The Low Carb Band-It

2008-11-13T09:24:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to let you all know that one of my favorite blogs is holding a FABULOUS contest. She's giving away coupons for free Butterball turkeys. How GREAT is that. Just in time for Thanksgiving. - Delicious AND low-carb!!!

Everyone should pop over here:

http://www.thismamacooks.com/2008/11/win-a-butterbal.html

There are 4 ways to enter!! Let her know I sent ya!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2008-02-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

I could LIVE on these. I kid you not, I find myself craving them. Is there something wrong with me. I encourage you to try these even if brussels aren't your favorite food. These are AMAZING and even my "not so brussel loving husband" really enjoys these. They carmalize up like onions do when cooked a while. YUMMO

I make this recipe by the seat of my pants, so I'll give you a general idea on how to make them.

Preheat the oven to 400 (if you have about 45-60 minutes to cook) or 450 (if you have about 30-45 minutes to cook).

Spray a pan with cooking spray. Cut of ends and strip outer leaves. Spread out in a flat even layer. Here's how they should look before cooking:

Spread bacon on top, so that there is enough touching about every sprout. Next add some random butter pats over the brussels and bacon. Cook until they are browned (like you see above). I tend to like them a bit more browned than they are shown above, but most people would find them perfect like pictured.

Another Weight Loss Update

2008-02-09T11:18:00.001-08:00

Well it seems that eating at around my BMR seems to be working. I keep eating around 100 net carbs a day as well. I keep saying, it's got to be a fluke or something, right??

I lost 1-1/2 to 2lbs every week for 3 weeks and the Dummm, dummm, dummmmmm

Ok a bit of background. I'm on the BC Pill. My doc tells me it doesn't work quite as effectively for women over 200lbs and it was made for women under 200lbs. This makes sense to me as fat holds onto estrogen. But I'm on it as it controls bleeding and with the PCOS I tend to do a LOT of that without the pill.

I started noticing about 6-12 months ago, getting what I call mini hot flashes and RAGING PMS on my third week of my pack. Now remember, the BC Pill doesn't work as well for me. I also noticed weirder TOM. I can't totally describe it but different. I mentioned this to my GYN last time I saw her. BTW - I should add that she "felt something", that she doesn't think is cancer but possibly could be fibroids. She wants me to come in for an ultrasound and of course I've dragged my heels about that.

Anyways, she told me that there is "no way" I could be having peri-menopausal symptoms because I'm on the pill and yet she tells me that it's not as effective for me because of my weight and the PCOS AND I have PMS symptoms and shouldn't have that either.

OK, so fast forward to about a week ago. I wake up on Monday morning (the 1st full day on Week 3 of my pill pack) - and I'm "gushing" and I don't mean as in "happiness", IYKWIM. I'm like "what the heck". But the worst part...I GAIN 5LBS!!!!!!! I was devastated. I mean it. I've finally got the scale moving and I lost about 6lbs and gain 5lbs back in ONE DAY???? Now the scale has slid down to more of a 2.5lb gain in the last few days, but STILL!!!!

I was talking to my DH, and honestly he gets tired of all the weight loss and lack thereof talk and I just told him how depressed I was and couldn't help but cry. He was pretty sweet about it and tried to console me.

Anyways, here I am with my "mini-period" before the big period. Lucky me huh?? Still up about 2lbs from my lowest weight. On many occasions I have a nice big weight loss WHOOSH on the week of my period, so I'm hoping that will happen.

I will tell you this. I DIDN'T get derailed. I've kept it up. So hopefull I'll be rewarded with BIG loss this week! Keep your fingers crossed for me, will ya!

Feeling Sad and Confirming My Suspicians

2008-01-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this post is going to be a downer. If you need to be lifted up, you might want to skip it.

But the very thing I suspected has happened. My weight is slowly creeping right back up. I know I'm a daily weigher, but I always have been and I don't use a creep up as an excuse to eat more and give up. I just don't understand it at all, except I've been eating less than I had been. While I was losing these last three weeks, I had been eating at least 1700 calories a day and around 100 net carbs. But the last 3 or more days, my calories have been closer to 1400-1500 and my carbs were down to like 50-75 a day.

Some people say there is no such thing as a "starvation mode", but my brilliant 16 year old daughter explained it to me. Here is how the conversation went (yes, I do think she's bright enough to ask her about all sorts of things):

Mom: So, Kassie, tell me, do you think there is such thing as a "Starvation Mode", you know a point when you are eating too little that you stop losing weight. Because I've heard that isn't true, just look at the people in Concentration Camps. There weren't any fat people there.

Kassie: But see mom, here's how you and them are different. They got NO food most of the time, you are at least eating, albeit less than a regular eating person gets. So your body DOES have SOME fuel, where they had none at all, so it had to eat at their body.

So I wonder, if maybe since I'm eating too little, I AM holding on to whatever it can.

I just know something has got to work, something has got to change. I'm at my wits end.

I guess it's kind of like this. How many times do you keep doing something that isn't working and keep doing it, hoping maybe this time it will work. Does that make sense? I once heard someone say "Only an insane person, keeps doing the same thing expecting a different result the next time".When do we say enough is enough. When after doing something over and over and over again, that doesn't work, do you stop and say "I've had enough". I'm not at that point, but I can't keep doing something forever that isn't working. Since I've tried low-fat, low-calories, low-carb, lowfat with lowcarb, low calorie with lowcarb and none of those worked, and I've had doctors tell me, my body is "too broken" to work, when do I cry uncle and stop. Hope that all make sense.

I know I'm not nuts, I know I've tried the very best I could, so it's not from lack of trying. And I have lost 70ish pounds. So I'd call that fairly successful, but I'm just still really pretty fat and now I have so much hanging skin and rashes that no prescription or home remedy has been able to fix.

I have a doctor that won't recommend me for plastics until I've lost at least another 50ish pounds. And the weight doesn't seem to want to budge much past the weight I'm at no matter what lifestyle I'm living. So it's sort of like a sentence to suffering for a LONG time. I truly suffer every single day with rashes and itching and burning. But since I can't seem to get the scale to move with any real success, so even with all my "compliance" I'm punished to live with the health problems I have. It's just rather discouraging. That's all I'm saying.

Frustration and Fears

2008-01-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

If you read my last post you'll see that I'm fully on the bandwagon of losing again.... I hope....

This is what this post is about. The fears I have about losing and struggles I've faced. Maybe someone will relate? Who knows. I hope that someone might read this and say "Hey I'm not alone". And who knows maybe I'll get some encouragement along the way as well.

I've had PCOS and Insulin Resistance for so long now, I can't hardly remember when I was diagnosed. I just know I grew up normal sized and when I tried to diet down from 123lbs to 108lbs in college I cranked up the old PCOS monster and my weight ballooned when I went back to normal eating; within 6 months I had gained 60lbs eating the same foods I had eaten previously. That started my obesity and it's never been down any lower than that weight since then.

I've been up and down and up and down. I certainly would get an award for the "Best Dieter" - wouldn't we all!!! I can stick with a diet until the cows come home. Even when the diet fails me and STOPS working. I know there are naysayers out there that would say, "If you had just eaten less calories than you were burning then it would have eventually gotten smaller". But that just isn't true when you are terribly insulin resistant, have the metabolism of someone that lies in bed and have severe hormonal problems. Even if I could exercise (my Fibro pretty much prevents anything that resembles REAL exercise) - my Endocrinologist told me that my metabolism makes it that I'd have to exercise about 3hrs a day to get what a "normal" body gets from 30-60 minutes.

I tried Weight Watchers and honestly I LOVED the points program. It was simple, made sense and feed that anal part of my personality that got to add it all up at the end of the day. I can say with all honestly, in 2-1/2 years I never went OFF PROGRAM except for around 7 times with PLANNED off times. And yet I only lost 56lbs in 2-1/2 years (and most of that was the first year). Sadly I was still morbidly obese and being accused by the WW leaders of cheating and "missing" foods I might be sneaking in. At the same time, my Endocrinologist who actually BELIEVED me when I told him I didn't cheat, decided to change my meds and I gained 40lbs back in 3 months. I was devastated. I gave up and ballooned all the way up to over 300lbs.

About 1-1/2 years later I got my lapband with HIGH HOPES of losing all my weight, once and for all. My Endocrinologist crossed his fingers and said "I sure hope it works, because calorie restriction is not working so well for you". Was he jinxing me or just giving me a prophecy of things to come? I again lost around 70ish pounds with my lapband and then when I was near the same weight as the WW loss, I stopped losing again. I tried the same things I did with WW. Switching it up, eating less calories, eating more calories. Whatever I could to get this damn weight off. I was eating sometimes for weeks on end 800 calories a day without a loss whatsoever. I TRULY cringe when I read article after article saying "Just eat less and move more it's simple and if you can't lose weight your lazy and a pig". Seriously, I've read it multiple times.

So I recap my experience to say I am so terribly afraid this time won't work again. I think about food and my weight all the time and worry and stress over this. I need plastics so bad to feel better and it's like this thing that hangs over my head, almost attainable, but "not for you. You will always be fat and ugly, so just give up". Of course I don't give up, but I still sit here fat and ugly (at least my body is ugly - I don't think my face is hideous).

Anyways, I just wanted to write my feelings about this time around. I'm doing this with gusto and really hoping and secretly fearing it won't work. I lost 3lbs last week. Maybe it was just a loss of water from not eating all the junk I was eating before? I "may" get a 1lbs loss this week. Ok, but what if that's all I get, what if it doesn't work AGAIN. I just don't know where I'll go next or what I'll do.

Thanks again for reading and the support I'm sure I have from my family and friends.

Update -- On Weight & Program

2008-01-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

I found myself following Dr. Groves. His plan is more a moderate protein, high fat and low carb diet. Although he doesn't start with induction (which I HATED - I mean HATED) and his average dieter is eating about 45 net carbs a day. I thought I could do that, but that was so difficult with our busy lifestyle. We eat out several times a week and was finding myself, literally eating bun less hamburgers and plain salads. It drove me NUTS.

I fully believe a LC lifestyle is the best lifestyle for health and well being - especially when you are insulin resistant, diabetic or have trouble with cholesterol. That being said. I have to agree with Jimmy Moore when he says to find something you can follow and STICK WITH. I was not doing well, sticking with it. I would do OK during the week (and BTW has anyone noticed when you're trying to lose weight that you obsess over food MORE - because you're writing down every single bite you are eating???). Then the weekend would come and I would get completely derailed, either eating popcorn at the theatre or DH would be home and we'd eat out a bit too much. My DH, BTW - was getting tired of all the obsessing also, with: food, the weight, the lack of weight loss. I'm sure it gets old hearing it all the time.

During the end of last year, my band got a tiny bit too tight and he took me down to 2.50 in my 4cc band. That left me pretty much WIDE OPEN. I'm not sure why he couldn't have just taken a tiny bit out as I wasn't violently vomiting (I've only PB'd once - that's a gentle vomit to put it nicely) since I've had my band. But he took out 1.50cc. This was right before the holidays and a Disney Trip. So are you psychic? Do you know what that meant? Yes, indeedy it meant a weight gain. Not a horrible. Well, horrible enough. Sadly my PDA was erased and since we bought our new computers I had not gotten brave enough to try and upload the PDA program on my new computer and sync it (thus saving all my information). From my best estimation, I weighed about 223 at my unfill and ended up at 238 a full 15lbs gained UGGGG. I did go back and get a fill on January 10th. I asked Dr. Allen if I was kicked out of the "club" and he said "No, but I have the answer" in his best mad scientist voice and as he turned around he had a needle in his hand for my fill!! LOL He is pretty funny when he wants to be. He did say he wanted to see me in about 6 wks for another fill as he only took me back up 1.0. I don't want to get as tight as I was, but I'm certainly not where I need to be in the fill department.

So this leads me next to what I'm doing to get these last pounds off. I've really struggled with what I need to do to get this weight off. Where do I REALLY want my goal weight and what's REALISTIC. Let's face it. I've been told by 5 doctors that I'll always be fat. I'm not going to end up a size 4 like several other bandsters I know. It's just not in the cards for me. Dr. Allen would like me to get to 182lbs. That will put me at losing a total of 119lbs and 75% my highest body weight. That is considered a success. I guess losing 75-85lbs isn't a success?? I know he won't approve and recommend me for plastics until I get to that weight and yet I continuously suffer with rashes etc. My arms belong to a woman that is over 400lbs BUT my upper body is a size XL. It's pretty unfair to look so ugly after losing all this weight.

So I need to lose another 50ish pounds before I can get some plastics done. I know I can't go back to how I was eating pre-unfill as it was FAR to frustrating and I was just sabotaging myself every weekend. I was feeling suffocated and could only eat a very small variety of foods. I've tried Induction levels and didn't really lose well there either. Plus eating that low of carbs just isn't for me and something I would never be able to follow long term.

So I'm trying an experiment. I'm trying to eat under 100 net carbs a day and no more than 1500 calories a day. It may just indeed be that I need to watch my calories and my carbs at the same time, without being too restrictive. Last week (and I'm DEFINITELY still tweaking this) - I ate an average of 1800 calories a day (the charts say my BCM is around 1750) and around 100-120 net carbs a day and I managed a loss of 3lbs. Is it a fluke?? Water weight?? I just can't tell you. I'm eating a bit less this week and I "may" get 1lbs of loss from it. We'll see. Did eating more, make me lose more? I'd sure like to know. So my weight as of today is 234.5 which is definitely down since my fill. Dr. Allen will be glad to see that!

Here We Go Again - The School Trying to "Feed" our Children "Healthy Food"

2007-09-05T14:54:00.001-07:00

I read an article today on the New York Times online version about Schools cracking down on "unhealthy" food. It's entitled "The School Cafeteria, on a Diet".

They are making some "drastic" changes in California by not frying the chicken nuggets and french fries now, but they are baking them. Big whoopy doo. Like that is "making things healthier". Why not get rid of the GARBAGE food, like BREADED chicken nuggets and STARCHY fries and offer grilled chicken breasts and VEGETABLES as a side. Oh wait, the nutritional guidelines say that french fries ARE a vegetable.

Then they're going to serve the kids smaller portions of low-fat garbage food and leave them hungrier than they were before. Anyone remember the small portions of low-fat food you get on Weight Watchers, leaving you famished and wanting more.

But they are banning, jelly beans and Popsicles because they offer no nutritional benefit, but will allow Snickers and Dove ice cream bars because they do. WHAT??

Oh and I love this one "a bill is pending in Congress, that would allow the department of AGRICULTURE to update the rules for what can be sold at the schools during the daytime". Hmmm, me thinks there will be loads of corn and wheat items. Just what the kids really need. Do you really think the department of agriculture is going to allow MORE meat and cheese?

Sadly, I see that the department of agriculture is now going to get into the school and "help" design a "healthy eating plan" for our kids. When will it ever end.

My daughter can rarely eat in the cafeteria now. There are no grilled chicken sandwiches, only BREADED - but baked *see me rolling my eyes* sandwiches. So sometimes she gets a breaded chicken sandwich and peels off the breading and throws away the WHITE bread bun. She eats whatever vegetable is available and the fruit - if it's REAL fruit and not soaked in sugary syrup. Sadly, she mostly just takes baggies of nuts and nutritional bars to eat for lunch.

Here is the complete article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/business/05junkfood.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&pagewanted=2&adxnnlx=1189029738-xjfqQ2p8/rRVIUEJu8V0bA

Ham and Cabbage Soup

2007-07-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

This was something I made last night that is not only low in calories, but low in carbs AND pretty low in fat (for those who might need to know that). It turned out DELICIOUS and hubby REALLY liked it. It was easy and you can eat a hearty portion of it without fear of ruining "your day".

3 pork shanks (try to get shanks instead of hocks as these have more meat)
10 cups water
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 dashes hot sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced carrot
22 ounces cabbage, chopped
11 ounces lean ham

1. Put all ingredients except cabbage and lean ham into a 6 qt pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 hrs. Remove shanks, let cool, and retrieve meat from them, and then put the meat back into the pot. Add the lean ham and the cabbage at this time.

2. Simmer until the cabbage is soft, about 20-30 minutes.

Makes 12 - 1 cup Servings:

Calories: 100

Fat: 4

Sat. Fat: 1

Carb: 5

Fiber: 2

Protein: 10

Another Reason to Remove Grain From Your Diet

2007-07-31T12:07:00.001-07:00

Ever noticed how when you give up grains and carbs that your indigestion goes away?? Well, here's another funny "proof" (and I use this loosely of course! LOL).

About 1/2 of the baking soda sold in the U.S. is used for indigestion in cattle. Most cattle are fattened up in feedlots on corn, hay, and supplements before being slaughtered. They can eat up to 25 pounds of grain a day. Their stomachs were designed to digest grass, not grain, so they tend to get indigestion. Feedlots give the cattle baking soda to ease the problem.

See Question 3 and it's Answer:

http://www.foodreference.com/html/currentculinaryquiz.html

High Fructose Corn Syrup Doesn't Make People OBESE - So THEY SAY!!

2007-07-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

So a study comes out that says that High Fructose Corn Syrup does not contribute to obesity. But here's a few "sneaky" things about this "study".

1. First off they didn't study the affects of HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) on any individuals. They just read through OTHER studies and literature reviews.

2. Secondly, WHO did this "study" - Maryland Center for Food, Nutrition, and Agriculture Policy (CFNAP). It's no wonder they "found nothing".

3. Guess who funded this "study" - Tate and Lyle - and you know who they are? Large corn refiner in North America - Tate started out as a SUGAR REFINER. Well OF COURSE they couldn't find anything wrong with the studies funders MAIN source of business.

How bogus can you get. You can read this ridiculousness here:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531862/

Thai Chicken Broccoli Salad

2007-07-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

I made this last night for dinner and was really worried my DH wouldn't like it. Ever since he quit smoking two years ago his tastes have changed QUITE a bit. We don't like super spicy things, so this just barely had a zing. You could certainly add more red pepper flakes if you wanted to make it MUCH spicer.

We he came home and took a bite, he said "It tastes like it has peanut butter in it". I said "Yes, dear, Thai food uses peanut sauces" and he wrinkled his nose. He did go back for 2nds which is kind of unusual for him, but he'd only give it a 5. Although this is from a man that gives Hamburger Helper a 10. So take that for what it's worth. I definately gave it a 8 or 9. It was DELICIOUS!!!

4 ounces dreamfields Pasta ( this is the low-carb pasta we use - I do NOT gain weight eating small amounts of it)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
11 ounces Chicken Breast
3/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups broccoli florets
6 each green onions
1/4 cup peanut butter, natural
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Cook pasta according to the directions, making sure it's al dente. Omit Salt. Drain

2. Add coconut oil to pan and heat over med-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering add the chicken. Stir fry the chicken for 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

3. Add broccoli and 2 tabl of water to the pan. Cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and add the bell pepper and the green onions and stir fry for 2 minutes longer. Everything will be tender crisp. Add the chicken to the bowl of pasta and put the vegetables on top.

4. Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter, 2 tabl of VERY hot water, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and garlic powder in a small bowl. If it doesn't get creamy then microwave it for 30 seconds. Stir til creamy. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Serves 4

One serving:

Calories: 365
Fat: 17
S. Fat: 5
Carbs: 12
Fiber: 3
Protein: 24

Why I eat a Low-Carb Diet

2007-07-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

I had a lovely friend ask me about low-carbing. She wasn't very familiar with it and she follows a regular low-fat diet. She loved my recipes but was concerned about all the saturated fat. But she wanted to know more about low-carbing and I wrote this to her. It think it explains why I chose a low-carb diet.

I decided to low-carb for my health. For us, it wasn't just about cutting our carbs down, it was about finally, totally nourishing our bodies. This meant eliminating foods that were unnecessary and unhealthy. That means that we no longer eat anything with High Fructose Corn Syrup or Trans-fat (this mean even if the label says "No Trans Fat" - I read the ingredients. If it says "Hydrogenated _____" it's TRANS FAT. Because of governement guidelines, if it has less than a certain percentage they can sell it as "No Trans Fat" - deceptive huh? We also don't eat anything with any added sugars. Honest to goodness, when you cut those things out, the cravings for them pretty much stop.

Now, I'll add this. I'm not perfect and I DO go to Disney World a few times a year and I'm going to eat the "best I can" while there, but I just won't go crazy.

For the first time in my life, I truly believe this has to do with my health. And honestly even if I stopped losing weight (which would be sad indeed), I would keep eating this way, as I feel it's the best way to eat for our bodies (for us pre-diabetic/IR people in particular).
Unlike what most people think, eating low carb is NOT eating bacon and butter and steak only. You can see by my journels, that I eat fruit and veggies and salad and meat and very little grains. That is usually quoted by people who haven't read Dr. Atkins book or the South Beach Diet (to name a couple). Dr. Atkins, does have you eat very low-carb (under 20 carbs a day for the 1st two weeks) and then you add carbs back until (in increments of 5 carbs a day each week) until you stop losing weight, then you dial it back to the previous week's amount of carbs. As you get close to your goal weight (within 10-15lbs you start adding more carbs back in until you start GAINING weight). Then you dial it back. That is how many carbs you eat the rest of your life. It's different for everyone. Some eat upwards of 150 a day, some eat closer to 50 a day. Once you get past the 1st two weeks, you can add fruit (he recommends berries mostly while losing) and then when you get to goal, you even add some grains back (steel cut oatmeal - not the sugary packets at the store - TRUE whole grain breads - bulgar, even brown rice etc.). It's all about trial and error and if something stalls the weight loss, than we cut it out for now.

So yes, we do eat more fat (because we naturally eat more protein). My diet is normally approximately 60% fat; 20% protein; 20% Carb

Here's a brief synopsis of a study done by the NIH (National Institute of Health). It shows that the low-carb diet has NO affect on cardiovasular risk. There were no harm to the lipid profiles (even though there are high levels of sat. fat eaten):

NIH Study on Cardiovasular Risk from a Low-Carb Diet

Then one of my favorite bloggers. Her hubby is a Doctor and she is SO smart and takes studies and tries to make them more simple to understand for "regular" people (although sometimes it's STILL over my head! LOL). But I love this post about why excessive CARBS are the reason for clogged artries and increasing bad health.

Carbohydrate - How Much is Too Much

This next article was a HUGE study that came out this year in March. It compared 4 major diets to one another, in not only weight loss, but blood values and blood pressure. The 4 diets were: Atkins (low-carb); The Zone, Ornish (Very low fat; Very high Carb); LEARN (typical low-fat diet).

At the 12 month mark not only did the Atkins dieters lose more weight, but even more significant was that they lost way more body fat (because when you are eating a low carb diet, the body tends to burn fat differently - which was recently talked about in another study that showed mice burning fat the way they do on an Atkins diet - it was some hormone they discovered that people on a low-carb diet put out. They are trying to reproduce it for other people to take it in pill/shot form). The Atkins dieters also experienced more favorable overall metabolic effects.

Now I will say, this study also showed, that none of the people keep a signficant weight loss off. You know why?? Because they didn't "get it" that it HAS to be a lifestyle change. No matter what you do, you have to do it for life!

Here is another blog by a RN. I LOVE this lady's blog and she is reporting about a new book called "The Great Cholesterol Con". Very interesting. I bought the book, but have only just cracked the cover. I do know the book, references study after study, proving everything he's trying to say in there. Here's a link to some exerts from it:

The Great Cholesterol Con

I loves this guys approach. As he says at the end "All these different studies show us one thing: No one has all the answers - not the food industry nor state health authorities. The bottom line: find what works for you - and don't get carried away by anyone else's mandate."

Low Carb Diet Health Improvements

And finally, this is one of my FAVORITE reads. He is also coming out with a book this September that's supposed to be AMAZING called "Good Calories, Bad Calories. Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control and Disease". I'm REALLY excited to read this because his writing style is very easy to read and it will go by quickly. It's sort of a long article, but WELL WORTH every word.

What If It's All Been a Big Fat Lie

Again, I'm SOOOO not against what people are doing that works for them. But doing a low-cal, low-fat diet stopped working for me. I know, I've been honest and I really was eating very little and nothing was happening. I was "shaking it up", changing things around. I have done it all and I KNEW after reading the above and WAY more stuff that this was how I needed to live (and my family) for not only weight loss but for our health. And if I'm honest, I lost the last 70lbs not looking at fat EVER. I ate a lower calorie diet mostly, but I was eating less and less and I didn't want to get stuff metabolically where I couldn't eat only 800 calories a day to maintain my weight.

Just regular science says, when you weigh less you need less calories to run the body mass you have. I was already eating as low as 900 calories a day and not losing weight and I was 230lbs. It scared me to think of how little I would have to eat...eventually. But if I changed my style of eating, boosting my metabolism and eating more nutrient dense foods, I found I could eat more.

All three of my primary doctors - my Endocronologist, my Gynocologist and my GP are completely onboard with how we are eating and very encouraging to do it. Our blood work has only gotten better and better. We are all getting ready to go and get new blood work. When I get that back, I'll share - the good bad or ugly how it turns out for the 3 of us. As we've been eating this way for months now - and was eating a bit different when we had our last blood work drawn.

Hummus

2007-07-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for a store bought hummus that's tasty but would you believe that most major brand have High Fructose Corn Syrup in them!! Aggg - that means, I'll have to make my own. I figure it would be hard to find Tahini (sort of like Sesame butter) in my small town but was pleasantly surprised to see my local small town grocery has a nice health food section and there it sat on the shelf! So here's my version of Hummus. I LOVED it and I made my friends at the local Starbucks - of whom most had never HEARD of hummus try it and they LIKED it!! I also gave them a piece of my "homemade" LC tortilla made into a "chip" (Mission Carb Balance Tortilla - toasted in the oven with garlic powder on it).

1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/4 cup water
14 ounces chickpeas, canned
1/2 cup tahini
1 teaspoon salt

PLACE all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally.

Makes 2 Cups
2 tabl = 1 serving

Calories: 75
Fat: 4
S. Fat: 1
Carbs: 8
Fiber: 2
Protein: 3

Carbquik Pancakes

2007-07-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

Again, real pictures, no doctoring up. I made these straight off of the box. I used coconut oil to fry in. As in regular pancakes the first ones turned out kind of greasy but the rest were sort of "strange" looking. I thought they tasted fine. My husband noted the crunchy ones tasted like "pancake dust". LOL With sugar free syrup they were a fair substitute. I'm still going to look for a "real" texture. These would be VERY band friendly as they were a bit on the flat crunchier side!

2 cups carbquik - LC Baking Mix
1/8 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup water
1 stick butter, melted
1/8 cup water

Stir together and cook following directions on the box.

Made 8 pancakes - 1 pancake:

Calories: 234 (a little on the high side for me)
Fat: 20
S. Fat: 10
Carbs: 20
Fiber: 16
Protein: 8

Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken

2007-07-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken

This is a creamy delicious dish that even your non-low-carb friends (isn't that about everyone we know! LOL) will love. We serve it over a very SMALL amount of Dreamfields pasta (like 2oz of cooked pasta).

4 each Chicken Breast - skinless boneless
3 each Chicken Thighs - bone-in with skin (my hubby LOVES the skin)
2 tablespoons butter
1 package Italian Dressing Mix - Good Seasons
7 ounces chopped onions, frozen
14 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup
8 ounces lowfat cream cheese
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 dash salt
1 dash pepper

1. Brush chicken with butter and sprinkle with the dry Italian seasoning mix/ (I did two layers in my crockpot to make sure that the Italian seasoning got on all the chicken and not just those pieces on top.) Do this on both sides.

2. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or cook on high for 3-4 hrs.

3. About 45 minutes before done, brown the onion in the butter and then add the cream cheese, soup, and chicken broth to the saucepan. Add the crushed garlic and stir all ingredients until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Drain some of the liquid in the crockpot (about half) and pour sauce mixture over chicken and cook an additional 30-45 minutes.

5. Remove chicken to platter and stir sauce before ladling some over the chicken and serving the rest in a gravy boat. Serve over faux rice or LC pasta.

For 4oz of meat and 1/4 cup of sauce:

Calories: 307
Fat: 21
S. Fat: 8
Carbs: 6
Fiber: Trace
Protein: 26gms

LC Food Review - VitaMuffin Vita Tops - Banana Nut

2007-07-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the Post about the Chocolate Tops - these are pricey ($18.00 for 1 dozen). They are 2oz in size. They also contain Malitol, but that does not seem to affect me. They are only 6 carbs per muffin. They also contain NO soy.

As for the Review:

I also toasted these in the Toaster Oven and can I saw: WOW - they were LOADED with walnuts on the top and the toaster oven, toasted them up BEAUTIFULLY and gave the nuts such a great "toasted" taste.

Ease of Use: Again, if you can use your toaster oven, then I'd give them a 10.

Taste: These are GREAT. Very banana flavored and if you miss bananas, these are a nice substitute. I'd give these a 7 for flavor.

Band Friendly: Well, if you can't eat bread, don't try these. They are afterall a MUFFIN top. I don't wear my band too tight, so I can have these on "most" mornings and every evening (not that I do - they are an occasional treat). So I'd give them a 2 for band friendliness.

You can buy these here:

Vitalicious Low-Carb Muffin Tops

Big Week for My Daughter & I - Suppliment Adjustments

2007-07-07T14:42:00.001-07:00

This was a HUGE week for both my daughter and I. She has managed to lose 41lbs now and has hit the milestone of going UNDER 200lbs. She was delighted and I couldn't be prouder of her. I got to thinking how hard it is for ANYONE to lose 41lbs, but for a teenager to do it is nothing short of amazing.

The best part of it, is that she's "not starving herself" and really doesn't see herself as dieting. She is just eating "good food" and making sure she's not eating unless she's hungry and eating til satisified. WOW - how smart is that??

I have also broken through some sort of wall and managed to lose 3lbs this week. After a week of gaining 2lbs. I do believe that gain was PMS gain - which is odd as I shouldn't technically have PMS as I'm on the "pill". But that old PCOS reared it's ugly head and had it's way with me last week. So in the midst of my "cycle" I LOST 3lbs. How weird is that? I'm also down another pound since then, so next week looks good as well.

I did change up a few things this week. I'm still eating on average 1400 calories a day and under 40 carbs a day AFTER subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (but I'd like to add I eat VERY little sugar alcohols because I try to keep things as clean as possible). I have added back the Glucophage I quit taking when I first started low-carbing as it was making me so sick to my stomach I was almost vomiting (a big no-no for lapbanders as it can cause slippage of our bands, which most of the time means going back under to the knife for a small repair). I also have added the following suppliments after looking up good ones, that Dr. Atkins recommends for those of us who are VERY metabolically challenged (the first group is what Dr. Atkins recommends and at the amount her recommends and the second group are some additional supliments I've added as well):

Chromium Picolinate - 1000mcg
L-Carnitine - 1500mg
CoQ10 - 100mg

Flax - 1000mg
Fish Oil - 1000mg
Krill Oil - 1000mg (for the anti-inflamatory properties - I hope to get off the daily Naproxen Sodium for the Fibromyalgia)

I used to take the Flax and Fish Oil before my band, but was worried they'd be too big. I've had no trouble taking them.

I can't say why I've dropped weight, but I have and I'm delighted. I'll continue taking these suppliments as long as I can.

CBS News Reports that the Fight Against Childhood Obesity is FAILING

2007-07-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

The government has spent over $1 billion dollars on changing how schoolage children are eating and the results are NOT GOOD.

Dancing fruits and veggies, paying kids to eat them and even the kids who are "following" this new program is NOT working.

Dr. Tom Baranowski, a pediatrics professor at Houston's Baylor College of Medicine who studies behavioral nutrition, says..."Any person looking at the published literature about these programs would have to conclude that they are generally not working".

Here is the complete article:

Fight Against Childhood Obesity is NOT WORKING.

Caveman Diet 'Combats Diabetes'

2007-07-07T14:30:00.001-07:00

My husband is pre-diabetic/Insulin Resistant so I was so excited to read this article here:

Caveman Diet 'Combats Diabetes'

In short it refers to Swedish research shows a "paleolithic" diet is considerably more effective than the popular Mediterranean diet in reducing blood sugar levels. The main difference in the diet was a much lower consumption of grains and dairy and a higher consumption of fruits on the paleolithic diet. This diet mainly consists of lean meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, root vegetables and nuts....hmmm, sounds familiar??

Go and read this short article for yet another research study showing how well this lifestyle can affect your health!!

Childhood Obesity - Tell Them Where It's At - Even if We Hurt Them

2007-07-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

I am so saddened to see that "a committee of medical experts" are agreeing that we need to compound the self-loathing & humiliation that kids & teens who are fat already have by not "soft pedaling" that they are really really fat and just tell them like it is. That they need to lose weight. Read here:

Doctors urged to quit softpedaling obesity

I wonder if they really think these kids/teens are so stupid to not already know that they need to lose weight; maybe it's the comments they get from other kids or even their own parents trying to put them on another diet. Now they want DOCTORS to tell them that they're fat, just in case they didn't already know.

I get so tired of hearing "just eat less and move more", like it's really going to help some of these kids. When will they start testing kids further and finding out what's really going on with a child/teen?

I know that me pushing the doctors to test my daughter for Insulin Resistance/PCOS was the turning point in her weight loss and overall improved health. Guess what, she didn't eat loads of garbage food and lay around all day. She had some super high insulin problems that made it nearly impossible for her to lose weight and even caused WEIGHT GAIN (sounds familiar to ME). Once that MEDICAL ISSUE was addressed, she continued to eat til satisfied, lowered her carbs (as advised by our physician - because the Insulin Resistance makes you far more sensitive to them) and the weight has been melting off of her. Hmmmm, imagine that?

Then to add insult to injury, they want to put them on a low-fat high carb diet that clearly is not the most effective diet for insulin resistance.

Diabetes Health - Low-Carb is Alive and Well

So what happens if the UK and the US follows and starts taking kids away from their parents for the "neglect" of having an fat kid? Yep, that's definately being considered. Here's an article that talks about what the UK is considering:

Doctors: "Put obese kids in Care"

And the US has a whole other "plan of action" - if the FORCED diet, exercise and life control doesn't work, they will even consider WLS SURGERY on Children. Here are a few links to a few of my favorite blogs explaining what the US would like to "do for our overweight children"

Doctors — forced into becoming lifestyle police

Only the Finest Propaganda will Solve Childhood Obesity

This is scary, because if my insulin resistant daughter were forced to go on a low-fat diet, she'd most likely GAIN weight. Yep, I said it, and I KNOW it's true. Plus she knows way too much now and would be dangerous to argue without about what she should and should not be eating! LOL

Don't Watch What I'm Eating - I Can Watch My Own Plate

2007-06-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

Nothing has been more infuriating to me then when people make opinions about what I'm eating. They "assume" by what I've got on my plate or in my cart that they "know" why I'm fat.

And yet every single week, I go to the grocery store and see families with 98% processed, frozen and boxed meals in their carts. But for some reason, because they got the "lucky genes" to be thin, then are not looked at or no one makes opinions and judgements about them. They must "eat right", they must be "healthy" and certainly they aren't "lazy" because they are thin.

I absolutely flipped with delight when I read this post by one of my most FAVORITE bloggers out there: The Divine Low Carb! by PJ - A woman who started out over 400lbs and is losing weight with a low-carb lifestyle. When I read this article, I laughed outload saying "gee if if I could make a buck for every time I've said these same things to my family, I'd be rich". I hope you enjoy her blogging style as much as I do:

The Divine Low Carb! by PJThe Divine Low Carb: Who Watches the Skinny?

Sour Cream Spinach

2007-06-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

This is a new recipe for my family by Dana Carpender's 15 minute Low Carb Recipes.

Wow!! All I can say is this was FABULOUS. I mean it, it's going to be a favorite and used over and over again! My husband, who does not like spinach said "Hmm, tastes like yard greens". So he didn't eat it! LOL But please remember he doesn't like cooked spinach. So take the cue that if you have a non-spinach lover, this one will NOT win them over. But if you like spinach, you'll most likely like this.

It has a very slightly tangy taste and creamy all at the same time.

Sour Cream Spinach

10 ounces frozen spinach
2 ounces frozen onions
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Take spinach out of packaging and put in microwave safe bowl. Add a couple tablespoons of water, cover and zap it on High for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, start sauteing the onion in the butter over medium-high heat.

When the microwave goes "ding", check to see if the spinach is done - you want it good and hot right through, but not cooked to death. If there's still a cold spot in the middle, stir in and put it back for another 2 minutes on High.

When the spinach is cooked and the onion is translucent, drain the spinach and stir it into the onion, combining well. Stir in the sour cream and the vinegar, heat it through without letting it simmer, then serve.

1/3 recipe yields:

Calories: 106

Fat: 8

Sat. Fat: 5

Carbs: 7

Fiber: 3

Protein: 4

Low Carb Sausage Gravy with Carbsquik Biscuits

2007-06-19T15:46:00.001-07:00

I wanted everyone to get a REAL view of what the Carbquik biscuits REALLY look like and not a doctored "food stylists" version. They don't puff up much and I followed a recipe and they recommended a certain amount of time and it was TOO long. They could have been LESS done for my taste. Also next time (and I will update at the bottom of this blog when I do it) I will use Baking POWDER rather than the baking soda that was recommended.

Overall I couldn't believe I was eating a REAL biscuit. I was in heaven. Seriously, I haven't had a biscuit in a LONGGGGGGG time. Mainly because my band does not tolerate it well, but this was dinner, so my band was looser, and honestly I should have eaten ONE less egg and biscuit and I would have had plenty to eat. Whoops - oh well, kind of a high calorie day. I did have some Jok n' Al Blueberry Jelly - I'll be giving a review of that soon! :o)

LC Sausage Gravy

1 pound Sausage - Jimmy Dean
2 cups 2% Calorie Countdown Milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons carbalose Flour

Crumble sausage and cook in large skillet over a medium heat, until browned. Mix in the flour until completely dissolved. Slowly, stir in milk then cook the gravy until it thickens and starts to bubble. Add some season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top biscuits with the hot gravy and serve. Place the leftovers in the refrigerator.

My husband who is a HUGE HUGE HUGE biscuit and gravy fan found this quite appetizing. OK, he liked it. He really did, I promise and I LOVED it!!! OMG, to eat a biscuit with jelly. I was in HEAVEN!!! Oh and the sausage gravy was delicious too!

1/2 cup serving:
Calories: 257
Fat: 23
Sat. Fat: 8
Carbs: 3
Fiber: 1
Protein: 10

CARBQUIK BISCUITS

2 cups carbquik - LC Baking Mix
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Place dry mix in mixer bowl. On low speed, slowly add liquid until dough forms. Do not overwork the dough (mine was rather crumbly so I squeezed it a bit).

Place on counter covered with light layer of Carbquik. Roll into a 1/2" thick sheet. But with 1/2" circles ( a glass worked fine for me). Place on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with butter.

Bake for 15 minutes and check or until golden (watch them, they'll be golden inside and out if you cook too long). Brush with butter when done.

Yields 9 biscuits - 1 biscuit was:

Calories: 152
Fat: 11
Sat. Fat: 5
Carbs: 18
Fiber: 14 (wow what a fiber PUNCH)
Protein: 7

Szechuan Chicken

2007-06-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

I took this from another low-carb website that I believe is no longer blogging/podcasting. I tweaked it myself and this is what I came out with:

Szechuan Chicken

4 each Chicken Breast - (like the kind you get in bags at Walmart - frozen but defrosted)

3 tablespoons almond meal
3 tablespoons coconut flour - Bobs Red Mill
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 drop liquid splenda
1/4 cup water
4 green onions, cut 1" long each
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (we are wimps when it comes to heat - but this wasn't even enough for a zing - I'd probably do more next time).

Cut the chicken into 1" cubes. Roll around in the mixed together almond meal (flour) and coconut flour. Heat up oil in pan. Cook chicken in oil until browned. Add the remaining ingredients and cook an additional 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. At the end stir in the cayenne and the green onions. Cook an additional 1-2minutes.

I served this over Dreamfields pasta (we just DON'T like the faux rice). You could serve this over brown rice if your carbs allowed for it. Or just eat it plain as well. It is NOT saucy. It's sort of pasty. Reminds me of a peanut butter sauce (not in taste - but texture). I liked it and would give it a 6 - my husband gave it a 4. That means "dear I appreciate the effort but don't make this again- hey how about a hamburger instead?".

Nutritional Information for 4oz of meat with clinging sauce NO noodles are in this count:

Calories: 274

Fat: 14

Sat. Fat: 8

Carbs: 11

Fiber: 3

Protein: 27

Just a Few Ramblings and Gripes

2007-06-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

About Me and My Eating

I'm a daily weigher and I know some people can't weigh daily because if they see a gain on the scale they give up and eat crappy all day. I don't do that, in fact if I see a gain, I tend to be more strict and not allow myself any type of deviation from the plan. OK, who am I kidding, I don't deviate from my eating plan normally because I'm way to neurotic to do that.

So yesterday I wake up with another pound gone (although I ONLY count the weight on Monday morning as the "weigh-in" weight). I noticed I lost more the 1st week I started back up on low-carbing (I'm on Week 4 now) and I also noticed I was only eat about 30-40 carbs instead of the 50 carbs that I've inched up to. I've also noticed a slow down in the weight loss, so I've scaled back (starting Monday of this week to less than 40 NET carbs a day) For those who aren't familiar with net carbs - that means carbs AFTER subtracting the fiber and sugar alcohols in the foods I'm eating. I don't eat tons of food with sugar alcohols because #1 most of them cause a laxative affect and well, that's no fun for anyone #2 I try to eat as whole foods as possible. I do love Carbsmart Ice Cream and eat that with Sugar alcohols, but that's about the majority of them that I get.

Plastic Surgery

At this point in my journey (down 76lbs), I'll admit I will most definitely need some plastic surgery for sagging skin. Now I know some people can say "Oh hey, at least I lost weight". And I've even heard some say "Fat rolls look worse than sagging skin". But frankly they don't to me.

Several months ago I went through a serious depression about the sagging skin issues, so serious I probably needed some meds for the depression. But never really did anything about it and with the help of a few friends, I dug myself out of it. I can't tell you how much the two friends meant to me (don't ever doubt the validity of friendships made online). I sometimes wonder if I self-sabotaged myself and didn't allow myself to lose more weight because of knowing that the skin problem will only get worse, before it gets better. I know my doctor won't refer me to a plastic surgeon until I've lost another 45lbs. Doesn't seem that far away, but when you're losing just a few pounds a month, it's REALLY far away. On top of that, I've started having rash problems, of which I NEVER had when I was at my largest. I don't know why, but I suffer almost daily now with some sort of burning problem. I've tried every prescription that I could and even a few "home remedies" and nothing has helped.

What's bad to me, is that I never carried tons of weight in my abdomen area, so I don't have "the bulk" of skin at my middle area. I carried my weight everywhere, which means that I have sagging skin, literally everywhere. Financially I know I can't afford plastic surgery, so I do plan on using an attorney to "force" my insurance company to get at the very least my tummy tuck done and we'll most likely pay cash for my arms. They are probably the worst (but they don't cause any physical problems - other than my sagging arms being a size 24 and my upper body being an XL - just trying finding a coat that fits ! WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!) Just in case you doubt me, there's a picture of my arms!!

I recently watched a Dr. Phil show, where a woman lost 160lbs and she was so traumatized by her sagging droopy skin and I have to quote how she described her pain because it was EXACTLY how I'd been feeling "Now that I am at my goal, it's like a cruel joke. I have excess skin. My body resembles a melting candle. I feel like I'm in a 70-year-old body. My skin just hangs. It reminds me of pizza dough." Now I know I'm not at my goal weight and I have to say I know it's only going to look worse. I sure hope I can mentally deal with it. Here is the link to the Dr. Phil Show, just scroll down to the last "story" and click on "Will her husband ever see his wife unclothed" http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/648/

My Daughter and Summer Gym

As I mentioned in my story, my daughter was also diagnosed with PCOS last year. She had normal blood sugars but extremely high levels of insulin. Poor thing inherited my mom and I's tiny rolling veins and after 7 sticks they were able to get some blood out of her. They had her take a 2hr fasting glucose tolerance test. Then they FORGOT to take a few tests fasting, so she had to come back the next morning to get those done again!! Anyways, she was prescribed Glucophage 500mg 3x a day. The beautiful thing about treating teens and young girls with diagnosed PCOS is that they respond MUCH better than women do (the Glucophage does nothing for me). Thanks to my mother who was reading up on the it and alerted me to it! She has lost almost 40lbs since October of last year. She wants to lose another 20-300lbs. She won't be super skinny (the doctor advised against it as she is pretty tall and big boned and said she'd look "funny" being too thin). We also embrace curvy women. We are NOT looking to be "stick figures" in this house!! Here's a before and after pic and with her new hair cut/color:

BEFORE......................... AFTER........... NEW HAIR CUT/COLOR

Newest Picture - Down almost 45lbs!!! - Updated 9/21/07

This Summer she had planned on doing what they call "Summer Gym". This allows you to take gym during the Summer for 7 weeks (7:00-9:30 or 9:30-12:00). She was REALLY looking forward to this time to add some fitness to her weight loss. I mean REALLY looking forward to it. She was hoping to get close to her goal weight and have me buy her a bunch of new clothes for school next year.

Well, it's been especially hard on her. She works her hind end off, but is INCREDIBLY sore every day and comes home to sleep for 2-3 hrs each day afterwards. I do worry about her having Fibromyalgia, but won't even put that thought in her head at this point.

Well, the gripe about all of this is here. The Summer gym program is being run by the coaches, not the regular gym teacher and they are working them, like they work the ATHLETES. We're heard a bunch about Childhood Obesity, but I think that someone who is out of shape and formerly obese (but still overweight) is not going to be able to achieve what a "fit" or "athletic" person is going to be able to achieve - at least not right off the bat. And if one of the teachers she had this week, doesn't emulate the "hard-ass - I'm going to make a point out of you fatties" than I don't know who does.

First off he accused my daughter and 2 other heavy girls of "cheating" and not doing the exercise. When my daughter clearly did it and she said he even looked at her during it. But then to "make an example out of them" - he took the whole class to a new area of steps (they were supposed to run up and down 2 flights of steps 3 times originally), and made those 3 girls do it again FIVE more times!!! Now what kind of point is he trying to make? That he's an asshole? Well he got the grade on that one. But to call my daughter a liar and then "make an example" of "cheaters" when they clearly didn't cheat. I was LIVID. I mean to tell you, it actually affected my sleep that night. Well she started crying (she could only do the steps one more time before she gave up out of exhaustion and can barely walk now BTW) and one of the counselors was there and he talked to her. You know what HE SAID??? "Maybe you shouldn't be doing Summer Gym". This is the man at the beginning of Summer gym that said "it's all about improving". My daughter HAS improved. When she first started and had to "run/walk" 1.25 miles - it took her 44 minutes. The 2ND time, due to the ENCOURAGEMENT of the jocks, she did it the next time in 24 minutes!!! How is this HELPING HER??? She is not only discouraged about being fit, but about taking Summer Gym, I'm furious. Is this the way we're going to help the obese teenagers??? To humiliate them and make "examples" of them?

Which reminded me of an article I read. Sandy Szwarc, BSN, RN, CCP - talks about the humiliation and torment of gym. She also talks about the body of evidence, documenting the especially intense negative feelings towards fat children held by PE teachers. I quote her here: "International Journal of Obesity. Led by Dr. Kerry S. O’Brien, Ph.D., at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at the University of Otago, New Zealand, “measures of implicit and explicit anti-fat prejudice were administered to university health professional students” and found that PE student teachers displayed higher levels of anti-fat bias than any other group of health professional. Associating obesity with being bad, lazy and stupid increased during their years of university study — the longer they were immersed in the PE environment and came to adopt ideological beliefs, according to the researchers. As the Sunday Telegraph reported: “PE teachers harbour a deep dislike of fat pupils.” "

I truly believe this is what this teacher is doing. I'm going to keep on eye on the situation and I told her if one more incident happens I'll step in and talk to him. He'll probably hate me and think I'm a stupid fat person too! But see, I don't care and won't take his crap! Fortunately she only has him on a rotation basis, so she doesn't have to deal with him every day. She is one DETERMINED kid. She hit the winning run today in baseball. Guess she's not so nonathletic as "some" may think!!

If you have a child that is overweight or you know anyone who does, you really need to read this article!! It's fabulous and talks from facts not just opinions! http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/03/is-school-pe-really-answer-to-childhood.html

Just a link to a You-Tube video that was really pretty good. Now I don't condone being fat AND unhealthy. I can't just "eat what I want" and "Screw the world". Due to the Insulin Resistance etc., I HAVE to eat well and I HAVE to lose weight. But her candor and self esteem is really refreshing! And I say "You GO GIRL". I think she's beautiful just the way she is and am glad she's found such peace with herself! It's Called "A Fat Rant"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUTJQIBI1oA

I hope to be back later with a new creation I made called 10 minutes Szechuan Chicken - now I kind of "borrowed" the recipe from another site, and added my own tweaks to it. I'll let you know how it turned out and how the family liked it. I also need to do a bit more posts on some studies/articles I've found on both Obesity and Childhood Obesity. But the grocery store calls my name - sadly!

LC Food Review - VitaMuffin VitaTops - Velvety Chocolate

2007-06-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, so these are a bit on the pricey side (what LC thing isn't??). They were $18.00 for 1 dozen or $35.00 for 2 dozen, plus shipping. They are a pretty good size (2 oz). They do contain the dreaded Malitol, but I haven't had any problems with them (of course I only eat one every 2-3 days). They come in two flavors: Velvety Chocolate and Banana Nut Top. They both boast only 6 net carbs per muffin. There is NO high fructose corn syrup in them - actually NO regular sugar at all! They also contain Soy for those who need to know that information.

As for the Review:

I took their suggestion and I toasted it in my toaster oven. My husband and daughter tried them cold out of the package. My husband said it tasted like cardboard but was great to have something chocolate, my daughter pretty much spit out her bite and wouldn't finish it. Now I didn't try it cold so I can't remark on that and neither has tried them toasted, so my review is on a TOASTED VitaTop Velvet Chocolate. I will be purchasing the Banana Top this week and will review it sometime at a later date.

Ease of Use - 9 - you do have to be able to open a plastic package! LOL, but the reason I didn't give it a 10 was because you need to use a toaster oven to heat it up and I actually did burn myself getting it out! LOL So lame - I know!

Taste - 6 - I didn't really think it was that bad. Now I do smear cream cheese on the top of it. I couldn't eat these every single day. I think I'd get tired of it. It definitely has that "it's not a real muffin taste" - but I think it's pretty good anyways. Maybe I'm used to eating things that don't taste "normal" anymore. Who knows? I definitely think they're worth trying.

Band Friendly - 2 - This is going to definitely gum up in someones band and get stuck if you were you're rather snug. My band is fairly loose and I even have to be careful with these.

You can buy these here:

http://store.vitalicious.com/lowcafr.html

LC Food Reviews

2007-06-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be reviewing Low Carb foods and helps and will be rating them for 3 things. Ease of use (this will be especially helpful for baking/cooking items), Taste - which will most likely be the most important rating and How Bandster Friendly is it.

I have a HUGE order getting ready to go into both Netrition and Carbsmart this week. I also will be ordering from a few smaller websites for assorted things I can't get elsewhere.

Obesity trend prompts sugar alternative growth

2007-06-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to report that a study shows that the trend is towards consumers purchasing and looking for more and more products that are sugar-free or low in sugar.

This could be a real boom to the market for low-sugar and sugar free products for us that are low-carbing. I still believe that we should look for whole foods whenever possible, but those added benefits of "easy" items are nice to have on occasion.

Here is the article:

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=77268-sugar-sweeteners-obesity

Tinkerbell's Jello Salad

2007-06-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

If you have noticed we're Disney fans and I LOVE Tinkerbell. When I found this recipe on the internet I was SO excited. I've added the pineapple myself, but it's good without it as well. I give the counts for both with pineapple and without.

Tinkerbell Jello Salad

1 package artificially sweetened LIME Jello (diet)
2 cups water
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cabbage, finely chopped
1/3 cup pecan, finely chopped
1/2 cup crushed pineapple in juice (unsweetened)

1. Cook jello by package directions (only using 1/2 cup of cold water if you use the pineapple - otherwise follow the directions and use 1 cup of cold water). Add mayonaise and cabbage, pineapple (with liquid) and pecans. Stir well.

2. Keep stirring as it hardens or the cabbage and pecans will float to the top.

1/2 cup serving WITH pineapple:

Calories: 128
Fat: 13
S. Fat: 2
Carbs: 4
Fiber: 1
Protein: 1

1/2 cup serving withOUT pineapple:
Calories: 121
Fat: 13
S. Fat: 2
Carbs: 2
Fiber: 1
Protein: 1

Butter Baked Chicken

2007-06-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

Anyone love Cracker Barrel's Butter Baked Chicken? It's available on Tuesday nights. OMG, it's wonderful. So I was on a quest to make a lower-carb version of it for my family. Here is what I came up with. Let me know if you try it and how you liked it:

Butter Baked Chicken

4 3/4 pounds Whole Chicken - Cut Up Fryer TYSON
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup coconut flour - Bobs Red Mill
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup butter
10 1/2 ounces cream of chicken soup, condensed
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup water

1. Melt butter in a 13x9" pan by putting the butter in the pan and putting it in the oven (I had to use a 13x9 and an 8x8 to get my super big bird cooked). Dip chicken in 1/2 cup of evaporated milk. Roll in mixture of flours and spices and place in pan(s) skin side down. Bake in 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.

2. After 30 mintues, take out the chicken and turn over. Mix up the 3/4 cup of evaporated milk and the soup and the water. Pour AROUND the chicken - not covering it. Cook another 30 minutes or until the chicken registers done on a thermometer.

For a 4oz serving and 2 tabl of gravy:

Calories: 313
Fat: 22
S. Fat: 8
Carbs: 6
Fiber: 1
Protein: 23

Now these nutritional totals are from what you REALLY use (you don't use all the flour or milk).

Why I Chose a Lapband over Gastric Bypass

2007-06-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

First off I want to say, that I'm not down on anyones method of weight loss and if you have had a gastric bypass and had great success with it, then more power to you, but for me it was not a option.

It's a bit annoying that so many people group all weight loss surgery together, talking about the dangers, risks and problems associated with weight loss surgery as all the same. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I chose the lapband over gastric bypass for several reasons. The most major being that the risk of death associated with a lapband is no greater than having your gallbladder removed. About 1-2000 die from a lapband being placed. The risk of death by gastric bypass is more like 1-50. That's a pretty big risk. But there is more. Gastric bypass have all sorts of risk factors: bowel obstructions, risk of popping staples and bleeding into themselves, malnutrition, intolerance of foods (dumping syndrome), anemia, serious Vitamin B deficiencies, leakage of stomach contents, serious Calcium deficiencies and lifelong needs to be followed by your surgeon to treat this problems with special protein and vitamin regimens.

The lapband is COMPLETELY different. The worst risk complication is band erosion, this only happens in 1-3% of the people with a lapband and people don't DIE from this complication, although they do have to have their band removed. I will never have staples pop or stomach leakage because none of my insides were cut and removed and rerouted. I will never have calcium, iron or Vitamin B deficiencies because I can absorb nutrients normally - because all of my stomach and intestines are there.

And another problem with the gastric bypass is that the stomach can be RE-STRETCHED out - IF careful dieting is not followed. This again, doesn't really happen with a lapband. We can forever keep our bands tightened up and therefore always have the smaller stomach at the top and eat less.

Now I will tell you. If you wear your band too tight, you won't be able to eat bread - awwwwwww, what a shame! Not that I eat bread anymore anyways! And I've never worn my band "tight". The band is tightened through a port under the skin. A small needle is pushed into the port through the skin (on my stomach) and the doctor injects saline into the port and it "tightens" up my band. It is adjustable. As I lose weight around my stomach, the band loosens up and I can get an adjustment to tighten it back up where it should be.

Now I can eat too much and stretch out my stomach (an easy fix) - just let the saline out of my band, allow the stomach to go back to where it was and then tighten it back up.

Now, the reason why a band works for me WITH my low-carb diet is because I'm so metabolically resistant that I have to watch my calories as well as my carbs. This enables me to do so and never be hungry. Well, I mean, I get hungry at meal times, but that's normal! A typical meal for me is: 3-4oz of protein and 1/2 cup of veggies. I can't eat large salads, but don't really need to, in order to feel full.

Statistically, only 1-3% of people lose all their weight and keep it off with dieting and exercise alone. 50% of people with weight loss surgery, lose all their weight and keep it off. I really do prefer the higher stats!

Again, any SAFE way that someone can lose their weight and keep it off it A-OK to me. I want everyone to get to where they want to be and be happy there. It's just my lapband has enabled me to be able to do this a bit easier.

My "Story"

2007-06-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone has to have a Story, right? Well mine starts out many years ago....

I grew up VERY normal sized. But you see I grew up with a father who was always telling me how pretty my face was and to make sure that I never got "fat". When I had "normal" flucuations in weight at earlier ages, he told me that I was getting fat (we're talking a 5-10lbs flucuation in weight as kids grow) and to do something about it, cause "You have such a pretty face". Everything was always centered around looks. I'm sure many of you can relate.

When I jetted off to college at the ripe old age of 16 (graduated a few year early) I was 5'4" tall and weighed about 120lbs soaking wet and I suddenly thought I need to be thinner than I already was. I crash dieted down to 108lbs and my dad was THRILLED with the new SKELETAL me - see ------>

Everyone told me how "great" I looked and I, of course, ate it all up, thinking this was how I needed to be to REALLY be accepted. Well, you can only starve yourself for so long and exercise 3+ hours a day until you can't do it anymore. Sadly this brought my previously "dormant" PCOS (see a great definition here: http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~cp391990/whatispcos.html ). In 6 months time I gained 60lbs. The next time my father saw me he cried. Not from tears of joy, but tears of shame. From that point on he refused to carry a picture of me (and currently won't have one of me in his home) due to his embarrassment.

This started years of dieting and losing and gaining and losing and gaining and never really getting down a good normal weight again. My body was just tired of losing the same pounds over and over, meanwhile it was ruining my metabolism and my insulin resistance grew worse and worse. I had had 5 different doctors tell me that I'd always be fat and to the "the best I could". I now know why, my body is so metabolically resistant that losing has been VERY difficult. Add to that my Endocronologist told me it would take me 3 hrs of exercise to get what most people get from 30-60 minutes of exercise, because my body thinks I lie in bed all day. Problem with the exercise is that I have Fibromyalgia. Exercising is a REAL challenge for me. Anything over 15 minutes of walking, puts me in bed for at least 2-3 hrs from lethargy and the pain lasts for several days. It's like my body HATES me when I exercise and punishes me from doing it. So for now I walk a little bit and I'd say any little bit helps!

Fast forward many years.....I've been as high as 301 and as low as 108 and I met my new husband at around about 212. He fell in love with me exactly as I am. No pressure to lose weight, but encouraging me to lose what I wanted for ME, not him. I admit, I drive him crazy with all my weight talk and food talk and healthy eating talk....therefore I'm going to try and direct it all to my blog and spare him a bit! LOL He can read this once and be done with it!! LOL

After trying Weight Watchers for 2-1/2 years and never cheating and only going off plan 7x in that whole period I lost a whopping 56lbs. Now that is a lot if that's near all you need to lose, but not when you have 150lbs to lose and not in 2-1/2 year and NOT when you don't cheat. Of course, I was accused of cheating time and time again and accused of being an emotional eater and denying my problems, not only by Weight Watcher leaders but by "support boards" - I'd list my journel and eat a beautifully "balanced" diet and the scales just didn't move well. Then my Endocrinologist decided to "try" a different and new diabetic drug (to help with the insulin resistance) and I gained 40lbs back in 3 months. I was devastated. I then gave up and for 2 years I ate whatever I wanted (not giant portions, not super junk food - just "regular" food).

Then one day I stepped on the scale and "dum dum dum" - it was over 300lbs - 301 to be exact (see picture on right). I was terrified of what that would mean for me. Would I just continue to grow larger and larger and diet "buried in a piano box" (as my dad used to warn me about)? I started talking to a friend who had been on a Weight Watcher Support board for many years like me and was too unsuccessful at losing her weight and she told me about a lapband. Here is a link to what a lapband is: http://www.allerganandinamed.com/products/obesity/us/patient/lapband/prodinfo.aspx

I felt this was an excellent option for me - although I will admit that my Endocrinologist wanted me to try a low-carb diet - of which I did but could barely lose eating less than 5 carbs a day and that was on a perfect induction. You see, all these years of dieting made me so super duper resistant to losing weight. So in July of 2005 I had a lapband placed and honestly do not regret my decision whatsoever. I have lost 75lbs since my lapband was placed but was struggling to lose any more weight after that.

I decided to "revisit" the low-carb diet but this time in combination of a lower calorie diet as well. Now low calorie for me is not low calorie to most people. I'm eating about 1500 calories a day and under 50 carbs a day (more like 30-40 most days) and am losing very nicely now. If I go up in calories, the losing slows or stops, if I go up in carbs the losing slows or stops. I think, for now, I've found a good spot to stay.

Here is a current picture of me since losing that 75lbs:

I feel pretty proud of where I've come but I have LONG ways to. Another 50-60lbs and then I'll need to start looking at some plastic surgery as I've got a LOT of sagging skin. My arms and stomach are the worst with my legs coming in next (I told my husband they look like elephant trunks! LOL)

My family is also on board with the whole low-carbing lifestyle as well. My own 15 year old daughter, after being medicated for her extremely high insulin levels has also lost 40lbs from drastically reducing her carbs. She is now an advocate at her high school for obese teens and recommends a low-carb lifestyle as the way to eat and live. My husband is also pre-diabetic and controls his blood sugars by this way of living.

Thanks for getting to the bottom of this long introduction and in the next post I'll be explaining why I chose a lapband at all, why I feel it's WAY safer than a gastric bypass and how people lump all weight loss surgery into one group when this is entirely different.