juliansmom2003

So, all this snowy weather has brought out the cook in me LOL Last night, I did an AMAZING crockpot pepper steak (hubby LOVED it--didn't realize it was healthy!!) and tonight, I'm doing chicken Cordon Bleu. I found the recipe online and tweaked it to be more calorie/fat friendly. Just thought I'd share since lots of us are looking for a little variety (and I am ALWAYS looking for creative options to cook chicken LOL). Ingredients: 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 wedges laughing cow Swiss cheese 4 slices Oscar Mayer deli selects ham 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 7x11 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 2. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. 3. Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top of each breast. Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick. Place in baking dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with bread crumbs. 4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven, and place 1/2 cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately. Calories: 280 Fat: 10 g Protein: 37g Carbs: 11g Enjoy!

OMG the laughing cow cheese was the BEST idea! The recipe called for regular old swiss which is so high in calories so I switched the laughing cow for it. It was SLAMMING! I made an extra piece to take to work for lunch!!! Guys, it was no prep time at all and cooked in 35 minutes. Had some steamed veggies on the side and it was purrrrfect!!! The best is using the Perdue perfect portions--each one of those chicken breasts is 4 oz. I'm still a little hungry, but I'll wait a couple of hours and have some sugar free pudding w. fat free cool whip for dessert. I had a really good day today! Shoveled my butt off, did 100 crunches on the ab lounge and ran a mile! Wish every day could be this good!

That has been my focus too--calories, protein and fat. Then my sister goes and mentions that when she reduces her carbs, she notices more weight loss. Just another thing to track, great! LOL

Sometimes if I don't have time to make lunch for work, I have a Lean Cuisine stash in the freezer. The herb chicken one is only 180 calories, 3 g of fat and 18 g of protein!!!!

What time are you getting your fills? Are you tighter at a particular time of day? I am so tight in the morning and lucky me my first fill was at 7:45 am, so of course I have no restriction. Next fill is 2 weeks from today at 9 am. I'd love to get an afternoon appointment one of these times, but they book so fast! Oh well, perhaps #2 will work. I'm trying to stay optimistic LOL Hang in there. Everyone is different. Someone can be just fine with one or two, some need three or more. Hope you get your restriction soon!!!

Same here. I just finished my coffee and I'm not really hungry for breakfast. I'll try to eat some Special K, but I really don't want to eat. lunch the hunger picks up and I always end up eating more than I should and dinner....same thing. I stop myself but I'm still hungry after dinner, so I usually have a snack after. What stinks is my next fill appointment is at 9 am. My other was 7:45. It really sucks because I'm too tight in the morning and I know my doc won't give me a smidge more fill with this in mind. He does it under fluoroscopy so he watches the restriction level and if he sees anything pushing back up, he takes some right out :-(

Starting at size 22-24. Current size...14 I feel .... so great about myself!!! I need to work on: Exercising more!

Pickles, I'm the one that uses the ab lounge. I also asked my surgeon if it was okay and he said it was no problem. If it gets sore, just ease off and stop for a bit. I was banded in October and started using this last month with no issues. It really does work the belly though. I am determined to get rid of this poof!!! LOL

Sorry to hear your first fill was canceled. Take heart, I am almost 4 months post op and only getting my second fill at the end of this month :-( Hang in there. I know how tough it is waiting to get the help you need for your tool to work.

I was banded on 10/21 in NJ. Where in Jersey are you from? Who did your surgery. Yeah, Todd --rub it in that you were banded after me and just had your third fill while I'm still waiting for #2. Grrrrr LOL

You go, girl!!!! Love it!!

OMG Elfie! I had no idea about that with the insulin resistance! Now it makes sense! I have definitely lost in the face/neck, waist and legs, but my stomach just will not go away! It has started shrinking a tiny bit, but I've been doing crunches on the ab lounge and stuff like that. I was thinking that it was having 2 kids (I'm sure that doesn't help LOL) You learn something new every day. Hoping that I'm not going to need a tummy tuck and will be able to get away with my belly when I get down to goal weight (God willing LOL).

Holy wow, dude! I'd say a parade for you is in order LOL! MEN, pffft LOL! Seriously, way to go! That is some amazing progress! You are proof that it can be done! Keep up the amazing work, Todd!

Wow! I bet you were never so happy to get stuck LOL! I hope the restriction lasts for you!!

Hi Melissa. I actually did the pouch test (Thursday of last week to Monday) and I did notice a bit of a difference. I really wasn't making bad choices, but started to have cravings, so I thought it would be a good detox method to get me back to basics. Not only that, I can definitely tell I'm staying fuller longer for some reason. My portion sizes as I mentioned yesterday were quite small except for lunch which was about 10 ounces, but we'll see how today goes. I will say that it helped to move the scale for me. I was stuck at 184-185 and kept playing the roller coaster game to 182-183. I weighed in this morning at 180 (Monday was 181), so I'm going to hold onto this for dear life LOL!

Melissa thank you SO much! Your post (and illuminationlady's) were just what I needed right now. I'm all beating myself up over here for doing such a great job sticking to the 5 day pouch test then I turn around and have such a big lunch. 2 weeks isn't that long. I can do it, I can do it! THANK YOU for your post!!! I can't tell you how much better it made me feel :thumbup:

LOL illuminationlady! I thought by now all of you want to just tell me to shut the hell up about my having no restriction. Glad I made at least one person feel better :thumbup:

Thanks for the quick response! Honestly, today was the first day in a month that I didn't bring lunch in (usually bring some left over chicken or make chicken salad)--I didn't even think about that! I'm hoping that is what it is!! I was thinking this morning that maybe I shouldn't go for a fill because I want to be able to swallow liquids and stuff, but I know I need one. I stay full for 3-4 hours, but even though I'm eating much smaller portions than I did pre-band, they exceed 6 ounces. Counting down to the 25th!!!!!!!

I hear you. We got over 2 feet of snow over this past weekend and are expecting at least another 1 (maybe 2) between tonight and tomorrow. This weekend of all weekends I was doing the freaking pouch test, so I made sure I slept as much as possible LOL! For tonight and tomorrow, I have my skinny cow treats and my banana/chocolate fudge/cream cheese creation that I got from the Super Bowl food thread LOL You can do this, Elfie. Just bake other things :-)!

CONGRATULATIONS on your milestone!! You should be so proud of yourself--what an inspiration you are to those of us who are struggling and need to stay motivated that we can do it!!! Good luck on the last 37!!!

Wow, I was so caught up in fighting with the same 2-3 lbs for the last 3 weeks, I weighed in this morning at 181---hit 50 lbs lost!!! (17 pre-op, 33 post) I have been stuck in the 180's forever. Fill #2 is in 2 weeks (Feb 25), so praying that is going to give me a nice little push! Just had to share! I hope I don't start fluctuating again because it feels so good to say I've lost 50 lbs!!!!!!

OMG-- this sounded SO good yesterday that I went to the store on the way home from work, picked up the ingredients and made this last night. Can I say this is the most delicious dessert EVER?!? My husband and I are going to be battling over it because he had some last night and wanted to finish the rest of it LOL! Just wanted to say thanks! I've added this to the collection of yummy recipes of things I'm allowed to eat!!! :cursing:

Hi. I actually replied to your post under my thread with a sample menu, but I'll put it here just in case: Breakfast- 1/2 cup Special K Blueberry w/ skim and 1 hard boiled egg OR I'll do a yogurt and low fat cheese stick. (If I'm home, I'll do some egg beaters with melted low fat cheese with some fruit) lunch- Canned chicken breast with lighy mayo, chopped onion & celery w/ tomato slice on arnold wheat thin and a very small salad w/ iceberg, tomato, green pepper w/ Kraft Free Catalina dressing Afternoon Snack (lots of times I don't need this during the day, since I have breakfast so late and I just run out of time LOL)-- Low fast cheese stick OR fat free yogurt OR hard boiled egg Dinner- Crock pot chicken, side of green Beans or steamfresh mixed veggies Evening snack (I will treat myself sometimes)- Skinny Cow mint ice cream sandwich or pumpkin cheesecake (180 cals, 19g of protein!) or other low fat, bad friendly dessert I don't know if you got to check out some of the recipes I posted last week, but I'm attaching them here in case you're looking for different ideas. Sorry there are no fish ones on here though--I'm allergic. Honestly, I log my calories, Water intake and exercise every day on www.thedailyplate.com . It is the only way I can keep myself on track. I figure I need to make the time because it something that I need to do to make this work. Hang in there. You can do it!!!!!! RECIPES.pdf

Thanks, Todd! Can't wait to hear how it goes for you today! Don't forget to post!!!!!

Banded in December? You're doing AWESOME! Those annoying pounds will come off--I promise :cursing: