080 Foodie Pics

I was cleaning off Jimmy's phone for him today when I realized just how many pictures of food he takes. I thought it would be fun to post them all and let you figure out for yourselves which were before surgery and which were after. I think it should be pretty easy and maybe even fun!

075 The Benefits of Sharing

I have been looking forward to the day that all the other gastric sleevers have been telling us about...the day the grocery bill goes down!

I haven't so much noticed it in our actual grocery bill yet because we have to buy staples like different flavors of protein drinks and stuff like that. However, I have seen a marked difference in our dining out bill.

Not only are we eating out less, but we are also sharing one meal between us! That still blows my mind. That got me thinking... Besides money what are the benefits of sharing?

So here are my Top 4 Benefits for Sharing Restaurant Portions after Gastric Sleeve Surgery:
1. Sharing helps keep Jimmy's portion size in check and help me eats a more accurate food portion myself
2. Sharing forces us to sit closer, look at each other, and talk during meals (no more stick in the television face)
3. Sharing often eliminates leftovers in the fridge that no one is going to eat
4. Sharing reduces the overall meal cost.

I know I said it's not all about the money but I have to tell you this story.

Jimmy and I decided to go out last week and try Mexican for the first time. So we went to our local El Maguey and as soon as we walked in we saw the beef and bean burrito was on the specials menu. Perfect! We sit down and we order two waters and the burrito special. The hardest thing was resisting the chips which we asked them not to bring but they did anyway (I blame the language barrier). When the burrito comes we decided to open it up on the plate and scrape the insides out onto the cheese sauce which the burrito had been smothered in and we didn't eat the flour tortilla shell. We finished our meal and we were both comfortably full without over doing it. We didn't have any leftovers and for the first time in our lives we were able to tip about 100%! Our meal was only $3.65 so we gave the waitress a $4 tip just because we could. It was an awesome experience.

We didn't think that we would but we actually love sharing. So we share the majority of the time now.

072 My Problem is Social Eating

Yesterday, I re-realized just how big of a problem Jimmy and I have with social eating. You see we don't really eat when we are sad or overwhelmed but we do eat when we are happy or everyone else around us is eating. So what made me re-realize this?

In continuing to show my support for Jimmy, I decided to participate in the community weight loss challenge called the Pound Plunge. I thought some healthy competition would be great incentive for me to really buckle down and try to eat healthier and exercise. So far so good...

Then yesterday I was walking down the hall at work and passed a co-worker who has eating a snickers and my brain instantly says, "You're hungry! You should eat." I was like, "Whoa. Where did that come from? I was just fine a second ago." Thankfully I was only half an hour from my lunch break and the vending machine was empty of all the things which normally tempt me.

I dodged the bullet yesterday but I stopped to think how often I am surrounded by food at work (and Jimmy is too). All my co-workers who are busy eating aren't going to tell me to stop. I have to learn this restraint and self-discipline on my own. Yikes!

I say all this to say that if you have trouble not eating when surrounded by food--you are not alone! Hang in there and maybe we can learn some self-discipline together :)

064 Post-Op Week Six Update

Here we are, everyone. It's New Year's Eve. Can you believe that another year is gone! As big as that all is, Jimmy has been marking his progress in much smaller units. Today he is sharing with you his Post Op Week Six Update. Find out how much he has lost and the latest things that have been going on--all in Jimmy's own words. I hope you enjoy!

059 Christmas Dinner Bariatric Style

I don't know if you have ever heard Bing Crosby (one of my all time favs!) sing the song "Christmas Dinner Country Style" or not. In ode to him I decided to call this post Christmas Dinner Bariatric Style. I really don't know what we will be having for Christmas dinner but I wanted to throw some ideas out there for traditional Christmas Dinner items that someone on the Stage 3 gastric sleeve diet could eat at family gatherings.

Just remember proteins, fruits & veggies, & everything else. *IMPORTANT REMINDER: Every WLS program is different and their diets and dietary allowances are different. Make sure to follow the plan your surgeon has prescribed to you. These are things Jimmy is allowed to eat per his surgeon. Talk to your doctor before making changes to your diet or exercise program.*

1. Start with Protein
First things first, bariatric patients are supposed to focus on eating foods that are high in protein and low in fat. Keep an eye out for the family turkey, ham, and/or chicken. They are going to be your friend--who you will then eat--but go easy on any gravy or dressing which may come with those meats.

2. Fruits and Veggies
Once you have consumed your proteins you can look around for fruits and veggies. Keep in mind that at Stage 3 all these fruits and veggies must either be canned or cooked so that they are soft. So you could hunt for the pineapple rings that are often baked on top of the ham or you could reasonably find some green beans or mashed potatoes (go easy on the taters). Skip the green bean casserole (too fattening and has the french fried onions on top) and candied yams. Their minuses far outweigh their pluses!

3. Just a Dab of other Goodies
You only get to choose a really small portion of other things if you are still hungry. Don't overeat because you will be ten times more miserable than when you overate last Christmas and/or Thanksgiving because now you have had bariatric surgery. Also avoid foods that you know aren't on your list and especially those which contain large amounts of sugar. There is nothing worse than Dumping Syndrome when you are trying to have a great time at Christmas!

More than focusing on the foods you can or cannot have be sure to focus on your family. They are more important than food anyway. Make food a small part of your whole celebration not your whole celebration.

Just for fun, I have included Bing Crosby singing "Christmas Dinner Country Style." I hope you enjoy it and enjoy your families this holiday season.

Click the Button Below to Listen to
Christmas Dinner Country Style
Sung by Bing Crosby

Christmas Dinner Country Style (24-Bit Digitally Remastered 99)

057 A Family Recipe: Tender Baked Chicken Breast

Stage 3 Day 2 Dinner: 1 oz. green beans and 2 oz. of
Grandma's Tender Baked Chicken Breast

Last night I was thrilled to be able to use a recipe that my Grandma Miller taught me when I was in college to make some amazing and juicy baked chicken breast. It was nice on two levels. Number one, I know that I don't have to scratch all the recipes that I have ever used before. Most importantly is Number two. It made me feel good to use a recipe my Grandma taught me--no matter how simple it may be!

Luckily for you there are no secret family ingredients included so I thought that I would share it with you. It's a great recipe to make for anyone who is allowed to have foods which are high in protein and low in fat. Plus the chicken really does stay tender and juicy so it reduces the risk that it will get stuck in the stomach of a bariatric patient and reduces the need for barbecue sauce or ketchup.

Please realize that this recipe is the version I reduced down for Jimmy and I to share because he now eats much less than before. Also in the picture above I have cut the chicken in tiny bite size pieces which aides with his digestion, and has the added benefit of helping him to slow down the pace at which he eats. So anyway...here it is!

Grandma's Recipe for Tender Baked Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken breast (we shared)
• 1.5 T Light Mayo (approx.)
• Mrs. Dash or other seasoning to taste (Mrs. Dash is great because it is low in salt but high in flavor)

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Place chicken on baking sheet and evenly cover it with a thin layer of the light Mayo (top side only)
3. Sprinkle enter mayo covering with Mrs. Dash
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until chicken breast is cooked through
5. ENJOY!

056 Eating on Stage 3 Day 1

Jimmy looked forward to Stage 3 Day 1 for weeks. Why? It's the first time he could plan meals with some amount of true eating freedom! So what did he eat? Well, I am going to show you that in a minute.

First, if you don't know what the heck we are talking about...

After bariatric surgery, you should go through a series of diet changes--our program calls them Stages. This will allow you to gradually get back to a "normal" diet and will allow time for your stomach to heal properly. Every program has different requirements and different diets. Read more about Jimmy's Stage 3 Diet. Please remember that although we provide you the information about what Jimmy's doctor has prescribed for him you should still consult your own doctor before starting any new diet or exercise program.

Drum roll please! (Seriously I almost started singing the 12 Days of Christmas in my head--bariatric style--as I started to write this next part. How funny!)

Stage 3 Day 1: Breakfast

This is the first time in six weeks that Jimmy has been able to eat a banana, which used to be a daily activity.  He was very, very excited about eating even half a banana! (slice of reduced fat sharp cheddar and half a banana with a dab of reduced fat peanut butter)

Stage 3 Day 1: Lunch

The plate on the left is Jimmy's food. He thought it would be funny to compare it to the plate of one of the teenagers we were eating with at church. (1oz of sliced Turkey from the deli, reduced fat sharp cheddar, 1 oz wheat thins which we found out Krystal really meant to be Triscuits. haha)

Stage 3 Day 1: Dinner

For dinner we had my homemade turkey chili. In this shot Jimmy is comparing what he used to eat in one serving of chili (the big white bowl) with what he is allowed to have right now (1/2 cup pictured in the yellow bowl).

I hope you enjoyed getting to see what Jimmy ate on the first day of his Stage 3 diet!

055 Gastric Sleeve Post-Op Week Four Update

Once again I was able to wrangle Jimmy in front of the camera to give you an update on how life is treating him. In his gastric sleeve post-op week four update, you can look forward to hearing about some differences in portion sizes and some updated weight loss numbers. There is a full body shot but I wanted to get a better shot of him doing the 360 degree turn but he is really tall and your kitchen is really small so I apologize about the quality on that one. Still we did try!

This week is also the very busy lead up to the Christmas holidays. I wish you all the very Merriest of Christmases and a Happy New Year. I look forward to telling you all about how our Christmas and New Year were different than in years past and hopefully about some new traditions we have started in the process. So many new experiences to look forward too!

Enjoy the vlog and come back to visit often.

054 Gastric Sleeve Diet Stage 3

Today marks four weeks out from Jimmy's gastric sleeve weight loss surgery! We are so excited because he is doing really, really well AND he gets to start his Stage 3 Diet on Sunday! He won't have his month appointment for a couple more weeks (due to the holidays) but when he does we will let you know what Dr. Hornbostel and everyone else had to say. So I know that everyone really seems to love and be fascinated by what Jimmy is allowed to eat and what he is not. I am including his whole Stage 3 diet below. Be aware that some of the foods Jimmy was allowed to eat before are being phased out for healthier options now that he is allowed a wider variety of foods. Don't miss that because I guarantee Jimmy won't! I realize this diet may be different than the one prescribed by your surgeon. All bariatric surgical programs are different. Talk to your surgeon before changing your diet or exercise program. This diet was prescribed to Jimmy by his surgeon (Dr. H) and nutritionist (Krystal).

Jimmy's Post-Op Stage 3 Gastric Sleeve Surgery Diet
What is the Stage 3 bariatric diet?
It is a soft diet that consists of foods high in protein with no added sugar and minimal fat

Recommended Foods:
Meats/Eggs/Cheese/Dairy/Legumes - These foods are high in protein, consume them first at meals. Meat should be lean, moist, tender and must be chopped or ground. Make sure your body can tolerate fish and poultry before trying to eat beef and/or pork.

• Skinless chicken or turkey
• Baked or grilled fish and shellfish
• Lean ground beef or pork (if tolerating poultry and fish well)
• Thinly sliced deli meats such as chicken, turkey, roast beef, or ham (these should be purchased at the deli counter so they will be lower in salt and preservatives)
• Meat, tuna, or egg salad prepared with light mayonnaise
• Meatless burger (vegetable, bean or soy based)
• Well cooked beans: black, garbanzo, kidney, lima, navy, pinto (including low fat refried beans), etc.
• Cheese (reduced fat)
• Eggs
• Creamy peanut butter (less than 5g of Sugar per serving & may be used in small amounts to add protein to foods such as oatmeal, yogurt, and/or protein drinks)
• Skim, 1% Milk, or soy milk (containing no more than 20g Carbs per serving)
• Yogurt - Low fat or Fat free (must be no sugar added and have less than 20g Carbohydrates per serving)

Protein Supplements - It is still very important that you consume between 40g to 60g of protein a day. This requirement will never go away.

• High Protein nutritional drinks as allowed on Stage 1 and Stage 2 diets (must have a minimum of 15g Protein per serving and less than 20g Carbs per serving)
• Powdered protein drinks may still be used
• Protein bars (containing at least 15g protein per serving and no more than 20g of Carbs per serving)

Vegetables - Vegetables MUST BE COOKED until very soft and prepared with minimal fat. Do not eat skins.

• Asparagus
• Beets, Broccoli, Cauliflower
• Celery, Carrots
• Eggplant, okra
• Lentils, beans as listed above
• Mushrooms, onions, peppers
• Spinach, sugar snap peas
• Squash, any kind
• Turnips
• Green beans or wax beans
• Tomatoes, no skin
• Potatoes, white or sweet (no skins, no fried potatoes)

Fruits - All fruits must be canned or frozen (except ripe Bananas). Do not eat skins or peels. Canned fruits must be packed in its own juice. Frozen fruit should have no sugar added.

• Apricots, peaches, pears, crushed pineapple
• Applesauce (no sugar added), mandarin oranges, fruit cocktail
• Frozen honeydew melon, cantaloupe, seedless watermelon
• Canned or frozen mango, papaya, cherries

Starches/Oils/Misc. Foods

• Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat (no sugar added)
• Cold Cereals (containing no more than 5g. of Sugar per serving)
• Fat Free or Low Fat Soup
• Whole Wheat Crackers (Triscuits - updated 12/17/12 as of Jimmy's meeting with Krystal)
• Whole Wheat toast, melba toast
• Sugar Free Pudding
• Sugar free ice cream or frozen yogurt. Avoid sherbet.
• Oils - olive, canola, soybean
• Margarine (trans fat free), butter, sugar free jelly
• Herbs, Spices, Salt, & Pepper

Foods to Avoid

• Soft bread (it can make a dough ball that could plug up your stomach)
• Rice
• Spaghetti and other pastas
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Raisins, prunes, and other dried fruit (these are too sweet)
• Granola and other Cereals with nuts
• Raw fruits and vegetables, salad
• Nuts and Popcorn
• Chips and crackers (other than whole wheat crackers)
• Tough or chewy meat
• Whole pieces of corn or whole peas (puree before eating)
• High fat foods (butter, margarine, oil, regular mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, salad dressing, whole milk, half and half, ice cream, cakes, cookies, pies, other desserts, bacon, and sausage)

Serving Size: 1/4c. - 1/2c. (2 - 4oz) of food, 3 - 4 times a day. NO MORE THAN 1/2c AT A TIME! Focus on eating foods containing protein first. Avoid drinking with meals and for at least 30 minutes after meals. Drinking with meal or directly after meals can cause Dumping Syndrome. Continue to drink a minimum of 6c. of fluid daily (see Stage 1). Avoid Fruit Juice or limit it to a maximum 4oz. per day (100% juice with no sugar added). 

Duration: Follow this diet for Weeks 5, 6, 7, & 8 following the surgery or until your doctor advises differently (this diet begins 1 month after your surgery)

052 Please Pass the Fiber

Today I want to keep it short but valid. DON'T FORGET YOUR FIBER! I realize that every bariatric program is different but there are a few things that they all have in common. They should be low in calories and fat and high in protein.

What most people don't realize it that the increase in protein in your diet can cause some major constipation! It's important that you talk to your doctor about what kind of fiber they would like you to take. Our program recommends Benefiber. However, there has been some kind of recall on Benefiber so it is next to impossible to find at a reasonable price due to the shortage. Go figure! So some of our friends have recommended we try Miralax instead.

The important thing is that you are taking a fiber which works for you because prolonged constipation can lead to some serious conditions such as blockage. Constipation can also reduce your already low appetite and cause nausea. None of these things are fun so don't forget your fiber!

051 Hitting the Protein Goal

Over the past couple of weeks we have really been trying to adjust to this whole new way of life and this new diet. Two of the hardest things (related to food) which we have had to face have been #1 burn out on the food that Jimmy is currently allowed to eat and #2 trying to get in Jimmy's daily allotted protein. Thankfully, Jimmy will have more variety in his diet starting on Sunday, December 16th, when he can start his  Stage 3 diet. But what to do about protein?

Let me tell you...the liquid protein shots that he had to drink the first week after the surgery were just plain nasty! So we definitely don't want to go back to those. Some of the whey protein powder drinks leave much to be desired too. So we have been searching the internet, blogs, forums, and support group for some great protein shake recipes.

As Bariatric Foodie put it, "...there is no excuse for drinking a nasty protein shake!" So here are some awesome protein shake recipes that we have either tried or look forward to trying soon.

Berry Cheesecake Protein Smoothie
1 Scoop unflavored protein powder
1c. 1% or skim Milk
1/2c. 1% Cottage Cheese
Frozen or Fresh Fruit to Taste

Pumpkin Pie
Milk
1 scoop vanilla protein
2 tbsp pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 tbsp sugar-free pumpkin pie syrup (or 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
sweetener to taste

Cinnabon
Milk
1 scoop vanilla whey
1 tbsp Sugar Free, Fat Free cheesecake pudding mix
1 tbsp Sugar Free cinnamon syrup
1 tbsp toasted almond syrup 

Chocolate, Caramel, & Coffee Protein Shake
2 scoops Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
8 oz Decaf Coffee
8 oz 1% Milk
2 tbsp Sugar Free Caramel Creamer


Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake
1 Scoop chocolate protein powder
1c. unsweetened chocolate almond milk (could sub with sugar free vanilla coconut milk)
1 T. natural peanut butter
Sweetener to Taste (optional)
3-5 Ice Cubes

047 A New Way to Celebrate

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JIMMY!

That's right. It's my hubby's birthday! Yes, we have back to back birthdays but he got his much earlier than I got mine ;)

Alright, I was dropping hints before but now I am going to tell you...We have to change the way we celebrate. As hard as it is to change your daily routines I was anticipating it being even harder to change our special occasions.

Special occasions invite excuses not to change like "It only happens once a year" or "But it's my birthday!" It is all to easy to rationalize your conviction away. We decided that no matter what we really had to take this serious. If we compromise just two and half weeks after surgery then we will be compromising for the rest of our lives and we will never see the full benefit of Jimmy having gastric sleeve weight loss surgery.

So here's the deal...

In the past we have combined the celebrations of our birthdays to have a two day Jimmy and Christiana Fest so that we both get twice the benefits. On one day we would usually go and DO something fun and on the other we would EAT somewhere and go all out on it. We don't normally exchange gifts or anything like that so we have more money to eat and do whatever we feel like that year.

So what to do...

We decided that we would still have two days worth of Jimmy and Christiana birthday fun but we have to do a few things differently. In the future we might still be able to go out to eat as a part of the celebration (not an option this year with Jimmy on his Stage 2 Diet) but it can no longer be the whole focus of that day of celebrating. It's time for new traditions to go with our new lifestyle! (I will probably write about how this will change our Christmas traditions when we get closer to that time too)

So here's the plan...

For one day of the celebration we are getting together with some of our friends to have a game night! It's going to be fun. We are sharing our days with people we really care about and we're going to have some good, healthy competition to go with it ;) Love it! Maybe I am too competitive...nah! Day two, we are going to go to the movies (sans popcorn) in North KC and then we are going to walk around the shopping center and see what we can see. Of course the walking may be short this year because Jimmy still wears out pretty easy but his stamina is increasing with his ability to increase his protein shake so next year we will be able to walk around and enjoy each other's company much, much longer.

That's our story and we're sticking to it!

TO JIMMY:
Happy Birthday, Baby! I love you and I am thankful for you everyday (even when you drive me crazy!). I hope you have an amazing birthday this year and for many more years to come.

043 Learning to Cope

Yesterday, I talked about an awesome and encouraging surprise Jimmy has waiting for him in his office. Today I want to talk about coping with surprises that aren't so pleasant.

As Jimmy heals, he has several weeks off from work. For the first couple of weeks we have also chosen to have church through the simulcast at home so that Jimmy won't be exposed to sickness or have hundreds of people wanting to hug him (which would press up against his incisions which are still tender). Jimmy has been doing amazingly well in his healing but we have felt a little disconnected with what has been going on. Thankfully, Jimmy's boss and our pastor (Aaron) was sensitive to this and decided to drop by our house on Saturday night and bring us up to speed.

We didn't know that when Aaron came over he would be telling us that he and his family (who we love!) had accepted a new position in New Jersey and that they would be leaving near the end of December. We had no clue he would be announcing that the very next morning but we soon found out. We are SUPER happy for this great opportunity and new experience that God has brought to the Robb family. They are going to do amazing and hopefully love every minute of it. But what about us?

Anytime you experience something unexpected--especially job related--their is always a certain amount of fear, stress, and uncertainty that comes with it. Jimmy has had experiences similar to this before and they weren't the best. Of course that doesn't mean it is going to be that way at McCarthy. The big question is what will we do? How will we handle it?

In the past, it would have been easy to turn to food. Although Jimmy is generally a "happy eater" there are times when it is easier to justify cheating because you are upset. That really isn't an option right now unless he wants to make himself really sick. I was impressed with Aaron's sensitivity when he told us that he waited until now to tell us so that Jimmy wouldn't be tempted to cheat on his two week liquid diet (which would have been very possible). There will be a time in the future when the fear of getting sick won't be there so it's important to take the time now to learn new methods of coping.

Hands down, the hardest part of losing weight (naturally or surgically assisted) and keeping it off is changing your mindset and habits. If you don't bother to change your patterns, behaviors, or habits then it won't matter if you had surgery or not because you will eventually find a way to put the weight back on. Losing weight is about changing your mind just as much if not more than changing your body.

After the initial shock passed, it was much easier to see how amazing this whole thing could be for everyone involved. We love and will dearly miss the Robb family but we know that God is sending them to New Jersey for a reason. We are also thankful that we get to use this experience to start retraining our minds now so that when other coping situations come along later they will be much easier to handle!

Aaron, Dana, Caleb, Kelsey, & Katie, Thank you for being an amazing part of our lives! You all will always be a part of us and part of the family of our heart. May God richly bless you in all that He has called you to do!

Grace and Peace,