Bonkers for Bento

 I have gone Bento crazy!!!!!!! You won't believe how seriously ALL ABOUT BENTO I have become in a week's time. Bento is a term for meals, originating in Japan - if you wish you can read a little about them on Wikipedia.

Of course, these have come to America and been very Americanized - it now basically applies to any boxed take along lunch in a container. There are some principles I'm not really getting into - such as the typical types of Japanese foods (I barely eat rice), and the really cutesy way of arranging things/making animals etc... stuff that looks like this:

The principles I AM focusing on that make bento great for me and my family are:

- The concept of pre-packing meals which is something we used to do and have slacked off on. This means good meals are ready to go when we are hungry, and ready to go if we decide to take off and hang at Starbucks for a while, or take off to do something and want to have a meal with us so that we don't default to eating out. If they are already made, we don't have to take time to make them in the moment when we want to leave to do something.

- The concept of creating a balanced meal. When you lay it all out to put into the bento box, it's easy to see what you're doing. For some this may mean incorporating all the food groups in a balanced way (especially if it's for kids). For us, it's great for focusing on the high protein/low carb concept. And because it's already made, you don't have to decide in the moment to make the right choices. It's easy to make the right choice when you are packing the lunch box and you aren't about to eat it right then.

- The concept of making the meal visually appealing through some arrangement, dividing the food, and mixing colors and textures. Cute and fun containers and accessories help too (at least for me). I do think if a meal is visually appealing to you, it makes it more enjoyable to eat and more satisfying. Especially since we are watching what we eat, this is important so we feel satisfied and not deprived. For a kid it's great because they can be such picky eaters.

I don't know why I suddenly decided to go for this other than the fact that lately we have all been talking about getting healthier. I knew getting back to our high protein, low carb ways was priority #1. Last weekend I spent a LOT of time on Shelly's blog The World According to Eggface, since she has SO MANY wonderful post op recipes and eats high protein, low carb. I decided to spend a long time putting many of her recipes into my Paprika recipes app.

I have always noticed her bento style lunches (she uses laptop lunch boxes) and thought they looked so appealing. I've always THOUGHT about doing it. I guess I was finally ready. I took down a lot of her recipes and meal ideas, taking note of all different kinds of things that she puts in her bentos. I started making a list in my google docs of all my ideas for bentos as well.

I started off with a few modest food storage containers. I knew one thing I really needed was silicone baking cups which are commonly used as dividers. I also ordered a few different types of containers, smaller ones for Ian & me, larger ones for my dad. I also ended up ordering some cutesy stuff for myself, but it hasn't arrived yet.

I'm ready to share my first bento box attempts with you all. There are a lot of photos and I will explain what is in each meal, what type of container and accessories I used, and recipes if applicable. I will be continuing to do this on my blog, too.

First round of bentos (very few supplies!)

One for Ian. Turkey slices spread with some whipped chive cream cheese, topped with mozzarella cheese. Sides of cherries and cucumbers.

One for my dad. I am not as strict on low carb with him (although definitely reducing his carbs and upping his protein). I am more concerned with him eating smaller portions and more frequently, and more balanced meals. This one is a half sandwich turkey & roast beef, light garlic mayo, whole wheat bread. Some pretzel thins, cherries, cucumber and a greek yogurt parfait.

 

This is one for myself. Turkey slices with whipped chive cream cheese and mozzarella. Cucumbers and an apricot. (I wasn't able to finish this.) That was my first day. I didn't even have the silicone muffin cups yet. I got those containers at Wal Mart and I like them because they lock well and have a good seal and a slightly domed lid. 

Second round of bentos... 

 This one is for Ian. Notice the new silicone baking cups. I picked up these red ones at Cost Plus World Market. This meal contains dry roasted almonds, blueberries, an apricot, turkey Lil' Smokies, snow peas in the pod and a tomato basil mozzarella cheese stick. 

 

A similar one for me minus the blueberries and with a cheddar mozzarella stick instead of the tomato basil one. Once again, I wasn't able to finish this (I think when I get the smaller bento boxes that will be even better for me!) The pink ruffly silicone muffin cups are also from World Market. Made one for my dad just like these but with an orange instead of an apricot. 

Round 3...

  

That one is for Ian. it features leftover chicken kabobs and corn casserole, both of which you can see in my Memorial Weekend Eats blog post. I added in a cup of peaches. I had the same meal myself, minus the fruit (and still didn't finish it BTW). 

 

That one is for my dad. Half a peanut butter and banana sandwich, a very small amount of his favorite Fritos chips (really trying to get him to cut down!), green grapes and cucumber. When I make all of these I stack them up in the fridge and label them with a dry erase marker.  

Then I came across these cool containers at Safeway grocery store in their seasonal section with all the picnic/outdoor stuff. They are quite a bit larger (for the typical non-surgery adult!) and have 4 removable compartments, so you could use the container however you like.  

 So this one is for my dad in the larger container. It has a salmon salad I made for him with packaged salmon (comes packed like tuna), cucumbers and some Panera Bread brand greek yogurt dip as a binder. Carrots & celery, pretzel thins, pineapple and applesauce. 

 

This one is mine :) The dip is roasted garlic hummus. Some carrots, celery, cheese and pretzel thins. Delicious.

  

This one is Ian's. He doesn't like hummus so I used Panera Bread Greek Yogurt Dip (vegatable dill flavor) for his dipping sauce. Carrots, celery, cheese, turkey pepperoni, blackberries. 

 Another round...

  

 Mine!! Oh my gosh oh my gosh can I tell you how good this is. I made Shelly's Lemony Chickpea & Tuna Salad. I was really skeptical. I love hummus but have never just eaten chick peas. Also, I don't tend to like vinaigrette that much (although that seems to be changing). This one is made with lemon olive oil and champagne vinegar. I have to say it's delicious (although, I just noticed, I forgot the feta cheese oops!). I ate this one today and left nearly half the meal behind. Other items you see are turkey pepperoni and 1/2 a Nature Valley protein granola bar (5g protein in this half!) which makes a nice little dessert. 

  

  This one is for Ian. You'll notice the other half of the protein granola bar. His salad is another Eggface recipe. Shelly's Italian Roast Beef Salad. Minus the black olives because Ian doesn't like them. I also used leftover greek vinaigrette dressing instead of balsamic to suit his tastes. He REALLY liked this salad a lot.

  

 For me. Some celery and apple with honey peanut butter topped with some raisins. My celery froze in the fridge somehow but I ate what I could. I made one like this for my dad too as a snack. 

 And yet another day....

  

This one is for my dad. Received my set of Easy Lunch Boxes containers which are a good size for him. Still restricts his portions compared to before, but more than what I can eat that's for sure! In this box is more salmon salad, this time with a small whole wheat tortilla for him to wrap it in. Grapes, peaches, snow peas and turkey pepperoni. 

 

One for Ian. More of the beef salad (oops I forgot the dressing), some peaches, cherries and mozzarella cheese. 

  

Another one for Ian. He's actually eating it as I type this lol. Blueberries, a block of cheddar cheese, turkey pepperoni, mozzarella, cucumbers, turkey lil smokies. I do hope to not use so much packaged stuff eventually (due to the sodium)... but baby steps right? This new container is from a lock & lock set with 3 containers and a lunch box. I got the same one in a red color. Love the containers and the lunch box. The downside is if you actually want to put all 3 containers in the lunch box, you can't fit an ice pack.

  

Another one for Ian. Leftovers of the beef salad (this one has dressing) and watermelon which is in a jumbo muffin cup. One for my dad. In the square muffin cup is a little trail mix I made with unsalted peanuts, cashews and raisins. The rest of the big box is cantaloupe. There is greek raspberry yogurt (chobani) and some bear naked protein granola with blueberries. He loved this one and lo and behold he got all that protein. (14 grams in the yogurt, 4 in the granola and I'm sure 5-6 in the nuts). 

 That's one of mine in the red lock & lock set. They call it purple but I don't know where they are getting that. It looks red online and looks exaclty that way in person. Silly. Anyway this has turkey pepperoni and cheddar cheese, cucumbers, the same trail mix as above and a little watermelon. I didn't finish this one either.  

Another one made for me. Sitting in the fridge, never made it to it today. Peanut butter banana "taco" on a fajita size whole wheat tortilla. Plain greek yogurt (17g protein!) sweetened with sugar free vanilla syrup, a little protein granola on top. Blackberries.
 

  

 Just finished making this one for tomorrow for my dad. Some of the same tuna chick pea salad in a jumbo muffin cup. A small orange, carrots, snow peas, pretzel thins and part of a nature valley protein granola bar.

  

 Ian just made himself this one. The turkey is wrapped around pickles with cream cheese. Blackberries, cheese, salami, pea pods, his own little trail mix. I don't really know cuz I didn't make this one. Sorry there are SO MANY because it has taken me a while to get to this blog post and this is every single one I have made this week. Today we really benefitted from having food with us becasue we were hungry after seeing a movie. We stopped at Starbucks and grabbed some plastic forks and enjoyed our bentos on the patio:

  

 I will have lots more to share on this topic, especially next week when my more cutesy stuff arrives :) For now though, I hope you enjoyed. I know it's pretty much "just packing a lunch"... but this whole concept is REALLY helping all of us around here. I have links and ideas to share regarding bentos but it will have to wait for another time. Bed time for me :)

Considering Surgery Q & A

A blog reader, Cara, sent me a thought-provoking email today. She is considering weight loss surgery and had some questions for me. I recently took a friend, Andrea, under my wing who is also considering surgery and have answered a lot of her (and her parents) questions lately. I love to help and share my experiences. I'm not perfect and could have done/still want to do better. But I believe if you share only the positive experiences you are doing a disservice to prospective surgery patients. I am sharing her email here (with permission) and my answers to it in hopes that it may help others!


Hello Christie!

I've followed your blog for years and don't think I've ever left a comment -
but I've very much enjoyed following your journey and am just so impressed
with your weight loss.  Congratulations and great work!!!  You are a big
inspiration!

I'm starting to consider some sort of weight loss surgery (after a lifetime
of weight issues myself).  My husband might do it with me too - so we have a
lot in common with you and Ian.  You haven't mentioned his weight loss much
lately.  Would you mind my asking if he's also had a positive experience?
Do you mind me asking you a few other questions about your experience?

Here are some of my thoughts/questions for you....

1)      Do you recommend doing the surgery with your spouse?  Did it make it
easier?  Do you think it would have been a lot harder if you hadn't done it
together?

I think if you have this option it is absolutely a wonderful thing to do, and as close together as possible. Ian had his 2 weeks after me so I had time to recover, but that way we went through a lot of the eating phases together and we ate small portions together. It helps greatly for both of you to be focused on small portions, high protein eating, and making your food choices a priority, such as packing a lunch box when you are going to be out for the day. It also makes it nice to split meals at restaurants and still bring home leftovers. I think for me personally it would have been harder doing it without him, because it was nice to have him on board.
On the other side of the spectrum, though, is that we tend to do everything together both good and bad. Ian has never been as dedicated to the weight loss as I have (which I will cover further in answer to your other question), and when he lacks motivation in exercise or decides to splurge on treat, or sits down snacking on the couch, it makes me feel like I can do it too. That has definitely affected me. If he were a little more dedicated, it would help me stick to my plan better. But, I am still very glad we did this together and it was SUPER helpful to me especially in the beginning. It still is now in the fact that he understands what I have gone through, am going through, and my goals. An outsider/non-op doesn't understand those things as well.

2)      Do either of you ever regret the surgery?

No. Not EVER! I know some people have complications, so I won't pretend that's not a possibility... but neither of us ever had any. Some people deal with remorse and sort of mourn the loss of being able to pig out. We never felt like that and we loved being able to enjoy smaller amounts of food. I have thoughts of things I wish I had done differently if only I had known - such as, if I had it 6 months later, I think I would have had more success because my surgeon now makes the sleeve tighter so this patients eat less for longer and they don't have hunger anymore, which Ian and I both have always had. But, how do you ever know that kind of stuff. I have never once regretted surgery and neither has Ian. Best decision we have ever made.

3)      What's been your biggest complication (health issues) as a result of
the surgery?

None. Again some people have complications but we never have. The surgery has had nothing but positive impacts on our health.

4)      It seems like a lot of people who get the sleeve surgery lose 100lbs
in the first 6 months and then stall out there.  Honestly - I'd be THRILLED
to lose 100lbs and maintain that loss (even though I'd still technically
have a lot more weight I could lose).  But I'm confused why it seems so hard
for people to get beyond the 100lb loss.  You seem to eat so little and do a
great amount of exercising.  Does it frustrate you that you haven't lost
more?  Do you think there's an issue with the surgery that makes it hard to
lose more?
It definitely frustrates me that I haven't lost more and I have my days that it drives me nuts. However there are a lot of contributing factors. One, I have always had hunger which has made it a bit harder for me. Two, I did so well in the beginning I think I tricked myself into thinking I could slack off more, which I did, and now I have a harder time getting back on track. Three, if I had started strength training from the beginning, I think that would have made a big difference.
I do think I can still lose more, and I'm sure going to keep trying. I thought I would reach goal with no problem, especially considering how quickly I lost at first. So at times I get really bummed out about it. But overall, I am so much better off. I am thinner AND healthier than I have EVER been. I weighed 230-270 throughout high school, even. I was probably this weight in 6th grade. Not to mention, I have been able to KEEP the 100 lbs off for a year and a half now. I did have a bit of a gain, but I got rid of it quickly. Just the ability to maintain is something the surgery is still helping me with every day. Without the restriction, I'm sure I would gain.
Then there's a good way to refocus - and that is - if someone had told me before surgery I would lose 100 lbs and that's all - I still would have done it. So I need to remember that.
As for if there is an "issue" with the surgery, I don't think so. It seems to me most people having sleeve don't have more than 100 lbs to lose. When Ian and I had it, we were encouraged to go with bypass because it's a lot more successful if you have MORE than 100 lbs to lose. Sometimes I wonder if we should have listened... but I am also glad I did it this way. I can always revise and add the bypass if I choose to, but I feel so much more NORMAL without having done the bypass. No digestive issues, or special restrictions, or problems absorbing nutrients and vitamins.

5)      One of my fears is that I'll have to constantly be thinking about
food after the surgery. Do you feel that way?  Do you feel like you spend
more time now having to plan, prepare, think about food (making sure you get
the right amounts of protein, etc) or does it just become second nature?
One of the reasons I want the surgery is to be less of a 'slave' to what I
eat if that makes any sense.  I know I'll have to put a lot of work in and
that it is by no means the 'easy' way out - but I guess I just don't want to
spend the rest of my life being consumed about what I do/don't eat.

To be honest, sometimes I feel like I am thinking about it a lot. But sometimes I don't! It will go through phases. In the beginning you do have to think about it a lot because you are on a special diet. On my plan there was a liquids phase, a soft/pureed phase, a soft solids phase and then into solid foods... and very specific things we were supposed to eat. Once on solid foods it was easier... but we still did a lot of planning of taking a lunch box with us all the time, because we eat every 2-3 hours and if we didn't have food with us it would be a) harder to make a good food choice and b) would make us have to inconvenience other people to give us a chance to eat. Bringing a lunch box is easy to do, but you do have to think about it and take time to do it. A lot of things do become second nature so after a while it became easy to choose high protein, low carb foods and to plan ahead. However, it also was easy to get off track, which I did for a good year to year and a half and is part of why I haven't had more success. So now, I'm going through a big phase of learning to cook more/plan dinners as well as plan other meals for the day for me, hubby and my dad since I'm trying to help all of us lead more healthful lives. Meal planning is a pain in the butt, and can be overwhelming when you start. However think about it this way - whether or NOT you have surgery, meal planning is pretty essential in eating a healthy, well balanced diet and losing weight or maintaining weight loss. If you aren't planning, you're grabbing, and that usually leads to poor decisions and weight gain. I think it's a reality you have to accept that if you have a problem with weight, you need to do meal planning. It's a lifetime commitment. That's with or without surgery.

6)      And again - can you share any of Ian's experience and if he has any
regrets?

Ian's experience has been very different than mine. Before surgery, he talked a big talk and he completely understood that he would have to work hard to be successful. In the beginning, he was successful, but his loss was slower than mine and he never really fully got his head in the game. When I look back, I think he let the surgery do the work and he never fully committed. He was so excited to be losing weight, but it was so easy to do so that he didn't see the need to exercise more (he hates exercise). He did change his eating habits quite a lot in the first 6 months, but we BOTH let a lot of bad habits back into our lives (especially more carbs, snacks, sweets) and because he didn't exercise as much as I did, it led to more weight gain for him. He originally lost 88 lbs but has gained about 45 back. He still talks with me frequently about wanting to do better. He has just made himself a workout schedule and he is trying to snack less. I've taken on trying to pack him more meals (even just to eat at home) so he has healthy, convenient things to grab instead of grabbing empty carb snacks. He has struggles like we all do and I still have hope that he can overcome them. He is always saying things like "you are trying so hard and I need to be trying harder" and "I can't keep gaining weight while you keep getting smaller"... so he is fully aware of what he needs to do. SURGERY WILL NOT FIX YOUR HEAD. It will also not magically give you dedication and motivation. You need to work on all of those things, even in the phase when things seem easy, so that as weight loss slows down, you have the right habits in place for continued success.

One more question if you don't mind...

There are times I think, "Well - I could just limit my calories and eat like
I'd have to after the surgery and I bet I'd lose the same amount of weight
without having to actually HAVE the surgery."  Do you have think about that?
(I kind of already know the answer and that's that if that was truly all it
took, I'd have lost weight and kept it off years ago!)  But it's an
interesting concept.  Do you think you could have ever reached/maintained
this type of loss without the surgery???

You hit it on the head. Of course it is possible to limit your calories and lose 100 lbs. People manage to do it all the time. However it requires LIFE LONG dedication to be successful at keeping it off. Of course, it does through surgery as well, but for me personally, I don't believe I would have gotten this far without surgery - and not for lack of trying either! Low calorie diets are extremely hard to stick to long term AND they are bad for you (lots of research on that). If done in a high protein, low carb way it does help because the high protein helps your body continue to lose fat and stay strong and healthy despite the low calories which is why this diet is stressed post-op. You are consuming SO FEW calories when you are in the early stages post op. But it is not long term.
I feel that if someone is considering weight loss surgery and has never given a serious, lengthy effort to weight loss without surgery, then they should do so before having surgery. Many women gain their weight after having children and then are looking for a 'quick fix'. However when it is a lifelong battle like it has been (and always will be) for me, and sounds like it is for you, then that's a different story. Like you said, if you could have, you would have by now, right? And that's how it was for me.

I know this is a lot to ask and I COMPLETELY understand if it's too personal
or you don't have time to share.  Your journey/success has been an
inspiration and I figured it was at least worth a shot to ask these
questions...

THANK YOU so much for being so open on your blog!!  I can't even remember
how I found it - but I love every new post you do!

:-)

Memorial Weekend & The Eats

**Edited to add links to the recipes, sorry I forgot the first time!**

Memorial weekend is usually our first family BBQ of the summer. I wanted to kick it off in style so I put a LOT of work into making a nice meal for my family. I wish my mom could have been here to enjoy it. Our BBQ's the last couple of years were a highlight for her. She always enjoyed herself so much.

The first thing I made was the dessert, a couple of days ahead of time. I made a chocolate graham cracker pie crust from scratch :)

 

The pie then has two layers of vanilla frozen yogurt (I used Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean frozen yogurt), caramel ice cream topping and heath bar chunks.

Then you throw it in the freezer and bring it out to thaw 15 mins before eating. This was delicious and everybody loved it. Yum! Here is the recipe: Caramel Toffee Ice Cream Pie

The next thing I worked on making were the Honey-Glazed Chicken Kabobs. I cut up the chicken & veggies ahead of time and marinated the chicken for a day. I assemble them into kabobs the day before the BBQ.

These grilled up so tasty and were also a big hit! I could only eat one though.

Also on the grill, in tin foil, is Italian Grilled Corn.. which I also prepared ahead of time. It's so delicious!

I had also made appetizers: Greek Deli Kabobs. I had chopped up the broccoli and cheese ahead of time. On the morning of, I chopped up the red peppers and folded the salami, then placed it all in a bag and added the dressing to marinate for 4 hours:

After the 4 hours, I assembled them into kabobs. I had been reaching into the bag but quickly learned that was inefficient and messy, so I dumped everything into a bowl first and then started making them.

The result:

I ended up with 20 of these. We ate some at our family BBQ and I took more to a potluck the following day and they disappeared quick. Really tasty!

Everyone showed a LOT of excitement over the meal ;)

A nice family photo:

And one of Ian & me:

So, I had a potluck the next day I also prepared things for. The host was making echiladas, so I made Crazy Corn Casserole (with black beans added). Unfortunately it didn't turn out as flavorful as it has in the past. But it was still ok.

I also made these fun & festive red, white & blue Pretzel Sparklers. I made the the day before and thank goodness, because it took like 6 hours for the chocolate to firm up completely!

I put them in this glass cookie jar to serve them at the potluck:

The potluck was fun. It was nice to meet some new people, chat, enjoy some food etc. :) Here's a pic from the get together:

The end!

PS I did two new posts in the same day, there is another new post below.

Forgotten Chicken & Paprika App

Made this recipe tonight: Forgotten Chicken

It was a big hit. I wanted to use brown rice but we happened to have exactly 2 cups of white rice on hand so I used it up. Good proportions for post ops though, if you have 1 chicken breast and the amount of rice around it, it's not that much rice.

I haven't had this yet. Wasn't hungry in time, so I'll be eating it in a little while... but Ian & my dad gave it 5 Stars.

I immediately portioned the 4 leftovers into separate containers, making it easy to eat later:

I think I'll add peas to mine. But I say that about almost everything :)

This one is definitely getting 5 stars in my Paprika App.

IF YOU HAVE AN IPHONE, IPAD OR MAC COMPUTER - WHY AREN'T YOU USING PAPRIKA YET?!?!?! :) Just saying. I love love love Paprika.

Speaking of which, I am currently putting TONS of recipes and bento box ideas into my Paprika app which I am getting from The World According to Eggface. I want to start making cute bento box lunches like hers, and doing more meal planning in general (not just dinner planning) so there is better balance throughout the day and convenient, ready-to-eat meals even when I'm not necessarily going out and packing a lunch box. Expect a blog post on this soon :)

Fiirst Ever Yoga Class

So, I have done a little bit of yoga before, but just in a few home workout DVD's and with a couple of friends showing me some moves. Stretching feels so good to me and I usually incorporate a couple of the yoga moves I do know into my stretching after Curves sessions. In particular I have really taken to Triangle Pose and have been doing it every time I stretch for the last year or so because it gets really deep into my pain-ridden hips:

I'm sue I don't look this balanced when I do it - but it really feels great.

Anyway I'd been wanting to try a yoga class for a while now. Especially since I recently decided - less cardio, focus on my strength & flexibility. I had planned to start last week taking yoga classes, but it was period week so I held off. I am planning to do Curves M-W-F and Yoga Tu-Th. So yesterday morning Ian and I headed off to the rec center right by our house - he was going to do another workout while I tried the yoga class. My gym, Lifetime, doesn't have any of the yoga classes I want (beginner ones, and no hot ones) in the MORNINGS on Tues-Thurs... but the rec center does. I had seen on the paperwork that there was an additional fee for yoga... but I came to find out on arrival that the fee is $9?!!!! I mean seriously. $9/class, twice a week? That's almost $80 per month. I already pay for Lifetime and Curves monthly, which is the whole reason I have just a punch pass to the rec center and not an annual membership. So they say oh just get an annual membership and then the class is free..... bah. No thank you!

So I went to the 6pm yoga class at Lifetime last night. Yoga Basics. I was nervous because Lifetime is a more fit place, a lot more hard bodies than at the rec center. I tried to tell myself I was being silly and surely a lot of average people take yoga. Guess what? There were a good 20-25 people in my class and I was clearly FAR more overweight than anyone else there. Worst fear realized. You see pics like this and think, not everybody looks like that in a real class...

But they did! There were a couple guys too. Also thin & fit.

However, I tried to not let this discourage me and instead looked at it as a good thing. Kinda like if you're driving around town looking for a good place to eat, you pick a place with a really crowded parking lot because that means it's good. If I pick a class full of skinny, fit people..... that should mean it will help me get skinny & fit too, right? :)

So I wanted to report in on how the class went for me. Firstly, I was trying to avoid any hot yoga classes due to my arthritis & inflammation issues. FYI hot yoga means they actually make the room super hot to raise your temperature and make your muscles more fluid. They set the room at 100 degrees. Well they had it right before the class I took, so guess what, the room was still 95 degrees. So much for avoiding that :-/ MAN that was hot!!!!!! I don't think it aggravated my inflammation too much though that I could tell. So that's good.

First thoughts - I need my own yoga mat. The ones the gym provides STINK like nasty old locker room and you have your face right up to it half the time. Yucky.

The class was harder than I thought it would be, and not in the ways I had been thinking. I was able to get into most of the poses without any modifications - that part rocked!! Only a few things I couldn't get. But it was the holding.... oh the holding!!! My muscles absolutely SHOOK trying to hold some of the poses for as long as we were supposed to. I had to give up a few times. Downward dog is a pose I have done many times before...... but we kept coming back to it over and over and over and over so by the end of the class it was f'n hard to keep holding myself up. We probably did it 30 times in the class. Maybe more.

Downward dog:

My poor arms. But man what a good tricep workout.

I also found that one of the hardest things was just the amount of PRESSURE I had to put on my hands/wrists throughout the class. They hurt like a bitch during, and they are sore today. I don't know if this is because it's new and something I'm not used to, or if it's worse for me because I'm still a good 50+ pounds heavier than anyone else doing it... or what. But that was something I never once thought of or expected, and was one of the most painful aspects.

Some thoughts on a couple specific poses. This one is pigeon pose, and then pigeon pose folded:

Surprise - I can DO this one AND I was pretty awesome at it. (But see what I mean about face to the mat? Stinky gross ewww.)

Then from this pose you want into holding your back leg for the stretch:

This I couldn't get.  I was able to grab my leg one time when the teacher helped me do so, but I found it was hurting my back knee, putting a lot of pressure on it, so I couldn't hold it. This is one to work on.

And another surprise.... this one is called bow pose and I had never tried it before...

Surprise surprise not only could I do it.... I LIKED it.... and I could even rock like she asked us too. I didn't get my legs up as high as this, my thighs still touched.... but I was pretty proud of myself.

Overall yoga class was one of those things where I was cursing the world through the whole class because it was hard - REALLY hard - and it really hurt my hands. But afterward I felt pretty good.... and I can really see a lot of benefit this will have if I keep up with it. Not only will I get stronger and more flexible overall but it will definitely strengthen my core and back which I sorely need.

I am SO SORE today it's crazy. I am sore in places I didn't know I had. I still have to do Curves this morning but I may have to not use my Curves Smart key tag and just do things lightly.... because I'm also supposed to go hiking today! Eek! Soooo sore.

I am going to keep this up, and try a few different types of classes. The one I want to try tomorrow is called Yin/Restorative Yoga. But I can tell you before that class I am getting my own yoga mat.

FYI this first class Yoga Basics was a 60 min class -but according to my watch we actually went 72 mins!- and in that 72 mins I burned 450 calories. YEAH thank you heart rate monitor :)

Two Years Post Op

Today is May 20th, 2012. I had Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy surgery on May 20th, 2010. It's so hard to believe two years have gone by.

I am not where I would like to be. I had lost 100 pounds by 8 months post op and not much has changed since then. However, I keep at it and keep strengthening.

I need to remember a few things such as: how far I've come (thank you photos), the fact that I haven't gained a bunch of weight back is an accomplishment in and of itself, we are all different, I am not perfect, and I am still the healthiest and smallest I have ever been in my adult life. I made it through the most difficult year of my life and even though I did gain a little weight back, I took most of that off and I'm working out hard and I'm healthier than ever. These are things to celebrate!!!!!

I feel like these lyrics from Tim McGraw's song perfectly sum it up:

I've pinned a lot of demons to the ground 
I've got a few old habits left 
There's one or two I might need you to help me get 
Standin in the rain so long has left me with a little rust 
But put some faith in me 
And someday you'll see 
There's a diamond under all this dust
 
I ain't no angel 
I still got a few more dances with the devil 
I'm cleanin up my act, little by little 
I'm getting there 
I can finally stand the (wo)man in the mirror I see 
I ain't as good as I'm gonna get  
But I'm better than I used to be

Sometimes I get down on myself for not being where I would like. But at the same time, I'm pretty happy where I am and sometimes I just "don't wanna" give anything else up to try to lose more weight. So it's a struggle.... but I have to say, it's nice to be here as well. I am pretty darn happy. The more strength training I do, the better I feel. Right now I'm deciding what the next step is for me in terms of working out. With food I definitely need to focus on protein and give up more carbs. I think right now I'm just in a phase where I don't WANT to give up anything. I feel like I won't, unless I need to battle a gain again. 


Although I haven't lost the 18 pounds I gained (I've lost 9 lbs of it), the switch to strength training accounts for some of that and I'm actually the same size (in the same pants, etc) as I was when weighing 198, even though I weigh 207. So it's not an easy comparison. 


Here is one comparison I do want to share. A photo from over a year ago, at the same weight i am today (and in pretty much the same outfit). I see a difference which tells me weight on the scale isn't everything. Angles aren't exactly the same, but I can tell my face, tummy and arms are all smaller despite being the same weight.

Thank you strength training!


Right now I' trying to decide if I want to do another 30 days of tracking with a 1200 calorie goal (that's how i lost those 8 lbs the first month), or keep not tracking but make the jump from Curves to strength training with a trainer at my gym and trying to be really serious about it. My fears with 1200 calories are I know I can't keep it up and I don't want to deprive my body while strength training - but it seemed to work the first month and I kept that weight off despite upping calories after. My fears with tougher strength training are no weight loss, but more importantly the possibility of really hurting my back. But on the flip side, strength training has really helped my back pain so far. You just never know.


Since I can't decide right now what I want to do next, I'm going to just keep on keepin' on until I know what I want to do. I'm maintaining my weight right now despite being controlled by the carb monster. I definitely need to work on that though, and I would definitely like to lose more!


So anyway, happy 2 year surgaversary to me. I sure with my Mom were here to hug.

 

Recipe & Outfits

Firstly I'd like to share a photo from Mother's Day. It was hard to "celebrate" such a day, it being the first Mother's Day that I am mother-less. But, we focused on my grandma as much as possible. She thoroughly enjoyed her day. We got together and had a lovely lunch at my aunt's house. My aunt gave her a nice card and several nice gifts. My dad and I gave her an arrangement of fruit from Edible Arrangements and I also gave her a pretty bookmark and a gift card to a restaurant she likes. She told us over and over how much she enjoyed her day, so that is something to be happy about.

Next I have a recipe I'd like to share from Better Homes & Gardens. You can find the recipe here: Mini Meatloaves and Green Beans.

I made this last night and we all really liked it.

Ingredients:

Mixing:

Shaped into Loaves:

Ready to Eat!

And Eat We Did:

These were really tasty and I recommend them. They are not just mini meatloaves though, they are also italian-style. Would like to make regular meatloaf like this sometime too since it cooks faster.

By the way, does anyone use the Paprika app (iphone, ipad or computer) for storing their recipes? If so let me know your email address and maybe we can share recipes!!!

Also, a little bit of news. I have an interview in about an hour. I don't even know yet if I want to have a job?! LOL... but with my back doing so much better, I think I might give it a try. The extra income would be really helpful right now until my business is making me enough income in another year or two. The position is at a spa, and it's called part time concierge - it's a mix of receptionist duties with a lot of helping guests to and from their services, cleaning, stocking, phone calls etc. It would be awesome to be back in a spa environment. A good friend of mine just got hired on as a supervisor and she thought of me for filling this position. So I wasn't looking for a job, but this opportunity just came up. I don't like to ignore opportunities!!! So I am at least going for the interview and see what happens from there.

Thus, I had to go out and buy an interview outfit. I used to own slacks and jackets and such, but have never bought any since losing weight because I haven't had a reason to. Off to Lane Bryant I went to find some nice pants, a top and a jacket. This is what I came up with:

Please excuse the hair. It was really windy. This has also been ironed since then lol.  The earrings I'm wearing are the black & teal butterfly earrings Ian got me for my birthday (see last post) and they go really well with the outfit.

While I was out shopping, this whole other outfit just jumped right out at me. First I saw the dress and I just loved it, especially the shape which I know is flattering on me. But, sleeveless, BLAH... but after hunting a little I found the aqua cardigan which goes perfectly with the color aqua that shows through in the design at the bottom of the dress. Tried it on and just loved it, so then I also splurged on jewelry and pretty sandals. Again it's windy so my earrings are flying around lol...

 

Can't wait to wear this pretty outfit somewhere!!!!!

Ok, time to throw my outfit on and head to my interview. Curious how this will go.....