I provide the Whine and you provide the Perspective

I had a great chat with a fellow RNY'er yesterday...it was liberating. This stall has been driving me insane. Janee was helpful, very helpful. I had a great day all around. I went to Portland to visit a dear friend who I haven't seen in MONTHS...Annie is great! Lots of vim and vitality, she has such a great love for life. That is why I love her so much. We walked around an old haunt, then off to the Bipartisan Cafe for a little lunch. Lunch...hummmm, it is always an issue for me...I am in a stall, I need protein, I don't like sandwiches or bread of any sort, this cafe has tons of....oh, quiche! TADA, Swiss, mushroom and roasted Garlic Quiche. Oh, that is heaven on a plate. Just a little pastry crust, really not much at all, and creamy cheesy goodness. Annie had a Prosciutto, cheese tomato, mustard croissant and a vanilla latte. It smelled devine.

Well, that inspired me to use my perspective and eat better. This morning I had my protein coffee (24 grams of Protein) as usual and then for a late breakfast I had a Mexican Delight...Huevos Rancheros...WLS style. Here is my recipe and pictures to follow:


Aelyese's Mexican Delight

1-2 Tbls Chile Lime No Fat Veggie Refried Beans
1 egg
1 Mission Carb Balance 8" tortilla
Salsa to taste (Pica de Gallo would also be good)
Colby Jack Cheese
1 4"x 2" ramekin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the ramekin on top of the tortilla and cut 2 rounds. Place 1/2 of the Beans on 1 of the tortilla rounds and smear it to the edges. Then a sprinkle of cheese on top of the beans. Crack the egg on top of the cheese then a splurch of salsa. * A splurch is a Maukism* Top the egg with the other bean smeared tortilla round. Brush a little bit of olive oil on the tortilla and top with remaining cheese. Pop the ramekin on a baking sheet and into the oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on how you like the egg done) less time for over easy egg and 20 for the hard cooked. When it is done, remove from the oven, top with a dab of Fage Greek Yogurt and ENJOY!
This is great for brunches, lunches, dinners, anytime. It is smooth, gooey and SOOOOO yummo! I always lick the ramekin CLEAN! It is just enough for a really great meal. Loaded with protein and packs a low carb punch. You have to try this today!

Stuck is the name of this game...

My body is revolting against me...a coup of the worst kind. I am officially in a stall, a big, enormous, amazingly frustrating weight loss stall. Pandora cannot help me with this one, it is now a battle of my WILL and my brain, and I feel like I am loosing today. I need to get out and work out my body and the Head hunger... whatever this is it is making me question my sanity. I crave Chocolate, salty foods, and let me tell you, Tilapia smothered in whatever sauce I make that day does not always cut it. Oh sure, it fills Pandora right up, but not that lonely, empty place that a food addict like myself fights to try and fill. Truthfully, sometimes I cheat...yes, I said it. A frosted animal cookie here, a french fry there, a cracker everywhere...it is like my food monster can sense the sugary salty goodness in my general vacinity and uses the "force" to have a light saber battle of wills. ( I am sorry for the Star Wars reference, but hey, I am Gary's wife and the mother of 3 manly boys) I have been loosing a lot lately. I cannot possibly do this on my own. When the stress level rises in this house I am a food maniac...I sabotage myself...I hate that about myself. My family doesn't help either. Now, before all you WLS people out there start scolding me let me first say that my boys eat well, but, they also deserve to be boys. Boys like Goldfish Crackers and Cheezits, Hershey kisses and frosted animal cookies. My boys eat really well...they NEVER over indulge and I think that has a lot to do with making it available if they want it. They don't have to beg to get it. With that being said, sometimes those things trigger me. My boys have to eat all the time. They are all growing and are in a particularly big growth spurt right now so they are constantly asking for something to eat. Apples, granola bars, fruit snacks, crackers...the list goes on. My boys have NEVER had white bread, sugary cereals, or other such nasty foods. They prefer Oatmeal, Apples and cheese, WLS crepes, and grilled chicken. But all those things, when in front of my face 24/7 can tempt me. Okay, enough on that subject, I need to eat!!!!

As I sit here eating my Progresso Light Italian Veggie soup I am reminded of the famous WLS phrase, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." Well, whomever ALWAYS believes that has never eaten some of the dishes I love prepare. I am working on changing them to be WLS friendly, but dang it they taste really great.
Whomever said I was taking the easy way out...those people need their heads examined more than me. This is NO cake walk. I struggle just like everyone else, WLS or not. I know I can do this new life, I don't have a choice now, but I don't want to fail either. I could certainly fail at this, and on that note, I sign off saying, I don't want to fail and I believe in positive thinking soooo, I WILL NOT FAIL, I WILL NOT FAIL, I WILL NOT FAIL...Food is a annoying EVIL!!!!

My new phrase for this week:

Smell no Evil, See no Evil, Taste no EVIL!!!

Feeling a little...Snarkey...

So, we had another busy weekend, and most of the action was self created, or inflicted, however you want to look at it. I find myself creating more work for myself as I get more healthy. An example, I decided it was time to go thought ALL my old clothes, get rid of the stuff that doesn't fit and rearrange everything that remains. Okay, so once that got started I saw all the mess...the deep down badness...I took down the curtains, the pictures the decor and cleaned it all. Washed the 4 quilts on our bed, the curtains...everything. That water bill will suck next month.
Well, that project took quite a few hours to complete, but our room looks amazing. The dust is gone, the fan is clean, the curtains sparkle and the bed has been made each day since it was cleaned. I have even managed to get the boys beds made each day.
This a big change to just 6 months ago when I could barely get up the motivation to run the vacuum. I love having a more clean and organized home. By no means is it all together, but it is better.
Now, to the TMI of this bloggy today...I am craving chocolate! All sorts of chocolate, all the time. WTH...Just when my PMS is gone for the month, it returns with a vengence 2 weeks after it is gone. I crave coffee, fat and chocolate. Not chocolate FLAVORED stuff, but the real deal. I can't control it. It is like a giant furry monster that eats me up from the inside out. Honestly, I bought some chocolate the other day. I have been slowly eating it each day, Damn it! I promised myself I wouldn't go back to that place, but here I am. Sometimes I think Pandora has left me...she is gone into the deep recesses of my mind and is fading fast, but it just isn't so. She is there, always will be and she is only has good of a tool as I utilize. I find myself reinventing ways to sabotage myself. Like allowing old tapes to play in my brain, letting my thoughts go back to blaming rather than taking responsibility for my behavior and actions. My inaction in the WL area the past few days ends NOW! I tossed the rest of the chocolate, I made a meal plan for the week and I WILL do my WAVE everyday this week, even if it kills me. I plan on blogging my meal plan this week...pictures and all. I need the accountability to myself and to anyone who reads.

The Plan for the week
Monday:
Breakfast~Protein Coffee w/ biscotti
Snack~a few almonds
Lunch~Ricotta Crepes
Snack~Hummus w/ baby bell pepper slices
Dinner~3 oz Tilapia packet, small spinach salad
Snack~Almond Custard (loaded with protein and NO SUGAR)
Pictures will be added later today!!!

TTFN All

It's just a weekend...

Hi all... it was a busy weekend in the Mauk house. Bubbie was here and we were all over the countryside going to baseball games. I said last night at dinner that just when you think your weekend is getting started and you begin to relax, the new week comes turning the corner. I am realizing more and more how stressed I have been. My body is beginning to feel the "heat". All the walking, work outs, eating less (cuz I have to) and managing my household is really starting to make me feel like a 40 year old. Then today happened...
Yes, today I stepped on the Wii fit board and weighed in. The verdict....200lbs. OMG, finally, so close to my very first real weight goal. I feel so good I don't feel tempted to eat today. I am 60 lbs away from my ultimate goal. I would have the RNY every day if I had to. With victories like this I can get though the hard stuff too. Regardless of the hard times in my families life right now, this battle I am winning is being WON BY ME and only ME for myself. I had a fresh strawberry MAX protein shake for breakfast to celebrate. I have had some coffee...I will have a cheese quesadilla for lunch and 3-4 oz fish for dinner, snack, another protein drink and off to bed.I haven't felt this good in 15 years and I am 40!!!!! I can't wait to see what 41 brings!

It happening...

Well, dreams do really come true don't they? I am finally feeling like this whole thing is working. Up until now it has been a little surreal, but now, I am really starting to get in the groove. I weighed yesterday and I am now at 203...It is amazing how fast it is coming off now. This has really made a difference! It is fun to do and an excellent way to strength train and cardio all at once. I didn't want to spend all the money for the one on the marketing website so I searched Ebay and Amazon and found a good deal all for under $50. Whew hoo! The first time I tried it I loved it. The DVD's are easy to understand and easy to follow for me. Walking was just not doing it for me anymore and I have to be honest, my Wii fit, while fun gets hard to do when I have to compete with 3 other little boys who want to play Wii Snowball fight or some other fun balance game. It has been a great family toy, but I cannot lay claim to it being just mine anymore. We even got a streaming disk for the Wii though Netflix... so cool. I can watch so many movies now streaming though the Wii. I have been watching the first season of The Tudors. If you can stand the racy behavior(yikes), it is really very well done and absolutely entertaining to watch history, albeit embellished history, unfold once again. I must admit I have been having a hard time turning it off at night...well, 12:30am this morning.
Well, everyone who doesn't read this, have a great day!!!! Happy flower!