What happens in Vegas...

Why do I go to Vegas? I hate it there. The smoke and all the bells and whistles and lights give me an instant migraine. After 2 days in Vegas, I feel like I need 4 on a beach, breathing clean air to purge my body of the crud. The day before I left for Vegas, I went to Urgent Care and dealt with a sinus and ear thing that was going on. They irrigated my ear (that's a pain I don't ever want to feel again) and sent me off with some spray. So yeah, I'm not a happy girl right now. Sore throat, cough, nose, ear, head thing.

So the Vegas event... I sampled some new products that I'll be telling you about in the future. I hung out with some pals, made some new ones, we took a lot of pics and laughed a lot. The evidence...


I went to a great session by Dr. Yoni Freedoff (Weighty Matters) I really enjoyed. He went over all the traditionally held diet myths and blew them out of the water. Dr. Freedoff has a book coming out next year I believe. Trust me you'll want to buy it. Here's my favorite slide from his presentation...

TRUTH.

You may NEVER be what a BMI chart says you should be (BMI charts are whack) but if you are making healthy choices in food, moving your body, working on the head stuff, trying to do your best each day and enjoying those choices you are doing GREAT! IMHO.

Carnie Wilson (of Wilson Phillips) was the Keynote Speaker on Saturday night. I also donated a little extra to attend a more intimate lunch with her. She was lovely, very real (dropped a few f-bombs) made us laugh and tear up too. I enjoyed her story and I gained a new respect for her. She is fighting all the same demons many of us are fighting and she is doing it with a TMZ camera man in the bushes. She was inspiring and a highlight for me. Carnie, Dr. Freedoff's talk and seeing pals were worth the price of admission.

This event was a fundraiser for the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America (WLSFA.) The organization was created to fund surgeries for those that have been denied or have no insurance. I am someone who was turned down repeatedly for weight loss surgery, even though I had a BMI of 54 and I was told by my doctors that the painful, debilitating, and life threatening conditions impacting my health would be potentially relieved and that having weight loss surgery was the best option for me. I understand that pain and hopelessness. I remember sitting in a parking lot crying when I received my insurance denial letter. I was devastated. You guys know my story. I ended up self-paying. It took me months of saving to get the money together to go to Mexico alone and have open RNY in June 2006. I was scared but I knew it was something I had to do. Weight loss surgery saved my life.

I was asked by my friend Beth to join her and another pal Nicole on stage to present a check for $1000 to the WLSFA. These were monies raised by a group I belong to on Facebook. The WLSFA accepted the donation, among a few other donations and the evening continued. It's my understanding that the donation was returned and my friend (and her husband who was not in attendance) has been banned from attending future events. Not sure what happened with that?! In any community, there will be different personalities, not everyone needs to be pals, I am certain not everyone thinks I am the cat's pajamas but personal feelings about members of the community should NEVER cloud the mission and goal of helping people receive the lifesaving gift of weight loss surgery. It's too important.

Well... on a happier note. I actually lost a pound in Vegas. All that walking I guess. I had a pair of cute pink high heel shoes on to meet Carnie. They were really torture devices. I ended up with HUGE blisters. I am a flip flop girl. I am not meant to wear heels and I here and now vow I will never torture myself again. So if you see me in a pretty dress at a future event and look down and see flip flops you will know why.

Speaking of hanging out in the future. Whatcha doing in August? or October? Come hang out with me.

Flying High and Low

Last week was a busy week. I had two back to back plane trips. I had to share these pictures of two of my favorite non-scale victories post weight loss surgery. These NEVER get old... being able to put down the tray table on a plane and using a seat belt with out an extender.

Pre weight loss surgery I dreaded flying. Before I even left the house, size 26/28 garments took up a lot of room and when you have only a few stores to shop in, that may not be in the city you are traveling to all the "just in case" items have to be packed. There was no such thing as a little carry-on for me, even weekend trips turned into several suitcase productions. I'd get to the airport where if I was traveling with others the comments would start "Wow!?! you pack a lot" "You do know it's just for the weekend right?" Ummm yeah. Thanks.

On to the ticket counter...now I never actually had them make me pay for another seat but I've had a few threats of it and comments like: "Will one seat be adequate for you ma'am?" I stopped flying when this started. 

We're off right? wrong. Upon entering the plane, I would discreetly ask the flight attendant to give me a seat belt extender and often it was passed quietly to me but every once and awhile I'd get a flight attendant who would call down the length of the plane to her co-worker "Janet do you know where the seat belt exxxxxtttteeeennnnddderrrr is?" Can I die now?

OK I've got my extender and heading down the aisle. Here come the stares and nasty looks by the people that saw me coming. You could just read their face, "Please don't let her have seat 9B" and then "Damn!" with a look of disgust when you do indeed have seat 9B. BE KIND TO EACH OTHER, since 93 million Americans are affected by obesity chances are one of them is your mom, grandma, pop, uncle, best friend, daughter. Think about them being on the receiving end of those looks.

Finally you are snug as a bug in your seat and ready for takeoff. It's all good until drinks and food begin. Try balancing a cup of coffee and a hot meal on your lap because the tray table down and my body in the seat weren't happening at the same time. I prayed no one was sitting next to me or someone I knew so I could share their tray table. Now I won't even begin to talk about if God forbid I had to pee.

I am thankful those painful memories are memories but so many of my friends are still living it. I'd like to see airlines stop overbooking flights so that reasonable accommodations can be made for situations like someone needing a little extra space. I once had to sit next to a woman with very strong perfume (a migraine trigger for me), another time I had a very tall man's knees pressed into the back of my seat for 6 hours. I would have loved to have moved seats but the plane was overbooked. Save a few seats for situations instead of cramming us in like sardines. We are people. We come in different shapes and sizes.

Your Weight Matters Convention - Save $$

I believe one of the best ways to keep your head in the game is to keep connected with others on the same path. Gain support and top notch education this summer at the Your Weight Matters Convention presented by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC)

Nab the EARLY BIRD PRICES through today!

Watch the video below to see what it's all about and share this AWESOME event with others in your circle...

Drink More Water

Water is so good for you. I know this, I just wish I enjoyed it more but I struggle every day to meet my daily intake goals. Here's my latest attempt to try to drink more water...

I mark time lines on the side of the bottle to make me more mindful and accountable and I put one of the reasons we should drink water on the top as motivation.

Natural appetite suppressant

Reduces the risk of kidney stones and UTI’s
Improves skin complexion

Prevents constipation
Aids in digestion
Helps headaches
Prevents memory loss 
Flushes by-products of fat 

Boosts your immune system

Prevents cramps 

More water tips

Drum Roll...

Thank you for entering the Eggface Protein Packed Travel Giveaway

The random generator has selected:

Jennifer S.
plynsn316@xxxxxxx.com

Congratulations!!! You are the winner of the a super cool Nike Workout (or Carry-on) Bag filled with some of my post weight loss surgery bariatric favorites to travel with...

Not a winner this time... No worries... several AWESOME Eggface Giveaway's are already in the works. Be sure to follow along on the Blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest for the latest eggciting announcements!

A day in my pouch

A day in my pouch is a series of blog posts (I try and post them every few days) to show what a typical daily menu looks like in my post weight loss surgery world. My yesterday...

Breakfast: Made my Buttercrunch Ricotta Pancakes. I make a lot of different protein pancakes but I think these are my favorite.

Lunch: Had some errands to run that brought me near the beach. Packed up my bento box and ate lunch staring at the waves for some free-ish (1/4 a tank of gas) therapy.

Pink Box (top left): Shelly's Dilly Egg Salad
Green Box (top right): Cucumber "Crackers"
Blue Box (bottom left):  Lipton Tea & Honey Lemon Flavored Ice Tea Packet (you add them to a water bottle, 20 cals) and a hunk of a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Quest Protein Bar
Orange Box (bottom right): Muenster Cheese

Shelly's Dilly Egg Salad

4 Hardboiled Eggs
1 Green Onion, diced fine
2 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt
1/2 teaspoon dried Dill
pinch of Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper

Whiz eggs in a mini food processor or mash with a fork till desired consistency. Add eggs to remaining ingredients and mix together.

More bento box lunches
More Eggface egg dishes

This was my lunch time view. Ahhhh.
 

Dinner: Came home after errands, one of which was stopping at Costco for a tray of their cooked shrimp. Ate a few with a few more Cucumber "Crackers" and a dollop of Greek Guacamole.

Shelly's Greek Guacamole

1 ripe Avocado, mashed
1-2 Chopped Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Black Olives, chopped
2 Tablespoons Crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
Sprinkle of Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper

Scoop the flesh out of the avocados into a bowl. Mash avocado till partially mashed but still some chunks. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Makes enough for 2 or 3 people.

Snacks: Lots of coffee including a Sugar Free Vanilla Soy Latte at a coffee shop tweet stop and in the evening sometime I ate a leftover pancake from breakfast, cold from the fridge they are yummy too.

More days in my pouch

Next week I'll be in Vegas for the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America Meet & Greet. I hope to see some of you there. Come find me and say hi! Looking forward to meeting Carnie Wilson and hearing Dr. Yoni Freedoff speak. I understand there are still tickets available so come hang out.

I also wanted to remind anyone thinking of attending the Obesity Action Coalition "Your Weight Matters" Convention in August that EARLY BIRD pricing continues for just 9 more days. Get in on it. It's going to be AMAZING and provide you with awesome tools for continued success in your health & weight loss goals. I can't wait!

Cinco de Mayo Eats: Mini Chili Cups

I made these little Tex-Mex inspired Chili Cups last night for Cinco de Mayo and The Amazing Race (my favorite show) finale night. Way better than a huge bowl of chips and queso or a ginormous burrito the size of my forearm which is what I would have probably eaten pre weight loss surgery. Portion controlled, protein packed and delicioso!

  
Shelly's Mini Chili Cups

3-4 Tortillas
1/2 cup Cooked Chili (leftovers are great for this)
2-3 Tablespoons Shredded Cheese (I used Colby & Jack)

Optional toppings:
Hot Sauce or Salsa
Chopped Avocado or Guacamole
Shelly's Cilantro Lime Yogurt Dip

Spray mini muffin tin with Pam non-stick cooking spray. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter (or 1/3 cup metal measure) to cut circles from tortillas. You'll need 3 or 4 depending on the tortillas you use. I used Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat, fajita size tortillas and needed 4 but had lots of leftover bits.

Place the cut circles in the muffin tin and bake for 5 minutes at 375. Spoon about a teaspoon of chili in each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese.

Continue baking at 375 for 5 more minutes until cheese is melted and golden. Remove from tin. Top with optional toppings. You can fill them with anything that would go in a taco. I've done shredded cooked chicken, refried beans, taco meat in the past. Excellent party or game day appetizer. For lunch or dinner I'd serve with a green salad. Would even be great for breakfast with an egg.

   
Shelly's Cilantro Lime Yogurt Dip

1/4 cup Greek yogurt (2% plain)
1 Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped fine
squeeze of Lime juice
dash of Kosher Salt

Mix together. Also great to dip meat, fish, veggies or thinned with a little more lime juice and used as a salad dressing.

The Eggface Protein Packed Travel Giveaway

It's May already!? This year is flying by. Speaking of flying... I've got a couple of fun trips coming up this month. I'll be blogging about them and sharing pictures of course. Since having weight loss surgery I always have a few quick protein sources in my carry-on bag. If my flight is delayed, I arrive at my destination too late to get something from the hotel restaurant or the room service menu is filled with unhealthy choices... I just pull one of my single serving protein packets out, grab a bottle of water from the vending machine and I'm good to go.

Do you have a trip coming up?  Let's do a Giveaway to get you prepared for it!

The Prize: a super cool Nike Workout (or Carry-on) Bag filled with some of my post weight loss surgery bariatric favorites to travel with...

7 Celebrate Vitamins Chocolate Milk flavor single serving packets of ENS (contains a high potency multivitamin, 500 mg of calcium citrate, 4 g of fiber, and 25 g of whey isolate protein in each serving) Great mixed in Greek yogurt (also comes in Strawberry & Vanilla Cake Batter flavors)

3 Chike Nutrition single serving packets of High Protein Iced Coffee (contains 2 espresso shots, 20 grams of whey protein, 23 vitamins & minerals & only 2 grams of sugar in each serving)

3 Double Chocolate Vanilla Crunch Soft Baked Pure Protein Bars

3 Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Quest Protein Bars

1 Black 28 oz. Blender Bottle Shaker

How to Enter: LIKE the following 3 Facebook Pages The World According to Eggface, Celebrate Vitamins and Chike Nutrition then COME BACK HERE and LEAVE A COMMENT on this blog posting (include a name and some email address where I can contact you if you are the winner) Scroll down to # of comments below to leave yours. That's it, easy peasy.

I'd love to hear if you have a fun trip coming up or a place you would love to go as I read the comments :)

***Want an extra chance to win?***

* Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway: Hey everyone enter the @Eggface Protein Packed Travel Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/bnhdbz2

Contest Period Ends: Sunday, May 12th, midnight (Pacific), Monday, May 13th I'll draw a name using a random number generator and announce the winner here on the blog! I will also email the winner at the address provided. You'll have one week (7 days) to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen. Remember winners MUST be a Facebook follower of the pages listed above. One ENTRY per person. Blog comments are moderated so there may be a slight delay (up to a few hours) in seeing your comment/entry post. Giveaway is open to anyone in the United States (48 contiguous only.)

Good Luck and Safe Travels,

Gift ideas for the weight loss surgery post-op

Mother's Day, Birthday, Anniversary, Just Because gifts. Here's a few gift ideas for the weight loss surgery post-op to help support and celebrate our healthy new lifestyle changes.

1. Clothing Store Gift Cards - One of the wonderful but expensive things that happens when you lose 100+ pounds is the need for an entire new wardrobe. Shopping for new threads can be fun and a thrill but it can get $$$ expensive.

I went from a size 26/28 (some 30/32 blouses) to my current size 4. I needed pants, shirts, bras, underwear, pj's, jackets and every event that came up I no longer had a closet full of garments to choose from something had to be purchased. I donated most of my old threads or made stuff out of them but one pair of pants I keep around to remember.

2. Fitness Stuff - What better way to support your loved ones healthy lifestyle changes then with some cool exercise gear. I love my Nike Fitness Walkman MP3 player and you'll need an Itunes card to download a workout playlist. A Fitbit or pedometer, a bicycle, new sneakers (I lost an entire shoe size), a Blender Bottle, DVDs, a fitness magazine subscription, a snazzy new workout bag, sessions with a personal trainer or my most recent purchase a kettlebell (tons of free kettlebell workouts online.)

3. Cooking Gadgets - If your post-op is a foodie like me... a good blender (Oster Beehive is my old standby favorite), a cool blender (the Oster My Blend Blender) or a really really $$$ cool blender (for making protein shakes.) Already have a blender there's always an ice cream maker (for making protein ice cream), a mini food processor, a bento box, or my very well used 12 or 24 cup mini muffin tins (for making bites and protein muffins.)

4. Experiences - Many of us affected by obesity had to say no to a lot of fun things in our lives because we knew we wouldn't fit or physically couldn't take part... hot air balloons, horseback riding, roller coasters and amusement park rides, bumper boats, gondolas, sporting events or concerts (I could never buy a concert shirt) in those tight stadium seats, trips without a seat-belt extender to cities with lots of walking.

5. Makeover/Queen for the Day - Hair, make-up and of course lots of photos. I had a makeover in NYC as a post op and it was such a great experience. I was always the one behind the camera (avoided photos like the plague) so it was great fun to get the star treatment for the day and an "after" picture taken.

Can you still take your post op for dinners out? Sure! I would just suggest to let them pick the location. It may not be the same birthday dinner joint they have been going to for years. Some menus are more easily adaptable and some are just grease laden white carb horror shows.

I hope this gives you a few ideas. You could always just ask them what they want ;)

Fellow post-ops: Feel free to add what you would most like to receive as a gift in the comment section.

Bento Box Bonanza

The weather has been so beautiful the past few days, I've been bringing my bento box lunch outside...

Pink Box (top left): Turkey and Cheese Cold Cut Skewers
Green Box (top right): Cucumber "Crackers"
Blue Box (bottom left): Red and Green Pepper Strips
Orange Box (bottom right): Shelly's Hummus Yogurt Dip (just equal parts Greek Yogurt & Hummus)

 

Pink Box (top left): Strawberries with No Sugar Added Homemade French Vanilla Whipped Cream
Green Box (top right): Cucumber "Crackers"
Blue Box (bottom left): Shelly's Awesome Guacamole
Orange Box (bottom right): 1/2 a Hardcooked Egg


No Sugar Added Homemade French Vanilla Whipped Cream

1 cup Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free French Vanilla Torani Syrup (any flavor will do)

Whisk till well combined. Fill whipping cream to the fill line of the whipper. Screw on the top. Insert the CO2 cartridge till it empties, unscrew that. Put the nozzle on, shake a few times and squirt away. It makes a ton, store it in the fridge for up to 10 days just give it another few shakes before squirting. Soooo good.

Pink Box (top left): Leftover Shelly's Bruschetta Pancake
Green Box (top right): Tomato Basil topping for Bruschetta Pancake
Blue Box (bottom left): Turkey and Cheese Cold Cut Skewers
Orange Box (bottom right): Shelly's Triple Chocolate Mini Protein Muffin


Shelly's Triple Chocolate Mini Protein Muffin

1 Egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons Milk
3 Tablespoons Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
3 Tablespoons Multigrain Pancake Mix
2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa (Hershey's, baking aisle)
1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder
Pinch salt

Mix egg, milk, syrup and oil (applesauce or cottage cheese can sub for oil but 1 T divided between 12 muffins is really not a lot) and combine thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix pancake mix, cocoa, protein powder and salt. Tip dry into wet and stir till combined. Pour into a non stick 12 cup mini muffin pan that has been sprayed with Pam.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a minute or two before removing from pan. Dip in SF Chocolate Glaze. Glaze will harden as they cool or speed it up in the fridge.

Sugar Free Chocolate Glaze

1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Chocolate Chips (Wal-mart)
1 teaspoon Canola Oil

Nuke in microwave for 45 seconds. Stir till smooth. 

More of my bento box lunches  

I highly recommend heading outside for a break mid day. My work has me staring at a computer screen for a big portion of the day. Taking an outside break even if it's only 15 minutes... breathing fresh air, soaking in some sunshine and Vit. D is therapeutic. It makes me happy.

Get a super groovy bento box of your own.

Build Your Own Salad Bar Night

Here's a fun lunch or dinner idea that is not only weight loss surgery friendly but also something the whole family can enjoy together. Build Your Own Salad Bar Night. Set out an assortment of salad items and let everyone create their own yummy masterpiece.

 

Top Row from left to right: Hardboiled Eggs, Shredded Cheese, Cooked Shrimp
2nd Row: Chickpeas, Salad Greens and Shredded Carrot, Grilled Chicken
3rd Row: Cucumbers, Artichoke Hearts, Tomatoes
4th Row: Red Walnuts & Almonds, Shelly's Healthified Ranch Dressing Dip (recipe below)

The standard rule is the darker the salad greens the more vitamins and minerals they have so I usually do half Spring Mix or Mixed Baby Greens and a little Baby Spinach added in.

I make sure every salad has some sort of lean protein (Chicken, Fish, Turkey, Shrimp, Tuna, Crab, Hardcooked Egg) and I aim for that. Tip: If you are grilling on the weekend, toss an extra piece or two of chicken on the grill for your Salad Bar night.

I love to add beans (Chickpeas, Black Beans, Kidney Beans) for even more protein but they are carby, they're good carbs but you know, factor them in your day.

I add veggies... raw, cooked, pickled. This is a great way to use leftovers like peas, corn. Tip: Leftover salad items can be tossed into soups or casseroles through out the week.

Top with something fun like a sprinkle of Nuts, Seeds or Cheese. Don't go crazy, they add protein but a little goes a long way, measure. Tip: Shred cheese versus hunks or cubes.

You can turn a healthy salad into "I might as well have eaten a greasy burger and fries" with your salad dressing choice, those calories and fat grams add up quickly. I rarely use dressing especially if you have something like sliced Avocado or Tomatoes which gives the salad plenty of moisture. If I do have "dressing" I make my own with Greek Yogurt. If you do use the regular in the bottle stuff watch those portions, measure it out don't just pour. Tip: Salsa is also a great dressing substitute.

Shelly's Healthified Ranch Dressing Dip

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon Dry Buttermilk Powder
1/2 teaspoon Dried Parsley
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Dried Chives
a few twists of Black Pepper
Salt to taste

Mix till well combined. For dip use as is. For dressing thin with milk. You can find Dry Buttermilk Powder near regular powdered milk.

Post weight loss surgery Dr's meal plans vary on when salads can be introduced. I was cleared for it at 8 weeks but as always when in doubt as your medical posse for the thumbs up.

What are some of your favorite salad bar items? Feel free to leave your favs in the comments.

A day in my pouch

A day in my pouch is a series of blog posts (I try and post them every few days) to show what a typical daily menu looks like in my post weight loss surgery world.

Breakfast: My new favorite breakfast. Seriously I want to eat this every day.

Shelly's Cinnamon Apple Walnut Salad

3 oz. Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (any flavor I used SF Sugar Free Cinnamon Vanilla)
dash Cinnamon
1 Apple (Pink Lady, Gala or Fuji are my favs), chopped
2 Tablespoons Walnuts, chopped
1 Tablespoon Dried Cranberries

Mix yogurt, SF syrup, and cinnamon together till well blended. Toss with apple, walnuts, and cranberries. Makes enough for 2 people.

I used California Red Walnuts in this. If you can find some use those. So good. If not, regular are fine.

Lunch: It was Earth Day so I tried to spend as much time outside as I could. Filled my bento box and took lunch outside...

Pink Box (top left): Shelly's Melted Turkey & Cheese Roll-up
Green Box (top right): Shelly's Strawberry Cannoli
Blue Box (bottom left): Hardboiled Egg on a Stick 
Orange Box (bottom right): Shelly's Pineapple Orange Protein Mini Muffin

More bento box lunches 

Dinner: Spotted these the other day at Trader Joe’s and tossed them in my cart. Trader Joe's Thai Lime Shrimp Skewers, they come uncooked. I just grilled for a few minutes each side on the BBQ. The box contains five skewers of five shrimp for $5.99.

They are quite tasty. Seasoned with kaffir lime leaf and other spices. Super quick protein source. Each skewer is 40 cals, 8 grams of protein, 0 carbs, .5 grams of fat.

They would be excellent on top of a simple salad. I ate them as is.

Snacks: Coffee and few more Strawberry Cannoli

More days in my pouch

Where's Eggface?

When I'm not posting here on the blog

I'm on Facebook

or Twitter

or Pinterest

and I have a YouTube Channel (one of these days I'll make some videos)

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though they know you are slightly cracked. Thank you for sharing the blog and related pages with others. xo