6/15/11: Surprising Success!

So I'll be honest, I've indulged (a LOT over the last 2 days)...long story, I'll share in a minute.  Needless to say I was a bit hesitant to step on the scale but was rewarded with a 4 pound loss over the last 3 weeks!  My start small method seems to be working for me (whoo-hoo)!!!!

Ok, the 2 days of splurging....let's start with Friday (6/10 and day of my last post).  Crazy long day, I spent almost 12 hours at the hospital just to get 1 unit of blood.  My veins are super tempermental after years of routine transfusions so we have to use a specific blood warmer, only 1 in the hospital (outside of the OR and they don't loan those out).  There are other blood warmers available but they simply don't work for me.  So, I munched a bit on Friday.  Had 1 20 ounce Coke (sipped it as the IV was started to keep from passing out due to my severe needle anxiety...that developed over the last few years), enjoyed some of my favorite rainbow coated popcorn from Vic's (which is awesome but I can't find the nutritional values anywhere...I'll have to email them)!  I had a cup of cream of broccoli soup for lunch (not super healthy but I was in the hospital and it's actually rare that they have my favorite soup on the days I'm there).  For dinner I had the chicken parmesan and steamed broccoli that was served, it was surprisingly non-gross!  So all in all, not a totally off track day.

Saturday was great!  Lots of yummy food, mom brought me a crab cake from a favorite restaurant (her leftovers from Thurs), I had some leftovers from my house and a baked potato from Wendy's.  I ate reasonably well but was still tired from the long day at the hospital so took it easy.  However, I woke up around 1:30 am with what was likely mild food poisoning (not a transfusion reaction)!  I spent the next several hours becoming very friendly with the trash can I brought to bed...we're on a first name basis now!  I called my mom around 9:30 am (somehow managed to sleep from 8-9:30 which was the most sleep I'd gotten all night), she brought me a real Coca-Cola (my grandmother's cure all for nausea and general icky feelings)!  I was finally able to keep some dramamine down and got about 3 hours of sleep.  Didn't eat much, had some graham crackers, grits (no butter), peanut butter toast and some fresh made pizza with friends that night.

Monday I woke up crazy sore...back, arms, stomach, diaphragm and legs, I felt muscles I didn't know I had!  I ate whatever sounded good to me...cheese grits, Chick-fil-A nuggets and fries, and for dinner I made a coconut crusted tilapia, yellow squash side and wilted spinach with balsamic sauce.  The indulgences continued Tuesday!  I had my current favorite breakfast of an egg with turkey sausage and English muffin, so that was on track!  For lunch I had 2 little Ritter sport chocolate bars (butter biscuit and hazelnut...so damn delicious) and a few pieces of fried cheese (mozzarella sticks for the non-Southerner's).  Again, I made dinner, a large green salad with herbed shrimp, strawberries, mandarin oranges and honey balsamic dressing.  Looking back on it I guess I didn't derail as much as I imagined in my head, I'm counting that as AWESOME!

So, I've got a fresh unit of blood, only mildly sore from my hours of throwing up and a fridge stocked with ground turkey, baby spinach, blueberries, strawberries, Greek yogurt, peaches, red grapes, Romaine salad mix, onions, a freezer of other vegetables and a pantry of quinoa, cous cous, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, soba noodles along with other yummy staples.  I can't wait to make dinner tonight!  Making pizza with the girls tomorrow...whole wheat and honey pizza dough, homemade sauce and lots of yummy veggies!  And best of all...I'm 4 pounds lighter!

6/10/11 Hospital Trip

Yesterday I attended a meeting with some like minded ladies and it was a lot of fun!  We talked about our personal goals and the steps we are taking to get there.  We've decided to meet each week to talk, cook, swap recipes/tips/ideas and just support one another in our new lifestyles and journeys.  No whining, no excuses, just what works and what doesn't!  Next week I'm bringing homemade pizza dough and sauce, we'll make pizzas and discuss the week.

I shared a few tips last night that I've incorporated into my daily life.  I bought pretty dishes, small plates and bowls that hold correct serving sizes.  I measure almost everything on my small food scale, though I am learning how to use that knowledge to estimate sizes in the real world.  A few minor food changes, Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, whole wheat instead of white breads, baked chips, and cooking at home.  I've offered to give some cooking lessons to the others (as I've mentioned, I LOVE cooking)!

Sorry to cut this short but I'm heading to the hospital for a blood transfusion shortly and I have a lot to do!  But, I'm looking forward to taking the next steps with a new group of supporters!

6/8/11: Cooking Queen

I love to cook and my kitchen clearly shows it!  My newest addition (and addiction) is a KitchenAid stand mixer.  I absolutely can't wait to get some of the attachments, especially the food grinder...homemade ground chicken/turkey/sausage!  But in all seriousness, I have a variety of kitchen appliances, utensils and gadgets.  I love my food processor but sometimes it's a hassle to use when I'm just cooking for one or two people.  Enter the Ninja.  I received it as a gift and I absolutely adore it, in fact, a few of my friends now own one after hearing me rave about mine.  Perfect for making smoothies, small grinding or chopping jobs.  It has been put to good use this week too.

I made turkey burgers Monday night with super lean 99% fat free ground turkey.  Normally I prefer the 93% fat free since the added fat gives it some flavor and moisture, but the extra lean was on sale.  I combined 8 ounces ground turkey, 1/4 cup nonfat, plain yogurt, 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, herbs and an egg in my small Ninja blender.  Pulsed until all ingredients were incorporated and was rewarded with a deliciously moist, flavorful batch of turkey burgers.  Will definitely make those again!

I also used the blender size to make Peach-Strawberry smoothies with frozen peaches, fresh strawberries, honey and a touch of nonfat yogurt.  For Christmas I was given several very colorful reusable plastic insulated cups (like the travel iced coffee mugs), I absolutely adore them and the extra large straws are great for getting big chunks of fruit.  I can make my smoothies, pour what I want and slap the storage lid on the pitcher and back in the fridge for later.  Both the Ninja and the cups are great investments.

Last night was I having a crazy chocolate craving.  I received an email from Cold Stone Creamery sometime last week, touting the new flavor of the month...chocolate hazelnut.  I think I started salivating as soon as I read the words and saw the picture.  I am a chocolate hazelnut addict so that email has been hanging in the back of my head.  Last night I decided to take matters into my own hands, utilizing my Ninja nonetheless!  I mixed frozen yogurt, vanilla since that's what I had on hand, 1 tablespoon Nutella, and a little milk.  Blended until incorporated and voila, my own chocolate hazelnut treat.  Absolutely delicious, next time I'll try chocolate yogurt.

I think my tastes are slowly changing, slow being the key word!  I did indulge in Chick-fil-A nuggets yesterday but had them with a big salad and CFA's fat free honey mustard dressing, slightly spicy but absolutely addictive.  I order the chicken strips salad with nuggets and then add about 2 more cups of salad mix at home.  I was out running errands, super hungry and in wasn't craving any of the leftovers I had in the fridge.  I know myself well enough, if I'm craving something strongly then it's better to have it modified than try to substitute something else.  And for dinner I had a chicken breast with a sweet onion sauce, mashed cauliflower, baby peas, and asparagus with a balsamic sauce.

I'm going to a friend's house for dinner and furniture arranging tonight and the plan is to order Chinese food.  I'm making brown rice to take with me since our favorite place doesn't carry it.  Working out has fallen on the back burner this week as my blood count is low and I'm likely getting a transfusion on Friday.  I can usually feel the muscle fatigue in my legs but this time I can feel it in my arms as well.  A few steps and I feel like every muscle in legs is oxygen deprived, my arms feel that way just typing right now (but you see how much I've written...stubbornness)!  So, I'm hoping that once I get a fresh unit of blood (cause I'm part vampire..hehe), I'll feel better and be able to incorporate exercise again.  I was dancing around the house cleaning and had to sit because I got light headed, not fun but I'm used to it.  It's been 6 weeks since my last transfusion, amazing since at one time I was needing transfusions every 2 weeks.

Since I'm taking it easy this week I'm searching recipes and planning meals for next week.  I will be attempting to replicate the crab nachos from a local restaurant but with a healthy twist.  Also thinking about making a sesame tuna salad with ginger dressing.  Anybody have any favorite "go-to" recipes?

Day 9: Grocery Shopping Surprise

I went to the grocery store today armed with a long list (about twice as long as normal) and I was almost afraid to see the checkout total since I keep reading about how eating "healthy" is more expensive.  I guess in a way it is, processed canned food is certainly much cheaper, but I figure once you add the cost of health care into that equation it's much cheaper to eat whole foods than the processed options.  I always make my list in the order of the grocery store. Yes, I'm Type A like that!  But that makes my shopping trips shorter since I don't have to keep scanning the list or doubling back for things I forgot...usually!

Since I was mainly buying whole foods today it was very simple, spent a few minutes in the produce section and voila, half my cart was full!  Some ground turkey (on sale, yay) and a few pantry staples, mustard, soy sauce, canned mandarin oranges (love those in salads), whole wheat pita bread, etc.  Finished up with some turkey bacon (Jennie-O, my favorite and on sale...score), sharp cheeses, frozen vegetables, eggs, milk, and a carton of frozen yogurt for a party tonight.  All in all...I spent around $40 and have a week's worth of food, that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner...how incredible is that!

Of course it helps that my pantry was already fairly well stocked.  I have a variety of dried beans, whole wheat pastas, brown rice, salad dressings, flavored vinegars, spices, cereals, and grains.  I've been in a major quinoa phase lately and during my last trip to Trader Joe's (2 hours away) I bought 4 boxes!  I also already had fresh strawberries, apples, a big container of plain yogurt and cottage cheese, frozen chicken, canned tuna (in water), and lots of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the freezer.  I bought a vacuum sealer a few months ago and it's been a great investment!  And I did skip getting a few things on my list, I am not paying $4 for cauliflower.  There's a fresh produce shop near my house that I've been wanting to check out, this is my perfect excuse to go!

So last week I added more fruits and veggies...this week my goal is more whole foods, less processed and I'm well on my way.  I can't wait to check out the local shop and start cooking tomorrow...so much deliciousness to choose from!  I'm off to check out new recipes and get some ideas for the week...I'm open to suggestions...

Day 6: Readjusting "Normal"

I've been going over my food logs for the past 5 days and realizing that I've been misleading myself for years!  I always told myself that I eat "fairly healthy" food.  I stopped eating pork and red meat when I was 12 (my father opened a hog house...one tour and I was done)!  I stopped eating beef because I never particularly liked steak (the first one I ever tasted was burned to rubber) and I really only liked fast food hamburgers, which are so not good for you!  Because of all the blood transfusions I receive my body has excess iron that is stored in my liver and other organs (and can cause permanent, irreversible damage), so I decided to keep beef out of my diet.  One of my hematologists has equated it to "using a water hose on a house fire" but, that little water hose is better than nothing!  I'd rather have a turkey burger anyway!

Ok, back to my point...I realized that on a superficial basis I do eat fairly healthy foods (lots of grilled chicken, veggie burgers/dogs, whole wheat breads, dark chocolate).  I do need to incorporate more vegetables into my daily diet (that are not french fries, slaw, covered with cheese or dipped in ranch/honey mustard dressing).  Same for fruit, I love peaches, strawberries, red grapes, mango, papaya, kiwi, bananas, mandarin oranges, blueberries, pineapple and cantaloupe!  I live in the South, I can easily take advantage of local Farmer's Markets (even if it means getting up super early on a Saturday). 

So, this week my goal has been to eat more fruits and vegetables.  My snacks normally consist of string cheese, cinnamon graham crackers, cheese and crackers, or similar items.  I've made a conscious effort to choose fruit this week.  I made a large bowl of fruit salad on Tuesday and only have a small bowl left!  I ate a perfect peach on Monday that reminded me how truly amazing fresh food can be.  I was reminded that food that is good for you can be amazingly delicious in its simplest form (without extra flavors, sauces, preservatives, sugar...just whole and natural)!

I'll continue consciously adding fruits and vegetables, until it becomes a habit.  I am not on a "diet," I'm not trying to lose weight for some specific event or by some date.  I'm trying to change my lifestyle, to make eating whole foods a habit, to incorporate exercise into my everyday life as something I enjoy not simply something I should do.  I want to feel healthy and strong.  I don't just want to look good I want to feel good.  I will get there, I know I will.  Start small...