Breakfast: I'm having a protein shake every day this week. Today is one of my favorites: Celebrate Chocolate Mint with Cafe Bustelo Espresso for a little extra umphf of energy and to boost up my protein for my upcoming surgery and later I had a hunk of a Red Velvet Protein Wafer.
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My Thyroid Cancer Update: (Not sure what's going on here's the post to catch up) I had a little drama finding a surgeon. There were no head & neck, thyroid cancer surgeons in my area that accepted my insurance but after lots of phone calls and lots of annoying hold music I was able to find a surgeon about 50 miles away. I have a fellow Obesity Action Coalition Board Member who knew him and highly praised his skills so that made me feel more at ease. I met with him last week and I'm on the surgery schedule this Friday, February 9th.
The plan is a Thyroid Lobectomy which is the removal of half of the thyroid gland which has the malignant nodule (it appears to my surgeon to have not spread, still 1.9 cm on the right side according to the latest ultrasound) but I gave him the all-clear to take it all if there is the hint the other side could have issues. The benefit of leaving half my thyroid is perhaps (based on labs and how I feel after) not being on thyroid medication for the rest of my life, which would be a big positive, as some of you know who are on it, it often has a slew of side effects that can be managed and adjusted but it would be even better if they could be avoided entirely. But... like I said getting a good look inside will determine what's needed and I'll just hope for the best. Prayers and good vibes are much appreciated. I will update via my Twitter and Instagram account as soon as I am able and not as drugged... or maybe I'll update while I am drugged... that could be interesting ;) LOL.
Lunch: I got home later than I hoped yesterday. I went to buy some easy to slip-on slippers and a robe so my bare toosh doesn't make an appearance like Jack Nicholson's in Something's Gotta Give. Thankfully, this is literally one of the quickest meals ever and soooo satisfying. You can use any cooked meat you like, ground turkey, chicken, beef, pork. Shrimp is great too. It's a great use for leftover chicken breast or steak too. Just brown the meat and toss it in to warm through toward the end of cooking. This time I used ground sausage meat.
Shelly's Egg Roll Bowl
1 (14 - 16 oz.) Bag Coleslaw Mix (or any salad mix that is mostly cabbage)
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Green Onions, diced
1-2 cloves Fresh Garlic, grated
1-2 teaspoons (to taste, I like a lot) Fresh Ginger, grated
a few twists of Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons of Slivered Almonds, toasted
Optional: Any Cooked Meat (about 1/2 - 3/4 cup)
Saute the coleslaw mix, green onion, soy, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and garlic until limp about 8 minutes. Add sliced/chopped cooked meat and a few twists of pepper, toss till warmed through. I add toasted almond slivers I like the nutty crunch surprise in every few bites (toast the almonds 1-2 minutes in a dry pan, stir once or twice, don't walk away they'll burn quickly.)
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Dinner: Leftovers from our Super Bowl/Pride and Prejudice marathon. Amazon Prime has the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice free right now. I did watch a little Super Bowl but I couldn't help getting my Colin Firth fix. If you don't have Prime (you can still view it, just get the 30-day free trial they have) but you may be hooked on all the perks and want to keep it. Our snacks were BBQ Beef Egg Bites (crustless quiches) and Cucumber Spears with 2 protein-packed Greek Yogurt Dips and Roasted Almonds.
Shelly's BBQ Beef Bites (Crustless Quiches)
5 Eggs, beaten
1 cup Shredded Beef (leftover pot roast is great for this)
1/2 cup Shredded Cheese (any you love, I used Colby)
2 Tablespoon BBQ Sauce
2 Green Onions, diced
dash of Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Spoon into lightly greased (Pam non-stick spray works great for this) mini muffin tins. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Let them cool a few moments they pull away and pop right out. Makes 24.
Cooks Note: They do make sugar free/low sugar BBQ sauces but I just use the real deal. It's 2 Tablespoons spread out over 24 egg bites so the sugar isn't an issue for most but if you are highly sensitive maybe try one of those.
Oh, and the 2 yogurt dips for the cucumber spears were Everything Bagel Dip: 1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt with Everything Bagel Spice mixed in and Bacon Dip: 1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt with real Bacon Bits mixed in.
More Eggface Egg Bites (Crustless Quiches)
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Snacks: Coffee, Tea and a slice of my Chocolate Microwave Protein Cake with a squirt of Homemade, No Sugar Added Whipped Cream and a drizzle of Sugar-free Strawberry Sauce (Smuckers) for dessert. Mmmm tasted like a chocolate-covered strawberry.
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One more thing on the cancer front... I've been reading lots about the 13 cancers associated with overweight and obesity (CDC, 2018)
If you are considering addressing your health and weight (via bariatric surgery or any other means) and you are on the fence and weighing those pros and cons... I would consider reducing your cancer risk as an added plus side benefit.
