Tomorrow's the big day!! Im on clear liquids right now, and the lack of calories is really getting to me today. Im not sure if it's the lack of calories, or that I walked 4 miles yesterday. Im wiped out and not motivated. I want to veg out and read or watch TV. There's a million things to do around my house, but hopefully I can rally some help in a bit. I have this OCD that after vacations or hospital stays or whatever, I have to come home to a clean house. Im weird like that. My Christmas tree is still up for goodness sake!! That never happens. :P
I got a call from the hospital and my surgery is at 1 pm. That's awesome, because I don't have to be there at 5:30 am like when I had my kids.
I might be able to post from the hospital, and I might not, so wish me luck!!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
First Post. 2 days til surgery
I'm starting this to see later on how I felt at this point in my journey. Also, maybe keep me motivated as time goes by. It might help someone out there on the internets as well, and that would be wonderful too. I'm not sure how 'out there' this blog will be, as it mainly will just be for my own use, but we shall see.
I am having a Roux en-Y surgery in 2 days. I have wanted this for some time, but put it off because of money, time, or just plain being scared. I cant say that I'm not scared now, as a myriad of things could possibly go wrong, but I feel good with this decision. It wont be an easy fix, I KNOW I have some demons to deal with and eating habits to finally break, but I am on the right track so far.
I have been on a liquid diet for the past two weeks, which included Christmas. I'm very proud of myself for lasting. I did cheat a teeny tiny bit 3 times. I ate two slivers of sausage at my mom's house, I had half a can of tuna fish chopped up, and I had a few of my daughter's little Elsa chips. Have to say, even with those hiccups I still never went over my calories or carb allowance. So we are 100% compliant there. Some people have been very supportive, and some not so much. The person who has really helped me is my super great husband, Derek. He is the best!!
I wont go into how much I weigh now, it will become apparent in time. Let's just say I have a long road ahead. 35 pounds have been shed since August 4th (I count this day when I first reached out to my doctor for help), and that's a great start, I think!
I have been overweight since the age of 4. There was a brief time in high school when I was of 'normal' weight but it was fleeting. I pretty much had a ritual of eating one meal every other day and if I didn't lose, I didn't eat. VERY unhealthy. I am clinically morbidly obese, and have been so for more than half my life, and NEVER had one problem with diabetes, high blood pressure, hurting knees, or anything you would commonly think an obese person would have to deal with. It's like I'm meant to be fat. For years I have accepted that fate. I also have always had to do a little bit extra to lose weight. I know, calories in, calories out, but I always seemed to have to exercise just a little bit more or eat just a little bit less that other people. Again, like I was meant to be fat!! Maybe I never struck that carbohydrate balance or something. It's beyond me.
On my dad's side of the family, everything pretty much revolved around food. I identify most with that side, as most of the time spent was with them. Looking back at my relatives, a definite addictive trait is in a lot of us. So, couple this with a family that values rich yummy food, a mom that cooks really well (not that it was ever her fault-she was actually a motivator towards a healthier weight), and a dad that always likes to have sweets around when you were growing up, you have a recipe for a fat kid. Boy was I fat too! There are so many things I wanted to do when I was younger but I always held back because I was afraid of not fitting into a uniform, or people making MORE fun of me. Many things I regret to this day. Food became my comfort. I was happiest at 11 pm watching TV with a sandwich or a bowl of ice cream. I KNEW I shouldn't have been doing that, but there was some weird twisted comfort that I got from this behavior. I was on a path of self destruction and it needed to stop.
I have been made fun of for my weight by strangers, friends, and even my family all my life. People don't notice you when you're fat. You have a feeling like you don't matter. This is especially true for women. The periodic sideways glances you get are hurtful and you can just feel them judging you from afar.
I want to experience more stuff with my kids too. I want to be able to travel with them and be with them at functions and not have to worry about the other parents judging me. Now, I paint this like I go places and get stared at. This isn't true, most people are very kind. One always remembers that one bad review, however. You never want to believe the good.
I want to ride roller coasters again. I want to sit in seats and have space on either side of the armrests again. I want to walk into any store at the mall and know they will have clothes I can buy that fit me. I want to be a better role model for my daughter especially, and I want BOTH my kids to be proud I'm their mom. Most of all, I want to be healthier. Not because I am afraid to die, but because my biggest fear in the entire world is leaving my children here without me.
So there are the motivators. This is why I am embarking upon this journey.
I am having a Roux en-Y surgery in 2 days. I have wanted this for some time, but put it off because of money, time, or just plain being scared. I cant say that I'm not scared now, as a myriad of things could possibly go wrong, but I feel good with this decision. It wont be an easy fix, I KNOW I have some demons to deal with and eating habits to finally break, but I am on the right track so far.
I have been on a liquid diet for the past two weeks, which included Christmas. I'm very proud of myself for lasting. I did cheat a teeny tiny bit 3 times. I ate two slivers of sausage at my mom's house, I had half a can of tuna fish chopped up, and I had a few of my daughter's little Elsa chips. Have to say, even with those hiccups I still never went over my calories or carb allowance. So we are 100% compliant there. Some people have been very supportive, and some not so much. The person who has really helped me is my super great husband, Derek. He is the best!!
I wont go into how much I weigh now, it will become apparent in time. Let's just say I have a long road ahead. 35 pounds have been shed since August 4th (I count this day when I first reached out to my doctor for help), and that's a great start, I think!
I have been overweight since the age of 4. There was a brief time in high school when I was of 'normal' weight but it was fleeting. I pretty much had a ritual of eating one meal every other day and if I didn't lose, I didn't eat. VERY unhealthy. I am clinically morbidly obese, and have been so for more than half my life, and NEVER had one problem with diabetes, high blood pressure, hurting knees, or anything you would commonly think an obese person would have to deal with. It's like I'm meant to be fat. For years I have accepted that fate. I also have always had to do a little bit extra to lose weight. I know, calories in, calories out, but I always seemed to have to exercise just a little bit more or eat just a little bit less that other people. Again, like I was meant to be fat!! Maybe I never struck that carbohydrate balance or something. It's beyond me.
On my dad's side of the family, everything pretty much revolved around food. I identify most with that side, as most of the time spent was with them. Looking back at my relatives, a definite addictive trait is in a lot of us. So, couple this with a family that values rich yummy food, a mom that cooks really well (not that it was ever her fault-she was actually a motivator towards a healthier weight), and a dad that always likes to have sweets around when you were growing up, you have a recipe for a fat kid. Boy was I fat too! There are so many things I wanted to do when I was younger but I always held back because I was afraid of not fitting into a uniform, or people making MORE fun of me. Many things I regret to this day. Food became my comfort. I was happiest at 11 pm watching TV with a sandwich or a bowl of ice cream. I KNEW I shouldn't have been doing that, but there was some weird twisted comfort that I got from this behavior. I was on a path of self destruction and it needed to stop.
I have been made fun of for my weight by strangers, friends, and even my family all my life. People don't notice you when you're fat. You have a feeling like you don't matter. This is especially true for women. The periodic sideways glances you get are hurtful and you can just feel them judging you from afar.
I want to experience more stuff with my kids too. I want to be able to travel with them and be with them at functions and not have to worry about the other parents judging me. Now, I paint this like I go places and get stared at. This isn't true, most people are very kind. One always remembers that one bad review, however. You never want to believe the good.
I want to ride roller coasters again. I want to sit in seats and have space on either side of the armrests again. I want to walk into any store at the mall and know they will have clothes I can buy that fit me. I want to be a better role model for my daughter especially, and I want BOTH my kids to be proud I'm their mom. Most of all, I want to be healthier. Not because I am afraid to die, but because my biggest fear in the entire world is leaving my children here without me.
So there are the motivators. This is why I am embarking upon this journey.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Sunbeam Pie Maker
I adore kitchen appliances. I got a Sunbeam Pie Maker last Christmas, and really like it.
You need some pie crust and some filling. You can make it yourself, but for demonstration purposes, I chose the prepackaged route. Thanks Kroger!
Heat the Pie Maker.
Roll out the dough and cut it with the crust cutter.
Use the smoosher to push it down into the bottom crust well.
Put your desired filling in those crusts and cover with the mini pie crust tops.
Bake for 10 minutes and Viola! Little cute mini peach pies!
For the filling you can use any fruit or meat kind you can think of. I
have read that people have had success with custard-y pies as well, such
as pumpkin, but I haven't tried that yet. I have tried meaty leftover chili, chicken n dumplings, and put some pizza sauce, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and mozzarella in them for mini pizzas.
You need some pie crust and some filling. You can make it yourself, but for demonstration purposes, I chose the prepackaged route. Thanks Kroger!
Heat the Pie Maker.
Roll out the dough and cut it with the crust cutter.
Put your desired filling in those crusts and cover with the mini pie crust tops.
Strawberry Preserves
I will never buy strawberry preserves at the store again.
I have never ever canned anything in my life and didn't want to invest in some of the fancy pants items they have specifically for canning, so I improvised with some things. It all worked out in the end. After doing this, I can see how those items would make life easier, and will probably invest in them in the future. The biggest problem I have with that actually would be where to store them. But I digress....
If you were scared like me to try something like this-don't be. It was fun and relatively simple. The most time consuming thing was hulling the berries.
Strawberry Preserves
Get a pot of water simmering and put the jars in it. Also, get a shallow pan simmering for the lids too. I used a frying pan.
Hull the berries and slice.
Squeeze the lemons in a pan using a colander to catch the seeds.
Pour all the sugar in the pan with the lemon juice. Cook them on medium heat until the sugar melts. This happens really fast. I was stirring and thinking it would never happen. One second it is grainy and the next its ready!
Now add the berries. Keep them stirred and sorta mash them as you are stirring. Cook this until it reaches 220 degrees. Again, it seemed to take a while for it all to heat up, then 220 came real fast so watch out. While this is going on, try and get the jars out of the simmering water.
Ladle into the jars, leaving a little bit of space for the preserves to expand and contract. I did invest in a funnel and I'm glad I did. There would have been a big old mess had I not.
After you have the jars filled, take a rubber spatula and go around the sides of the jars to release the air bubbles.
Put the lids and rings on and put them into the simmering pot. Make sure the water level is about an inch above the jars. Bring this up to a boil for 15 minutes. Instead of one of those canning racks, I used a craw fish boil thing (I don't know the official name of this) to put the jars in so I could pull them out together. I also used plastic coated high temperature gloves to handle them after processing. Hooray for improvisation.
Pull the jars out and let them sit for about 12 hours. Then screw the lids tighter and give them away or put them in the pantry for later. They will be good for up to a year. Enjoy!
I have never ever canned anything in my life and didn't want to invest in some of the fancy pants items they have specifically for canning, so I improvised with some things. It all worked out in the end. After doing this, I can see how those items would make life easier, and will probably invest in them in the future. The biggest problem I have with that actually would be where to store them. But I digress....
If you were scared like me to try something like this-don't be. It was fun and relatively simple. The most time consuming thing was hulling the berries.
Strawberry Preserves
- 2 pounds strawberries
- Juice of 2 big lemons
- 4 cups of sugar
Get a pot of water simmering and put the jars in it. Also, get a shallow pan simmering for the lids too. I used a frying pan.
Hull the berries and slice.
Squeeze the lemons in a pan using a colander to catch the seeds.
Pour all the sugar in the pan with the lemon juice. Cook them on medium heat until the sugar melts. This happens really fast. I was stirring and thinking it would never happen. One second it is grainy and the next its ready!
Now add the berries. Keep them stirred and sorta mash them as you are stirring. Cook this until it reaches 220 degrees. Again, it seemed to take a while for it all to heat up, then 220 came real fast so watch out. While this is going on, try and get the jars out of the simmering water.
Ladle into the jars, leaving a little bit of space for the preserves to expand and contract. I did invest in a funnel and I'm glad I did. There would have been a big old mess had I not.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Oreo Balls
Everyone really likes these, especially my son. He wanted them in lieu of a cake for his birthday! I got the recipe from my mother-in-law. The original recipe calls to dip the balls in white chocolate. When I made these the first time, the store was out of white chocolate so I improvised with Vanilla Candy coating. They turned out great!
Oreo Balls
Mix them up with the cream cheese.
Make them into little walnut sized balls and put them on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Put them in the refrigerator for an hour. (this makes them easier to work with)
After an hour, melt your candy coating in a double boiler or the microwave and start dipping! I find it helpful to use a small spoon and toothpick to dip these babies.
Put them back on the waxed paper and stick them in the refrigerator again until they are set. You could sprinkle things on them like nuts, coconut, or chocolate chips. Or, get artsy with them and drizzle some dark chocolate over them to make them stripey. My son likes them plain, so that's how I make them.
Oreo Balls
- Package of Oreos (store brand is fine)
- 8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 pound of vanilla candy coating
Mix them up with the cream cheese.
Make them into little walnut sized balls and put them on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Put them in the refrigerator for an hour. (this makes them easier to work with)
After an hour, melt your candy coating in a double boiler or the microwave and start dipping! I find it helpful to use a small spoon and toothpick to dip these babies.
Put them back on the waxed paper and stick them in the refrigerator again until they are set. You could sprinkle things on them like nuts, coconut, or chocolate chips. Or, get artsy with them and drizzle some dark chocolate over them to make them stripey. My son likes them plain, so that's how I make them.
Sweet Strawberry Sauce for Shortcake
We went and picked a bunch of Strawberries and that made me want a Strawberry Shortcake. I realized that I had never used fresh strawberries-I always used the frozen kind bought at the store and that is expensive. So making my own sauce is tastier and cheaper!
Strawberry Sauce
I used angel food cake and cool whip to make my shortcakes...
You probably want to use this within 3 days. I made a bunch up and put it in the freezer for later too.
Strawberry Sauce
- 2 Quarts fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
I used angel food cake and cool whip to make my shortcakes...
You probably want to use this within 3 days. I made a bunch up and put it in the freezer for later too.
Marvelous Meatloaf
Meatloaf. I haven't ever met a child that likes it, yet most adults think of it as comfort food. I was always on the fence about it. The most off putting thing to me, and also Hubby as I found out, was the ketchup people always seem to slather on the top. Ick.
This is my recipe that I have worked on and you can leave that bottle of Heinz in the fridge.
Marvelous Meatloaf
Combine all the above ingredients, then put in a loaf pan.
Bake for one hour. Pull it out and drain the fat. If the loaf looks 'juicy', bake for another 10 minutes. If it looks firm, pull it out and serve. Unless you like 'juicy' meatloaf, then have at it.
This is my recipe that I have worked on and you can leave that bottle of Heinz in the fridge.
Marvelous Meatloaf
- 2 pounds hamburger meat
- 1 pouch of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
- 1 14 ounce can diced Italian seasoned tomatoes, drained
- 3 slices of bread (chopped)
- 1 egg
Combine all the above ingredients, then put in a loaf pan.
Bake for one hour. Pull it out and drain the fat. If the loaf looks 'juicy', bake for another 10 minutes. If it looks firm, pull it out and serve. Unless you like 'juicy' meatloaf, then have at it.
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