Hungry Hungry Hippos

That's the only way I can think of how to correctly describe my day. I have been SO hungry all day long. Don't know if this is post holiday "carb fest" cravings or what, but it's been rough to be good with how hungry I am.

Breakfast

One VERY ugly omelet. As you can see, I failed miserably when I tried flipping the egg on to itself. Oops! Still tasted yummy. I used leftover ham from Christmas and some veggies.

Lunch

I have been craving cheese and pizza lately, so I made up a low carb pizza. Spray a frying pan well. Place 1/4c shredded cheese down in a circle. Let it fry up and get crunchy. Flip then top with sauce and a little more cheese. Not exactly gourmet, but delicious anyway. :)

Snack

I ate a cup of Skinny Pop about an hour after lunch, hoping it would fill my tummy a bit more. Love this stuff. Unfortunately, I was STILL hungry, so about 1/2 hour after the Skinny Pop I killed a ton of baby carrots...

I love carrots because they taste great, give me the "crunch" I am usually looking for in a snack and they have the added bonus of being a "free" food (meaning you can eat and eat without tracking the calories--so says my dietitian). Eat up!

Dinner
I didn't snap a pic of my dinner, but it wasn't exciting anyway. After grocery shopping, I stopped at Wendy's and grabbed us a quick dinner. I had a 1/4lb cheeseburger with no bun or mayo. Yum! Beef!

I bought some yummy stuff at the grocery store and am looking forward to sharing some fun, new, protein packed recipes this week!


I didn't work out yesterday or today because I have been pretty sore. Our apartment complex parking lot was a sheet of ice yesterday morning and I fell not only once, but twice! I am bruised up and feeling some kind of injury in my right hip, so I am trying to take it easy until I get better. Hopefully I will feel well enough to use my Christmas presents from The Engineer tomorrow--Wii Fit and Wii Zumba!!! SO fun!


Have a safe and Happy New Year. Please make sure to have a designated driver if you plan on hitting the streets for the holiday. Better safe than sorry!

 
 
 

Random Weekend Fun

This post is going to be a little all over the place today. I have a ton of pics and wanted to cram them all in, so here we go!

Breakfast
This morning I woke up with one thing on my mind... BACON! I have been wanting bacon for a few days now, so I picked some turkey bacon up to have this morning.

I had a few slices of turkey bacon and the leftover half of a one egg omelet that had cheese and sauteed squash inside. I am LOVING eggs lately. Right after my gastric bypass, eggs were my mortal enemy for months!

Lunch
Lunch today came in the form of hummus and carrots. I have an unhealthy obsession with hummus these days. It is just so good with everything! It is healthy, full of flavor, and very versatile. I actually had it as my evening snack last night as well, only I used Vegetable Crisps as the vehicle to get the hummus to my mouth. ;)

Dinner
The Engineer and I have been enjoying trying new restaurants up by our home the past few weekends since we bought the truck (truth be told, it's an excuse for us to go "ram around" in the new toy).. He uses that term, I just stole it. Thanks, Babe! :) Tonight we decided to try a place I had seen on the Travel Channel a while back, Bonnie & Clyde's. It is obviously Bonnie and Clyde themed, so it was very fun! I forgot to get a picture, but they even had an old antique car out front with a doll driving it. CREEPY!

                         I LOVED the napkins with Al Capone's signature on them! How fun!

Me enjoying some awesome bruschetta. I tend to not do appetizers these day, as I focus mainly on protein, but I couldn't resist! Bruschetta is my all time favorite appetizer and I love trying it at new places! P.S. I apologize for how awful I look, we got rained on walking in and my hair was SOAKED!

For dinner I got their A1 burger and my honey got the fish sandwich. Portions there were HUGE and the burger was phenomenal. Seriously, try this place if you get the chance! The burgers are made from Angus beef and brisket. So tender and juicy! I was able to eat about 1/4 of it and gave half to The Engineer to try. I also need to comment on how amazing their service was! Everyone worked as a team and we were so impressed that we ended up calling a manager over to let her know. Great place and very happy we went!

On to the random stuff...
I know people have mixed feelings regarding "side by side" pictures, but I love them. I love to see other people's and my own. To me, it is very inspirational to see how far others have come in their weight loss journeys, as well as how far I have come. I still feel like I am the same size as I was a year ago (knowing fully that I have lost almost 100lbs). Seeing my side by sides really gives me a reality kick that, yes, I am still losing even though I still have so far to go. With all that said...

When I first noticed my weight loss, I took my first side by side picture and paired it with an old picture from last Easter up at my future in laws.

I cringe when I look at that first picture. I was playing laser tag with my fiance's nephew and didn't even realize how big I really was! I was SO proud when I did this first side by side. Now I look at it and feel like I look swollen in my "thinner" pic! lol I had that same shirt on tonight, so I decided to do an updated side by side with a new pic in the same outfit (smaller jeans, same shirt).

I know it's not THAT big of a difference, but I see it and that's what matters to me. I have said it before and I will say it again. Whatever YOU need to do to motivate yourself on hard days..DO IT!!

Well, that's about it for today. I will leave you with a Grumpy Cat pic I saw today that had me cracking up!

                                                    Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

     Remember: PROTEIN FIRST! Then Christmas cookies! :)

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

Wow! What a sight all of the snow is today! It's both beautiful and annoying at the same time. I think most can agree that it would be much prettier if it only snowed on lawns and trees. :)

The Engineer and I have been enjoying the new addition to our little family. About 3 weeks ago, we went out and purchased the beast up in the photo (no, not the Cobalt, silly). His truck has been giving him trouble for a couple months now and it was time. Needless to say, we are LOVING riding around in snowy weather (I've currently been campaigning to go out in it again today, but so far am unsuccessful. haha). We ventured out earlier this morning for some groceries, but it was getting yucky and that's about all we needed to do.

 I went to my first ever spin class at what felt like the crack of dawn this morning. Holy ouch! It was a huge pain in the butt, LITERALLY. I can't lie and say I wasn't watching every minute pass by on the clock, my "undercarriage" was in pain from beginning to end, but I did it and will try it again! Everyone I have talked to says that the key to comfort is sticking with it, so that's my plan. I will let you all know, if you are thinking about trying it, be prepared to sit on an ice pack later on in the day. It was a fun class though! Kate, the instructor, was SO sweet and willing to help me with any questions I had! One of the ladies in the class helped me set up my bike before it started as well. ***Another tip for those thinking about trying spin*** Arrive about 10-15 minutes early in order to have the instructor or a classmate help you set up your bike. This is SO important in order to get the most out of your work out and avoid injuries. Luckily, a friend of mine gave me this little tip a while back, so I arrived early and prepared. Also, let the instructor know you're new. Don't be ashamed! You are there, which is more than some can say. Everyone is a newbie at some point and most people are very willing to help out and share their knowledge/tips.

Breakfast
When I arrived home from class (after a Dunkin Donuts run, of course), I was STARVING! Hindsight is 20/20... I should have eaten prior to class, but I was just lucky to be awake at 7AM on a Saturday without an alarm!  We had ham for dinner last night, so this morning I whipped up this yummy western omelet. SO GOOD! That and my iced coffee..Yum!

 Lunch
After breakfast, my sweetie and I went out for our groceries and I was good and hungry again by the time we got back. Lately, I have been craving tuna and wanting to try out a "noodle-less" recipe, so I did today and it was delicious. Ladies and gents, I give you... Tuna Noodle-less Casserole! 

Ok, I will admit how gross looking it is, but I assure you the taste and high protein content make up for it's lack of eye pleasure!

Tuna Noodle-Less Casserole
1 can tuna in water (drained)
1/4 c. fat free cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. low fat cheddar cheese
Dash of each onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper.

Mix and microwave until the cheese is melted.
235 cals
30 grams of protein....BAM!!!

Snack
About an hour ago I was feeling a little hungry, but not wanting anything big so I dug in to my container of Cherubs for a little afternoon pick-me-up. I don't care what time of the year I buy these, they are always juicy and full of flavor.

MMMM!

Well, that's about it for now.. Earlier in the post I mentioned that I was campaigning to go out and play in the snow. About half way through typing this, The Engineer asked if I would want to go out and try some soup at a nearby delicatessen for dinner. Yay! Stay safe if you venture out tonight!  

Vitamins, Food, and a Little Bit of Everything Else...

 So this week has been for the birds. Between The Engineer being away and a few other things, I just can't wait to say "see ya" to this week. I've been eating for one all week, so my food choices have been interesting. Most nights, I try to make nice, well-balanced meals for us. This week that went flying out the window. Pretty sure Ive been eating the same Subway sandwich for about 4 days now. Tonight, I switched it up a bit though.

I went down to Whole Foods on my lunch hour to pick up some groceries and lunch from the hot bar! --Just FYI, never, I repeat, never go to Whole Foods on payday before you have eaten lunch. BADDDDD decision. I ended up with a taco salad (which looks like a half-eaten blob because I ate half for lunch). I also had a tiny scoop of their mac'n'cheese. I know, I know, carbs!!! I am pretty good about not eating carbs, but I couldn't resist. And ya know what?? It was DELICIOUS!!!

                                       **ATTENTION ALL BARIATRIC PATIENTS**

You see that nasty thing on the side of my mouth? Kinda looks like a cold sore?? Yeah, ewwww! It is a fissure that I got due to lack of proper vitamin and water consumption. Yet another reason why it is SO important for us to make sure we are getting enough water, vitamins, and healthy/fresh foods. I am a bit notorious for not taking meds well. Fortunately, this has improved a very tiny bit since my surgery, mostly out of my fear of ever having to experience a potassium infusion. OUCHHHH!! Unfortunately, it hasn't improved enough. I really need to make sure I take my vitamins every day. Luckily, this time, my MD gave me a vitamin injection and just told me to get more water in my system. Vitamins--THEY'RE IMPORTANT!!

I do not have too much else for this post, so I will leave you with some pics from our wonderful Thanksgiving up at my future in-laws and a few from my decorating extravaganza this past week. :)

                                                             Isn't he the cutest??!?!?!

                             My future mother in law's home made pickles...A-MA-ZING!!