Prior to my weight loss surgery I used to cook all day on Sunday. Making things that would be in our fridge for the coming week. That way my family and I would have yummy things to eat that were ready for us when we were ready to eat. Then I would post on facebook a list and sometimes pictures of what I had cooked over the weekend.
After my surgery I quit cooking. I just did not find that I had any desire to do it. I have been mostly eating things like sliced cheese, sliced lunch meat, hummus with cucumber chips, protein drinks, hamburger patties, salmon, yogurt, and various combinations of the above examples for most meals, most days.
Last weekend my brother came to visit and to have lunch with me. I asked him what he was hungry for that I could make him and he said anything wound be fine. I remembered that I had wanted to try the Chicken Parmigiana recipe that I had read on the Pioneer Woman website and made it for him.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana/
This got me inspired to do some more cooking. So next I made homemade macaroni and cheese and roasted kielbasa with bbq sauce. Then chicken enchiladas casserole.
This weekend I started thinking about things I could make that I could easily put in my lunch. Since I focus mainly on eating protein and needing things that are easy to eat in small portions of on the go I thought about things that would be party finger food. I made a high protein guacamole using avacados and fat free greek yogurt. Next I made unstuffed deviled eggs. I made the filling and put it in a container then put the whites in a separate container so I can fill them as I want them, keeps them from getting spilled in my lunch bag like they would if I pre filled them.
Finally I put chicken cacciatore in the crockpot.
It feels good to be planning food and cooking again. I forgot how much I enjoyed it. Hopefully it will also help me get more variety in my diet, was getting kind of tired of cold cuts and cheese.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Progressing toward 5K goals
I have officially started running/walking/wogging again. About a year or more ago I started a Couch to 5K program to try and get to a point where I could jog a 5K race. I eventually achieved a VERY slow run combined with some walking and could complete a 5K in right at an hour. I really had in my head that I wanted to be able to run the whole thing but at in excess of 250lbs it didn't really happen. My sister coined the term "wogging" as a combination of walking and jogging. My brother says it was really waddling... Now that I am cleared to do as much as I want physically, I am again pursuing running. I started with walking and then in recent weeks have added more slow running. I am trying to walk nearly every day for at least 30 minutes not really worrying about speed or distance. Then on Saturday for the last 3 weeks I have done a 5K distance (3.2 miles) as fast as I could. Last week I got under 50 minutes which was a personal best so I am pretty happy calling that progress.
When I was working on this last time I did the Holiday 5K in Portland Oregon with my brother (the same one who made the waddling comment). He finished at a faster time that me even though I was the one who was training. Though I put on a happy face at the time, I was really a little disappointed that I hadn't beaten him. This weekend is my chance to redeem myself, even if in my own eyes. He is running in the St. Patrick's day run in Portland. I will not be there, but plan to start running my own personal run at the same time he is running. Kind of running along virtually. I will be using a time and distance application on my phone to see how fast I complete the 5K. I hope this time my time will be better than his or at least better than my own best.
I will keep you posted.
When I was working on this last time I did the Holiday 5K in Portland Oregon with my brother (the same one who made the waddling comment). He finished at a faster time that me even though I was the one who was training. Though I put on a happy face at the time, I was really a little disappointed that I hadn't beaten him. This weekend is my chance to redeem myself, even if in my own eyes. He is running in the St. Patrick's day run in Portland. I will not be there, but plan to start running my own personal run at the same time he is running. Kind of running along virtually. I will be using a time and distance application on my phone to see how fast I complete the 5K. I hope this time my time will be better than his or at least better than my own best.
I will keep you posted.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
If you don't eat it, it must taste bad
I have had the good fortune to have gone out to dinner with two different friends in the last couple of weeks. Neither of them had been out with me since I had my weight loss surgery in December. However they were both very aware of this life changing event and very supportive.
These meals out brought up a couple of new things for me.
First it turns out now matter how you explain to friends or others that you can only eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food at a time, they don't really understand what that looks like until you are eating a meal with them. The first night out I ordered a roasted chicken dinner, it was half a chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. I asked the waiter to bring the potatoes in a to go box because I knew I wasn't going to eat them and that others in my family would enjoy the left overs. Then I ate about a third of the chicken breast from the chicken, three green beans and set my plate aside. At first my friend thought I was kidding when I said I was finished, but really I was full and finished. I joked and told him thanks for buying me a weeks worth of food...
The other thing that happened was that the waiter returned to our table several times, asking if everything was ok with my food once I stopped eating. He even at one point asked me if he could bring me something else instead. Each time I told him my food was just fine and that I was just someone who ate a small amount at a time. He seemed very disbelieving of these statements. Later I thought, hey really I know I ate a small amount but who really should eat an entire half a chicken, plus mashed potatoes plus green beans...I know that's the serving they were putting out but really should we eat that much?
In the second case we had breakfast for dinner, I ordered a veggie omelet. The waitress asked me what kind of potatoes I wanted with it, I declined then she said would you like a fruit bowl with that instead. I told her she could bring me the fruit in a to go container. Then she said would you like toast, muffin or biscuit. I again declined and she looked at me with frustration.....I said really just bring me the omelet. After eating a third of my omelet I set aside and was again asked if I had liked my food and if they could replace it with something I liked better....I said no thank you that it had been very good and could I please have a to go box with for the rest of my food.
Really world, no wonder we over eat, no only are the portions huge but if we don't eat them, then somehow that means it tasted bad or was a food we didn't like.....I swear I love food and only order food I like, I don't have to eat it all to prove it.
These meals out brought up a couple of new things for me.
First it turns out now matter how you explain to friends or others that you can only eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food at a time, they don't really understand what that looks like until you are eating a meal with them. The first night out I ordered a roasted chicken dinner, it was half a chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. I asked the waiter to bring the potatoes in a to go box because I knew I wasn't going to eat them and that others in my family would enjoy the left overs. Then I ate about a third of the chicken breast from the chicken, three green beans and set my plate aside. At first my friend thought I was kidding when I said I was finished, but really I was full and finished. I joked and told him thanks for buying me a weeks worth of food...
The other thing that happened was that the waiter returned to our table several times, asking if everything was ok with my food once I stopped eating. He even at one point asked me if he could bring me something else instead. Each time I told him my food was just fine and that I was just someone who ate a small amount at a time. He seemed very disbelieving of these statements. Later I thought, hey really I know I ate a small amount but who really should eat an entire half a chicken, plus mashed potatoes plus green beans...I know that's the serving they were putting out but really should we eat that much?
In the second case we had breakfast for dinner, I ordered a veggie omelet. The waitress asked me what kind of potatoes I wanted with it, I declined then she said would you like a fruit bowl with that instead. I told her she could bring me the fruit in a to go container. Then she said would you like toast, muffin or biscuit. I again declined and she looked at me with frustration.....I said really just bring me the omelet. After eating a third of my omelet I set aside and was again asked if I had liked my food and if they could replace it with something I liked better....I said no thank you that it had been very good and could I please have a to go box with for the rest of my food.
Really world, no wonder we over eat, no only are the portions huge but if we don't eat them, then somehow that means it tasted bad or was a food we didn't like.....I swear I love food and only order food I like, I don't have to eat it all to prove it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)