Hanging on Tight!

Surprisingly, it's been more than 8 months since I've published a post.  I took a break while discerning and acting on a major decision that I felt the need to keep quiet -- until now.

I had weight loss surgery.

There.  It's out now.

Weight loss surgery isn't for everyone.  I'll tell you what, though . . . it's one of the best things I've ever done for myself.  Truly.  A month and a half before surgery my cardiologist had me double my blood pressure medication.  I no longer need that prescription at all. Joint pain?  Gone.  Energy level?  So much better.  Stress incontinence?  What stress incontinence?

You see, in addition to the weight loss there are all sorts of benefits I'm enjoying now that I'm on the "loser's bench".  My health and quality of life are improving as I get lighter.  So far, since my Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery on March 2, 2011, I've lost 58 pounds!

A lot of WLS veterans told me to hang on tight for the ride of my life and that's what I'm doing.  Now that I've had some time to adjust to my new way of life I'll be back here posting tips and recipes for the healthy lifestyle I'm thoroughly enjoying.  I hope you'll continue to join me on the journey.

See you soon, a little farther left of heft!

A Better Burger Bet

Did you have a nice Labor Day weekend?  I have no complaints.  The weather's been a delight and it's been nice to have no commitments, no taxiing kids to their activities, and the luxury of free time to do as I please.

I was planning to have a burger tonight until I calculated the POINTS it would cost me.  9 POINTS for the patty alone!  Mind you, I could have done it and still been within my daily and weekly allowance but something in me just insisted that I find an alternative.  I came up with this:

I remembered that I had individually frozen salmon fillets in the freezer so I thought I'd grill one alongside the burgers and shave off 7 POINTS in the process!  Then I checked the nutritional information for the frozen fries I was preparing and was pleasantly surprised to find that a 3 oz portion of these babies baked in the oven came to only 2 POINTS!!!  I was psyched!  So, I ended up with an enormously satisfying 8 POINT meal when all was said and done.

So, I ask you, when faced with this choice,

it's a no-brainer, isn't it?!

I'd love to hear what you're doing this week to achieve your goals.  What choices are you particularly proud of?

Until next time,

Deborah

Sweet Slaw!

Hey Folks,
I hope you've been having success in your efforts to get healthier.  Since our last visit I've shed 4.4 pounds! 

We have a lot of catching up to do and I'm hoping to carve out some time this weekend to post some things that have been rolling around in my head to share.  But, until then I wanted to direct you to this terrific recipe I discovered on the Weight Watchers website.  If you need to bring a dish to a Labor Day party it's a crowd pleaser!  A half cup of this sweet slaw is zero POINTS!

Have a great weekend and remember:  
"Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

--Deborah

Better Mood and More Energy!

I really don't know where the week has gone.  I do know that I've been treating my food choices and exercise as high priority items, right up there with caring for the kiddos.  Since our last visit I've worked out at the gym 3 times and my knees are thanking me for making the extra effort!  It's amazing what happens when you strengthen the quads and hamstrings.  It takes so much stress off the knees.  I also feel like I have more energy, enabling me to keep up with my busy household and my outlook is currently very positive. Must be those workout endorphins.

On another note, I've been wanting to share a fantastic recipe with you that I found in my latest Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  This Slow Cooker Indian Chicken Stew is packed with flavor and consists of really healthy ingredients!  It was developed by Irene Goodall of Loxahatchee, FL and her submission won a $400 prize!  Here you go:

Slow Cooker Indian Chicken Stew
2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 tsp curry powder
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper and/or cayenne pepper
2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 T lime juice
1 9-oz pkg fresh spinach (optional)
Hot cooked rice (optional)

1. Lightly coat a 6-qt slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or oil.  Add chicken, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker.  Add curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper to the slow cooker.  Toss to coat.  Stir in drained beans, undrained tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf.  Cover and cook on high-heat setting 4 to 5 hours or low-heat setting 8 to 10 hours.
2. Stir lime juice into cooked stew.  Stir spinach leaves into stew and let stand 2 to 3 minutes to wilt.  Serve with rice.

Makes 8 (about 1 1/2 cup) servings (5 POINTS on the Weight Watchers plan)

My notes:  

First of all, my slow cooker is currently in storage so I sauteed the onion in a large soup pot then added the rest of ingredients from step1.  I brought it to a boil then left it to simmer, covered, for a couple of hours on the stove.

Instead of ground ginger I used the fresh stuff.

Instead of spinach I used fresh, chopped kale.  

This dish is divine!  It's definitely one I will be making again very soon.  I think sometime I'll also try increasing the broth (and adjust seasonings accordingly) to make a soup rather than the thicker stew.

Well, I'll post results of my upcoming weigh-in in the next day or two.  Until then I'd love to hear what others are doing to meet their weight loss and fitness goals.  Keep up the good work, everyone!

That's a lot of butter!

Last night was my first weigh-in at Weight Watchers since re-joining a week ago and I was down 12 sticks of butter.  Oooops, I mean 3 pounds!  Yay!

You see, I like to express my weight loss in sticks of butter because, well, butter's fat . . . and it's just more satisfying to me to be able to picture all those sticks of butter in my mind.

A great start, wouldn't you say?

What's in a name?

So, you may be wondering what "left of heft" means . . .  It's simple, really.  First, imagine a number line like we all worked with in grade school.  Okay, now that you have that visual, pick a number on the number line that you consider a hefty weight.  Can you see that image in your mind's eye?  Now, if you scan to the left of that number the digits are lower, right?  Well, that's what I'm looking to achieve.  I'm striving for numbers to the left of heft.

Let's get healthy together.

I don't know about you but I've been dieting since I was 11 and have had a few successes over 30+ years but haven't ever maintained weight loss.  Add to that the fact that I've always gained back more than I lost in the first place.

That's about to change.  It has to.  I refuse to be obese for the rest of my life!  Earlier this year I began to have pain in my knees and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and torn menisci in both joints!  Did you know that every unwanted pound you carry around is like 3 pounds to your knees?  I found myself yearning for a handicapped parking permit and shopping for a "cute cane".  Luckily, I've come to my senses and have decided to make my health a priority.  I won't resort to those aids without a fight!

I hope you'll check back often to join me on my trek.  I'll be sharing my experiences and since I'm a pretty awesome cook you can count on some tasty healthy recipes.  So, what are you waiting for?  Let's get healthy together!