Tidbits but no photos

I forgot to post several pictures and I will do so later this weekend. As of 2/2/11 I have lost 17 1/2 lbs. I REALLY need to start exercising during the week!! I need to be firming up.

I often eat 4 eggs for breakfast - 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg. Then I have a slice of cheese to get the amount of protein needed. I top that off with a bit of fruit to get my carbs. If I do not want that I usually eat 2 of the Carb master yogurts with a bit of ground flax seed. Lunch is a big salad with vegetarian meats which supply the carbs and protein. Snacks are usually yogurt and fruit or a mozzarella cheese stick wrapped with several stripples (vegetarian bacon) or a protein bar. I found a good one at 7/11. I need to buy a case of them. Dinner is the same as lunch. A big salad and then my protein and cabs.

Where shall I blog my journey?

I had started writing about my journey with Absolute Weight Loss on another blog but it just didn't fit in right with the theme so I am moving it over to this blog until I figure what to do with it. I wanted this blog to just be recipes that I use but maybe it will be for both.

BLOGGED ON 1/6/2011

On Tuesday I met with a NP and dietitian. I was weighed, given the guidelines of food allotment. I didn't fully understand it all as I had a migraine. Nice thing is that one of my medical assistants started a week ahead of me and can answer most of my questions.

It is high protein, low carbohydrates diet. It is a bit hard on the protein as I am vegetarian but I am figuring out. 3 meals, 2 snacks and lots of water AND exercise yes I know two terrible words together diet and exercise :-)

I have 2 days under my belt.

Now - if I am going through this book (A course in Weight Loss) and dieting which one is working for me? I would say both. I also have other arsenals - Bible, the 12 step program, other spiritual books, my blog, my journal, and friends.

I was going to just go through the book and hopefully lose weight while I worked on getting rid of my demons, the monkey on my back, the ball and chain, the black ball, the ugliness etc

So... I will follow the diet, lose weight and hopefully by the time I have lost all my weight my mind will be in the right place to keep it off.

BLOGGED ON 1/8/2011

That song or rather short chorus is running through my head - I have stayed on my eating plan for 4 days now. May not sound like much but every journey has to have a start and it has been a great start. I was so worried and so scared to give up my drug of choice - carbohydrates and I was also nervous as I was changing medications and my depression was playing havoc with my mind. BUT I started and so far so good. I have exercised twice - once at work and once today, snowshoeing. I loved it so much that I ordered my own snowshoes and they will be here in about a week.

My exercise today was snowshoeing - 1st time ever and I was hooked within the first 5 minutes. I brought my lunch with me so I could stay with my 3 meals and snacks. I still missed a snack time because I was late in eating lunch but that should be all right.

Two situations I see down the road that I will need to plan well for is the trip to Lava Hot Springs and a trip to CA. I will have to plan out my days very carefully and make sure I have the correct foods with me to eat so I do not make poor choices.

Spicy Omelette

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

2 egg whites (10 g protein - 0 g carbs)

1/4 c cottage cheese (7 g protein - 2.5 carbs)

Cayenne Pepper

Garlic Salt

Fresh Tomato

Fresh Green Pepper

Fresh Cilantro

Fresh Green onion

Fresh Jalapeno

Garlic

Lime juice

Dash of salt ( or salt free Mrs. Dash)

2 oz Pepper Jack Cheese chopped or grated (16 g protein - 0 carbs)

Small Kiwi Fruit (approximately 8 carbs)

Total Protein - 33

Total Carbs - 10.5

Whip in blender for 30 second

2 egg whites

1/4 c cottage cheese

1/4 tsp (or more if you want it really spicy) of cayenne pepper

Dash of garlic or regular salt

In small frying pan put

1-2 tsp of olive oil

Turn heat to medium hot - pour in egg mixture into frying pan. Keep heat low enough to not burn. Let egg cook almost all the way through then carefully flip (like a pancake) to finish cooking

While egg is cooking

In food processor make your own salsa. You can use the ingredients listed or choose your favorite fresh veggies to put in a salsa. Remember fresh vegetables you do not have to count - they are freebies!

When egg is finished put on plate. Top with fresh salsa, green onions, pepper jack cheese

Garnish plate with Kiwi fruit and sliced tomato.

Vegetarian Food Plan - the reason for the blog

On 1/4/2010 I met with Leslie at the Absolute Weight Loss and Nutrition Center. I was weighed, body fat determined, met with the Nurse Practitioner, and then met with Leslie to go over my eating plan to meet my weight loss goal of 80 lbs. I choose to follow the traditional diet. The diet focuses on protein and carbs. To throw a wrench into this form of eating I am vegetarian. Since I do not plan meals nor choose the correct way to eat, I live on carbs.

Thus the question, a diet high in protein and no meat? I knew I could do it and get creative about it so I decided to blog some of the ways I reach my protein goals. This way I can remember the different thing I "invented" and can cook them again in the future. so I can keep track of the different ways a vegetarian can meet the required protein.