Taking photos

How are you with taking before and after photos of yourself???? Well I can say that when I was large and thought I was in charge. I didn't like for anyone to take any photos of me.  Well recently I found one that I didn't even remember being taken.  Wow I didn't realize how obese I was.  I am so grateful for the surgeon that performed my surgery and gave me the tool to become the size that I am today. I am grateful for the insurance company that I have that they paid for it. I will show you a picture but I must include this warning.  Not for the faint at heart.....

you may view the new me below at 147 lbs lighter,

By both the Insurance company and Dr. giving me another opportunity to get my health back together I have began to let people take pictures of me, No I'm still not comfortable with it. But I realize now that I should have at least taken more for my boys.  With that being said, I have ran across a really good deal to make a photo album and thought I would pass it along to my friends.   Canvas People is a reputable company I have used them before when putting together an album for my boys.  Here are the details in how to do it.

 Share this with your friends especially with St. Patricks day and Easter right around the corner. Get a family canvas with family memories on it! The Canvas People will give you a free 8x10 photo canvas or $50 credit toward a bigger photo canvas. The way it works is like this:
1) Choose and upload the photo you would like printed
2) Choose what size. (8x10 is free + shipping/handling, or choose larger size and get a $50 discount)
3) Chose any "extras" (framing, etc.)
5) Enter shipping information
6) Pay the $14.95 shipping/handling (this is still a GREAT deal for one of these)
These photo canvases make great christmas, birthday, anniversary, and graduation gifts as well.

Please let me know if you get a canvas for your family memory I would love to see.

tah tah for now
Lisa

Caring Place needs Help Restocking Pantry!

Good morning My Coupon Diva Friends,
I just read where The-Caring-Place is needing help in restocking their pantry.  When out and about picking up your non-perishable food items, if you can pick up an additional few and drop them off.  The drive will be held through March 14,2011. All food donations can be dropped off in the parking lot at Cooke's food store during designated hours.

The-Caring-Place needs our help 

Monday-Fridays

7:3-8:30 am

11:00 am to 1:00 Pm    4:30 Pm-6:00 Pm

Saturday from 9:00 am to noon

Sunday 1:00-4:00 Pm

there will also be drop off barrels located at Bender Realty, Cafe Roma and Deli Boys in Cleveland.

Ms. Terry, does an excellent job with this organization. I would love to help her get her shelves stocked back.

thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Helping others to help others is a wonderful feeling..

Tah Tah for Now
Lisa

Craving Sweets!!!

Since I last posted, I decided against the peanut butter cookies, I chose a peanut butter and banana smoothie, with a scoop of  Zero-Carb-Isopure protein powder. That was a better choice. However, today as I'm sitting here blogging and sipping on my smoothie. I thought what would my mother in law like to have since she is currently in the nursing home. We always try and take her something different when possible.

And since it needs to be sugar free, a must and also a good one for us to eat. As I can't tolerate the sugar as well.  I decided on Sugar free angel food cake with cool whip and strawberries.  Wise choice.....

Simple, yet sugarfree, except for the strawberries.  I made it and it needs to sit overnight or at least for several hours, that way the juice from the strawberries can soak through the angel food cake.  Yummy...

Next time you have a craving for sweets, give it a try.  All you need are 3 ingredients.
(1) sugar free angel food cake
(2) 1 container of sugar free cool whip
(2) 1 container of fresh strawberries.

Wash the strawberries, cap and slice them, sit aside.
Then take your angel food cake and break it up into pieces and put a layer in the bottom of a bowl
followed with a layer of strawberries, then a layer of cool whip. Do this again, making sure to end up with the cool whip on top. then take and round a layer of strawberries on the top and Wa---la-----

 Sugar Free Strawberry Angel Food cake.



Hope you enjoy,

Tah Tah for Now....

lisa

Their Calling my Name!!!!

Wow!!! That Paula Deen, She's a trip with that butter.  Now she's up to peanut butter cookies. A woman out to get me going with the Sugar Free cookies. Now that is one weakness that I have is PB cookies.  Oh I just had to share this recipe.  We've made it through another week and I think we should celebrate...... Don't you.... Or is it too early????

My son left out this morning on his vacation trip, Oh how I wish I could have gone with him, I'm so ready for a vacation, in time honey, in time.... I have one scheduled for April, its just I'm ready to go now.  But I'll make do with my cookies.  Been a long week to me.. Glad its friday.  Do you  have any plans? 

I do,,, I'm starting my weekend out with saturday morning doing N-O-T-H-I-N-G.....  that spells nothing... Yes I'm not planning on doing anything, but hanging out at home. Weatherman is calling for rain all weekend. And so I thought I would do some soul searching, some internet surfing and some catching up on my coupons. Plotting my deals out for the upcoming sunday...

I've been a little lazy with my journaling this week, but come Monday, its a new game.  I'm starting out at 6am with spin class.  That will be kicking my butt.  I haven't done that in a while and I love it.  Just wish me luck that I make it through without killing over.  You know after all I am a member of the red hat society.... (lol). Please come along with me as I start another week in the life of my journey... and we'll travel it together. I love having support...

Peanut Butter Cookies

recipe from http://www.pauladeen.com

Servings: 18 cookies
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 12 min
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients Add to grocery list

1   egg
1 cup sugar, or 1 1/3 cup sugar replacement (recommended: Splenda)
1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a large baking sheet.

In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, 1 cup equivalent of the Splenda, the egg, and vanilla, and stir well with a spoon.  Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts.  Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet.  With a fork, dipped in Splenda to prevent sticking, press a crisscross design on each cookie.  Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, and sprinkle the cookies with some of the remaining Splenda. Cool slightly before removing from pan

Tah Tah for Now.... Please enjoy the cookies, compliments of :::: Ms. Deen

Lisa

Strong is the New Skinny!!!

Good morning,
As I was surfing through my facebook page this morning, I ran across one of my friends pages, Appetite for Health.  I recently joined their blog and friended their page on facebook to get the latest postings and have found lots of valuable information from it. They also had a Quaker Oatmeal giveaway recently in which I won... Yes folks you can win too. You just have to enter the giveaways.

The Promoters such as Quaker love to give products to be given away. I obtained my t-shirt that I gave away recently from Crazy Dog T-shirts.  I also signed up to get a free book.  I was able to get a good book to read, relax and  then write a review on it. If you are interested here is the address, you can sign up too. (Blogging For Books) Once you complete the book its yours, to do with what you want, Thought I would donate it to the library or even take it to the nursing home. 

Okay back to the Appetite For Health blog.  The reason for the above title, Is exactly what it is.
Strong is the new Skinny... Well folks if you've been following me, you know my status, Its important since having my bariatric surgery that I maintain my eating habits, and exercise. My bones could become very brittle do I choose not to follow my new lifestyles regimen, Vitamins, exercise. etc.  Yes I would love to look like the celebrities, but my friends, this body isn't going to get back there.  I love being able to find information such as the following quote from Appetite. 

Let’s all start to embrace what is God-given

and make the most of our assets. There’s

always going to be someone richer, thinner,

 blonder and smarter, so stop comparing

yourself to others and begin to take stock in yours truly.

  A little bit of muscle can  do a lot to lift sagging self-confidence.

Thought this was fit as to how I was feeling today.. I sometimes get frustrated where I had packed on a few pounds.  I am working on getting these back off. One step at a time, Yes taking walks, doing a few squats while waiting for the fax to go through or for the printer to complete. Every few moves helps. So get going, we may not be able to obtain a celebrity body, but we can sure give it our best shot, make ourselves feel good. And hold our heads high. We are worth it.  Now look yourself in the mirror and say the following.....  " I am Beautiful"  and " I am worth it".......and "I can be good to myself today"   Well.... How do you feel now.  Much better huh!... I know I do.. I"ve got to go now the alarms going off which means time for me to start my BEAUTIFUL.... day...

So your ready to go for the day... Put your best foot forward and know you are worth it......

Love you Always...

Tah Tah for Now!!

Lisa

Exciting News Coming In 2 Weeks!!!

Folks, I have some really exciting news coming in a couple of weeks, Can you guess what It is????? Well, I can't share with you right now. I do know a lot of you will know how I will be feeling... As you've been there and done that. As for now you may start guessing.  Even if you guess, I have to remain mum about it.  It's my duty...

Did you enjoy the post on Proportion sizes?  I have a little more information on this subject, I have a few pictures that might help. Sometimes I'm more of a visual person than a read the information type.

As I mentioned before serving sizes  have grown so much in recent years that we barely remember what an average portion is supposed to look like. When restaurants offer us tremendous amounts of food, it's difficult to put down the fork and say "done," even after you're full. Overeating can sabotage your goals of reaching or maintaining a healthy weight, so here's a visual guideline  showing how big the portion sizes on your plate should be.

 3 oz of Meat =

A deck of cards 

1 small baked Potato=

A Computer Mouse

A bagel  =

A Hockey Puck

Potato chips, pretzels, popcorn =

a Tea Cup

A cup of Rice =

a cupcake wrapper

1 oz of Cheese =

A roll of film

Nuts =

An egg, and I tried to find a picture of the prettiest egg ever,

I love pysanky eggs they are so beautiful thought you could remember this one better

And Pasta =

My friends I really hope these visual aids help you in making the right proportion size and help you to get back on track with your healthy eating..

Tah Tah for Now... Enjoy your beautiful Sunday..... news will be forthcoming soon....

Lisa

Portion Size

Lets talk Portion size, what do I mean by that? First of all let me tell you this one is going to be a little lengthy, but stick with me, Its informative. Todays portion size in restaurants. Is this normal or do they try and give you your money's worth? Or do they have an alternative behind the portion size?

Many restaurants today offer different sizes, lets take fast food for instance:  May we supersize that for you for only .49 cents more?  Huh?  Our 1st thoughts would be getting more food for just a few cents more. Right?  Think about it the next time they offer this just how many more calories/fat you would be consuming.

Example: If we ordered a crispy chicken sandwich, fries and a soft drink, this checks in at approximately 1340 calories. Then if we were to visit one of our favorites dine in restaurants, look at the plate proportion that is brought out to you when you have ordered your meal. It's actually enough for 2 people. According to nutrition guides. So why not decide to order 1 plate and share it with your significant other. Or when ordering ask for a to go box and split it off "Before" you start eating. Why do it before you start? Simple, if you don't have it on your plate you won't be tempted to eat it. Think less calories.

One thing I learned when I first had my surgery was when going out to eat at restaurants, #1 my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach. So with not being able to eat much, my husband would be kind enough to order a simple meal and let me cut a portion of the chicken off for my protein so that I could eat with him. He actually never missed that small amount on his plate.

Portion size is a real important part of our world, Just think about your sizes.  We all could loose a little bit of weight even, and even be more healthy.  Start being aware of the sizes. Here are a few tips I would like to share on portion sizes. Bariatric patient are recommended to eat 6 small meals a day to help regulate our blood sugars, and be able to get in our protein first, vegetables, fruits, grains. Then 30 minutes after the meal start consuming your water.....

When eating out tips:

• Order 1 meal and split it with your significant other (save money-calories)
• start chewing your food by each bite (at least 15 times before swallowing)
• Order water this saves money too, If you need flavor start carrying crystal light packets to give you flavor
• Skip the desert-or split it. (huge in calorie intake) just looking at it is calories alone... (lol)

Eating at home:

• Grab your cook books start preparing for healthy meals (your health is important)
• grab you a mini scale at a department store and start weighing and measuring your proportions

Start Brown bagging your lunches to work/School

• pack your sandwiches/fruits in reusies not only does it save you money but helps the environment I love these reusies, I just won a set a couple of weeks ago over at my Mammamoiselle's .

Normal sizes according to nutrition guides: Perhaps this will help you a bit. I borrowed this information from Barix clinics store

Foods listed in the "Avoid" column are higher in fat or sugar than recommended. Occasionally choosing a food that is higher in fat will not hinder your weight-loss efforts. Choosing higher fat foods regularly will contribute to a higher calorie intake and may slow your weight loss. Foods with more than 2 grams of added sugar should be avoided—period. If you need a sweet fix, find a no-added-sugar alternative for an occasional treat.

　

Milk Group
Foods and beverages from this group are generally a good source of protein and calcium. Choose 4–6 small servings each day.
Choose                         Serving Size         AvoidSkim, 1/2%, 1% milk     1/2 cup               Flavored coffee creamer
Low-fat buttermilk         1 /2 cup              Regular yogurt
Sugar-free nonfat yogurt 1/2 cup              Regular ice cream
Low-fat frozen yogurt     1/2 cup             2%, whole milk
(no added sugar)
Low-fat cottage cheese   1/4 cup            Cream
Low-fat cheeses               1/2 oz              Sour Cream Cheese
Meat Group
Foods from this group are generally a very good source of protein. Choose 4–6 ounces of lean meat, fish, or poultry daily. Prepare with limited amounts of fat.
Choose                                     Serving Size                  Avoid Lean cuts of meat                    2 oz                                 Higher fat cuts of meat with visible fat removed
Baked, broiled, steamed         2 oz                                 Beef brisket fish or shellfish
Poultry, with skin removed    2 oz                                 Ground beef
Eggs or egg substitutes           2 each                             Short ribs
Dried beans and peas               1/2 cup                           Organ meat
Low-fat refried beans              1/2 cup                           Bacon
Low-fat Garden Burgers          2 oz                                Luncheon meat or Veggie Dogs
Lean deli meats                        2 oz                                Peanut butter
Low-fat hot dogs                      2 oz                                Fried meats or bologna Meats with breading　
Fruit Group
Foods from this group are generally good sources of vitamins and fiber. Choose whole fruits in place of juice when possible. Choose a good Vitamin C source, such as an orange or grapefruit daily. Choose 2–4 small servings per day.
Choose                                       Serving Size                    Avoid Fresh fruits                               1/4 cup or 1/2                  small Fruit pie filling
Frozen fruits                             1/4 cup                              Canned fruit in syrup without added sugar
Canned fruits                            1/4 cup                              Juices with packed in water or juice added sugar
Fruit juices                               1/4 cup                              Fruit drinks without added sugar V8 Splash Fruit sorbets
Grain Group
Foods from this group are generally a good source of B-vitamins and fiber. Choose 4–6 small servings per day.
Choose                             Serving Size                     Avoid Whole grain breads              1/2 slice                           Croissants
Light or Less breads             1 slice                              Butter rolls
English muffins                     1/4                                    Biscuits
Saltine crackers                    4 each                               Pancakes
Breadsticks                           1/2 oz                                Theater popcorn
Rice                                       1/4 cup                              Regular microwave popcorn
Pasta                                      1/4 cup                              Donuts
Cereal with                            1/4 cup                              Danish low sugar content
Hamburger bun                     1/4                                      Muffins
Flour or corn tortilla            1 small                               Granola
Light microwave popcorn    1 cup                                  Sweetened cereals
Pretzels                                  1/2 oz                                Fruit breads
Vegetable Group
Foods from this group are generally rich in vitamins and fiber. Choose a dark green leafy and yellow or orange vegetable three times each week for Vitamin A. Choose 3–5 small servings daily
Choose                                    Serving Size                  Avoid
Fresh vegetables                   1/4 cup                            Vegetables prepared with butter, cheese or sauce
Frozen vegetables                 1/4 cup                            without added sugars
Canned vegetables                1/4 cup                            Vegetable juices without added sugars with added sugars
Raw, leafy greens                 1/2 cup                             Canned or frozen vegetables with added sugars

Tah Tah for Now
Lisa