Prize: One lucky, randomly selected, winner will receive
a Wellesse "Basket of Health from Wellesse
We are happy to announce the winners of our Banded Living/Wellesse GiveAway Contest:

 I hope all of you enjoy your products and we’d sure love to have your reviews of the products at www.bandedliving.com

We’re running a give-away contest to introduce you all to Wellesse liquid vitamins, minerals and supplements.

Most of us have been told by our surgeons that after weight loss surgery it is essential to take certain vitamin and mineral supplements, either because we have had a procedure that inhibits absorption of them, or we just don’t get enough of them in the food we eat.

Many of us have trouble taking pills, especially giant size pills like multi vitamins and calcium.  Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to get everything in a good tasting liquid form that is easily absorbed by our bodies regardless of the type of weight loss surgery we have had?

Wellesse offers over 20 years of product excellence to ensure their quality liquid supplements are the solution to help you achieve your daily nutritional goals that are critical before & after surgery.

Wellesse supplements are:

• Fast absorbing & bio-available
• Great tasting, easy to take
• Small daily doses

Prizes:   

One (1) Wellesse “Basket of Health” containing:

• 16oz bottle each of all 9 Wellesse products –

1. Glucosamine,
2. Calcium,
3. Vitamin D,
4. Digestive Health,
5. Aloe,
6. B Complex,
7. B12 (this is a 2 oz. bottle),
8. Iron, &
9. Multivitamin,

• Stainless steel Wellesse water bottle,
• $25 gift card,
• Insulated lunch bag,
• Pen,
• The book “The Vitamin D Solution” by Dr. Holick

In addition to this fabulous gift we will also give away:

Three(3) additional gifts of Sample Packs (2 ounce samples that you can fly with) which contain:

• Calcium,
• Iron,
• Multivitamin
• B-12

How to enter:  Leave a comment on this blog posting (don’t forget to include your name and email address, so that we can contact you if you win!) by —

Please…only one COMMENT ENTRY per person. Additional comments won’t give you a better chance to win!  Remember, we moderate our blog comments, so you may not see your comment for a little while after you post it.  We reserve the right not to post comments that we don’t think are appropriate, although as long as you follow our guidelines for comments, you’ll still be eligible to win the prize!  Our contest is only open to folks in the U.S.  For the full contest rules, please click here

Want extra chances to win???

Do any of the things listed below and mention in your comment what it was for up to five more entries per person!  (Each item below counts for one additional entry.)

• Like LapBanded Living on Facebook (or tell us you already have)
• Write a positive review of our book, “Is Lap Band Surgery for Me?” (or tell us you already have)
• Blog about this contest or post about it on a social networking or support forum with a link to our Contest Page and send us the URL.
• Suggest a member’s pick product for our Amazon store.
• Sign up for our newsletter (or tell us you already have)
• Become a member of Banded Living (or tell us you already are)

Sailing into the holidays

There I was, my eighth holiday season after weight loss surgery reaching out for “just a little bite” of all of those evil demon holiday foods constantly thrust in front of my face within a simple grasp of my hand.  Yup, that’s right.  I reached….not only did I reach, but I bit….not only did I bite, but I chewed…not only did I chew, but I swallowed…A LOT!

What was different about this holiday from the 7 other holidays I celebrated without grabbing for everything that was put in front of me?  In hindsight, with just a little introspection I have come to the conclusion the operating factor was MINDLESSNESS.  If I wanted a taste of something, instead of a bite I grabbed a whole or a handful, took my bite and kept right on eating.  I fell back into old habits of mindless eating.  In previous years one bite or one taste was enough.  I savored that and was done.  I thought I had it licked.  (pun intended).  I thought I had the demon food cravings cured.  Boy was I wrong!

My food cravings were kind of in remission (like my obesity) rather than resolved.  It was my resolve that was lacking this past holiday season.  Am I happy about that?  Will I beat myself up about it?  Will I do anything about it?  You bet…so listen to this…..Sandi you feel awful and you did it to yourself.  You know what you did and you shouldn’t have done it…Okay, I’m done beating myself up and ready to move on to doing something about it….Hmmm, this part looks vaguely familiar….Here’s my plan:

1. Remove all temptation from my house and my office
2. Start journaling everything that goes into my mouth
3. Plan 3 meals and 1 snack for each day this week
4. Continue with my exercise program and add time if I am able
5. Make sure I eat mindfully, tasting each bite, putting the fork down between bites, and chewing thoroughly
6. Find an accountability partner

So how am I doing so far you ask?  Here goes my self-evaluation :

1. Check
2. Not yet on paper (or electronically), just in my head….this needs work!
3. Check
4. Check -added a little swimming time because I love it and it feels good- no more elliptical time ½ hour is all my body wants to do – the pain in my arthritic knee is too much if I do more (I listen to my body and push, but within reason)
5. Doing better- I give myself 80% here so more work necessary to get back to just eating- not working or reading or…..
6. OK so this entire community is my accountability partner – Need to find one individual that I can bond with who will help me hold myself accountable without being judgmental.  Hmmmmm..

After a week of working my plan my body has more energy, my mood is better and my jeans are looser.  All good results.  I will continue to work my plan for…….the rest of my life.

This commitment to my personal health and well being is not a get to goal weight then do whatever I want.  It is a commitment to LIFE for LIFE.  I need to gently remind myself of that each day as I get on with the business of living.  You know, all that business that I wasn’t doing (because I couldn’t) when I weighed 424 pounds just 7 1/2 years ago.

WE’RE RAN A GIVEAWAY CONTEST!

Prize: Two lucky, randomly selected, winners will receive
a Deluxe BariBowl^™ Set from BariWare
And, the winners of our BariBowl™ Giveaway contest are, Joann B. and Cynthia S. Congratulations!! Enjoy your new BariBowl™ — …a new innovative tool for accurate measurement of food for weight loss surgery patients.

The BariBowl^™ was designed by a Bariatric Surgeon and Surgical Physician Assistant to take the guesswork out of properly measuring food for weight loss surgery patients.  It has been proven that “eyeballing” portions is not an accurate way to diet and hundreds of calories can be missed per meal without accurate measurements.  The cofounders found this to be true in their practice as they noticed that patients who measured their portions were more successful because they were better able to communicate to their surgeons/doctors the true quantity of foods they were eating.

With the BariBowl^™, accurate measurement is a SNAP!  Simply move the sizers to create the desired quantity (1-4 oz per side), then just fill the space to the rim of the plate.  One side of the bowl is intended for a protein source and the other for vegetables and with the quick reference food guide that comes with your BariBowl^™, you’ll never have to wonder how much protein, fat, carbohydrates or calories you are eating.

The BariBowl^™ makes it convenient to carry hot and cold items together.  Just place cold items on one side; items to be warmed on the other.  When it’s mealtime, just “SNAP” out the half of the dish to be warmed.  After warming SNAP the dish back into the tray and you’re ready to eat!

Before the BariBowl^™, items like baby plates, saucers and diet plates gave a good reference of portions in the horizontal plane but offered no assistance in the vertical plane.  This convenient, easy-to-use tool takes the guesswork out of accurate measuring.  The patient simply fills all of the “real estate” in the pre measured section for a very accurate portion.

This product is ideal for dieters, diabetics, babies, toddlers, weight loss surgery patients and anyone else who is trying to “cut back”.

How to enter:  Leave a comment on this blog posting (don’t forget to include your name and email address, so that we can contact you if you win!) by Thursday, January 12, 2012 11:59 pm East Coast time.  Your comment will automatically enter you in the giveaway contest.  Within two days, we’ll select a winner, using Microsoft Excel’s random generator feature, and announce the winner of this prize on the main page of the Banded Living website, as well as on our blogs (GloriasBandedLiving and SandisBandedLiving) and on our social media sites.  We will also email the winner at the address included in the winner’s blog comment.  The winner has one week to respond to our email notification.  If that person doesn’t respond in the one-week period, we will choose another winner using the random number generator.

Please…only one COMMENT ENTRY per person. Additional comments won’t give you a better chance to win!  Remember, we moderate our blog comments, so you may not see your comment for a little while after you post it.  We reserve the right not to post comments that we don’t think are appropriate, although as long as you follow our guidelines for comments, you’ll still be eligible to win the prize!  Our contest is only open to folks in the U.S.  For the full contest rules, please click here

Want extra chances to win???

Do any of the things listed below and mention in your comment what it was for up to five more entries per person!  (Each item below counts for one additional entry.)

• Like LapBanded Living on Facebook (or tell us you already have)
• Write a positive review of our book, “Is Lap Band Surgery for Me?” (or tell us you already have)
• Blog about this contest or post about it on a social networking or support forum with a link to our Contest Page and send us the URL.
• Suggest a member’s pick product for our Amazon store.
• Sign up for our newsletter (or tell us you already have)
• Become a member of Banded Living (or tell us you already are)

Here it is, the start of a New Year.  It’s a time for reflection, to look at the past year and see which of our resolutions we managed to “keep”.  It’s the time when we all make new lists of promises to ourselves that we have all sorts of good intentions of keeping.  Lists that include things like:

• No sweets
• Exercise 2 hours daily
• No alcohol
• More family time
• Lose 100 pounds
• Get out of debt
• Get organized
• Travel to new places
• Reduce stress
• Quit smoking

Many of us (I am definitely on the list) make resolutions for the New Year because we know we SHOULD.  Everyone needs goals, right?  Right, but with a few “caveats”.

I remember all of the diets I started on January 1^st, after spending New Year’s Eve overindulging in food and drink.  I would pledge to start a diet and lose weight- be it 10, 20, 50 or 100 pounds.  I would do it because I needed to and knew I should.  Hmmm how long did that last?  Until someone offered me a cookie or a piece of candy.  Well, maybe I held out with the first offer, but by the time the offer came for that next cookie, just how was I supposed to say no?

How about exercising 2 hours a day?  If you are like me you might do it once and then, when you woke up with your body in excruciating pain, you clearly had an excuse to take a couple of days, or maybe the rest of your life off.  But I should exercise, shouldn’t I?

Getting out of debt is another good one.  I would usually start off this resolution singing the “if I can’t pay cash for it I can’t have it” song.  But then, look down the list….I see travel to new places on that list.  So how am I supposed to travel if I can’t use my credit card to get there?  And, I have to have new clothes if I am going on a vacation adventure, right?

Reduce stress.  Ok, that sounds great and could be easy for some of you out there, but for me????  If I am on a diet, exercising until my body is tied up like a pretzel and having to shop for new clothes so I can go on my adventure trip to an unknown place, well this is all SO STRESSFUL.  I need a drink…and a cigarette.  I have clearly bitten off much more than I can chew and have sabotaged myself into inaction.  Yay me?

You get the picture.  Actually it’s many pictures if you stop and analyze.  That is, unless making lists is one of your resolutions.  Then you will have succeeded.

There are a few things going on here that are sure fire indicators of failure.  The first being this list is probably identical to last year’s list of resolutions.  What makes you think that repeating the process year after year will get you anywhere?  I spent 53 of the 56 years I lived before having weight loss surgery dieting and failing.  Once I had a tool to help and the resolve and a plan of action I was able to succeed in losing weight and keeping it off.  Are you making lists of things you are not going to accomplish or do you want to set a plan in motion to get something done in the next 12 months?  Are you only listing your “faults” – what needs fixing, or are you going to reflect on what you have accomplished in the past year and how you did it?  Are your resolutions a wish list, a list of “shoulds”, or are they actionable items that you can reasonably accomplish given where you are in your life at this moment?  Even though the sky is the limit and we have the ability to do amazing things, we have to step out of the clouds for a moment, however briefly, set ourselves on the ground and figure out how we are going to soar higher and farther than we ever have before.  I call this a plan.

Let’s look at these typical New Year’s resolutions with a plan in mind and see what they can morph into.

• No sweets – Once I tell myself NO it makes me want to do it more, whatever it is.  I guess I enjoy defiance.  How about I will plan my meals and my snacks for one week at a time and stick to the plan?  A little easier to swallow perhaps?
• Exercise 2 hours daily – So I am expected to get myself out of my Lazy Boy Recliner, where I have been enthroned for the past xxx years and just go work out for Two hours daily.  No Way!  Not happening.  When I started swimming laps at over 300 pounds 7 years ago I started for 5 minutes 3 times weekly then worked it up to 15 and then continued from there to 1 hour daily 5-6 days a week.  Five minutes, NOT two hours.  How about starting out with 20 minutes 2-3 times a week and increasing it from there.  Set up interim goals with dates – by March I will be exercising for 30 minutes three times weekly, by June 45 minutes four times weekly.  There is both clarity and possibility here.
• No alcohol – Here comes the defiant child to the NO word.  When I started on my weight loss surgery journey I knew I would not give up alcohol forever.  I just wasn’t sure how I would be able to integrate it into my life again.  I did give it up completely for 6 months while I learned the new habits of dining and tasting and enjoying my food for the first time in forever.  At 6 months I allowed myself a glass of wine with dinner on Saturday night or on a special occasion.  That’s where I remain, a glass of wine with dinner on the weekend or on a special occasion.  Once in a rare while I will have a martini or a margarita but I have to be aware of the excessive calories these have and do “extra time” at the gym the next day and adjust my other food intake accordingly.
• More family time – I translated this into dinner with my daughter and grandkids at least once a week.  It has become almost a ritual for us.  We get to spend time together AND I make chocolate chip cookies for my grandson who tells me I make the best cookies in the world.  By the way, I believe him.
• Lose 100 pounds – All those years that this was a should and then grew to 150 pounds, 175 pounds, 200 pounds and more I did very little but diet and lose some and then put more back on.  Once I decided that I wanted to lose weight because I was choosing LIFE over the downward spiral of not being able to move or enjoy anything, and had my weight loss surgery as the tool to assist me this became possible.  I also learned that this was not about dieting, but about changing my relationship with food.  I enjoy food, but now I actually taste it!
• Get out of debt – Once again, when this is a should I put up all sorts of barriers and no plans to make this happen.  How about sitting down, creating a budget and checking once a week to make sure I am staying within budget and adjusting as necessary.  I can do that.  But I’m still going shopping at the outlets….
• Get organized – Nice statement, but what does it really mean?  I can organize my desk by the end of January, the upstairs closet by the end of February…..get the picture?
• Travel to new places – Does this mean go to Bakersfield, or to the top of Mt.  Whitney, or just to be able to travel on an airplane with no seat belt extender, or fit on the rides at an amusement park?  At 424 pounds, before weight loss surgery, traveling to new places was actually walking through a department store.  I couldn’t do it without pain and a tremendous output of energy and a lot of embarrassment at being stared at by everyone.  Now I travel all over the world.  It’s exhausting, but gratifying to have the experiences my obesity previously denied me.
• Reduce stress – The setting of specific, measureable and realistic goals is step one for reducing a lot of stress in my life.  All of the “shoulds” miraculously disappear.  I have bite size chunks of things to do that I choose to do to enhance my life.
• Quit smoking – This is something I did years ago, both because I should and because I WANTED to.  It was the first addictive behavior I was able to lick and I needed support to get out of the habit, much as I need support of people and my weight loss surgery tool to stay “clean” of my food addiction.  I left this in because it is a noble resolution that anyone who is still a smoker should resolve to do.  If your mission is to be healthy you will find a way, make a plan and reach for the support you need to achieve this goal.

This list of resolutions appears a little more manageable to me once I have put context to each of them.  I just picked some of the most frequently made resolutions to make my point.  Take life in small bites and chew thoroughly.  It is one of the Lessons of Successful Lap Band Patients that can be applied in all areas of life.

As we start this New Year, my 8^th year after having my LAP BAND® surgery, my 8^th year with a tool that has supported me on a journey I never thought possible full of amazing accomplishments that we in this community of weight loss surgery patients call NSV’s (non scale victories) I would like to take a moment to acknowledge all of you who have achieved your own personal victories that may include, but are definitely not limited to any of the following:

• Saw my toes
• Tied my shoelaces
• Fit in a booth at a restaurant
• No seat belt extender required
• Shopped in a regular size store
• Fit a towel around me
• Fit in the rides at Disney Land, Disney World or any amusement park
• Walked a mile
• Ran a mile
• Swam a mile
• Bicycled a mile
• Bought a bathing suit
• Wore pantyhose
• Made a muscle and saw and felt it
• Played on the floor with my kids/grandkids
• Had a lap for them to sit in
• Hugged by my significant other and their arms fit all the way around
• Got a second look as I walked by

There are so many, many more I can’t possibly cover them all.  My personal favorite, for me, this year was realizing that I was putting on my jeans without sitting down or leaning against anything – I was balancing my own weight.

Now that I can see how far I have come this past year I can think about what I want to accomplish in the coming year.  My #1 New Year’s resolution for 2012 is to continue to learn how to love myself so that I can continue to achieve amazing results in my life, one bite at a time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Win These Great Protica Products!

Protica is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms).  Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia, Proasis, and more than 100 other house and private brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.  Their products are tasty and simple to use and carry with you.  Here is a list of what will be included in this huge sampling of standard size protein supplement products including calories and protein per serving:

Profect (6-pack) :  100 calories/25 grams

Proasis (6-pack):  120 calories/25 grams

Isometric (6-pack):  240 calories/20 grams (this is a meal replacement)

Fruitasia (6-pack):  provides 5 servings of fruits and vegetables in 96 calories/0

Pediagro (6-pack):  120 calories/15 grams

Gem (6-pack):  130 calories/25 grams

Twist (6-pack):  100 calories/15 grams

Ketchup (6-pack):  95 calories/15 grams

Weight gainer (6-pack):  500 calories/50 grams (probably not for wls patients J)

Simplifast (12 pack):  energy boosting vitamin/mineral supplement in 95 calories

Sunkist Protein 24g (12 pack)

Sunkist Energy (12 pack):  less than 5 calorie vitamin/mineral/energy boosting shot

Sunkist Protein pouch (1 pouch, 48 servings):  100 calories/24 grams

How to enter:  Leave a comment on this blog posting (don’t forget to include your name and email address, so that we can contact you if you win!) by Thursday, December 15, 201111:59 pm East Coast time.  Your comment will automatically enter you in the giveaway contest.  Within two business days, we’ll select a winner, using Microsoft Excel’s random generator feature, and announce the winner of this prize on the main page of the Banded Living website, as well as on our blogs (GloriasBandedLiving and SandisBandedLiving) and on our social media sites.  We will also email the winner at the address included in the winner’s blog comment.  The winner has one week to respond to our email notification.  If that person doesn’t respond in the one-week period, we will choose another winner using the random number generator.

Please…only one COMMENT ENTRY per person. Additional comments won’t give you a better chance to win!  Remember, we moderate our blog comments, so you may not see your comment for a little while after you post it.  We reserve the right not to post comments that we don’t think are appropriate, although as long as you follow our guidelines for comments, you’ll still be eligible to win the prize!  Our contest is only open to folks in the U.S.  For the full contest rules, please click here

Want extra chances to win???

Do any of the things listed below and mention in your comment what it was for up to five more entries per person!  (Each item below counts for one additional entry.)

• Like LapBanded Living on Facebook(or tell us you already have)
• Write a positive review of our book, “Is Lap Band Surgery for Me?”(or tell us you already have)
• Blog about this contest or post about it on a social networking or support forum with a link to our Contest Page and send us the URL.
• Suggest a member’s pick product for our Amazon store.
• Sign up for our newsletter(or tell us you already have)
• Become a member of Banded Living(or tell us you already are)

It’s December 2011. Where did the year go? I don’t know about you, but it seems like the time just flies by, one minute it’s July 4^th, the next I’m shopping for something warm and pretty to wear to the round of holiday parties coming up. Shopping still frightens me. I still seem to take in one size bigger than I need, and now I get stuck with hearing “we don’t have any more of that in your size.” I expected that comment when I was a 2x and a 3x, but come on, did I really do all of this work to not be able to find the sweater I want in a size medium? Enough about shopping. Just in case you didn’t get it I enjoy a good round of retail therapy every now and then. Back to recipes for success. How am I going to make it through holiday season 2011 without gaining any weight, and possibly even losing a little? It’s time to get creative. Again, or still.  Part of the charm of the holidays are the aromas that emanate from the kitchen as we pull another batch of something from the oven. Hmmm, let’s think about this…what exactly do I smell?  It’s cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla for the most part. I can use these spices in other foods besides baked goods and enjoy the smells without the added weight. How about microwaving or baking some butternut squash and sprinkling with cinnamon and nutmeg? Why don’t I use sweet potatoes you ask? Good question and here’s the answer:

 1 cup of cubed butternut squash = about 82 calories and 2 grams of protein

1 cup of cubed sweet potato = about 180 calories and 4 grams of protein

Both are good for you, and either will do as a great side dish that you can sprinkle with the “aromas of the season” to add even more flavor than they have on their own. Both also have lots of fiber and other good things for us so they will provide satisfaction. Let’s review – good flavor, nutritional value and satisfaction -  that’s a sure winner for me.

Another way I get my annual dose of good smells is through infused teas. You can buy teas that are peppermint and candy cane flavored, cinnamon flavored, vanilla flavored, etc, or you can add the spices to your favorite tea yourself.

  Candy Cane Lane

  Gingerbread Spice

  Nutcracker Sweet

  Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride

All of this for no calories and something warm and aromatic to drink that helps meet my daily liquid requirements – another sure winner. Furthermore, if you are a coffee drinker you can add a splash of sugar free vanilla or peppermint and a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg or cloves, or all of them to your coffee for another tasty treat.

The possibilities are endless, the depths of our imaginations are the only things that limit us.

What will you concoct to spice up your holidays?

The average cup of non-alcoholic eggnog has 343 calories

So Thanksgiving is behind us, or is it on our behinds?  I managed to lighten up just about all of my recipes this year and had my dinner on a salad plate, so I think I managed just fine.  How did you do?  Now I have to think about my plans for the coming round of parties, dinners and general non-stop celebrating.  That means cocktails, wine, and the infamous eggnog offerings everywhere I turn.

Anybody ever wonder just how many calories 1 cup of eggnog contains?  I did so I just looked it up on calorieking.com and the average cup of non-alcoholic eggnog has 343 calories.  If you add 1 ounce of rum or brandy to it you add another 64 calories thus raising the calorie count for one little cup of heaven to more than 400 calories.  I don’t know about you but I am NOT willing to drink 400 calories and only get about 9 grams of protein from it.  My yummy peanut butter chocolate protein drink is only 110 calories and I get 27 grams of protein – a much more acceptable ratio.

There are quite a few alternatives

So what do we do?  Do we have to swear off eggnog forever because we had weight loss surgery?  You guessed the answer to be yes, but guess again because where there is a will there is ALWAYS an alternative.  As a matter of fact, there are quite a few alternatives and I will share just a few of them with you today.  Pick the one that sounds best to you, give it a try and then let me know by either commenting on this blog post or logging on to the Forums at BandedLiving.com and sharing the recipe you like or warning us about one that was awful.

Remember that adding an ounce of brandy or rum to the mix as a substitute for the brandy or rum flavoring will add 64 calories to each serving.

Here’s a recipe that sounded pretty interesting to me:

Egg Nog Light

Rum or brandy flavoring will eliminate 64 calories per serving

Ingredients:

• 5 cups light vanilla soymilk
• Small box of sugar free, fat free Vanilla instant pudding mix (4 serving size)
• 6 teaspoons Splenda
• 1 teaspoon of rum extract
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high to mix thoroughly.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours to chill and thicken.

Serving size:  1 cup, servings per recipe = 5

Calories:  about 90

Protein:  about 6 grams

Remember, if you add 1 ounce rum or brandy to each cup you get a 154 calorie cup of nog instead of a 400 calorie one!  Not too bad.

Now let’s make this light eggnog light into Pumpkin eggnog light for a different taste treat:

Directions: 

Pumpkin eggnog light for a taste treat

To the recipe above add :

• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, just pumpkin)
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Follow blender directions and chill for 1-3 hours.  Pour into cups and garnish with a bit of cinnamon.  Yumm…

Serving size 1 cup

Calories about 110

Protein about 6 grams

Did anybody try either of the two recipes above?  What did you think?  Good as the stuff you buy in the containers at the market, and better since you save hundreds of calories, right?

Now here’s an egg nog recipe that requires a little more fussing but could very well be worth the time:

Ingredients:

• 6 cups skim milk
• 1 cup egg substitute
• ½ cup non-fat powdered milk
• 6 Tablespoons Splenda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons rum extract
• Ground nutmeg or cinnamon
• Cool Whip free whipped topping

Directions:

In a medium pot over medium heat whisk together the skim milk, egg substitute, powdered milk and Splenda.  Cook, stirring for 15-20 minutes until thickened.

Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and rum extracts.  Let cool for 20 -30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours to chill.  Stir well and pour into cups.  Add 1 Tablespoon whipped topping and sprinkle each with nutmeg, cinnamon (or both).

Serving size 1 cup, makes about 7 servings

Calories about 125

Protein about 16 1/2 grams

This one is a bit higher in the calorie department, but it sure rocks when it comes to protein from all of that milk and eggs….Hmmmm, could be my holiday season breakfast “shake”.  What do you think?

Finally, here’s one that seems to combine the best parts of the 2 different light eggnog styles above into one recipe:

Heat up for an instant cup of holiday delight

Ingredients:

• 4 cups unsweetened, vanilla light almond milk
• 1 cup egg substitute
• 1 small package sugar free vanilla instant pudding mix (4 serving size)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (not sure this is necessary)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

Whisk together almond milk and egg substitute.  Add instant pudding mix, salt, vanilla extract and nutmeg.  Whisk for several minutes.  Refrigerate for 1-3 hour to chill, or heat up for an instant cup of holiday delight.

Serving size:  1 cup, servings 6

Calories:  about 75

Protein:  about 5 grams

I don’t know about you, but I plan to make some egg nog for holiday cheer without worrying about adding holiday season 2011 to my thighs.

Weight Loss Surgery Living – Keeping Those Side Dishes Healthy For The Holidays

As I start planning my Thanksgiving dinner for twelve, I think about all of the traditional side dishes and how many thousands of calories I can manage to put on the table in the blink of an eye.  I am planning to be a little more mindful this year in my selections.  While NOTHING is going to replace my Mom’s chestnut dressing, there is absolutely no reason to smother the green beans in cream of mushroom soup and finish them with fried onion strings.  Yes, I know, this is what we ALWAYS have…not this year.  I plan on trying one of these vegetable side dishes with my turkey and chestnut stuffing.  You can too!

There is absolutely no reason to smother the green beans in cream of mushroom soup….

Green Beans with Bacon-Balsamic Vinaigrette

This serves 8 at about 75 calorie per serving

Ingredients

• 2 pounds green bean
• 2 bacon slices
• ¼ cup minced shallots
• 3 Tablespoons coarsely chopped almonds
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar

1. Cook green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold water.  Drain well; set aside.
2. Cook bacon in a small skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from skillet.  Crumble; set aside.  Add shallots to bacon fat in skillet; sauté 1 minute.  Add almonds; sauté 1 minute.  Remove and let cool.  Add sugar and vinegar; stir until sugar dissolves.  Add crumbled bacon.
3. Pour vinaigrette over beans, tossing gently to coat.

Green Beans With Lemon Dill Sauce

This serves 4 at about 75 calories per serving

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Bring an inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket.  Add green beans, cover and cook until tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove from the heat.
2. Meanwhile, whisk dill, shallot, oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Add the green beans and toss to coat.  Let stand about 10 minutes before serving to blend flavors.

Try something new with my holiday meal which is always fun!

Steamed Carrots with Garlic-Ginger Butter

Be sure to use only true baby carrots for this recipe

This serves 4 at about 70 calorie per serving.

• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 pound baby carrots with tops, peeled
• 1 tablespoon butter Click to see savings
• 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Mince garlic; let stand 10 minutes.
2. Steam carrots, covered, 10 minutes or until tender.
3. Heat butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and ginger to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; stir in carrots, cilantro, and remaining ingredients.

Each of these recipes will give me the opportunity to try something new with my holiday meal which is always fun (except when it is a disaster) and keep at least one of the side dishes to a reasonable calorie count.  All of this good stuff at the same time that they look really tasty too.

Now if I could only find a recipe for zero calorie pecan pie!

The holidays are just about here and we are supposed to enjoy ourselves and celebrate with friends and family.  In years past this clearly meant food and drink fest, but in the years since having weight loss surgery I have had to teach myself to concentrate on the company and not so much on the food and drink.  This does not mean that I cannot have tasty things to eat and drink, it just means I have to be more mindful and create a strategy.

So what are you going to eat?  What are you going to drink?  Do you have a plan?  Do you have a plan B?  Just something to think about to make it through the holidays and start the new year off healthy and strong and further along your journey to a life free from the burdens of obesity.

I promised you some recipes and some tips so let’s get started, and by that I mean let’s talk about appetizers.  While we’re talking about appetizers let’s pour a tall glass of water and cut a slice of lemon or lime, or even some pineapple or orange, or yes, even a maraschino cherry dropped into it and sip away while we figure out what we are going to serve for appetizers at our houses, or what we are going to bring with us when we go to Jane and Jim’s house…..and, by the way, at Jane and Jim’s we can continue sipping our fancified water and nobody will ever know the difference…….

Here are a couple of tasty little treats that are well under 100 calories each, easy to make, pretty on a plate – what more could we ask for?  (somebody else to prepare them I suppose, but I like to fiddle in the kitchen..)

Each topped radish slice is less than 10 calories!

Smoked Salmon Tartare

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons fat free sour cream or 0% Greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• 16 radish slices
• 2 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
• Dill sprigs, for garnish

Combine sour cream or yogurt and dill in a small bowl.  Top each radish slice with salmon, a dollop of the dill sour cream and a sprig of fresh dill.  Each topped radish slice is less than 10 calories and packs a nice taste treat.

Here’s another one combining dates and prosciutto for a 40 calorie treat – I never would have come up with this one by myself:

Each wrapped date is about 40 calories

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates

Ingredients

• 16 thin slices prosciutto
• 16 whole pitted dates
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each date.  Grind pepper on top.  Each wrapped date is about 40 calories, and small bites provide both sweet and salty and are very satisfying, and I CAN eat just one.

Let’s keep this easy theme going and replace chips and dips with some veggie and dip combos that are tasty, crunchy and EASY!

Here we go:

Let your imagination run wild on the colorful possibilities without damaging your healthy eating plans

Veggie And Dip Combos

For instant success peels some cucumbers, carrots (or just use baby carrots) and jicama root and cut into spears.  Stand up in a short glass on a round serving plate and surround with portions of the following for dipping:

• Different varieties of salsas (you could do mild, medium and hot) (15-25 calories per 2 Tablespoons)
• Trader Joe’s eggplant hummus (35 calories per 2 Tablespoons)
• Mango peach salsa dip (Fage 0% Greek yogurt -1 cup mixed with 1/3 cup of mango peach salsa for a large mound of dip with around 35 calories per 2 Tablespoons)
• Onion dip (Fage 0% Greek yogurt – 1 cup mixed with 1 packet of Lipton dry onion soup mix for lot of dip at about 30 calories per 2 Tablespoons)

Of course you could make this into a wonderful, colorful veggie and dip platter and still keep it really simple since you can purchase most of the veggies pre cut, or spend a few minutes slicing your own – say a mixture of broccoli florets, jicama root spears, baby carrots, green and red pepper slices, with a mound of dip in the center for a festive platter….Let your imagination run wild on the colorful possibilities without damaging your healthy eating plans and munch away – I guarantee that both the protein and the fiber in these appetizers will serve you well.

Now, if you’re a little more energetic a platter (24 total) of deviled eggs at about 35-40 calories each can also be nice to bring to a holiday luncheon or just serve at your own open house:

Deviled eggs at about 35-40 calories each

Pimento Studded Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 12 large eggs, hard-cooked and shelled
• 1/4 cup(s) sliced pimientos, chopped
• 1/4 cup(s) low-fat mayonnaise dressing (I’m sure Fage 0% Greek yogurt would work here as well with a splash of balsamic vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon(s) Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• Fresh herb sprigs for garnish

Slice each egg lengthwise in half.  Gently remove yolks and place in small bowl; with fork, finely mash yolks.  Stir in pimientos, mayonnaise dressing, mustard, ground red pepper, and salt until well mixed.

Place egg-white halves in a pan with short sides lined with paper towels (to prevent eggs from rolling).  Spoon yolk mixture into egg-white halves.  If you have a pastry tube you can always make these prettier by putting the mixture in a pastry tube and then pressing into each egg-white half.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Now for those of you who want to serve a hot appetizer, you have to be ready for a bit more prep time, but most of the following recipe, yielding 28 calorie “nummy” gems of asparagus, cheese and prosciutto can be done ahead of time, leaving you to just pop them in the oven for a bit and serve them warm and super tasty:

28 calorie “nummy” gems of asparagus, cheese and prosciutto

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients

• 24 spears thick asparagus, trimmed and peeled
• 12 slices (5 ounces) thin prosciutto
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degree F.  Working in batches, spread out prosciutto on cutting board; cut each slice lengthwise in half and separate slightly.  Evenly sprinkle 1 teaspoon Parmesan on each prosciutto strip.  Place 1 asparagus spear at end of 1 strip; wrap prosciutto in spiral along length of asparagus (don’t cover asparagus tip).  Transfer to jelly-roll pan.  Repeat with remaining prosciutto, Parmesan, and asparagus.  Sprinkle with pepper.  If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours.

Bake prosciutto-wrapped asparagus 10 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.  Arrange on platter and serve warm.

Here’s an even simpler warm appetizer recipe – stick a pretty toothpick in these pineappley meatballs and you have 20 appetizers at about 25 calories each:

Stick a pretty toothpick in these pineappley meatballs and you have 20 appetizers at about 25 calories each

Sweet and Easy Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

• 6 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
• 20 ounces lean ground turkey
• 8 ounce can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
• ½ teaspoon salt (if you must – I almost never do)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

I hate cleaning up so you can either spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray, or cover it with parchment paper and set it to the side.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine turkey, tomatoes, pineapple, and spices in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed.  (I tend to use my very clean, thoroughly washed hands to mix ground meat with other ingredients- they are the best utensils made).

Roll the mixture between your hand to make 20, firm balls and place them evenly on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove sheet from oven, gently turn over the meatballs and bake until they are cooked through – probably about 5 minutes more.

Place on a platter with festive toothpicks and pass around for a warm, 25 calorie treat!

So there you are- neither you nor I have any excuses for resorting to cheese and crackers and high calorie appetizers.  We have lots of choices that are quick, easy and healthy right in front of us.  So raise your glass of water, mine is garnished today with an orange twist, and let’s celebrate the holidays and our choice to be healthy.

It is close to Halloween, and Candy is always a temptation

So it’s just past the middle of October and Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza and New Year’s parties are fast approaching.  As the weather turns cooler it seems to me like we “live” to go from house to house eating and drinking.  UH OH you say?  You would be right.  If you are like me, you’re thinking:  “I’ve had weight loss surgery, how am I ever going to survive this time of year without gaining weight?” No, the correct answer is not that you will just stay home, unless you REALLY, REALLY do not think you can enjoy yourself in a group of people who seem to be focused on eating and drinking.  As a matter of fact, before surgery I often stayed home because I was embarrassed to eat and drink in a group.  I frequently limited myself to family celebrations that I could not avoid so people would not have to watch the fat lady eat.  I want to enjoy myself now, especially since I have so much more energy and choose to participate in life these days.

Thanksgiving Dinner is symbolic of our having a lot of food choices

Four weeks after my lap band surgery I found myself on a plane, staying in a hotel and attending a wedding with an endless buffet and an open bar.  We were out of town for a week, eating in restaurants, partying with friends and I managed to come home alive and well and a few pounds lighter.  While everyone tried to keep both my plate and my glass full I followed a few simple “rules” for my health and well being:

• I kept a full glass of water or ice tea in front of me or in my hand at all times.  Either looks festive (or alcoholic) with a lemon/lime/cherry/pineapple slice or some other adornment – you can put your water or tea in a wine glass if need be to put off the well wishers
• At cocktail parties or open houses I avoided the food table and visited with people instead – I tried to have a high protein “snack” before I arrived so I was not hungry and could visit and get involved rather than focus on eating
• At meals I used a small salad plate and put on it only what I planned to eat
• I did not eat with my fingers – no matter what was on my plate – shrimp, chicken skewers, strawberry, I always used at least a fork, if not a knife and fork
• I politely refused the desserts and refills offered
• In restaurants I found myself ordering shrimp cocktail or crab since they are both low calorie/high protein and can be eaten quite slowly
• I did not allow myself to sit at a table for longer than ½ hour – at a friend’s house I would help serve and clean up, or go for a walk.  In a restaurant I would excuse myself to the restroom – anything to get up from the table to not tempt myself – at a dinner party I could also switch seats so I could talk one and one with someone other than those immediately adjacent to me
• I kept my eye on the prize- MY HEALTH!

The Holidays offer so many opportunities to successfully use your tool

I’m not saying it will be easy, I’m not saying it will be fun at first.  But now I have my tricks on how to use my tool and enjoy a good party too.  These work for me.  If you have other tricks that work for you please come and share them at Tips at Banded Living.

In the coming weeks be on the lookout for some of my favorite recipes and ideas on how to lighten up yours.