Heart Healthy

I posted this link in a group I belong to on Facebook for healthy weight loss foods. In the months following my weight loss surgery, I’ve done a lot of research on healthy foods. I want to eat a healthy diet (but not be ON a diet if that makes sense). This is part of what I posted about the link.

I get ‘poo poo’ed’ a lot for my love of nuts and other healthy fats but in moderation they are fantastic for you (too much of anything can be bad for you, after all). I feel sometimes Americans are a people of extremes. Fat is ‘bad’ for you so Americans don’t just eliminate the fats that ARE bad for you, they go to the extreme of eliminating the healthy fats, too. Fats your body needs.  http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/slideshow.asp?show=51

I’ll admit, I’m a ‘full fat’ kind of girl. I DO pay attention to the KINDS of fat I am eating but, to be honest, I can eat so little. Why would I waste what little room I have on low fat foods that taste like crap? And if they DON’T taste like crap they are ‘usually’ (but not always) full of extra sugar or carbs to make them taste not like crap, or full of other processed crap your body doesn’t need. Also, to be honest, full fat foods leave me feeling sated for much longer. I also know not all lower fat foods taste like crap but the majority seem to.

Disclaimer: Your mileage may vary. I know what works for ME and MY lifestyle and MY body.

Maui Bound

So I’m going on my first ‘big’ vacation since my surgery. The husband and I are headed to Maui in just a bit, a trip we normally would not be able to afford but my incredibly generous in-laws are there and are paying for us to come meet them. This will also be my first time on an airplane in years. The last time I flew I needed a seatbelt extender, I bet I fit into a seat this time around.

I’m not too worried about being terribly strict with my diet or finding healthy low carb options while I’m there. There’s tons of fish and I can get FRESH ahi tuna and mahi mahi, which makes me very happy. My one real indulgence is going to be fresh pineapple juice but I’ll balance it out with some protein so my blood sugar doesn’t decide to go insane.

I really am very excited about this trip. I love Maui (I’d live there if I could manage it) and I could really use this time to unwind and destress. Maybe I’ll get brave enough to get in front of the camera for a few vacation pictures. Been a long time since I’ve done that.

Mean Girls and Weight Loss Surgery

This is something I’ve been thinking about for awhile. I’ve noticed a trend in the post weight loss surgery world, one that kind of bothers me. I’ve noticed a lot of us (and I’ve been guilty of it myself so I’m not pointing fingers at anybody) turn into ‘mean girls’ after surgery.

An example. Someone posts a picture comparing a curvy girl (usually the lovely Marilyn Monroe) to someone who might be considered by most standards too thin. The comments on the thin girl are cutting. Some examples: That’s so gross! That’s unattractive! She looks sooooo unhealthy! That’s disgusting.

Those same comments posted on a photo of an obese woman would have us all frothing at the mouth, getting out the torches and pitchforks, and all out lynching the people making such insensitive comments. Why do we find it acceptable in the first case but not in the second? Is there really a difference between saying the obese woman looks disgusting or saying the thin woman looks disgusting?

In my mind? No, there’s not much difference. I’m no size advocate but, personal preferences aside, I don’t think either is acceptable. I wonder if some of us just forget how hurtful and hateful those kinds of comments really are.

What do all of you think? I really want to hear opinions.

Happy Post Thanksgiving!

I hope everybody had a great holiday yesterday. We had a great day here filled with family and a dear friend who spends every Thanksgiving with us as her family is on the other side of the country. It’s become a tradition to have her here every year.

I have a post I’ve been working up to that I hope to have up sometime this weekend. It may rock a few boats but, eh, what can I say? I’m so not a people pleaser.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

This is a Betty Crocker recipe that is more of a stew than an actual chili. It’s soupier than most chilis but man is it yummy. I skipped the celery, personally. No nutritional information as your serving size and ingredients may vary. My husband and I both agreed, the blue cheese really made this recipe. He added more wing sauce to his bowl but he loves things REALLY spicy.

• 2.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 medium stalks of celery, sliced (about one cup)
• 1 large onion, chopped (about one cup)
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (about one cup)
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
• crumbled blue cheese, if desired

1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray, mix all ingredients EXCEPT buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese
2. Cover, cook on LOW heat setting 8 to 10 hours
3. Stir in buffalo wing sauce. Serve sprinkled with blue cheese.

Related articles

• imabonehead: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures: Slow Cooker Mole Chicken Chili (traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com)
• Why I love my slow cooker (thegrassskirtblog.com)

Tasty Thai/Mexican fusion chicken soup recipe

I’m not sure what to call this. I’m not even sure where the original recipe came from. All I can say is it was goooooood.   Someone had posted it on a site I used to frequent and I thought it sounded pretty good. The recipe didn’t call for chicken broth but I thought it would add more flavor.

• 1 envelope Coconut Ginger Soup Base paste
• 2 tbsp mild curry paste
• 2 tbsp Goya recaito
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
• 1 bunch chopped scallions
• 2 cups halved baby carrots
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into pieces
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups chicken broth/stock

Simmer approximately 2 hours

Sausage and Bean Soup with Escarole

There are several version of this soup online, play around with the type of  sausage and even the beans. This was super easy to prepare and delicious. We couldn’t find the sausage with Mediterranean seasonings so we used chicken and apple sausage instead. Yum. As usual, no nutrition information as your ingredients and serving sizes may vary.

 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces chicken sausage with Mediterranean seasonings, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 small head escarole, chopped
• 1/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

Combine sausage, beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, thyme and red pepper in slow cooker and cook on low heat setting for 4 hours.

Stir in escarole and cook an additional 5 to 8 minutes, until just wilted. Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

I’m a terrible, terrible blogger

Hi. Remember me? No? I don’t blame you. I’m a crappy blogger and I haven’t kept up with the newsletter either. I am working on some guest posts for the newsletter, though. Things are going great. Just out living life, which I did not really do as much of before my sleeve as I should have.

Weight is still pretty much stalled. Plateaus suck, but I can live with it. I’m still losing inches, slowly but surely, even when the pounds don’t come off. I still love my sleeve. Even if I’m never ‘thin’ again, my life has improved 100% already.

I have some great recipes to post so I’ll be doing that. Weather is getting colder and I start craving soups and stews. They’re warming, filling, and all of the ones I’ve found are pretty protein packed. I’ll also post the update on my leg (from my last blog post). It was a fun story (not).

Updates Finally!

I haven’t updated recently, for that I apologize. I’m really a TERRIBLE blogger. No, really, I am. I’ve pretty much just been out living my life. Since losing a chunk of weight, I’ve been a lot more active. That means getting out and doing more.

The first part of July, my best friend in the whole wide world had a VSG! I went to Ohio and spent a week there, so I could be there for her surgery. It was great getting to see her and spend time with her and her family. When it was time to come home I was really sad but now that we know it’s not too expensive for me to travel there, I may get to see her more often.

I had my one year follow up at my surgeon’s office yesterday. My one year isn’t until the 18th but I had an issue I wanted looked at now. I’ve been having some swelling in my legs, especially the right leg, some edema, the skin on top of my shins is reddened (more pink than red but still a color change) and there’s some intermittent achy pain, again mainly in the right leg. I admit, my first thought was the possibility of DVT so I wanted my surgeon to look at it. No, I did not go to the ER – don’t judge me. Seriously, just don’t.

My appointment went really well. I’ve lost a total of 60% of my excess weight and, even though I’ve been on a six month plateau, my weight is right where they ‘wanted’ me at this stage. They were really encouraging about the plateau, too, and I’ll be seeing my nutritionist on Friday to discuss it and see if there’s anything we can change. I still need to do my one year labs, but they’ll call me if there are any issues with them.

About the leg… 

Gotein Giveaway at fatnomo

Hey guys! My oldest and dearest friend in the whole world Kate over at fatnomo is having a giveaway of Gotein protein (hey, I’m a poet and didn’t know it). She’s got a great review of the product there along with all the details on the giveaway. You should all scoot on over there and enter. Just click on this link to be taken right to the post.