carbs – they make me feel like crappola.

I was not expecting to lose anything this week – I actually thought I would gain from all those carbs, but to my surprise I was down a pound on My Weigh In. Plus I had lost 4 pounds the previous week so that was a nice surprise for me – yahoooo !!

Next week I will be prepping for my upcoming family 4th of July party – between yard work and cleaning I will be very busy. My in laws are coming up from Florida thsi year and I am soooo excited they will be here. I am really looking forward to it and I miss my nieces. The kids are growing way to fast for me.

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Joseph’s Sugar Free Cookies are a tasty treat

Joseph’s Sugar Free Cookies

The Cookie Monster would have to put up a good fight to try and steal my bags of Joseph’s Sugar Free Cookies, just sayin’. These are another find of mine from my trip to New York and they are beyond DELISH.

Like I said in my previous post about the Yasso’s Greek Frozen Yogurt, I had my eyes open for new treats while I was visiting my brother in NY this past weekend and these cookies were another great find. I found them in a discount store local to him by surprise. Again I am not a HUGE sweet eater, but at times I have a moment where I need some.

When I saw these bags of Sugar Free Cookies the flavors sounded yummy and even though there are some sugar free cookies that taste like poop, the price was right and I figured I would give them a try. I ended up buying 2 bags of them – one is Coconut and the other Lemon.

The nutritional facts looked good – here is the facts from the Sugar Free Lemon Cookies:

Those look good right? All the flavors are about the same. BUT do they taste good? Uh yeah they do – really good – you do not think I would share these if they tasted like crap right? The cookies are small, but they are extremely tasty and light which I love. I did not get a horrible after taste from them either which you do a lot of times with sugar free food. Both flavors were amazing – my favorite of the two I got is the Lemon. Not to worry if the flavors I got do not work for you these cookies are available in a ton of flavor choices.

  • Lemon
  • Coconut
  • Chocolate Chip
  • Pecan Shortbread
  • Chocolate Chip Walnut
  • Oatmeal
  • Pecan Chocolate Chip
  • Peanut Butter
  • Oatmeal Chocolate Chip with Pecans
  • Almond
  • Chocolate Walnut
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter

Do all of those sound yummy or what? In addition to the Sugar Free Cookies Joseph’s also has Brownies, Syrups, Cakes, Sweetener and Flavored Coffees. I am so gonna order more of the cookies and some of the other products to try.

Not to worry if you cannot find them locally because you can order them right from their website here: Joseph’s Sugar Free Cookies and products. That is what I will have to do because like I said it is hard to find certain things here in PA and I am so glad I found them – even if I had to travel to NY to do so.

I love when I can satisfy my sweet tooth when it comes without the fear of the dreaded “Dumping Syndrome” that looms over us Gastric Bypassers !!

Just try to take my Sugar Free Cookies Cookie Monster – I can take you !!!

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Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt is Da Bomb

Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars

This past weekend I went to New York to visit my brother and when we were in the grocery store I spotted Yasso Greek Frozen Yogurt so I picked up a box to try since I never saw them before.

I truly miss NY grocery stores, well any huge grocery store since here in PA we seem to be missing all the good stuff. Having grown up in New York and then moving away the one thing I miss more than anything is the food choices. So while we were shopping for dinner and dessert I spotted these in the freezer section and knew I had to try them.

The best part was they had 6 grams of protein each – Oh yeah !!! For some reason I am not a huge fan of the Greek Yogurts , but I was still willing to give these a try and boy was I glad I did – it was DELISH !!

Of course after I fell in love I went to their website to see if they were sold in stores by me and I do see one I have local listed so I am going to check it out to see if they are sold here.

The Frozen Greek Yogurts come in 3 flavors – Blueberry (flavor I tried), Strawberry and Raspberry and here are some deets:

They are only only 70 calories each and contain 6 grams of protein !!!

  • all natural & fat-free
  • 6g of protein
  • gluten-free
  • made with rBST-free milk
  • good source of calcium
  • no corn syrup (oh yeah !!)
  • kosher certified

Oh and I did say it was delicious right?

In addition to those they also have Frozen Greek Yogurt Smoothies in Strawberry Banana, Mango Pineapple, and Mixed Berry. When blended with one cup of skim milk, each 8 oz. serving is fat-free, low in sugar and has 8 grams of protein as well as 4 grams of fiber. Now I did not try any of those, but if I can find them in the store you know I will.

Visit their website Team Yasso and see if they are available in a store near you because these are great for anyone on the liquid stage of Gastric Bypass, Pureed or after and they wee soooo good. If they are not in my store I am calling the company to see if they can be. I did make these Frozen Yogurt Protein Poppers once, but these were so much better.

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My twenty first week after Gastric Bypass

21

Monday started week 21 and all of that procrastination I had been doing about getting things I needed to get done was over. It was crunch time – I had 2 days to get rid of years of crap so we could have our Central AC/Heat put in the house.

This is the time I whine about why I whined for so many days and left myself hardly any time to get a million things done – sound familiar? Gosh I cannot be the only one right?

I had a busy couple days ahead of me, but I had to shut up and get it done if I wanted to stay cool this summer and warm this winter. I had to look on the bright side – I would DEFINITELY get in a lot of exercise this week that was for sure.

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

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

June 11th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Iced Coffee
  • Egg Roll
  • 2 Crab Ragoons
  • 1 cupish Left over Chicken Divan

Today was the day I had to get started with all of this cleaning – first I had to do the closet in my daughter’s room so the guys could get into the crawl space in the attic which happens to be in there. URGH !!! This closet happened to be mine because my daughter and us switched rooms last year and I have not switched them over due to some other renovations upcoming. What a mess. So as I reached the back of the closet I was on the phone with my sister in law and asked her “Do I need the dress I wore to your sister’s wedding?” now this wedding happened about 15 years or so ago. She is like “uh no”. Really I asked I may fit back into one day – do you think shoulder pads will be back in style? lmao. She was like just toss it already. So those are the things I had to deal with – you know the back of the closet where we keep things we will never touch in our lifetime again.

Once the closet was done, which took what seemed like a million hours, it was time to venture into the attic. I have a walk up attic, but this was full of over 7 years of storage and a lot of it. In addition to that it was filled with bins of baby clothes from both my son and daughter because I was originally planning on having another baby. That is not the plan anymore since the shop has been torn down a couple years ago. I knew it had to be cleaned at some point and probably would have never gotten done if it were not for the fact these guys had to run ducts up there so in I went and it was hot and I sweat like crazy. BUT Sweat equals weight loss – BONUS !!

June 12th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Iced Coffee
  • Big Salad with Feta Cheese, Cucumbers, Tomato, Red Onion and Honey Mustard
  • Small piece of Pound Cake
  • A few chips in dip

Today was D day – I have to get it all done the guys were coming first thing tomorrow morning – ahhhhhh !!! Thank god for the rain and not wanting to be outside instead and it helped cool down the attic a bit. So bin after bin and sorting and going through, tossing and making donate piles I ventured through it. I think the hardest part was going through the bins of baby clothes. My son made fun of me as I cried going through his – he says “Mom I am not dead I am right here”. Someday he will understand the tears, but for now I let him make fun of me as I touched every article of clothing and remembered when they wore it in my mind and smelled it as well – I know I am NUTSO. I think he just shook his head when I dressed a Teddy Bear that sits on my bed he gave me in one of his old outfits.

I was able to give my daughter lots of new outfits for her favorite baby doll and boy did I have tons to donate. I had 15+ bags of clothing to bring for donation – holy crap !!! OH and these were hefty bags. Did I mention how much garbage I had as well? So much from cleaning the garage, the attic, my craft room and 2 closets that I had to pay extra for a huge pick up.

BUT in the end after all that whining, back pain, reminiscing and sweating my ass off it got done. Now everything that was going back into the attic was now stored in my bedroom until they would be done. It felt so good to be rid of so much stuff and I am beginning to feel a little organized. Oh what a great feeling that is !!!

June 13th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Iced Coffee
  • Whole Ham Sandwich with mayo
  • Burrito

So today I am exhausted and sore and up at 7am to let the contractors in to start working. So excited to be getting central air and heat u have no idea. I HATE window units and I am so done with them. It is a big investment, but worth every penny we will spend. While the guys worked I continued to clean and add to my garbage pile that was being picked up tomorrow. Wooo Hooo love seeing all that garbage at the curb – bye bye crap !!!

June 14th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Iced Coffee
  • 2 Slices American Cheese
  • 1 cupish Left over Chicken Divan
  • Handful of Frosted Mini Wheats
  • 1/2 Ham Steak, Small Salad and Green Beans
  • McDonald’s Ice Cream Cone
  • Handful of Potato Chips
  • Snack sized bag of M&M’s

Today I was up early again – contractors start so darn early -urgh !!! After a lot of thinking today hubby and I decided we would get chickens – well chicks at first for pets. This is something we had been thinking about for a few years after falling in love with these Silkie Chickens at our local nursery. Needless to say the kids are so excited by the thought. We would get them next Monday, but today we ran to the local feed store to pick up the things we would need for them when we got them. We also passed the nursery so of course I had to stop and buy some more plants for the yard – hee hee.

Later in the evening I took the kids to McDonald’s for ice cream and I was so craving one myself, but so nervous – I said the heck with it and got myself an Ice Cream Cone – you can read my post about it HERE. Later that evening I had a sweet tooth still and grabbed a tiny snack sized bag of M&Ms and ate them – I had no issues and it hit the spot. It is not often I get a sweet tooth, but when I do I usually go for fruit, BUT I really wanted those M&Ms – so I did not deprive myself.

June 15th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • 1 Egg, Bacon & Toast Muffin
  • McDonald’s Hamburger
  • Handful of Cherries
  • 1/2 Delmonico Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Carrots

Today I hung around the house doing yardwork, went to the nursery yet again for more flowers – I ended up creating a new flower bed in the yard. Later in the day I took a much needed nap – this getting up and ready by 7am with the contractors is catching up on me. I made breakfast for the family and I did a post sharing it here: Eggs, Bacon & Toast Muffins.

For dinner I was craving a good steak – so hubby went up to our local butcher (where the good stuff is fresh) and got some Delmonico Steaks. He grilled them and I swear it was the best piece of steak I have had ever – melted in your mouth delish !!

June 16th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day)
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Beef BBQ sampling
  • 1/2 Subway Veggie Delite
  • Handful of Pretzels
  • 1 Slice of Pizza
  • A few bites of a French Toast Dessert
  • Small piece of left over steak with ketchup

Today we were headed to my mother in laws to do some work at her house – on our way there we stopped at the local butcher who was having a sampling of their meats for their customers. I tried a homemade hotdog (well 1/2), a piece of brisket, small rib and some smoked pit beef & chicken – OMG it was all amazing !!! It was a pure protein start to my day !!

While at my mother in laws she got us Subways for lunch and we had Pizza for dinner. She also made this amazing dessert my hubby loves that is a french toast casserole – I had a few bites of that too and it was soooo good. We worked hard while there – so plenty of exercise and later in the evening the kids swam in my sister in laws pool – it was along day, but fun to be with the family. When I got home I was a little hungry so I had a piece of left over steak – yum yum yum.

June 18th

  • Water (drank over the course of the day) with 4C Light Iced Tea Mix
  • Coffee with Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer (1/2 mug)
  • Iced Coffee
  • Arby’s Chicken Sandwich – Did not eat the bread
  • Smart Ones Meat Lasagna
  • Handful of Frosted Mini Wheats

Today was Father’s Day so I pampered my hubby and let him relax the day. It was a quiet day enjoyed wit the kids.

So I had a very busy week of cleaning, getting up early with the contractors and lots of exercise !!

I was guilty the entire week not paying attention to getting in my protein and eating enough each day – I was just too busy. So yes I slacked – hey it happens.

The contractors will be back again on Monday and should be done with the installation by Tuesday – just in time for the heat wave coming our way. Oh and tomorrow we are getting our chicks !!! Of course I will be sharing them so stay tuned !!!

Check out My Weigh In for this week – I hit another goal of mine – so all this hard work paid off !!!