Photo Food Journal Thursdays #WLS

Posted on January 19, 2012 by scalewarfare

I was a little hit or miss with taking food pictures this week, the ones I got are below!

Lunch Box 1.12.12

Coffee+ 1/2 & 1/2+Egg + Egg White + Cheese for Breakfast; Cheese Stick for Snack; Chili for Lunch; Protein Shake for Snack; Protein Bar if needed.

Dinner 1.12.12

Cod and Sautéed Yellow Pepper. Salad Plate.

Breakfast 1.13.12

Egg+1 Slice Bacon+Cheddar

Lunch 1.13.12

Morning Star Farms California Burger w/ Slice of Cheddar

Dinner 1.15.12

Bacon wrapped filet w/ horseradish sauce. This is an appetizer find from Costco, I love it!

Lunch Box 1.16.12

Breakfast Egg+Egg White+Cheddar+coffee+1/2 & 1/2; Snack Babybel Lights; Protein Shake Lunch; Protein Shake Snack.

Snack 1.16.12

Weak moment at Costco, but a delicious find. These make an appearance almost daily from here on out. A sweet treat with whole grains!

Dinner 1.16.12

I was JONESING for BBQ Chicken Pizza, but wanted to figure out a healthy way. I used a half of a Whole Grain Roll Up, a Tbsp of BBQ Sauce, 1/3 of a roasted chicken breast, and 2 Tbsp of Cheese. Seriously filling, I only ate 75% of it.

Lunch Box 1.17.12

I have spent a lot of this week at a client site that has no microwave, so I’ve been doing shakes for breakfast. Protein Shake Breakfast; Babybel Lights Snack; Chicken Salad and 1/4 Whole Grain Roll Out Lunch; Protein Shake+Granola Thin Snack (about 2 hours apart.)

Dinner 1.17.12

Another healthified pizza, this time with marinara and shrimp. I wound up only being able to eat half of my serving. This is my serving vs that husbands serving.

Lunch Box 1.18.12

Breakfast Protein Shake+Coffee+1/2 and 1/2; Snack 2 Babybel Lights; Lunch Chicken Salad and 1/4 Whole Grain Roll Out; Snack Granola Thin and about two hours later another protein shake.

Photo Food Journal Thursdays! #WLS

Posted on January 12, 2012 by scalewarfare

Something I should point out about my meals is that I only eat off of standard sized dinner plates if I am eating out. Most of the time I either eat on an appetizer plate, or on a salad plate. It helps me to make my portions feel more “normal.”

Friday Breakfast

I stopped at a Deli by my client site since I arrived early to a meeting. I ate about 3/4 of the egg with cheese, and one slice of the Turkey Sausage.

Snack Friday

Friday is one of my double workout days, so I was a bit hungry before dinner. 2 Tbsp Whole Foods Treasure Hunt Trail Mix.

Friday Dinner

While I normally don’t eat pasta, my Dad made us a few frozen meals, and this was one of them. Super yum! 3 oz of Lasagna. (Appetizer Plate)

Saturday Breakfast

1 egg, 2 Tbsp sharp cheddar, 1 Turkey Sausage, 1 glass Emergen-C Lite (was feeling a cold coming on.) I drank the Emergen-C before I ate breakfast. I always follow the do not drink for 30 minutes after rule, but I rarely follow the do not drink for 30 minutes before eating rule. (Salad Plate)

Hiking Snack Saturday

I needed some sustenance during our 7 mile hike. 2 Tbsp Treasure Hunt Trail Mix, yum!

Saturday Night Dinner

I only ate the gyro meat, approximately 2oz. (Salad Plate)

Snack Saturday Night

After doing the 30 Day Shred, walking the dog, and doing a 7 mile hike, I knew I needed to get more than 700 calories in for the day, so I had a Brownie Quest bar. It hit the desire for dessert head on!

Sunday Breakfast

1 egg, 2 slices of lean bacon, 2 Tbsp sharp cheddar.

Sunday Dinner

2 hard boiled eggs, mayo, 1 slice bacon, mustard. Started off being deviled eggs, but the whites fell apart and it turned into egg salad.

Monday Lunch Box

Coffee w/ Splenda & 1/2 and 1/2, Egg, Turkey Sausage, 2 Tbsp Cheddar, 2 Deviled Eggs, 2 Babybel lights, 1 Premier Nutrition protein shake.

Monday Dinner

3 Scallops and 1/4 cup zucchini slices sauteed in Olive Oil.

Tuesdays Breakfast

One egg, one turkey sausage, 2 Tbsp sharp cheddar. This is the breakfast I make at work almost every single morning in the microwave.

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

Photo Food Journal Thursdays! #WLS

Posted on January 5, 2012 by scalewarfare

Since one of my 2012 goals is to post my photo food journal once per week, AND I got a new iPhone which makes snapping photos on the go much easier than with my previous phone, I am not going to limit myself to one day per week. Instead, if you look up towards the right side of the page you will see pictures that I post to Flickr throughout the week. On Thursday I will consolidate them here with a bit more information about what is in the pictures. So it wont necessarily be complete days of photo food journals, but you’ll get a pretty good idea of what I eat throughout the week. Please excuse me while I play with different photography Aps on the iPhone!

One of the pitfalls that I’ve always had with doing a photo food journal is that one meal a day I forget to capture pictures…now, no excuse! Some-days I’ll grab more meals than others, it’s more free form.

Here are some eats from so far this week:

Lunch at Home Monday:

1/2 oz of Proscuitto; 3/4 oz of Swiss; 1.4 oz Deli Turkey

Lunch Box Tuesday:

1 Egg; 1 Turkey Sausage; 2 Tbsp Cheese; 1 Veggie Burger; 2 Babybel Light cheeses; 1 Premier Nutrition Protein Shake

Dinner Tuesday

1/2 Cup Chili, 2 Tbsp Sour Cream, 2 Tbsp Cheddar

Snack at the Bar (Shared with the Table) Tuesday Night

I had two pieces of pita spread with hummus, yum! WLS Friendly at a bar

Lunch Box Wednesday

I know this probably looks like a lot, but it’s a double workout day. Protein Shake; 1/2 Cup Chili, 2 Tbsp Sour Cream, 2 Tbsp Cheddar, 1 Egg, 1 Turkey Sausage, 2 Babybel Lights, Coffee w/ 1/2 & 1/2, Quest Bar (Only to eat if I needed it, and I didn’t.)

Dinner 1.4.12

2 oz Filet Mignon w/ horseradish sauce; 1/4 Cup Asparagus sauteed in Olive Oil. For perspective purposes I also did a side by side of my plate and my husbands plate. It was a “normal” aka reasonable portion for him, he’s 6’5″.

As you can see, even post op (4 months) I am eating completely normal foods, and a good variety of them at that. I just eat super small portions compared to what I used to eat.

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

Decisions, Decisions. Part 3 of 3.

Posted on April 27, 2011 by scalewarfare

Please read Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.

I think what scares me most at this point in regards to making this decision about having the Lap Band surgery, is NOT being approved due to one of the insurance requirements, or finding out after meeting with the doctor that I have some unknown issue that would exclude me from being a candidate.

I feel very strongly that the Lap Band will be an excellent tool for me. Notice I didn’t say solution or easy fix. In no way shape or form is the Lap Band an easy fix. It’s a tool to be used to help me reduce the amount of food that I can eat. It’s a tool to help me reach a weight that is healthy for my body. I know that I have to do the work. Lap Band isn’t a malabsorptive surgery like so many of the bariatric surgeries that exist. What I eat will be absorbed by my body.

I have gone back and forth over which type of bariatric surgery would be something that I would be willing to take on. For a while I thought that the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy would be ideal for me. Basically they cut away a large portion of your stomach and you are left with a “sleeve” that holds 1-2 ounces of food initially. They do not have to re-route your intestines, and that appealed to me. I liked the results that they are having with the surgery, but it still scared the bejebus out of me to have things removed from my body, plus it appears to be fairly new.

The more and more I thought about it, and trust me, there has been a LOT of thinking (and discussing and reading and then reading more) about it, the more I realized is that what scares me the most, is having parts of me removed or re-routed. Should there ever be an issue, I can have the Lap Band removed, should my body reject the Lap Band, it can come out. When I get pregnant, the Lap Band will be cleared of fluid (how the band offers restriction) to ensure that I can have a healthy and safe pregnancy.

Every surgery out there comes with possible complications, and the Lap Band isn’t excluded. There are possible complications with the Lap Band, but the complications are the ones that I am most comfortable with. I can obtain all of my nutrients through my diet, I can have more control over the amount of restriction that my band gives me. The Lap Band offers the fastest recovery time and is the least invasive.

The Lap Band does lead to slower weight loss than surgeries such as Gastric Bypass, but I am OK with that. I have been battling my weight since I was 11 years old, I know that this is for life and isn’t a race. I’d rather lose the weight slowly and retrain myself, than lose it quickly and potentially run into other complications due to not being able to absorb nutrients.

For anyone who thinks that Weight Loss surgery is the easy way out, you’re wrong. Having major surgery isn’t easy, nor should it be taken lightly. I will have to work on my weight for the rest of my life. I will have a tool though, that will help me along the way. I know it won’t be easy, I know it will be incredibly tough at times and feel unfair, but it’s worth it to me to be able to someday reach a healthy weight.

I am so happy to have such great readers that are so supportive!

Food from yesterday:

Decisions, Decisions. Part 2 of 3

Posted on April 26, 2011 by scalewarfare

Read Part 1 HERE

So after yesterday’s big Cliff Hanger (at least one or two people wanted to know what the decision was right??) Here’s more information.

Here are some excerpts from an email that I sent to Bella September 15^th of last year:

I had pretty much put weight loss surgery out of my mind for the last three years since my insurance didn’t cover it. I still continued to read some of the WLS websites and a few blogs about WLS, but knew that it wasn’t really an option for me. Now that it is covered on DH’s insurance, it sort of opened up the topic again for me. I’ve been reading a lot of the various WLS boards (sleeve talk, lap band talk, etc) and spending a lot of time looking at the various options. I registered for a seminar at one of the local hospitals that has amazing reviews for their bariatric center and then today I called the insurance company today to find out if I would be covered. They said I wouldn’t get the pre-authorization requirements until I met with a doctor, but my BMI alone should make me eligible…

It feels so strange to actually start to look into this. Almost surreal since it’s something that I’ve thought about for so many years. I’ve always thought about it and said “no, I can do this on my own.” But its so blasted hard, to work hard so much of the time and then to not show results because of a bad day here or a bad day there. I don’t by any means see this as a quick fix, but sort of the ultimate tool to aid me in weight loss….

FYI-I never went to that seminar. I chickened out.

And an excerpt from an email April 19^th:

I seriously need to get my shit together or I will never lose this weight. I’m thinking of signing up for an information session about lap band. The issue we have right now is that DH is likely about to change jobs and while his current policy covers the surgery we have no idea if his next one will. I’m doing some goggling to find out what I can on it. I am just so sick of this helpless feeling (which I know in theory I have total control over, I’m the one that puts the food in my mouth.)

I have since found out that his new policy will in fact cover the surgery. I am signed up for two seminars that will allow me to be introduced to several of the area doctors, so that I can get a sense of who I am most comfortable with. I’ve researched the doctors, and there are two that really appeal to me based on their online reviews and because of the number of lap band surgeries that they’ve preformed.

The policy requires the following:

A minimum of 2 years being diagnosed at a morbidly obese rate. – Complete

Participation in a medically supervised weight loss program, including nutritional counseling for at least 3 months prior to the date of surgery. – Will be looking into this after the seminars.

Pre-operative nutritional assessment and nutrition counseling about pre- and post- operative nutrition, eating and exercise. – Will be looking into this after the seminars.

Evidence that attempts at weight loss in the 1 year period prior to surgery have been ineffective. – I wonder if my blog would be sufficient? If not, I have Weight Watchers receipts and Sparkpeople.com food journals.

Psychological assessment of the member’s ability to understand and adhere to the pre- and post-operative program. – Will be looking into this after the seminars.

Patient has not smoked in the 6 months prior to surgery. – I’ve never been a smoker, socially did it for a period of time, but it has been a long time since then.

Patient has not been treated for substance abuse for 1 year prior to surgery. – I’ve never been treated for substance abuse.

Photo Food Journal 4.13.2011

Posted on April 14, 2011 by scalewarfare

As I mentioned in yesterdays post, I didnt pack my breakfast, lunch or snacks for yesterday. I picked the completely wrong day to decide not to plan. I had a meeting from 9:30-11, 11:30-1:30 and then 2-3:30. That left no time for running out to pick something up. I managed to do okay though!

First things first, the BodyMedia Fit stats from yesterday:

Breakfast: Atlanta Bread Company Bagel and Vegetable Cream Cheese

I had a snack between meeting one and meeting two of a Fiber Plus bar, no pictures of that. For lunch I lucked out, another meeting was cateered by Corner Bakery and there were a bunch of leftover sandwich halves, so I grabbed a ham on pretzel roll sandwich. Filling and super yummy!

Dinner: 3 oz pasta, Marinara Sauce, ground chicken breast, 1 Tbsp parmesan, and salad with 1 Tbsp of light ranch, yellow peppers and diced cucumbers.

When I got home I came to another delivery from Washington’s Green Grocer and could not have been more pleased. The box was full of oranges, pears, bananas, a pineapple, apples, minelos, romaine lettuce, portabello mushrooms, broccoli, red potatoes, fingerling potatoes, etc. Here are some of the items:

I added applewood smoked mozarella from a local dairy to my produce order, cant wait to dig into this!

I also received lots and lots of medjool dates, I have no idea what to do with them. I tried one and they taste like candy. I’m thinking about making a savory bread with them, maybe something with rye flour.

Does anyone have any recommendations of what I can do with these little guys? There are too many to just eat.

One of my favorite things about the produce boxes is trying new things (like the dates) that I wouldnt typically pick up from the grocery store. I love how fresh and colorful all of the items are. Very excited for good eats this week!

Photo Food Journal 4.12.2011

Posted on April 13, 2011 by scalewarfare

I am really trying to focus on food, tracking and creating a decent deficit. I know that I am slacking in the working out department, but I’m OK with that for a little bit. That does lead to my step count being lower than normal. It will all balance out in the end.

BodyMedia Fit stats from yesterday:

Breakfast: 3 egg whites, 1/4 cup low-fat cheese, and a whole wheat Roll-Up wrap.

Lunch: 3 slices light deli turkey, mustard, whole wheat Roll-Up wrap, peppers, cucumbers, light ranch.

Snacks: Chobani greek yogurt, apple, full bar (didn’t eat), string cheese.

Dinner: Tasted way better than it looks! Lobster ravioli and langostino in a white wine, shallot, and butter sauce. Zucchini and onions roasted in olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flake.

Dessert: Strawberries and milk, not pictured.

Sorry for the late post. Today was super busy, full of one meeting after another. I didnt pack my lunch or breakfast today, but I have tracked, so tomorrows post might be short on pictures. I will have plenty of pictures of the produce box I came home to from Washington’s Green Grocer though!

Overall a great food day!

Photo Food Journal 4.10.2011

Posted on April 11, 2011 by scalewarfare

Absolutely fantastic Sunday. We spent several hours at a local park with one of my best girlfriends, her husband, their two kids, DH, and his two kids. Lots of running around and lots of fun!

I’ll start with the BodyMedia Fit stats for the day:

Fantastic stats for the day. The few hours we were at the park I burned almost 800 calories alone!

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with 1/4 c of low fat cheese, 2 slices of bacon, 1/2 grapefruit, 1 banana, and 1 Tbsp Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter (not pictured.)

Lunch: Chobani Greek Yogurt, cucumbers, 2 Tbsp of light ranch, and 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. This was by far not enough to get me through three hours at the play ground! I should have known better.

Snack: Apple, 1Tbsp Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, and 2 Tbsp macadamia nuts.

Dinner: My eyes were way bigger than my stomach. I wound up only eating about half of the pasta and then 4 of the mushrooms. Mushrooms stuffed with onion, mini bell pepper, laughing cow, panko, and parmesan. Pasta with mini bell peppers, parmesan, onions, and mushrooms sauteed in olive oil.

Photo Food Journal 4.9.11

Posted on April 10, 2011 by scalewarfare

Pretty decent day yesterday! I went to the movies to see Soul Surfer with my step daughter. It was a decent movie. There were a few parts that were pretty scary for her even though it was only rated PG, but the movie had a really good message about perseverance.

BodyMedit Fit armband stats from yesterday:

I managed to eat out and have some popcorn and still have a 1,339 calorie deficit for the day!

Breakfast: Banana, 1 Tbsp Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, whole wheat Roll-Up wrap, 2 eggs, 1 egg white, 1/4 c TJ’s Light Mexican Blend cheese.

Lunch: Banana, 2 slices light deli turkey, sliced cucumbers (in the sandwich), whole wheat roll-up wrap, Chobani Peach greek yogurt, and 1 Tbsp granola.

Snack: 3 Handfuls of movie theater popcorn-not pictured

Dinner: We went to Chili’s and I had the Margarita Grilled Chicken. I didnt take a picture, but I found one HERE.

Photo Food Journal 4.8.2011

Posted on April 9, 2011 by scalewarfare

Great day yesterday! It was my first full day back wearing my BodyMedia Fit armband. I’ve decided if I wear it everyday for two weeks I’m going to treat myself to an upgrade and get the BodyMedia Fit BW which will allow me to use my phone as the display (through the Bluetooth feature.)

Both Bella and MizFit had asked about the Skinny Hommus that I’ve mentioned in a few prior photo food journals. It’s not actually something that I make myself, I pick it up at Costco. It comes in a two pack, and has great nutritional stats, not hugely different from your standard store-bought hummus, but it is tasty. Here it is:

Here are the stats from the BodyMedia Fit from yesterday, great calorie deficit for the day. My steps were pretty low, but that’s pretty typical for a day that I work from home.

As you can see above, I consumed 1,695 calories yesterday, which consisted of an abundance of food.

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 egg white, mushrooms, 1 slice low fat colby jack cheese, banana, and 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter & Co Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter.

I adore the Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butters. You do have to actually measure them though or you could easily go through a container a week!

AM Snack-1/2 Grapefruit with 1/2 tsp of honey. I really want to like grapefruits, but yesterday proved that I’m still not really a fan. Luckily DH likes them and will eat up the ones that came in last weeks Washington’s Green Grocer produce box.

Lunch: Since I was home, I could have a more creative/yummy lunch. My lunch consisted of 4 mushrooms stuffed with laughing cow cheese, onions, bell peppers and a little bit of parmesan cheese. I also had a salad topped with 1 tbsp dried cranberries, 2 cucumber slices, 1 sliced mini bell pepper, and light ranch. For dessert I had a small apple topped with 1 tbsp Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter. All of this lunch was only 432 calories!

Afternoon snack of a 100 Calorie Bag of Microwave Popcorn.

Dinner: 4 oz 96% lean ground beef, 1 slice low fat colby jack, 1 hamburger roll, roasted sweet potatoes (olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flake) and sautéed zucchini.

Dessert: 2 Sugar Free Creamsicles…not pictured.

Hope you have a great Saturday!