Friday Five

A weekly round-up of tidbits, tips, ideas, news articles, random cool things...

1. Heads up on a COOL new product: Cruncha Ma-Me Edamame Veggie Snacks. Freeze-dried edamame. You know... the soybeans you get at Sushi restaurants. Soooo yummy. These are GREAT when you are craving a chip-like crunch.

They come in 4 different flavors: naked, sea salt & pepper, lightly seasoned (my fav), and they also have a veggie medley mixed with other freeze dried veggies. They come in single serving bags perfect for tossing in your purse or carry-on while traveling. Gluten Free.

Here's the nutrition stats on the lightly seasoned:

Serving size: 1 bag
Cals: 90
Fats 4 g.
Carbs: 7 g.
Dietary Fiber 3 g.
Sugars 1 g.
Protein 8 g.

Click here to purchase or for more information.

2. Bought my ticket for the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America (WLSFA) Meet & Greet in Las Vegas in May. Are you going? Would love to meet ya!

3. Some articles I read this week that were worth checking out:

Losing the weight but not the stigma - This is why we need to keep educating others and need the Obesity Action Coalition

Grrrr and for those that took part in the study: Bariatric surgery was the helping hand and first of many life changes that INCLUDED developing and maintaining healthy eating habits, moving my body everyday, and working on the why's of why I gained weight... I'd say that is A LOT OF WORK and work that will continue for my lifetime.

This is a lifelong war versus obesity, having surgery was just the first battle. I am a PROUD WLSer!

Big Food - Great video by the Yale Rudd Center
More Than 15% Obese in Nearly All U.S. Metro Areas - Skinny people live in Colorado ;)
Bariatrics Gets its Own Quality Measures - A very good thing.
Targeting Children With Treats - Great (though disturbing) Infographic
Preschool program fights obesity through dance - Love this!
Sure You Want that Snack? - I ate many of these pre-weight loss surgery

Remember last week when I mentioned that new show on TLC "The Real Skinny" featuring a fellow WLS pal of mine Sarah and Dr. Timothy Katzen. Here's a preview to get you excited about watching.

4. The fellow cat lovers will relate to this one. Is this not the cutest commercial ever!? "Who's the most handsome prince? You. You are." :)



My rescued stray Charlie is a lovey-dovey kissy-face too.

5. Check back on Sunday when a little leprechaun told me something fun is starting ♧

What motivates me.

Today my pals over at Bariatric TV posted a question on Facebook: Motivation. What helps the most to keep you motivated?

The choices were:
1. Before and Pictures
2. Famous Quotes
3. Competing against someone else
4. Hearing/Reading someone else's story
5. Your end goal or keeping your eye on the prize

It got me thinking... 

What motivates me?

mo·ti·va·tion
Noun: The reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. The general desire or willingness of someone to do something.

The reasons are many and they have changed as time has gone on. When I first had weight loss surgery what motivated me was getting to a goal weight and hearing the compliments of friends and family. It kept me going. Wanting to hit 50lbs gone, 100lbs gone, shopping in regular stores, getting to Goaaaaaaaal Go Go Goaaaaaaaal.

Then I hit goal and no balloons fell from the sky, I woke up the next day just like the day before. Soon the "OMG, You look AMAZING" accolades quieted. Sure from time to time I got the occasional one from someone who hadn't seen me in awhile but it wasn't the everyday occurrence it once was.

Now what?

1. Remembering the good and the bad helps motivate me. I remember the day I no longer needed any medications, I remember the first time I could fly and not need a seat belt extender and drop the tray table, I remember the day I cut up my Lane Bryant and Avenues cards, I remember the day I slid into a booth effortlessly, I remember buying single digit pants for the first time, so many wow moments.

I look at my before pictures and remember the hard, sad, feeling hopeless and trapped years. I understand that remembering these times is a bit like picking at a healing scab and rarely do I purposely pick, it's more like something opens the wound...

Remember why you started
Scars
Weight Loss Surgery & The Pier
My weight loss surgery journey (in denim)
Worst things about being fat
A is for...

Even yesterday I was chatting with someone about Disneyland and it reminded me of my last trip I took in college with a group of friends...

300 pounds, miserable, sweating and tired, using every excuse to sit down because I hurt so much. I missed out on one of the "lands" entirely. I barely fit in the rides and didn't even attempt a few knowing I wouldn't make it. Not my finest day.

2. Staying active in the Weight Loss Surgery community helps motivate me. Motivation loves company :)

Both in-person (at large events like my favorite OAC's Your Weight Matters National Convention event! or Obesityhelp, WLSFA, local meet & greets, social gatherings, educational or advocacy events) and online support (Facebook, Twitter) from fellow obesity fighters really helps. I enjoy celebrating their successes and am cautioned against potential pitfalls through others experiences.

Sharing my story through this blog helps keep me motivated. You guys help me keep my head in the game for sure. Thank you.

3. My desire to maintain my "healthy eating sobriety" helps motivate me. This is a controversial one but this is what motivates ME, everyone's journey is different. I am proud of my sober days... without certain trigger foods in my life, days I've lived a healthier lifestyle, days without my "drug of choice" having the power, days I have begun loving life versus merely existing. Like a person in AA getting those medallions I look at these post surgery days as something to continue adding up and celebrating. I know some who say not eating certain foods ever again is abnormal. Like I said, every post-ops journey is different. We didn't all gain weight for the same reasons so the path we take after surgery will be different too. You have to find what works for you.

4. Good quotes help motivate me. They help push me through when the going gets tough, something to reach for when faced with old demons...

I get out of the car, walk to the bank entrance and am faced with a singing chorus of "Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?"

My old friends Thin Mints and Samoas in their colorful, familiar boxes waiting for me to renew our unhealthy relationship. I think, "Don't trade what you want most, for what you want at the moment." Crisis averted ;)

There's probably a few more (my Mum is a great cheerleader, etc.) but these are the biggies. My best to all the fellow fighters! Keep on keepin' on :)

Drum roll...

Thank you for the wonderful response to last The World According to Eggface I ♥ Giveaway! The prizes were some of my absolute favorite weight loss surgery must haves. It was a fun month!

The random generator has selected:

Judy
craftyjudys@xxxxx.com

Congratulations!!! You are the winner of the HUGE 10 lb. Supply of SEI Nutrition Max Protein. Check your mail and follow email instructions for claiming your prize.

Thank you for playing everyone! Keep watching the blog for the next eggciting giveaway coming soon!

Friday Five

A weekly round-up of tidbits, tips, ideas, news articles, random cool things...

1. Happy March! Wait, wasn't it just Christmas?! March is one of my favorite months. New leaves on trees, bulb flowers bloom, unpredictable weather makes for some interesting skies, daylight savings begins so more Vit. D and later walks. When I was a whippersnapper one of the reasons I loved March was because Mickey D's Shamrock Shake returned. If you were a Shamrock Shake lover too be sure to check out my healthified alternative.

Check out these scary stats on the real deal McDonald's Shamrock Shake. A 12 oz. Shamrock Shake = 74 grams of sugar. Yes... not a typo... 74 grams! Check out the calorie count on the 16 oz...


2. Speaking of GREEN... today marks the 108th birthday of Dr. Seuss! In his honor this is my "Green Eggs and Ham" lunch...

Shelly's Avocado Deviled Eggs

4 Hardboiled Eggs
2 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt
1/2 an Avocado
dash of Greek Seasoning (blend found in spice aisle)
1 Green Onion, diced
dash of Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper

Hard cook eggs. Cool. Cut in half. Remove yolks and mash with above ingredients till smooth-ish. Spoon back. Top with diced Green Onion.

How I hard cook eggs: Place eggs in pot. Fill pot with cold water till 1" over eggs. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes. Pour off hot water and cover eggs with very cold water. This is an extremely important step which prevents the greenish ring you sometimes see on yolks. When eggs are cool enough to handle. Crack & peel away shell. Chill.

Oh and here's the ham component in the "Green Eggs and Ham" lunch.

Two of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes: "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." and "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

3. Some articles I read this week that were worth checking out:

Alcohol Metabolism after Bariatric Surgery - MUST READ
Obesity map of the world
Obesity epidemic affecting autopsies
Baking with whole grains: Spelt Flour - Ya'll know how I love Spelt.

and a heads up on a new show you'll want to check out... my pal Sarah is in it and an awesome plastic surgery that is very active in our weight loss surgery community Dr. Timothy Katzen. It's on TLC and it's called, "The Real Skinny"

From TLC's website: "Sarah and Chris are living with a terrible secret. Despite both having successful gastric bypass surgery, they continue to live life under a cloud of personal shame because of an unexpected side effect of the weight loss: Excess Skin."

I know the feeling.

The show airs: March 12, 9:00 pm and March 13, 12:00 am. I'll be watching!

4. The blog is nominated for a Homie for Best Healthy Cooking Blog. Voting ends today March 2nd, 2012 at 11:59PM EST.

The Kitchn requires you register to vote but it seems a pretty easy process. I love sharing with a broader audience (and perhaps changing some preconceived notions) that eating after bariatric surgery is still full of tasty food like this...


Thanks in advance.

*UPDATE* Thank you for voting www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com one of the Top 10 Healthy Cooking Blogs of 2012 in the Homies. We didn't make the finals but Top 10 (9 actually) is darn GREAT in my book.

5. Sunday is the last day to enter the final "I ♥" giveaway. Click here to add your name in the hat to win a HUGE 10 lb. supply of one of my favorite protein powders.