LTNS

What is LTNS?  LTNS is "Long Time No See"  But I guess I should have said, LTNB: "Long Time No Blog."

So this is going to be one of those "start typing and see what comes out entries.  Here goes...

Life has been incredibly busy since my last post. (Whose isn't, right??)  I've had 7 appointments with the chiropractor so far.  I'm not done with treatment yet, but the back is definitely better.  There was one day that he was running a little late (RARELY happens with him!) and I was looking at all the posters/pictures in the room.  One of them really caught my attention.  It wasn't any of the ones that show the spinal cord and how the injuries look; it was one titled "Road to Recovery."  What I found interesting about it was that it really could apply to just more than chiropractic healing.  There comes a point in any treatment plan that you have to make a decision - that point where we start feeling better.  We have to decide to continue the treatment plan or not.  I can't tell you how many times I've done this in my life, and this weight loss journey isn't exempt at all.  I've been at that point for a couple of months now.  And unfortunately, sometimes I've chosen NOT to follow the "treatment" plan.  I've not measured, I've not logged and I've made some conscious decision to venture off on my own.  Some of the old thoughts have crept back in and though most days I am strong and push them right back out, there have been a couple of times I've fallen prey to them.  So I'm committing here, publicly, to get back on the path to recovery.  As I've stated before, I am a food addict - still.  But I continue to trust God to help me quickly identify when I'm close to a downward spiral and keep me on the road to recovery.

Lots of changes for our kiddos.  Our oldest daughter just accepted a promotion at the bank.  It's taking her out of her comfort zone and into a whole different division in the company.  I know she's nervous, but I'm so proud of her.  She's always been fearless and incredibly responsible in her jobs.  I'm sure she will rock it!  Our youngest daughter is in the middle of a big transition as well.  She recently graduated from the Surgical Technician program and has been offered a job at IU Health in Bloomington. She's just waiting to hear if she passed her exam or not.  I have all the confidence that she did; she's just feeling the pressure of the unknown.  So proud of them both!  Our oldest son starts high school in two days.  He was fortunate enough to get into one of the top high schools in the country. (Signature School) There's a lot of pressure that goes along with that.  This school is full of honor students...and therefore they truly teach at a level not seen in most other local school.  He is INCREDIBLY smart, but has a history of not applying himself.  I'm praying that his first experience with a test last week (yes, he had summer homework) is a wake up call to the level of effort that is required.  I "think" he gets it; I pray he uses the gift that God has given him! If that wasn't bad enough, CME taught him to shave this week!  Time really does fly!  And our youngest...well, he's not really experiencing change right now, other than not having his older brother at the same school right now.  I'm ready for the boys to be back in school so there is a schedule...and as bad as this may sound, so that I can have a little more influence on what and how much they're eating.  Summertime has proven to be a challenge in their eating habits.  Though we don't really buy junk food...the constant grazing and overeating (in my opinion based on what's missing every day when I get home from work) concerns me.  Yes, they're growing boys, but their habits are being formed now.  

In other news...I just spent two incredibly awesome days attending the Global Leadership Summit hearing inspiring speakers like Gen. Colin Powell, Pat Lencioni, Mark Burnett, Dr. Brené Brown, just to name a few.  The theme throughout the conference was bravery and courage among leaders.  One of the quotes that has stuck with me is actually one from Pastor Bill Hybels: "Every significant vision that God births in you is going to put your courage to the test."  This is so true in the journey God is taking me down.  My courage has been tested through this weight loss journey and through other areas in my life.  The cool thing is that God is faithful in being my source of strength and courage.  He lets me fall off the path and has His hand extended to help me get right back up and on the road He has planned.  Change is scary.  Leading is scary.  Life is scary.  It takes courage that only He can provide.  I can't imagine going through this life without God on my side.

Let's see...what else?  Oh yeah!  CME bought me a new car!  Okay, so "we" bought it... but CME is the one who really put the talk of a new car into an actual purchase.  We traded in our 2004 Kia Optima with over 100,000 miles, a mysterious oil leak and a windshield that would sometimes let the really hard downpours drip into the car for a 2013 Kia Soul with 10 miles on the odometer.  Typically we are not a "new" car family.  We opt for the certified pre-owned versions, but with the rebates and internet price of this car, we got it for basically the same price as the pre-owned version.  One of the things I really like about this car is that it small on the outside, but roomy on inside!  CME actually has some headroom and my Dad (who is clinically morbidly obese) could easily get in and out and buckle the seat belt!  From someone who knows how difficult it can be to ride in small cars and has had issues in past getting seat belts around me, this is a bonus!  I'm averaging 25 mpg in the city...that's pretty darn awesome too!  I'm thankful that God has gotten us to a place that we can purchase a new car at a "top tier" financing rate.  I also credit CME for being diligent in helping our credit scores improve over the years.  TY honey for all the hard work (literally and metaphorically) to get us to this point!  And thank you for your desire for me to drive a good car.  143!

Cereal and I are not getting along.  A few times I've tried cereal with milk and for whatever reason, it doesn't sit well at all. (Happened today even.)  I wonder if it's the liquid/food combo.  I still don't drink with my meals so my brain wants me to think it has to do with milk, but I'm really not sure.  I can eat cereal dry and drink milk alone with no issues, so I'm going with the fact it's not a good combination for me.  Not unheard of for RNY patients and not life altering, just not working for me.  

Still LOVE shrimp.  And I found another really good Spicy Baked Shrimp recipe on Pinterest.  I recommend it if you like spicy!  I've pinned a lot of recipes and actually make some of them. Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai was another one that was delish!  Finding healthy ways to make some of my favorites is actually fun.  :)  Crazy, right?  Healthy is what I'm going for...for me and for our family.  

So there's a glimpse of some of the things going on lately.  Still have a lot on my metaphoric plate, but hopefully I will remember to be healthy in the decisions I'm making.  Physically healthy, mentally healthy and emotionally healthy!  God still has big plans for me and I need to be ready for His call!
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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14

Coconut Tilapia

I've mentioned my love of shrimp...and coconut...and PB2.  I found this recipe that I adapted to use my PB2 and yum-o!  It's not shrimp, but seafood in general seems to call my name any more.  I don't want my blog to turn in to a cookbook, but gosh darn it, I'm excited that there are tasty things I can eat that are nutritious!  The family enjoyed it too - which again is just icing on the cake (should I even use that expression?!).  

Ingredients:
6-8 tilapia fillets

Dipping Mixture:
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup cornstarch

Coconut Coating:
2 cups coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Peanut Sauce (this is the modified version using PB2)
2 tablespoons PB2 (reconstituted with water)
3 tablespoons curry sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch sage
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar Splenda

Directions:

1. Coat baking dish with either cooking spray or coconut oil so the fish doesn't stick to the dish.  (I used coconut oil)
2. In a wide bowl/container, mix coconut flakes, curry powder, garlic powder and paprika (set aside)
3. In a small bowl, mix egg, water and corn starch
4. Dip the tilapia fillets in the egg mixture.
5. Coat the fillets thoroughly with the coconut flake mixture - especially along the top.
6. Once all fillets are in place, spread remaining coconut flakes on top and then drizzle any remaining egg mixture over the fillets.
7. Bake the tilapia fillets at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes (until the fish is fully white and flaky)
8. While tilapia is baking, make the peanut sauce.  Mix all of the ingredients listed above.  Vary ingredient amounts based on your tastes. 
9. Once fillets are ready, broil them just a few minutes until the coconut turns golden.
10. Serve the fillets on a plate with the peanut sauce on the side.  (We put ours directly on the fish!)

I didn't take a picture of our dinner, but the one below is pretty much how it looked.  Anyway, I'm finding it fun (gasp!) to cook anymore.  That alone is a NSV!  LoL

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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14

My New Addiction

Through the forum I visit and other people, I've heard the term "transfer addiction" multiple times.  (That's a different post for a different time.) Though I don't think that what I have is that at all.  My new addiction isn't drinking or gambling or shopping (though I do have my favorite resell shop!).  My new addiction is shrimp.

Before surgery, I could probably count on one hand the number of times that I had shrimp in a year.  And now?  I crave the stuff!  I'm constantly looking at new recipes, and truly feel like I could eat shrimp every single day.  We're told that our tastes "may" change after surgery and I'm still not sure why, but I think there is some truth in that.  My mother-in-law, knowing my love for all things shrimp, sent me a link to Banging Grilled Shrimp Skewers.  Our grill doesn't work right now, so I was a bit bummed.  BUT, as luck has it, this same website had a recipe for Banging Good Shrimp that's sauteed.  Another super-simple recipe with my favorite ingredient?  Yes, please!  So this evening, CME and I fixed this yummy dish with some Thai stir fry veggies.  Oh...ours was a bit spicier than what it probably should have been because CME added 3x the Srirachi sauce.  (We like spicy...and even if this was by mistake, it was still really good!)

I'm okay with my new addiction.  High protein, low cal and the family loves it too.  Win/win!

Sauteing the shrimp in a little bit of coconut oil. 

Veggies cookin...

Coating the shrimp in the banging sauce!

CME's dinner.

This is not staged.  Not at all.  ;-)

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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14

Pinterest Interest

I've recently joined the Pinterest craze.  It's amazing all that you can find there.  The possibilities there are endless!  I've pinned so many things that I begin to wonder if I'll ever go back to them or if I'll really try it...whether it's a new recipe, a craft, or a way to fix my hair.  

Tonight, however, I decided to try a recipe that I pinned.  I like soup anyway and if I can get it with lots of protein, it's a win win.  I found a Creamy Chicken Taco Soup recipe for the crockpot that I almost ignored because it had "creamy" in the title.  However, a little research revealed that the creaminess isn't cream at all; it's a combination of plain Greek yogurt and cannellini (white kidney beans).  Looking at the nutritional value... oh. my. goodness!  PACKED with protein.  Bonus?  It was YUMMY!  

I usually don't post recipes, but I figured I'd share this one anyway.  Looks like the original recipe came from website http://www.muscleandfitnesshers.com.  

This is CME's bowl.  He added a few tortilla chips and a little bit of salsa for some extra kick.

Creamy Chicken Taco Soup
3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 15-oz can 50% less sodium white beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 4-oz can diced green chills
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1 1/2 pounds shredded precooked chicken breast (I used rotisserie chicken)
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp dried cilantro
2 tsp Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend

1) Place 1/2 cup broth and white beans in a blender and puree. Add yogurt and blend again. Pour liquid into slow cooker.

2) Add remaining ingredients and stir well.

3) Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4-5 hours.

Note: Be sure to rinse and drain black beans and chicken well before adding to slow cooker.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): Calories 275, Fat 2 g, Saturated fat 1 g, Cholesterol 47 mg, Sodium 401 mg, Carbohydrates 36 g, Dietary Fiber 11 g, Sugars 7 g, Protein 32 g

One other thing I tried off Pinterest this evening is a Chocolate Protein Frozen Yogurt.  I'm still looking at ways to get in all my protein and Greek yogurt is a great source.  My problem is that the zing of the Greek yogurt makes it difficult for me to eat plain.  I saw the recipe from the link above and gave it a try.  I didn't freeze mine before I ate it...so it was more of a mousse consistency.  It was edible, but I could still really taste that zing.  I ate about 1/2 with a banana and have froze the other 1/2 to see if it makes it more palatable for me.

So that's been my Pinterest recipe trials so far.  I'm still not sure how much I'll really cook from there, but it is nice to find some things that are healthy and that my family enjoys!

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"I praise you [God] because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14