The only thing constant is change...

I'm battling a brutal headache this morning. Not sure of the reason, but I'm thinking it's allergies. Have to love Austin allergy counts....So, I decided to write and give my head a reason to hurt. 

Change. It can be a scary word. Depending on my mood, change can either something to look forward too or something to fear. I try to embrace change, especially when it's something that will better my life. Earlier this week I had a little dose of reality. I talked to a dietitian who really helped me out, and made me realize what I was forgetting when I signed up to be a life long participant in being a post op Gastric Bypass patient. I think it's normal to get lax. I think it's normal to forget. Whats not normal is to be ignorant to the fact that what I was doing just wasn't working.

I forgot that I was supposed to be getting close to 80-90 grams a protein per day. I forgot that I wasn't supposed to snack on dense high fiber foods (even if they are good for you) and fruits. My body isn't normal. Just because my stomach can tolerate small amounts of sugar, doesn't mean I should be eating it. So yesterday I instituted some change. I went shopping for high protein, low sugar, low calorie ALL NATURAL foods. It was challenging. This will definitely add a complex issue to my no preservative, all natural ingredients way of life. It's not impossible, but some sacrifices will definitely have to be made. Especially in the protein bar/protein shake department. I will say however that since Monday afternoon, just watching what I've been in taking, and being conscious of the protein, I feel great. What a change. Oh, and in 4 days I had lost 5 pounds!!! Finally! So I'll keep you posted on my progress! 

Additionally this week a great friend introduced me to a new blog, http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Check it out! Gina has lots of amazing recipes and if you're a "Weight Watcher" she has all the caloric information listed as well as the points converted. 

Happy Sunday! 

An apple a day...keep those pesticides away?

You've always heard the saying..."An apple a day keeps the Dr. away..." Well, you may want to think twice if those apples are grown using conventional pesticides. 


Now, I know what you're going to say...organic is expensive. I won't lie, it can be, but there are tips and tricks on how to buy organic and to make changes, that won't put a hole in your pocketbook. Buying organics in season is a great way to stay on budget. 


Washing and peeling your produce can lower the conventional farmers pesticide residues, but not all the time. A good rule of thumb is if you eat the skin of the fruit or veggie those would be the best choices for your organic budget. So that's what I do. 


I've listed below the updated 2011 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen.  

Dirty Dozen 2011

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries (domestic)
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

The "Clean Fifteen" are fruits and veggies with the lowest levels of pesticides so there's no need to waste your money on organic versions.

Clean Fifteen 2011

1. Onions
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplants
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms 

**Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen taken from the 2011 report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG)

Grill-a-licious!

Happy Sunday bloggers!

Summer in Texas. As a native Chicagoan it's still something that I'm not used to, and honestly I'm not sure I will ever be! It's HOT HOT HOT in Texas!

After working a full day, then working out, then coming home sweaty and starving the last thing I want to do upon walking in the door is turn on that stove. All it does will make the house unbearably warm! It's a double edged sword though because when you're watching what you eat, you really do want to prepare your own food. This way you know everything that's going into your body. It's way better than going out to eat. Even if you order healthy at a sit down restaurant you don't know how much fat or salt the cooks are putting on that grilled chicken. Salt can also be used to mask the taste of food that's going bad.

Whats a healthy summer alternative to cooking in the stove? Grilling! Now, I'm the first to admit that we don't own a grill. That's something that will be changing here shortly because I LOVE grilled food. It's juicy, full of flavor and in my opinion one of the best ways to eat veggies! We have one on loan right now thanks to a gathering we had at the house last night, but when that one leaves, I will be purchasing one of our own. Oh, and I'm an old fashioned charcoal grille kinda girl! Check out Google for some natural "coal" options, but All Natural Charcoal seems to have some good natural grilling tips!

Last nights dinner consisted of kebabs of chicken, grilled peppers (red, yellow & green), zucchini (green & yellow), onions, garlic, tomatoes, & portabella mushrooms. My "sister in love" drizzled the veggies in grape-seed oil and seasoned them lightly with salt & pepper. (More pepper than salt, if you can! You can always add more if you have to but better to have too little than too much.) Also another good option for veggies if you want some additional protein, is too add a little crumbled feta cheese & fresh oregano. yuuuuummmy. I learned that trick from my June issue of Whole Living magazine!

I'm off! Have a good health day! :)

Food Revolution?

Jamie Oliver is an inspiration. Never heard of him? Seriously, look him up. He practices the simplest of ideas, that makes sense, yet he gets SO much resistance! I can't believe it's so difficult to talk to the board members of the LAISD about the food that they market as "healthy" to our children. Makes you wonder what indeed they are hiding huh?

One scene last night in particular hit home. Jamie was helping and educating a single father, with two growing sons (14 & 10) on how to eat better. They estimated that they ate fast food about 8-9 times per week, as a standard. Calculate that cost would you? Fast food for three, 9 times a week at an average of $31 per meal. That's a whopping $279 a week, just on fast food. That's also only three days of food, when you think about it! This hit home because just last night my husband and I were mulling over the art of cooking. Matthew said that he doesn't know how to cook (after I told him that he's not supposed to use almost a whole bottle of stone ground mustard to make Dijon chicken...). I asked him what he would do if he were a single father, providing for his children. He looked at me with this blank stare and said..."I don't know". This father definitely was NOT alone.

Jamie then proceeded to get in the car with this family and go through their local fast food drive-thru restaurant. He asked them to order what they normally would. When the family got their food however, the food didn't stop coming. Jamie had set up to load the families car with one weeks full, two weeks full, three weeks full and eventually one months full of fast food. By the end the children were covered, and the food was even on the hood of the car. Disgusting. These children s faces were that of bewilderment. The father started to cry. It was truly a sight. Jamie told them that he wants fast food to be a treat, not the standard.

That got me thinking. I haven't been to a fast food drive-thru restaurant in almost a year (I've even banned McDonalds longer than that), with one exception. Chick-fil-a. Thats the only fast food allowance we have. I then think back to my old life. My 450 pound life. I went through a fast food lane at least 2 times a day. Sometimes 3. How did I afford that? Wait, I didn't....I had credit trouble, health trouble and life trouble...Food was the domino effect for everything that was going wrong in my life, but I couldn't stop. The worst security blanket one could ever have.

I look at my struggles...and it is a daily struggle my friends. I look at my life now. I'm not 100% happy. I'm not at my goal weight, even though I have come so far I have so much more to go. I'm working out 5 days a week (sometimes twice in one day) and not seeing the results that I want, but the biggest accomplishment (I've just realized) is that i'm NOT giving up. I falter, I cry and I lean on my wonderful supportive husband, but I don't give up.The old me? The old me would have sat in her room, with the lights off, TV on and a bag of cookies in hand while the tears stream down my face. The new me however tries to put aside those thoughts. The new me tries to ignore the stares of the people who likely look at me and say "why doesn't she do something". The new me tries to remember that they don't know how far I've come, and instead of being angry, I look at them and smile. (Try smiling at people when they stare at you, it confuses them.)

So today, I'm treating myself to a new pair of workout shoes and a farmers market. What are you doing today to be a part of the "food revolution"?

Hot Potato

Well, I had high hopes for this blogging thing. Today, upon checking a friends blog, I realized that I didn't go very good at keecping up my own. Opsies. Well, lots of changes in my life since my last entry, most of them wonderful and those that weren't just didn't make the 'must mention' cut. I will say however, that my stress levels in the past couple months have increased and I've tried a new approach. Instead of my old, grab a doughnut, solution, I'm doing something better for me.

Exercise.

I never realized how much I truly enjoy working out. I feel accomplished, productive, and during my Zumba workouts if I'm especially annoyed or angry at someone or something there is a perfect "punch it out" song for that! I'm on a 5 day per week work out schedule now, and I'm so proud of myself. M, W & F I do circuit training with Stephanie. Then on Tues & Thursdays I do either Zumba or Pilates and sometimes both... It makes me feel amazing, alive and healthy. In a world where I often feel like an outcast, working out makes me feel like I fit in. I'm working towards a goal and I love the feeling. I just can't explain it.

Yes, I wish I would see better results. I've lost only inches since starting over a year ago, and not a single pound (damn scale!), but I'm hoping the pounds will come off too...soon! I'm proud of myself for sticking with it. The old me would have given up long ago. Regardless of what I've done in my past, this is what I'm doing now. It's healthy, its fun (yes, fun) and it's making me smile. Smiling is good.

Today in pilates we did the Hot Potato. It was painful, and my muscles are crying tonight, but I did it! 16 months ago I couldn't even do a push up.

Tonight, I did the Hot Potato. Look it up, it's no push up.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia: Recipe #1

Hello Bloggers! Happy Hump day! 

From time to time I'll be posting some of my favorite recipes that I've used, discovered, created or have been given. I'll try to do this at least once a week and tag it for easy searching later. I've used this recipe with Tilapia (of course), but also with Cod and Catfish. Blogger Note: Cod, depending on the size will need to cook longer, about 20-25 minutes at a 400 degree oven. I've also altered it with Hatch peppers...yummmmm Hatch peppers...so experiment! Don't be afraid, it won't bite :)

Try it tomorrow and let me know how you like it!

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Ingredients:

4 Tilapia fillets

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Margarine (The recipe originally calls for Country Crock Sheds Spread)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

Dash of salt

Cayenne pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400

Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray

Melt butter in microwave

Add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and parsley and sautee for a few minutes

Pour over tilapia fillets in baking pan

Sprinkle some cayenne pepper on top of fish

Bake in preheated over for about 13 minutes (see above note for cod bake time), and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes. 

Number of services 4.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:

Fat: 6.2g

Carb: 1.8g

Calories: 128.5

Protien: 18.2g

*Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user JENNAGUERRA

A tisket, a tasket....

Today I fell into one of my old habits. Scary thing was that I didn't notice until after it was to late. It wasn't one of those conscious decisions to overeat or binge. It was one of the easiest traps that anyone can fall into. Snacking...


Now don't get me wrong, snacking is great, but in moderation. My normal eating day consists of 3 meals and two snacks. The snacks are usually a measured amount of almonds, a piece of fruit, greek yogurt or an organic energy bar. 


Todays afternoon snack were almonds. However the difference in todays snack was that I made one big mistake. I just took the whole package instead of doing what I normally do and count out a serving size and put it in a sandwich bag. At about 3pm today while working on some legal documents I took out my almonds....at about 3:20 they "mysteriously" vanished, and I was oddly stuffed to the point that I felt ill.


Just like that my well thought out eating plan for the day was blown and with it my determination. That damn domino effect again! It wasn't a wellness filled day for me today, but I'm putting it behind me and starting fresh, and a little better organized, tomorrow.


So, what are some good ways to control this from happening?? It's all about portions and planning.  


Make sure to check that label before you leave the house, or even the night before. Plan, prepare and portion your plate!