Don't forget your vitamins

Some tips...

For those who say WLS is the easy way out let's consider this: The decision to undergo WLS means that we will need to take vitamins and supplements several times a day for the rest of our lives.

You can blow it off, but it will catch up with you in the long run! Ask me about my osteopenia....So here's a handy tip.

At first I used cheap-o pill cases from Walgreen's to organize my pills. I found one wasn't enough so I started using two. It kept me organized.

There were definitely some pros:
- I only had to divvy up all the pills once a week.
- I could see if I missed a dose.

The drawbacks though:
- It was hard to fit the giant multi-vitamins and calcium pills in the little compartments.
- The containers weren't child-proof so I was always worried about keeping them out of reach of my little ones.

My solution: I started using empty pill bottles.

I marked them - Monday AM, Monday PM, etc...
I just asked my pharmacist and he gave me ten free ones, but y0u could rinse out and reuse them.

Besides being easier to load, and child-proof, they're also more convenient to take with me when I'm on the go...Let's say I'm going on an overnight trip: all I have to do is grab the bottles I need. Some people take their pills mid-day while away from home: with this method you can easily just toss the one's you need in your lunch-bag or purse!

Simple. Practical. Cheap....that's how I roll!

Mike's Sweet Mesquite Chicken Fajita Marinade

Another WLS and Wallet Friendly Recipe for yum!

1/4 cup beer
1/3 cup lime juice (anything citrus can be used as a substitute - orange juice, lemon juice, etc.
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
2 large garlic cloves, crushed or 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic
1 tablespoon brown sugar (adds only 3g of total sugar)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or Steak sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt to taste
2 teaspoons of Kirkland Signature Sweet Mesquite Seasoning (I get this at Costco, you can substitute with mesquite liquid smoke)

Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Pour marinade over chicken in shallow glass, plastic or other non-reactive container (a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag works best). The key is to cut the chicken so that there is as much as surface area available to soak up the marinade. I like to use the bag for ease of clean-up and because you can squeeze out the air which ensures every inch of the meat is in contact with the marinade.

Refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours.

Just Like Wendy's Chili

Another Great soft food that's high in fiber and protein

Here's another great recipe that's easy and cheap to make, that will fill you up, be easy on your pouch and tastes great!

I made some of this last night, I've already gotten two meals out of it and probably will get five more, before I'm done!

1 pound ground chuck
1 15−ounce can of diced tomatoes (liquid included)
1 15−ounce can of red kidney beans (liquid drained)
1 15−ounce can of pinto beans (liquid drained)
1 8−ounce can Hunt's tomato sauce
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1 4−ounce can diced green chilies (with liquid)
2 Tablespoons chopped celery
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup water

1. Brown the ground chuck over medium heat, breaking into small pieces with
the spatula. Add a dash of salt and pepper while cooking.

2. Empty the cooked meat into a spaghetti strainer, and rinse well under
very hot water. This removes the bulk of the fat.

3. Transfer the beef into a dutch oven or large pot, and add the remaining ingredients.
Stir together to combine thoroughly.

4. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Reduce the burner to low, and
continue simmering 50−60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Starbucks Vivanno Banana Chocolate Blend - No-Dumping Style!

For me, the worst thing about having an RNY is dumping syndrome. I hate dumping! Every RNY'er dumps differently, and some are fortunate that they seem to be immune to it (or unfortunate depending on how you look at it). Don't get me wrong, I don't hate that I dump, I just hate dumping. I do everything I can to try to avoid it. I knew what I was getting into though, to be honest I wanted the negative reinforcement that feeling so sick and jittery that I curl up in the fetal position in bed for thirty minutes anytime I step over the line and consume too much sugar. It played a pivotal role in my decision process while considering RNY versus other types of available Weight Loss Surgery.

That said, it's still a bit frustrating when I have to stand by and watch all the "normal folks" get to enjoy sweets. This week when Starbucks came out with their new line of protein smoothies called Vivanno, I was really looking forward to trying one. The problem is the new drinks are loaded with sugar. 28 grams for the Banana Chocolate and 32 grams for the Orange Mango Banana Blend. Granted 16 of those are from the whole banana that is blended in, and sugar from fruits, at least for me - are tolerated in much higher quantities then other sources of sugar. Either way though, I would surely be in dump-city if I were to drink an entire 16 oz serving (incidentally that is the only size they are sold in).

So here I am this week, not being able to join in the new-Starbucks-product-fun and feeling kind of bummed about it when I come up with the idea to try to crack the recipe and make it WLS friendly. I really need to thank the Queen of WLS Cooking: Michelle aka Eggface for inspiring me to try this. I've been over at her awesome blog - The World According To Eggface just about everyday since I discovered it. There aren't too many foods we need to deprive ourselves of anymore thanks to her RNY-friendly recipe conversions!

So tonight I got to work on it with the help of a few confidential insiders and the info I gleaned on a recognisance trip to my local Starbucks store. I must say the baristas at my local Starbucks were more then helpful when I explained to them about how I've had WLS and that I needed to really know exactly what was in one of these things just to make sure that I could tolerate the ingredients. They even went as far as volunteering to let me check out their training binder where I found much more information then I did on their website. Then once it was clear I wouldn't be able to enjoy a Grande Vivanno, they offered to whip up a fresh one just so I could sample it (the rest of which they poured into more sample cups and distributed to the other patrons in the cafe).

From there I headed to the SuperTarget and gathered up what I thought I would need. I bought a bunch of different things to test different variations and different proportions. I started with what I thought would taste the best and be the easiest to make and I'm already satisfied. I don't think I even need to try it any other way. Honestly, I feel this version actually tastes better - a bit sweeter and a bit less chalky. So here goes:

Mike's Banana Cream Chocolate Protein Smoothie - aka Mock Starbucks Vivanno Choco Banana Blend

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons of Jell-O Sugar Free Fat Free Banana Cream Instant Pudding Powder
(this is instead of the banana. It makes it creamier and a little thicker this way, and of course lower in sugar, but many people, including myself, tolerate bananas just fine, so you may want to just use the banana instead.)
1 scoop of Vanilla flavored Whey Protein Powder
(I used EAS Brand which is easy to find at Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, etc...But I know people are pretty picky and loyal to their particular brand, so by all means use whatever you want - I just suggest you use vanilla flavor for this recipe.)
1 & 1/2 tablespoons of Sugar Free Chocolate Flavored Syrup
(The brand I had in my refrigerator was Great Value from Wal-Mart. This is used instead of the 3 pumps of Mocha Syrup which according to the Starbucks website contains 18 grams of what the barista described as "crystalline sugar!")
8 ounces of Light Soymilk
(Again, big reduction in sugar here. Just make sure you check labels - many soymilks are loaded with sugar to make them taste palatable. The variety I have been buying, 8th Continent Light, is not - it contains only 5 g of sugar per 8 oz serving.)
6 Large Ice Cubes

To make:
Just add all the ingredients, blend until smooth, and enjoy a guilt-free, dump-free, high-protein meal replacement. I suggest adding the powdered ingredients first though just to improve the blend by reducing "powder pockets" in the finished product.

Nutritional Info - How They Stack-up!

Amounts per 16 oz. serving
(Starbucks Vivanno Banana Chocolate Blend / Mike's Banana Cream Chocolate Protein Smoothie)

Calories 270/215

Fat Calories 45 / 36

Total Fat (g) 5 / 4

Saturated Fat (g) 2.5 / 1

Trans Fat (g) 0 / 0

Cholesterol (mg) 15 / 70

Sodium (mg) 170 / 380

Total Carbohydrates (g) 44 / 13

Fiber (g) 6 / 0

Sugars (g) 28 / 6 + 2g Sorbitol (a type of sugar alcohol)

Protein (g) 21 / 30

Vitamin A 10% / 10%

Vitamin C 15% / 0%

Calcium 20% / 55%

Iron 15% / 8%

Caffeine (mg) 15 / 0?

Note: The Starbucks version uses a protein/fiber powder. My version uses just a protein powder and also has lacks the protein of the real banana. It's a good idea for us to try to keep our fiber intake up, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to add some powdered fiber such as Benifiber to improve the fiber content of this "meal."

Split Pea & Ham Soup

Tasty and Easy to Make Source of High-Glycemic Carbs With Plenty of Protein!

It's been a while, so I cooked up a big batch of this stuff this afternoon.

When I was on soft foods I used to eat this all the time. It was easy to make, exceptionally cheap to make (remember, I'm frugal!) and it hit the spot every time. One batch of this makes probably a dozen post-op servings, so it goes a long a way and stores well. You can even freeze it!

You can vary the recipe any way you want, but it's all pretty simple. To make my basic recipe you will need the following:

1-2 tablespoons of butter

1 medium or large onion

1 carrot

1-2 cups of chopped ham

2 tablespoons of minced garlic (For convenience, I buy mine in the jar and keep it in the fridge, ready when I need it)

1 cube of vegetable or chicken bouillon or 1.5 tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base (a concentrated stock paste that stores in the fridge and tastes better then powdered bouillon)

1 package of split peas


To Make:

Melt the butter in the bottom of a large pot. I like butter, but if you prefer, you can use any oil, margarine or cooking spray. Just use enough to coat the bottom of the pot well)

Chop the onion to desired consistency and add to the pot and let it start cooking.

In the meantime, peel and chop the carrot into small pieces then add to the onions.

Add the chopped ham and minced garlic. I like to buy pre-chopped ham pieces for convenience. Traditionally, this is made with a ham hock, but I think chopped ham is easier to deal with, and probably healthier. What exactly is a ham hock anyway?

In the meantime put all the peas in a colander and rinse thoroughly to remove any foreign matter such as sand or small pebbles.

Once the onions, carrots, ham, and garlic have started to brown and soften a bit, add the peas and enough water or stock to cover them. How much liquid you add is up to you, but I like to use as little as possible so that the soup turns out really thick. In my opinion the soup is better that way because the less liquidy it is the less of a "slider" food it is. Thin soups slide right through my stoma, so the denser the food, the less it takes for me to fill my pouch and feel satiated. My goal is to achieve the consistency of refried beans. If you have a particularly tight stoma, you may want to make it a little more liquidy by simply using more water or stock.

Stir in the bouillon cube or paste and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cover.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the peas turn into a "mush" - usually about 60-90 minutes.

Mash the whole thing up a bit and season to taste with salt and pepper.


I've also made this soup once with barley added and it tasted great!
One of my favorite ways to serve this is super thick just spread out on a plate and sprinkled with reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese, yum!

Kids Say The Darndest Things

My Kids are starting to catch on...

Kids Say The Darndest Things

Real Surgery Video of a Laproscopic RNY Gastric Bypass

Not for the squeamish

I'm one of those people who analyze everything. So before I underwent my WLS I sought out as much information as possible.

I was very fortunate that I had the opportunity to have my surgery at Duke Weight Loss Surgery Center, part of Duke University's Duke Health system, and an ASMBS designated Center of Excellence. A few nights before I went under the knife I found this video on their website.

It is a teaching video that shows the entire procedure from the view of the laproscopic camera. All of the important steps are included, the only things left out are the actual incisions for the ports (trocar sites) and the removal of the trocars and suturing of the incisions. Everything else is included though. It runs about 45 minutes.

Click image below for video - Real Video (.rv) Format - requires Real Player