KarrieMassotti

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

I finally achieved 100 lbs gone. 

I have 140 more to go so not quite at the 50% of excess but still excited to achieve this major milestone.

I have lost 27 since surgery and the rest was due to Dr's orders to loose weight before surgery.   I count it all because it was all after deciding to have surgery and it was all while on this journey.

And, now that I have good restriction in my band, I should be able to loose the rest a lot easier.    

So, I had my 4th fill last week Tuesday.  I didn't want to claim victory yet because with each fill I have good restriction right after-wards only for it to go away soon.

But, now 10 days post fill I feel I can declare minor victory.

I have good restriction.

My band is telling me when I am full

My band is keeping me from eating the wrong things!

My band is forcing me to eat slow and small bites.

My band is telling me I am full long after eating.

I am not saying I am perfect yet as I can still eat more than I am supposed to, but not as much as before.  

So VICTORY!!!!

An example is last night we drove past Dairy Queen and Baskin & Robbins. It has been in the 90's so ice-cream would have been wonderful.  I am usually able to stay away from due to sheer will power but last night I had the added tool of just being too full to even think about adding ice-cream regardless of the heat.  I couldn't have fit it in even if I had wanted to.

Seems like I am finally leaving "bandsters hell".

For those days when you have cravings for dessert that just won't go away.  Try this in place of one of your protein shakes.  It will satisfy the sweet tooth and feel like you are cheating without setting you back for weeks.

Not an everyday treat, but occasionally as a treat can be helpful in reducing cravings. 

1/2 cup Whipping Cream
1 scoop Chocolate protein powder
1 package Splenda

Whip all together until desired consistency in achieved.

335 calories, 5 carbs 25 grams fat. 24.25 g protein

A great low carb breakfast for when you have time to cook is Ricotta Pancakes. This may sound really weird but believe me they are very delicious. My dear husband even loves these.

You will find this listed on many low carb websites, cookbooks etc so I don't know where this originally came from. I don't even know where I originally got it from.

2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 splash vanilla
1 dash cinnamon
1 package xylitol, stevia or splenda

Mix making sure to get it all blended really well and then cook in pan on stove just like you would a pancake.

It is thinner than a traditional pancake, sort of like a cross between a crepe and a pancake but there is no flour in it at all. And the cinnamon and vanilla make it a really sweet treat.

Serve with DaVinci pancake syrup (calorie, fat and carb free and yummy)

I have this in the OH tracker (search for Ricotta pancakes).   It is <1gram carb, 35 calories and 2.4 grams protein per pancake.

I had an MRI today on my Liver for the growth they saw prior to surgery.   

I found it interesting that I could even have an MRI. 

The port does have metal in it but according to them as long as the port is secured down there is no problem at all doing an MRI. 

I won't know results for a few days but thought I would post that it is okay to have an MRI in case anyone was wondering.

Also, I had my 3rd fill a few days ago.  This afternoon I came off liquids and although it is pretty early to know for sure, I may finally be seeing some restriction.

I ate about 5 bites of food and felt like I had just left thanksgiving dinner.  I was stuffed.  It was actually pretty bizarre to be full after so little.    I ended up giving the rest to my husband to eat because I just couldn't imagine eating another bite.

I was hungry again about 30 minutes later so I am still not where I need to be but, it was great to have a tool to help me stop myself besides just my strong will.

I don't use Aspartame because I am convinced after research and experimentation that it keeps you fat.  (See my earlier blog on this topic)

 

Anyway, most commercially prepared gelatin desert products have aspartame so I had to find a recipe I could make myself. this is not really any harder than the package mix and tastes better.

Ingredients:
3 packages unsweetened gelatin (like Knox)
1 or 2 pkgs unsweetened Kool-aid
4 cups water
1 cup splenda

Directions:
boil 2 cups of the water
Combine the other 2 cups with the kool-aid and Splenda.
Sprinkle gelatin over top of the water with the kool-aid and splenda and allow to bloom
Stir this mixture just enough to moisten, add in boiling water and mix until gelatin is fully dissolved.
Pour into containers and put into fridge to set

I have also played with using Davinci syrups instead of the splenda and some of the water, but haven't quite figured that right combo out yet.  . 

This makes about 12 servings and is about 2 carbs per serving.  

Using the Davinci syrup makes it carb free so that is why I am working to figure that out.  If I ever get that combo right I will post it.

Another recipe to share.   This is a staple in my house that I make EVERY weekend.  This way I always have cooked breasts in the fridge for quick meals.  These are the moistest most wonderful chicken breasts.

Take a bag of frozen boneless chicken breasts
Poor in 2 bottles of low carb beer* right into the bag.
Marinate for 2 days in fridge.

Two days later, pull from fridge, drain beer and season each breast to taste**
Bake in oven 350 for 1 hour or until a a probe thermometer says it is done. 

You will have a whole bunch of fantastic chicken that you can eat for dinner or lunch for the next week or so.

*I use Michelob Ultra because it is the lowest in carb. This website has carb counts: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art14302.asp

**I often do every breast in the bag different.
Some I use often are Greek seasoning, smokey paprika, herbs de province or chicken rub. I also like cayenne, rosemary and jerk.  Mixing some of these is quite good too.  My favorite is chicken rub and smokey paprika together. 

< 1 carb per serving all from the beer which most is drained out or cooked off so it may be even less.  Unless you add carbs in seasoning.

My problem area has always been my thunder thighs and ample hips.    Yes, this is an hourglass figure, but mine is extreme.   When I was at my best figure back in high-school I had a 26inch waist and each thigh was 23 inches.  

The issue is no matter how much I loose I still maintain this shape.   I am down to a 1x on top and still a 4x on bottom.   Finding clothes that fit well is extremely difficult.   For example I tried on size 28's the other day, I was excited that I was able to get into them, but they were too big in the waist by a couple of sizes and so tight in the thighs that I feared they would rip if I sat down.

I have been forced to buy clothes with elastic waist bands because they are the only pants that retract to my waist when they are large enough to fit my big thighs. 

Forget jeans, they NEVER fit right.   

Yes, I like having an hourglass figure, yes I am "lucky" to have a small waist, but it is still a pain because I can't have the nice tailored look.

So, I found a book this weekend at half-price books called 8 minutes in the morning to Lean Hips and Thin Thighs.  It sounds really promising.   

I tried the routine this morning,  it seemed fairly easy to do and only took 10 minutes total including warm up and cool-down/stretching.    Yet, all day my thighs and hips have felt the burn.   You know, that great feeling that you know you worked them right.  Not pain, just that "oh my - my muscles do exist" feeling.

They feel like they got much more of a workout than I get doing my usual treadmill or water jogging and it only took 8 minutes.  I will still do the other things because cardio serves a whole other purpose.

The theory behind his workout is to build long lean muscles (similar to Yoga or Pilates)  and then those muscles burn more fat all day long and so it is more effective than aerobic type exercises in reducing size.  

I will post more on this after a few weeks to let you know my progress.   I am hopeful. 

I took measurements and will post if I actually loose inches like they claim.  

Re-post from my old blog.  Originally written 9/9/09

I have had some friends say they can not do a low carb lifestyle because they don't have time to cook.  They live out of boxed foods, canned goods and frozen dinners all which are full of chemicals and full of carbs.

I work full-time, go to college, run an Avon business and help my husband with administrative duties in the Ministry (like manage the Church website, create the bulletins etc) so I understand being busy.

Here are a few suggestions for quick easy meals for those of you who don't have a lot of time to cook.

Open a can of tuna and add a little mayo.  You would be surprised how good it is even without the crackers or bread.

Nitrate free chicken sausages. I like Aidells. Their chicken with feta and spinach is fantastic. Just slice some up and fry it in a pan or microwave it.   Just be sure to look at labels, ones with sweeteners or fruits are more carbs.

I cook up a batch of beer marinated chicken every week and then can easily pop one of those breasts in the microwave at any time.

I make a crust-less quiche every week and have that most days for breakfast.

Frozen hamburger patties (beef or even turkey) are a quick fix. Simply stick them on a Forman grill and let them cook for a few minutes.  Yes, this is cooking but it only takes about as long as a frozen dinner does in the microwave.

Most leftovers also work great in a quick hurry.   I usually cook on the weekends and then have the leftovers for quick options during the busy week.

I don't personally eat this but they also make other canned meats like canned chicken or even canned corned beef.    Watch the sodium on these items and look to make sure they don't have nitrates.

I hope this gives you some ideas of some quick items you can eat on the run.

I took the idea of making food in a muffin tin for portion control and applied it to the crust less quiche that I love.

It has been wonderful.   Each piece is between 1.5 and 2.5 ounces so perfect for a meal. 
One quiche serving on a salad plate.


two fit in a small snack ziplock.  Easy to store in fridge.

Having them all prepared and pre-sized makes breakfast in a hurry a breeze.  I make up a batch and then nuke one for 30 seconds and enjoy for breakfast.  

Here is the base recipe I use:  
4 oz. bacon 
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
6 eggs
3/4 c heavy cream
2 boxes (10 oz. each) frozen chopped broccoli or spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

If using bacon, pre-cook it and drain on paper towels.
If using fresh onion or other fresh veggies, saute first until soft.
Thaw the spinach and squeeze out all the water.  I let it sit in a strainer for a while and then put in kitchen towel and squeeze out.   Don't skip this or you will have egg soup instead of quiche.
Mix together all ingredients and bake at 350 for 1hour 15 mins.

I play a ton with this base recipe. 
The one in the photo for example has turkey ham instead of bacon, avocado and mushrooms added and only 1 box of spinach.  
I change it each time. 
I have had salmon and dill quiche.  I often use turkey deli meat instead of bacon. I have used chicken sausage and sun dried tomatoes.  Be creative.

The recipe above says it makes 8 but made in muffin tins it actually makes 18.  

Here is nutrition for 8 per recipe. lower it all accordingly since you will easily double the 8 servings mark.

• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 210.1
• Total Fat: 17.0 g
• Cholesterol: 212.8 mg
• Sodium: 489.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 4.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
• Protein: 10.7 g