Week 3 and Feeling Free

I can NOT believe it's been three whole weeks since I had my surgery!! It really is crazy because the last few weeks felt like they went by so slow.. everyday was a waiting game until my next shake and a constant timer for my water intake.  Now, here I am, looking back and it feels like a lifetime ago that I was on shakes and miserable!  It's wild!  Okay, let me first start by saying my official 3 week weigh in is 24lbs! That's an average of 8 lbs per week so far! I guess all of those tears paid off!  I'm so glad that I stuck through it all! I'm really so proud of myself! It was very difficult. I was hungry and super emotional about being hungry and started questioning what I did to myself.  In reality, I was losing my focus on my goal- to get healthy! Now, here I am, three days into my new phase of soft foods and feeling amazing! I'm back at work and it really helped me stay busy and not so focused on food.  The bad thing about being back at work besides wearing jeans for the first time since my surgery (my jeans rub on my incisions and port so its sensitive), but working with kids with Autism means I'm around food alllllll day long! Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, M&M's, chips, donuts, brownies... it's endless! But, I've managed to not touch a thing!  Yes, the temptation is there and I'm dying to take a bite of 1 Swedish Fish or Sour Patch Kid but I know I can't. Why start a bad habit when I'm doing so well? It wouldn't even make sense!

My First Bite of my First Meal

So, Monday was my first meal (and Brian's birthday!)... ok, don't laugh, but I got choked  up when I took my first bite!  Seriously, it was a big moment for me!  I was scared, happy, proud, overwhelmed.. you name it, I felt it! So after I took that first bite, it just hit me that I worked damn hard for that and I couldn't believe the newly found appreciation I had for food! I made a 1 egg and 1 egg white omelet with 3 oz. of canned mushrooms, and a dot of fat free cheddar cheese.  YUM!  My mom even took a picture of me b/c it was a milestone in my lapband journey! She even got choked up with me! It was cute :)  I had no idea how fast I was supposed to eat or take bites so I first started following my liquid diet rate of 1 oz. every 5 minutes.  Then I thought it was too slow, so I moved to 2 minutes, then I ate consistently after I swallowed.  Overall, it took me 50 minutes to eat that omelet and what's funny is that half way through I didn't have that much of an interest in it anymore but I kept going to make sure I had enough protein.  After that meal, I got up and couldn't stop talking about how damn good I felt! I finally didn't feel empty anymore!! I felt energy that I haven't felt in weeks and I just felt like I was on cloud nine! :)

Yesterday was also a big test for me.. I went with Brian and his parents out to dinner for another one of Brian's birthday celebrations (he is having a lot this year!)  We went out for Mexican food, so earlier in the day I started researching what to get.  I've seen a lot of posts about this on LBT, and I remember people saying they got fajitas!  So, that's what I wound up getting.  I got the chicken fajitas without the tortilla, rice, beans, guacamole, or sour cream. I only had chicken with the veggies (grilled peppers and onions) and some salsa to make sure it was moist enough and to add some flavor.  I made sure that I drank before my meal (and skipped the chips which I was okay with) and pushed my water away once my food came out.  I wasn't sure how much chicken I had, but I split the skillet in half and only ate most of one side.  I ate the chicken first and then some veggies. I was finished after everyone else and then decided to wrap it all up.  Turns out I was completely satisfied after because I was fine for the rest of the night! So I passed my test! :)

Today for dinner I decided to make Cauliflower Crust Pizza! One word: YUM!  I found the recipe on pinterest and I modified it based on what I had and to try and make it less in calories, fat, carbs, etc.  So, here is my modified recipe:

Ingredients:

-Cauliflower

-1 Egg

-1 tsp. Garlic (fresh, chopped, or minced)

-Fresh Basil (4 or 5 leaves or to taste)

-1 Cup Reduced Fat or Fat Free Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

-1/4-1/2 cup marinara sauce (or sauce of your choice)

Nutritional Information (this will vary depending upon your ingredients. This info is based on the items I used.)

1 cup Cauliflower Rice (see below for recipe)
      25 calories, 0 fat, 5 carbs, 2 protein
1 Egg
      74 calories, 5 fat, 0 carbs, 6 protein
1 cup Sargento Reduced Fat Mozzarella
      280 calories, 18 fat, 4 carbs, 32 protein
1/4 cup Lidia's Marinara Sauce
      30 calories, 1 fat, 4.5 carbs, 1 protein 

6 slices Bridgeford Turkey Pepperoni (optional)

       40 calories, 2 fat, 0 carbs, 4 protein

Total Nutrition Info (not including pepperoni)      409 calories, 24 fat, 13.5 carbs, 41 protein Total Nutrition Info Per Pizza (no pepperoni)      102.25 calories, 6 fat, 3.4 carbs, 10.25 protein

Total Nutritional Info for My Dinner (I had 3 pieces of pizza and added the Turkey Pepperoni)

      349 calories, 11 fat, 20 carbs, 35 protein

I added Turkey Pepperoni onto my pizza (2 pizzas with 3 slices each) for extra protein (and because I'm a die-hard pepperoni fan, who are we kidding here?!) but you can add whatever topping(s) you want to.  Here are the directions:

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  

-For the Cauliflower Rice: Cut off florets and cut them into chunks so it's easier to use in a food processor.  Put them in the food processor so it can chip and dice the cauliflower until it is the consistency of rice. I've also read that you can use a cheese grater and grate the cauliflower as well if you do not have a food processor.  

-Put basil (to taste) mixed with 1 tsp. of chopped garlic in the food processor until chopped and slightly blended/

-Mix the "rice" with 1 egg, 1/2 a cup of reduced fat mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and garlic mixture together until everything is even.  

-Place parchment paper on pan and spray with non-stick spray.  

-Divide the "rice" mixture into 4 and place each piece on the pan and form into a circle that is relatively thin.  

-Put in oven anywhere between 14-18 minutes. (Tip: the longer it is in the oven, the crispier the cauliflower crust becomes. I suggest flipping it half way through to get both sides crispy).  

-When crust is browned (to your liking) take it out and place sauce, cheese, and other desired topping on it.  

-Put back in the oven (at same temperature) until cheese is melted.    

There are so many things you can do with cauliflower instead of rice, bread, etc and it's so nice! I found so many recipes on Pinterest!  

Anyway, I've been starting to walk because I want to make it a habit to come home for work and get on the treadmill or exercise! I wound up over-working my knee last week, so I've been going slower on the treadmill this week, but hey- exercising is exercising and it's better than laying in bed!  I feel good.. I feel like everything is coming into place slowly but surely!  It's only week 3 but I'm slowing feeling free from being trapped in the body and mind of a food addict!  I can't wait to see what the future holds!