These past ten days, since my last post, have been very different. Between the stress of unexpected health issues prior to my knee surgery and, of course, the surgery itself, temptations to cheat for the sake of convenience have abounded. I'm pleased to report that I did not succumb. Thus, in the eighteen days since I changed my eating habits (on New Year's Day), I have lost a total of 12.0 lbs.
Outwardly, I don't see a great deal of change yet. I think my face is slightly less puffy and my belly is less bloated. However, both my blood pressure and my fasting blood sugar levels are coming down nicely in just a little over two weeks.
Because I've basically been out of commission since my surgery on Friday morning (January 15), I actually have ten days to share in today's post rather than a week. But that just means it will be a shorter post this coming weekend!
SATURDAY 1/9
BREAKFAST
I had 2 oz (1/4 cup) Heavy Cream with Torani sugar-free "S'mores" flavored syrup,
topped off with purified water, around 10:30 a.m. I always have breakfast on school days,
but I'm not really a morning person, so I tend to put off breakfast on the weekends.
Breakfast-for-lunch around 2:30: Three-egg ham-and-cheese omelet.
I always fry my eggs in butter, whether scrambled, fried, or omelet.
I simply love the buttery flavor. Tried olive oil once... Yuck!
Whenever I have a bit of my homemade guacamole left over, I use it to top my omelet.
It's chock full of tomato, green onion, and chilies. And avocado, of course, with its healthy fats.
On this particular day, I happened to have some still in the refrigerator.
We still had two leftover Chicken Parmesan breasts, so I had one for dinner about 7:30.
For the recipe, see my post on 01/09/16.
Since there weren't enough leftovers for the guys, I made them some spaghetti instead.
I was only the teeniest bit tempted, so it was easy to pass up.
SUNDAY 1/10
BREAKFAST
Same turnaround as yesterday. About 2 oz of Mixed Nuts (Planters, lightly salted)
for my quick breakfast.
LUNCH
All three of the guys were working on Sunday, so I had the house to myself.
Around 2:00 I fried up 10 oz of Chorizo (Mexican sausage) and then added
a dozen eggs, beaten, and scrambled them together. It's one of our favorite breakfasts.
In fact, it's the only way I can get Dylan to eat eggs at all.
Then I divided the pan of Scrambled Eggs and Chorizo into four parts, ate one portion,
and put the rest into containers for a quick school-morning breakfast.
Okay, Dylan ate one of them, but it still left me with two mornings of ready-made breakfast.
A word on chorizo: read the labels. The cheaper brands contain mostly pigs' salivary glands.
You'll pay 2-3 times more for the ones that are simply "pork," meaning less nasty stuff.
Both taste delicious, but I prefer not to be thinking of pig snot while I'm eating breakfast!
DINNER
Mark grilled Burgers for our Sunday family dinner.
The others had their burgers on buns, but I ate mine with a knife and fork,
topped with cheddar cheese, onion rings, tomato slices, and a dollop of sour cream.
MONDAY To FRIDAY
BREAKFASTS for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
I started the work week off by finishing my Deviled Eggs, two per day, over three days.
For the recipe, see my post on 01/03/16.
BREAKFASTS for Thursday, Friday
I finished the work week by eating the leftover portions of Scramble Eggs and Chorizo.
Actually, on Friday I didn't go to work since I was having knee surgery at 7:00 a.m.
And, of course, I wasn't allowed to eat anything after midnight the previous night.
However, I got home around 9:15 and by about 10:30 I'd eaten my chorizo!
Each morning before work I grab a baggy containing a 1.5-oz slice
of Monterey Jack cheese to eat at work, between breakfast and lunch.
On Wednesday, for reasons described below, I didn't get to eat my snack until after school.
LUNCHES for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
As usual, my school lunches were frozen dinners by Atkins:
Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo; Crustless Chicken Pot Pie (my total favorite);
and Mac & Cheese (a bit high-carb at 14 grams, but very yummy).
LUNCH for Wednesday
I'd planned to eat an Atkins frozen meal for lunch on Wednesday, but life intervened.
Instead, I ended up at the McDonalds inside Walmart. I ordered a Double Quarter Pounder
with no bun (as you can see on the receipt in the photo), but they gave me the bun anyway.
So I took off the sesame-seed bun and enjoyed the rest with a fork. Ketchup does contain sugar,
but I'm sure the amount in that tiny squirt was minuscule. Water on the side. I was good!
Here's the reason I was not at school at lunchtime to eat my Atkins meal on Wednesday:
Everything was fine when I left for work on Wednesday. An hour later,
reading aloud to my 1st period class, I suddenly felt the need to use the restroom,
but the sensation was so uncomfortable I knew it meant a urinary tract infection.
By the time I was able to take a break at 9:00, I was already peeing blood!
I worried that my surgery would be postponed if I had a fever on the day of the procedure.
So I arranged to have my 3rd period class and homeroom covered while I raced to the clinic,
where they confirmed the infection and prescribed an antibiotic.
Thus I was stuck at Walmart during my lunch break, waiting 45 minutes for my prescription.
McDonalds seemed like the most convenient place to grab lunch, so I got creative!
Luckily, the antibiotics did their job and I had no fever by Thursday night.
AFTER-SCHOOL SNACKS
Leftovers make good after-school snacks, when there are any available.
Monday: Leftover green salad with vinegar and olive oil dressing, from Sunday dinner.
Tuesday: Leftover burger patty with cheese and sour cream, from Sunday dinner.
Wednesday: the 1.5 oz slice of Monterey Jack cheese I hadn't had time to eat earlier at school.
Thursday: Leftover chicken stir-fry from Wednesday's dinner.
Friday: My knee surgery was early on Friday morning, so I didn't go to work that day.
MONDAY DINNER 1/11
There was still one piece of Chicken Parmesan left, so that was my dinner at 6:45.
I still had half a loaf of French bread left from the sub Mark and I had shared the previous week,
so I used it to make Mark a new sub sandwich using deli meats and cheeses and veggies
from our own refrigerator. (Sorry about using the same photo twice...)
DESSERT
We ate slightly earlier than usual because we went to my brother Jeff's house at 7:30
for Family Home Evening with my sister-in-law Dana, my nieces and nephews,
Dana's mom and stepdad (Cheri and Dee), and Dana's sister Jona and Jona's husband Kim.
When we arrived, I could smell pumpkin bread in the oven. A Heavenly scent!
And there was hot cocoa served after Family Home Evening ended. But I stayed strong!
I waited until I got home and had a cup of my own sugar-free hot chocolate with heavy cream.
TUESDAY DINNER 1/12
I had bigger plans than this, but plans sometimes go awry. I'd wanted to go shopping
after school, but with my bad knee I needed someone to accompany me.
The younger guys were gone. Mark fell asleep and I couldn't wake him.
So, about 7:30, I threw this meal together instead.
I just call it Green Beans and Ham.
Saute some chopped white or yellow onion in butter, then add a can of drained green beans.
Dice up some ham, toss it in the pan, and stir occasionally until well heated. Quick and easy!
We managed to get the shopping done the following night so it would all be finished prior to surgery.
DESSERT: I haven't had desserts too often this week, but on this night I did eat two squares of Godiva 72%-cocoa Dark Chocolate.
WEDNESDAY DINNER 1/13
I made this Chicken Stir-Fry for Mark and me. Dylan and Jake were at work.
You can put just about anything you like in a stir-fry. My choice of fats is always a
mixture of olive oil and melted butter, heated, and then I start throwing things in,
starting with those that need the longest to cook. For this one, I used 1.5 lbs cubed chicken;
a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower; a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables a la Walmart;
about a quarter of a head of cabbage, shredded; and a can of green beans, drained.
It's not my favorite combination, but close. What I missed most was a bag of mung bean sprouts,
but they are hard to find in stock right now. I don't know why. It's just not stir-fry without sprouts!
THURSDAY DINNER 1/14
I didn't feel much like cooking on the night before the procedure on my knee.
I was a bit stressed, plus I was still fighting the effects of a urinary tract infection.
But I was hungry, so when Jake brought this pizza home after work and two slices were left,
I stripped the toppings off the smaller piece. Cheese and pepperoni are okay; the bread is not.
And I don't even like pizza, which is a good thing since the guys bring pizza home so often.
That gave me the strength to whip up a small bowl of Homemade Coleslaw,
which I ate with the last leftover Burger Patty from Sunday's dinner.
My coleslaw is usually just shredded cabbage mixed with this dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1 Tbsp heavy cream; 1 packet Splenda; 1/4 tsp pepper;
and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. (For one small head of cabbage, shredded.)
Sometimes I add a shredded apple and/or small can of crushed, drained pineapple.
It adds some color and sweetness, especially if I'm bringing it to a holiday gathering.
You can also add shredded carrots or any other goodies you may like.
FRIDAY DINNER 1/15
On the day of my knee surgery, I mostly slept afterward. I got up long enough
to eat some leftover chorizo (10:30ish) and then leftover coleslaw (2:00ish).
For dinner, I sent Jake to Walmart for a rotisserie chicken, but they were sold out.
So, instead, he brought home a sub sandwich. Not as nice as the ones from Safeway, but doable.
And so I had my usual Sub Platter, removing the meats, cheeses, and veggies
from the bread, adding mayo and more tomato, to eat with a fork and knife at 5:15.
My knee was sore but not terribly so, and I was thinking this was a piece of cake.
Then the surgical painkillers wore off late Saturday morning. OH. MY. GOSH.
I could barely walk for the next three days. From then on, I let the guys wait on me!
I also enjoyed three sugar-free Russell Stover chocolates for dessert at bedtime.
SATURDAY 1/16
BREAKFAST
While at Family Home Evening on Monday, my sister-in-law Dana gave me
a carton of fresh, range-free eggs from her friend who keeps chickens.
It made me miss our chickens and daily fresh eggs (but not the ex-husband who kept them).
So I enjoyed three very fresh eggs fried in butter for breakfast at 12:45.
DINNER
By this time, all I could do was sit in the recliner with my swollen right knee
elevated on throw pillows, so I put Mark in charge of dinner. We ate around 7:00.
He grilled some beautiful London Broil Steaks and made a Green Salad,
which I enjoyed with some Bob's Bleu Cheese Dressing. Bob's is the only brand
of blue cheese dressing I like because its base is mayonnaise rather than buttermilk.
DESSERT: A delicious cup of sugar-free hot chocolate with heavy cream.
BREAKFAST
I enjoyed more fresh eggs around 11:00, using three to make Scrambled Eggs.
(To see how I make them moist and fluffy, see my post on 01/03/16)
(To see how I make them moist and fluffy, see my post on 01/03/16)
LUNCH
At 2:00 I added red wine vinegar and olive oil to leftover Green Salad
from Saturday's dinner and had that for my lunch.
SNACK: Sometime before dinner, I ate another three sugar-free Russell Stover candies, the same ones I had on Friday night. I had munchies, probably from my narcotic painkiller drugs!
DINNER
Since I was laid up, my kids all stepped up to prepare our Sunday Family Dinner.
We had Navapache Chicken Salad, another family favorite.
Finely chop a large head of cabbage and then add:
1.5 lbs cooked chicken, shredded or cubed; a dozen green onions, diced;
2-3 oz slivered almonds; 1/4 cup sunflower seeds; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup vinegar
(we favor red wine vinegar); and salt and pepper to taste. It is yummy!
And there are never any leftovers, dang it!
We had Navapache Chicken Salad, another family favorite.
Finely chop a large head of cabbage and then add:
1.5 lbs cooked chicken, shredded or cubed; a dozen green onions, diced;
2-3 oz slivered almonds; 1/4 cup sunflower seeds; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup vinegar
(we favor red wine vinegar); and salt and pepper to taste. It is yummy!
And there are never any leftovers, dang it!
MONDAY 1/18 (No School: MLK DAY)
Luckily, since I was still in pretty extreme pain, there was no school on this date.
My menu was all repeater meals, so no new pictures.
BREAKFAST: 3 fresh eggs, fried in butter
LUNCH: 2 oz mixed nuts and 1.5 oz Monterey Jack Cheese
DINNER: Leftover grilled steak and buttered green beans (and frozen pizza for Mark)
DESSERT: Hot chocolate (sugar-free) with 1/4 cup heavy cream
Today I took the day off, and the pain is a bit better if I walk carefully. I'm back at work tomorrow, so here we go, back into real life. And I will continue the good fight!
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