Protein Packed Parfait

After longing admiring the yogurt parfait at Starbucks the other day, I decided there has to be a better WLS friendly version for me. Here is my take on it:

• Plain Greek Yogurt (I used Fage)
• Organic Wild Blueberries (Frozen - they tend to be smaller/you get more per serving)
• GoLean Kashi Honey Almond Cereal (9 grams of protein per 3/4 cup serving)

Get your favorite parfait glass, include your selected serving size of plain Greek yogurt (I go with 1/2 cup), top with blueberries (1/4 to 1/2 cup), and sprinkle with cereal (about a tablespoon). The cereal gives you the right crunch and sweetness, and eliminating the need for additional sweetener. You could also substitute slivered almonds for the cereal or just throw them in for more protein.

• I know some of you may be upset about the inclusion of the Honey Almond cereal, but I am definitely not using an entire serving. Instead, I am "sprinkling" for some serious crunch. I also like it because of the amount of protein the cereal contains. 

Roasting Vegetables

In getting back on track, and the recent buzz about upping vegetable intake to lengthen your lifespan (always a good thing), I have been using my oven to roast a variety of vegetables. My personal favorite (at least currently) are roasted mushrooms (Baby Bellas) with sour cream/Greek yogurt and chives. Delicious and filling.

You can also simply roast almost any vegetable you have (again, almost is the key word). I tend to wash, chop, and mix my vegetables with extra virgin olive oil (amount depends on how many veggies I have), salt and pepper. I put them in an oven safe dish and roast for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees. I like to stir them every 15 to 20 minutes, just to make sure they don't stick. Also, you can always experiment with flavors and seasonings. Meaning, throw some cloves of garlic in or some delicious spice blends from your cupboard.

Roasted veggies are a great starting or ending point for your recipes. You can eat them right away, use them in delicious soups, blend them up as flavorful purees, or create your own dish. Think outside the box - for example, I will roast butternut squash and blend it up to include in my toddler's mac and cheese.

Baby Bella "Salad"
1 container of Baby Bella Mushrooms (clean them with a damp paper towel or mushroom brush)
2 tablespoons of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (your choice)
2 tablespoons of fresh chives
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees (F).

Clean your mushrooms, remove the stem, and cut them in half. Add the mushrooms to a bowl and add the oil. Stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper (or whatever seasonings you desire). Stir to distribute the seasoning. Pour the mushrooms into a oven safe dish or pan. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring every so often. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Cut the mushrooms into quarters and add to a clean bowl. Add sour cream/Greek yogurt and chives to the mushrooms. Stir to coat. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

• Another variation on this (which I enjoy), is to leave the mushroom caps whole and once they are cool, fill them with the sour cream/Greek yogurt mixture. 
• If you have Chive Dip available in your area, this can be a great substitute. Also, you could mix the mushrooms with other sour cream/Greek yogurt based dips to achieve the same effect.

3 months post-pregnancy

I'm back. This means a lot of things. Back to work, back to working out, and trying to get "back" on my healthy eating plan. Fortunately, I did not completely go off the rails during pregnancy with my eating or exercise. Instead, my difficultly came with the last month of post-pregnancy leave. Given a series of events (highly emotional), I became focused and mindful about my eating choices. Too much sugar, refined carbs, and snacking. With going back to work last week, I am slowly but surely resolving to get back on track. For me, this has a lot to do with planning and preparation. If I don't plan, I am not prepared. If I am not prepared, I tend to just "go" with whatever sounds good. Not a good plan, right? Some of my preparation this week involved reading up on some new recipes from other WLS blogs, went shopping, and stocked my fridge with some appropriate choices. So, other issues? Working out. From about 8 weeks post-partum, I started walking at the Mall of America for about an hour and a half every day (about 5 times around). This was a great way to segway back into exercising (particularly post c-section). Now that I am back at work, I am aiming to go work out during my lunch hours. I went three times last week, but my goodness, was I exhausted by 7 pm at night. This week, I am resolving to go 4 times. Slowly but surely, right? As someone who has been successful at losing weight with the help of WLS, I am terrified of gaining. I am terrified of failing. I am terrified at looking at the scale again, only to see the numbers higher than I wanted. But, I feel that I am facing these fears and getting my mind on track to be successful. I look forward to using this as a platform for charting my success (and, let's be frank, also my struggles).

Watch your NOSE

Yes, you heard me right. You can monitor your fullness ol' WLS buddies by paying attention to your nose, at least I can. When I have overeaten, i.e. filled my pouch to the brim, my nose will let me know. It will start to run. Why do I say this? Because after nearly 1.75 years post weigh loss surgery, there are things that you learn and watch for to keep yourself in check. One of my markers - my nose. Running = not good. There are other markers that you will likely notice, again everyone is different, but the runny nose, the heart beating faster (sugar correspondence), etc. You need to learn not only listen to your inner voice, but also what your body is telling you. And, frankly, sometimes that is a very hard thing to actually do.

So, Happy Halloween to all of your out there, and watch your nose - tonight is a tough night for those with kiddos and without - faced with the prospect of free flowing candy. I plan to indulge in a piece or two, but fill my pouch with some good old fashioned protein prior to subjecting myself to the basket o'candy. And, I do have to say, since WLS, I am a much better candy-giver-outer, given my overall goal is to get rid of it by the end of the night. Last year, I handed out so much candy, I had to resort to searching cabinets for treats by the end of the night for the last few beggars. 

Be safe, make mindful choices, and watch your nose!

Beany Brownies and Pregnancy

One more thing that has helped my pregnancy eating (WLS-friendly) and packed with protein, have been bean brownies. I wrote about black bean brownies earlier this summer, whereas a few weeks ago, I discovered a white bean blondies recipe. I followed the Chocolate Covered Katie Blondies Recipe, which contains white beans, peanut butter, a tad bit of oatmeal, and chocolate chips. You can substitute stevia or Splenda for the brown sugar (or the Splenda blend). It is also a delicious recipe - if you can't stop yourself from eating cookie dough. The reason - no raw eggs. Check her out - www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com and remember, this is not a perfect site for post-WLS folks, but it is a great launching point for healthy alternative desserts or if you are looking for a place to start and make them WLS - friendly. As, I don't know about you, but I got a little sick of the Greek yogurt cheesecake recipes I have been making for the last year and a half. It gives you a great knowledge base.

Pregnancy - 30 Weeks

Since this summer, I have been absent (again) from this blog. Primarily, I would say it is because being pregnant and post-WLS has been challenging. Honestly, challenging. I have been very good at my eating choices, most of the time. But, there have been moments or days, where a cup of cereal with milk sounds like an outstanding choice or "just one cookie" won't hurt. There have been days where I literally have to talk to myself out loud to "walk away" from the kitchen, given my state of mind. But, mostly, it has been a balanced approach. One thing that truly helped was going to my bariatric dietitian. She was really realistic and plainly said, "you need to eat, so that you can grow a baby." Clearly, this was not a mandate to blow any strategy I currently had, but it was a realistic reminder that during pregnancy, you are growing a baby. Growing another human being inside of your body. Another thing that has greatly helped is exercise - I just feel better when I have exercised. I had been doing a lot of swimming, but then with a pinched nerve, I migrated to Aqua Jogging or literally, running in the water with a lot of squats. I cannot express the help this has been to my joints, swelling, varicose veins, and overall mental health. Exercise works, and despite my panic each time the scale goes up at the OB's office, I know that it is better than it would have been without the exercise. Yet, I still get moments of terror that somehow I am going slip and suddenly be over 300 pounds. But, then I take a breath. And, another. And, one more.

How Sugar Free Syrups May Change your Life

Shakes. Shakes. Shakes. Bleh. If you are new to the pre or post WLS community, you may be overwhelmed with the non-stop discussion of shakes, i.e. the infamous protein shakes. I have a love/hate relationship with them, meaning I will go a few months with a salacious fervor for shakes, then - I will literally start gagging at the thought of them. The cycle continues. Much of it is trial and error regarding what type of shakes you can handle. Prior to surgery, I was able to drink regular milk without issue. Post surgery, two sips and I was ready to be sick. 

With my pregnancy, I have wanting nothing to do with shakes until about two weeks ago. Hence, I am back on the shake-wagon. Something that has helped me develop my own collection of favorite and go-to shakes has been the experimentation with different flavored sugar-free syrups. At first, I was a complete naysayer, but after finding a few flavors that agreed with me, I am quite a believer. Although, a quick warning, be caution about how your body reacts to the sugar-free syrups. Some people will tell you that no-sugar free syrup will cause you to dump. But, I will say, dumping or not, some syrups have not agreed with me. This can also be true with different types of syrups coffee shops use - be sure to figure out what works best for you. For example, I cannot get the Sugar Free Vanilla Lattes at McDonalds, because whatever type of SF syrup they use, makes me dump - and I had a sleeve!!! Personally, I have found that Torani and DaVinci syrups agree with me - and most importantly, they are delicious. 

Buying Tips:

1. World Market - They stock an incredible series of Torani flavors that you seemingly cannot find anywhere else. Also, you can become a World Market member for free, giving you further discounts. 

2. HomeGoods - ONE OF MY FAVORITE places to buy. Owned by TJ Maxx, they stock a large variety of Sugar Free Syrups. I have found brands like Torani and DaVinci at one of my local (Minneapolis suburbs). They are great, because given their inconsistent inventory, you can always find a fun flavor. The other night I purchased SF Chocolate Macadamia Nut Syrup. They also had Watermelon. Typically, the cost varies between $5.00 - $8.00 for a LARGE bottle. 

3. Your local grocery store - check the coffee aisle, you will often find a small assortment of syrups. But proceed with caution, sometimes they are small bottles with a very steep price. In addition, I prefer to purchase the syrups in glass bottles. The ones I have found at the grocery store are often in plastic, and personally, I think the flavor is slightly different. 

4. The Web - Amazon, Torani, DaVinci - check them out!

How to use them: 

1. The sky is the limit! I like to look at different shake recipes from other bariatric patients and develop my own based on those recipes. Sometimes they can be a lifesaver when you are craving something like a peanut butter cup - solution: SF Chocolate Syrup, 1 tablespoon of Peanut Butter, your favorite protein powder, milk/water, ice and blend. Your delicious, protein packed peanut butter cup shake. 

2. Be creative, but understand there also may be some epic failures. For example, ended up tossing out a nearly full bottle of SF Amaretto syrup - after one to many attempts to make it agree with my taste buds.  

3. SF Syrups - they are not only for shakes. Try mixing it up with cheesecake recipes, Greek yogurt, baking, and coffee. 

Cheers!