Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: A day in my pouch

A day in my pouch is a series of blog posts to show what a typical daily menu looks like in my post weight loss surgery world.

Breakfast: Farmer's Market. I had leftover Egg Foo Young Bites in the fridge and tossed a couple in the toaster oven to heat up before I took off to the market and my Saturday AM errands.

I got a slow start this morning. This heatwave is taking its toll on me. I'm about done with it. Yesterday I Googled internships in Antarctica... "Must have a thorough understanding of the mating habits of penguins"

Weight loss recipes bariatric food low carb

More Eggface Bites (aka Mini Crustless Quiche)

I love my Farmer's Market.

Farmer's Southern California Day Trips

Lunch: I got home and made a little lunch. Persian Cucumbers from the market with a Herby Greek Yogurt Dip (To taste Oregano, Mint, 4 oz. Greek Yogurt, Salt & Pepper), some Rosemary Marcona Almonds and a Caprese Salad (Tomato, Basil, Fresh Mozzarella, Salt, Pepper & Oregano which inspired me for dinner) I ate on the patio while I prepped and grilled a ton of zucchini, mushrooms, and chicken breasts for dinner and meals this week.

Healthy Recipes

My BBQ handiwork. Grilled zucchini.

Weight Loss Surgery Recipes WLS Food

I grilled some Chicken breasts (pounded, swipe of Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper) for meals for the next few days (chopped on salads, bento lunches, etc.) I thought this piece looked like Long Island (where I was born and raised) I had to snap a pic...


I grilled a bunch of mushrooms too but forgot to take a picture.

Dinner: This was delicious. You must make this! I had leftover Caprese Salad and this is the delicious dinner it turned into. Shelly's Caprese Chicken: Place a leaf of fresh Basil, a couple of sliced Tomatoes and a slice of fresh Mozzarella on a Grilled Chicken Breast. Broil till cheese is gooey and melty. I served it with some of the grilled Zucchini.

Italian Recipes Weight Loss

Low Carb Weight Loss Surgery Food

More Eggface Healthy Italian Recipes

Snacks: While I was cooking the zucchini I could help but taste test a slice and I have one of these waiting for me to eat when I'm done writing this blog entry. The peaches were perfect at the market this week...

Southern California Day Trips Healthy Food
 
Sugar Free Healthy Dessert Recipe


Shelly's No Sugar Added Peach Crumb

2 Fresh Peaches, peeled and sliced

Topping
1/3 cup Almond Meal (store bought or make your own with a coffee grinder & almonds)
1/3 cup Oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Caramel)
1 Tablespoon Almond Butter
1 Tablespoon Cold Butter

Peel and slice peaches and place an equal amount in each of the 4-4 oz. ramekins. Set aside. Cook's Note: Almond Meal is just ground almonds (skin on) you can also use Almond Flour which is ground almonds (skins off) make your own or storebought. Mix topping ingredients together till clumps form.


Sprinkle clumps of the topping equally over each ramekin of fruit. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden.


You can eat them warm but I prefer them chilled with a squirt of No Sugar Added Homemade Whipped Cream or a scoop of Protein Ice Cream. This time I'm just drizzling one with a teaspoon of Sugar Free Caramel Sauce (Smuckers)

More Eggface Healthy Desserts
More days in my pouch

It was a delicious day. Hope you are all having a great holiday weekend!

Post Weight Loss Surgery Menus: 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. I didn't even realize till I began this post it was a perfect Meatless Monday menu.

Breakfast: We're in the middle of a heatwave. I must have bought it back from Phoenix. Phoenix weather was better. We have had a week of muggy, monsoonal nastiness and it's not cooling down at night much. I've moved my walk to the early morning so breakfast needs to be a quick grab and go or super easy clean-up.


Hard boiled eggs are one of the easiest grab and go protein sources. I love to dip them in Bagel Spice which is basically a blend of all the seeds and seasonings on an Everything bagel minus the bagel and a couple of bites get the hot and spicy treatment with a little hot sauce.


More Protein Packed Grab & Go Breakfast Ideas

Lunch: Apparently, I am now on a hard boiled egg kick. Not really I just don't want to heat up the kitchen or clean-up much and a made a few. My bento box lunch...


Pink Box (top left): Salad with a ton of stuff in it (Persian cucumbers, tomatoes, carrot, lettuce, purple cabbage, Parmesan cheese, a handful of cannelini beans, bell pepper and a little oil and vinegar) 
Green Box (top right): Fresh peach slices 
Blue Box (bottom left):  Hard boiled Egg (salt & pepper)
Orange Box (bottom right):  Trader Joe's Rosemary Marcona Almonds 

More Eggface Bento Box Lunches


Dinner: I didn't want to heat up the house so I took a bunch of my Farmer's Market purchases on the patio, sliced them up, swiped them with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt (a little Greek seasoning on the zucchini) and grilled them up on the BBQ. I served them with a shaving of Parmesan Cheese on top of the zucchini and a Herb -ilicious Greek Yogurt Dip (4 oz. of Greek yogurt, a 1/2 teaspoon of Dried Mint, 1/2 teaspoon Oregano, salt to taste, a few twists of Black Pepper.) So good... a perfect thing to make and invite any vegetarian pals over. Tons of leftovers too. Perfect to add to a frittata, or a tortilla pizza, or my Bites (aka crustless quiches.)


Snacks: I finished the almonds from my bento box lunch and in the afternoon I've been needing to cool off and this hit the spot. Even cottage cheese haters will like it I promise you, you do not know it's inside but the extra boost of protein (1/4 cup = 7 grams, then whatever protein is in your milk) is a great thing. If you run out of protein powder adding cottage cheese (or Greek yogurt cubes) is a great solution or add it to your protein powder shake for an extra boost.


Shelly's Cottage Mango Lassi

8 oz. Milk (I use Vanilla Soy but any milk will do)
2 Tablespoons Sugar Free Torani Vanilla Syrup
1/4 cup Cottage Cheese
1/4 cup Frozen Mango Chunks

Blend on high till well combined. If you use fresh mango versus frozen toss some ice cubes in the blender to thicken.

More days in my pouch.

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#YWM2013 Your Weight Matters Convention Wrap-Up

Just getting back in the swing of things (last load of laundry is spinning) from an AMAZING weekend. I attended the second annual Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a weekend full of education, learning, inspiration, fitness, and of course plenty of fun. 370 people concerned about their weight and health, weight loss surgery patients, obesity activists and professionals in the field were all in attendance sharing and learning together. 37 expert speakers shared their knowledge and latest research. I didn't think we could top the inaugural convention but we did.

I highly encourage you to attend next year's. It really is life-changing. If you or anyone you know is interested in getting healthier... mark the calendar to attend the 3rd annual "Your Weight Matters" National Convention being held next year, September 25-28th, 2014 in Orlando, Florida! #YWM2014 I'll keep you updated and let you know when registration opens.


Here's a wrap-up of sorts from the convention. I have more to share but I wanted to get down some of the highlights in one blog entry. Especially for those considering attending in the future to see what the weekend is all about.

Thursday: We were able to register and get our name tags. I had lots of little ribbons to add this year. I was afraid to have any soup all weekend for fear of dipping my name tag in the bowl.


We wandered around and checked out the convention space. I was so jazzed to see the Tweet Board up! If you followed the #YWM2013 hashtag on Twitter (and Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook) attendees shared some great information and pictures this weekend and members not in attendance could still benefit from the tips, learning and join in the conversations. Be sure to go and check those out.


The pre-event (optional and FREE) Advocacy Training began. I attended this portion last year so was able to take pics and watch from the side as another group of advocates became "OAC Advocacy Trained" some of which will be headed off to Washington DC on September 15 and 16 to encourage passage of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act.


Going to Washington with the OAC was a great honor and learning experience. No one can tell our story about how obesity has affected us (and continues to affect us) better than we can... we are the experts. The legislators need to have faces, voices and stories to the statistics.

Took a few pics with new pals in the lobby and then had to run to my room and get ready for the evening event quickly before the Obesity Action Coalition Board Meeting. It was nice to have a board meeting in person. We only get to do that twice a year. We conduct the remaining meetings via conference call and WebEx so sitting around the conference table seeing everyone's faces is a rare treat.

After the meeting we joined the rest of the attendees at the Member Mingle and "Teaming up to Tackle Obesity" program, featuring special guests and former NFL athletes Corey Louchiey and James Thornton, who shared their personal stories about how they are tackling obesity post NFL with two different approaches.

It was great! You will alternate between tears and laughter. I loved the message that we are all aiming for better health and though we may take different roads to get there our destination is the same. It was inspiring to me to see these guys support each other. That is the not-so-secret-secret to success IMHO a network of support and keeping your head in the game. Thank you to those reading this for being a part of mine! If you want to check out the program you are in luck because you can watch the entire event.


One of OAC's Mission pillars is EDUCATION so 5 of the sessions from the convention were live-streamed and recorded so that everyone could benefit from some of the educational offerings. Not quite like being there but next best thing.




Friday: This was personally my busiest day. I was up bright and early to welcome and lead a group of 6 AM walkers. You guys know walking is one of my favorite forms of exercise. I love the outdoors. When you walk outside the time and distance (and calories) just fly. I count the minutes on a treadmill staring at the same scenery. I am an insomniac (self diagnosed) so 6 AM was perfect for me but I wasn't sure I wouldn't be the only one up at that hour. I was so jazzed to see this group of rock stars show up and special thanks to my pal Pandora Williams for helping stretch us out before the walk.


Even at that hour in Arizona it's pretty hot. Some of my walking pals headed to Yoga (Joy Jacobs, pink shirt above, you are amazing) and I took off to grab a shower before breakfast. A very sweaty me...


I was one of the door greeters assigned to welcome attendees and pass out our cute "Your Weight Matters" bracelets so I wanted to be ready to man my station before the first person got there.



Pam Davis, our board chair and Amber Huett, convention chair welcomed everyone and the educational sessions began. A highlight of the morning for me was Dr. Robert Kushner's presentation, "The Rollercoaster of Life: Major Events in a Woman's Life" which you can view online and Ted Kyle and Joseph Nadglowski's "Weight Bias - Changing Public Perception Starts with Me."


The OAC event has a unique lunch time. You choose a topic you are most interested for a round table discussion over a yummy boxed lunch. I lead a lunch on Friday. My topic was "Linking with Others: Finding your Support Online" where I shared some sources, tips, and cautions to the group. I provided each of my new lunch friends with a special "Your Weight Matters" USB bracelet with the entire presentation loaded on it so we had more opportunity to chat versus spending the whole time writing down web address and taking notes.


After lunch, I was part of an afternoon session called, "Everyday Advocacy: Simple Ways to Make a Difference" with Joe Nadglowski  and Maria Caprigno (who had weight loss surgery at 14 and who along with the OAC played an integral role in getting September declared Childhood Obesity Month.) Part of the presentation was based on a blog entry I did a few months back called, "Be an advocate - 5 easy ways."

The final breakout session for the day I attended was Merill Littleberry's "Who's Staring Back at You in the Mirror? Improving Self-Perception" Merrill's presentation last year gave me the boost to wear a dress for the first time in years. I actually wore 2 this year. Her presentation was awesome and inspiring again. Merrill is worth the price of admission alone.

Friday evening's event was a "Beach Party" everyone dressed up like characters or creatures from the sea. There was a costume contest and my friend Kesha won. She was a fierce Ursula from "The Little Mermaid." I went as Seaweed... a major character in every beach movie ever made ;)


 
The location of next year's event #YWM2014 was announced and I passed out beach ball "Save the Date" reminders to everyone at the party. The DJ was great and we danced and danced.


Saturday: Began another day of amazing educational sessions. Two of the presentation are available online. Don't miss them... one on "Understanding and Managing Food Addiction" by Nicole Avena, PhD and an amazing eye opening session by Gary Foster, PhD "Weighing Success beyond the Scale: Identifying and Maintaining a Healthy Weight."


I took a little time to say hello to friends, make some new ones and say thank you to exhibitor friends Celebrate Vitamins, Chike Nutrition, and the rest of the AWESOME exhibitors. A special shout-out to all those who supported our event. Please remember the companies that support our activities when you make purchases.


The evening event on Saturday was the Awards Gala a chance to get dressed up a bit and to honor a few members, advocates and volunteers that have made a special contribution to the cause of obesity this year.

 

The award winner's were all well deserving: Christopher Still, (one of the 3 founders of the OAC) received Healthcare Provider Advocate of the Year. Melinda Watman, was awarded Bias Buster of the Year. The physicians of the St. Vincent Bariatric Center of Excellence earned the Dr. Blackstone Outstanding Member Recruitment Award. Maria Caprigno, who I was honored to work with on the Advocacy presentation on Friday, was awarded the Barbara Thompson Award for Advocacy. Phoenix Councilman Daniel Valenzuela was named as Community Leader of the Year for helping to develop the FitPHX program which demonstrates how community government can help their citizens gain better health. Dr. Robert Kushner, who I have the honor of serving with on the OAC Board of Directors was awarded the OAC Chairman’s Award. He was responsible for designing much of the Convention's educational program. He's really nice too.

I was super excited at the winner of the OAC Member of the Year Award: Dr. Walter Medlin is not only an excellent bariatric surgeon and tireless advocate for the OAC, he is also a weight loss surgery patient. His blog articles for the OAC are some of my very favorites and I often retweet them because the weight loss surgery community needs to read every thing this man writes.

I had a special surprise when the members of the Convention Committee were called on stage and given this lovely thank you for our efforts, being thanked for a project I thoroughly enjoyed working on was the cherry on top. Thank you OAC for allowing me to take part.


Some of us hung out and chit chatted in the lobby area for a bit. Then it was off to bed...

Sunday: The Walk from Obesity. Special thanks to those that donated!! I thought of you all as I made my rounds on the course that morning. I am so lucky to have such a support network. I thank you. I also thought how it wasn't too many years ago I would not have been able to walk in something like this.

 

I met so many wonderful, inspiring people. I got to spend time with friends I only get to see at events xoxo I wish you all lived on my block!! Commune anyone?! xoxo  I have tons more pictures and stories to share (thinking a slideshow is needed) but that gives you a glimpse at least into the awesome education and fun weekend you can have if you join me in Orlando next year! I hope you will.

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Phoenix Bound #YWM2013

I'm heading to Phoenix for the Obesity Action Coalition's "Your Weight Matters" National Convention. I got in the mood with dinner tonight. A little of that Trader Joe's Gazpacho that I love with cooked Shrimp and Avocado in my nod to Arizona cactus glasses. Mmmm. Shelly's Cactus Shrimp Cocktail....


I'll be posting photos and live tweeting some of the educational sessions and fun events (wait till you see my costume for the Friday night Beach-themed party.)

You can follow my adventures online:           
Twitter
Facebook

and follow the OAC:

Twitter 
and the official #YWM2013 hashtag
Facebook
Pinterest

and be sure to tune into the 5 Live Streaming Free Educational Sessions. See the schedule for times and topics (some GREAT ones on addiction, maintaining weight loss, and more.)

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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: Apple Dippers. Pink Lady Apple slices in Sugar Free Torani  sweetened Greek yogurt with a squirt of SF Caramel Sauce (Smuckers) and sprinkle of cinnamon. Great grab and go breakfast. Put it all in a plastic cup, cover with plastic wrap and you are off...



Lunch: Leftover Meatballs from last night's dinner. These are not just any meatballs though. These are the best meatballs in the world. They are basically Sicilian Rice Balls (Arancini) without the rice. Rice balls were a typical meal at my house before weight loss surgery... meat, sauce, onions, peas and mozzarella sandwiched in a ball of rice, covered in egg and breadcrumbs and deep fried, they look like oranges hence the name Arancini (the Italian word for orange is arancia) and when you bust them open this yummy surprise meat middle is revealed well... surprises are overrated. Here's the middle taking center stage and with way less carbs...


Shelly's Magnificent Middle Meatballs

1 lb Ground Beef (you could use Turkey but I prefer beef for this)
1 Egg, beaten
2 Tablespoons Oatmeal
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1/4 cup Frozen Peas, defrosted
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
dash of Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
1/4 cup Fresh Mozzarella (or a couple of Cheesesticks)
1 cup Marinara Sauce
Parmesan Cheese

Mix oats and beaten egg together and set aside. Saute onion till golden. Allow to cool. Mix meat, peas, tomato paste, onions, egg/oats, salt and pepper together till well combined. Form 2 oz. balls insert a small piece of mozzarella inside each ball and close opening to seal.


Form all the balls (11-12) and saute in a non-stick pan that you've sprayed with Pam or a drizzle of olive oil. Brown on one side and carefully flip and brown on other side. Place marinara sauce in a pie plate and place partially cooked balls in sauce. Cover with foil and back at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

I ate them as is for lunch. Last night for dinner I made a little sauteed zucchini and onion to go with. 

Dinner: Shrimp Scampi Foil Packet. Zucchini "Noodles" made with this groovy gadget, 1/4 of a sliced Onion, Garlic, Oregano, a pinch of Red Pepper flakes, Salt and Pepper, and a tiny pat of Butter.


Wrap in foil. Toss on the BBQ (covered, no peaking) for 15 minutes. 


More Foil Packet Dinners  

Snacks: Too much coffee and steamed Edamame. I love these suckers. They take a while to eat so if you are in a snacky sort of mood they are perfect.

More days in my pouch.

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