I have been strictly Gluten free again pretty much sine Jan 1st,maybe 2nd, and this last two weeks (it has been building for a while) I have been the itchiest I have ever been. I have so many patches where I have scratched myself raw in my sleep, even with the anti-histamines and the sleeping pills. I have an itchy scalp, underarms, buttocks, thighs, knees, elbows, braline......everywhere!!!!!!!!!!
I have a referral to go back to the skin specialist,but I am only semi urgent so not sure when that will be. My fear is that I am allergic to something else........like almonds, eggs or dairy. I am not going to eliminate any of these from my diet yet, but I do know they are some common triggers to the type of itchiness I am getting. It just means that if I am, it is going to make this whole journey another step harder. Not going to give up on it by any means, but it would make it harder.
Weight wise things are still not moving, sitting at 118.8 kgs again today, just seem to bounce around the same kilo. At least I have gone back into the 120's.
Will see today what by Blood tests are doing - i have them weekly and I am posting my results here. Some of the blood tests I only have monthly, the others weekly. If they are RED they are abnormal, and you can see the range next to the name. These are not the only bloods I have, but they are the important ones for my liver.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Valentines
Simon and I don't usually do anything for Valentines Day at all, it is so close to our wedding anniversary and we have never really done it. But On Sunday Si told me the reason he sold his mini helicopter (the one he got for Christmas) was that he wanted us to go our for a Valentines movie.....so we did on Sunday night, as tonight just would have been a pain......so, on Sunday we went to 'Sherlock Holmes' - It was great, but then I am a huge fan of Robert Downey Jnr. The only downside to going to the movies is the candy bar.....we both enjoy popcorn - actually Si loves it. So we decided to get some, but after the movie we both felt blah............... and heavy and bloated and just yuck. So I guess that is our body responding to the toxin.
Weightwise things have been a little over the place since I really started being low carb on Jan 28th. I was 121.9 kgs on that day and this morning I am 117.8 kgs, so that has come down, but over that two weeks it has bounced around a little. I am recording my weight daily and you can find it on the 2012 Weigh ins Tab (above). Si is also dropping and seems to be enjoying low carb (most of the time).
The thing I am getting the biggest kick out of is I don't seem to need to plan my evening meals as much. It is just take the meat out.......and decide on the veges at the time. We are having a huge variety of veges and I am even learning to like some I used to hate.....like zucchini.
I also made a new recipe for the LSA Crackers last night. These ones are Garlic and Rosemary LSA Crackers, and they are perfect (if not a little salty). Even Simon likes them. The recipe makes about 60 crackers.......so very very economical.
Anyway, off to work again.......another day.....another dollar as they say.
Weightwise things have been a little over the place since I really started being low carb on Jan 28th. I was 121.9 kgs on that day and this morning I am 117.8 kgs, so that has come down, but over that two weeks it has bounced around a little. I am recording my weight daily and you can find it on the 2012 Weigh ins Tab (above). Si is also dropping and seems to be enjoying low carb (most of the time).
The thing I am getting the biggest kick out of is I don't seem to need to plan my evening meals as much. It is just take the meat out.......and decide on the veges at the time. We are having a huge variety of veges and I am even learning to like some I used to hate.....like zucchini.
I also made a new recipe for the LSA Crackers last night. These ones are Garlic and Rosemary LSA Crackers, and they are perfect (if not a little salty). Even Simon likes them. The recipe makes about 60 crackers.......so very very economical.
Anyway, off to work again.......another day.....another dollar as they say.
Monday, February 6, 2012
I've gone crackers.
I have slipped in the last few days or so.....just not digging my cheese without a cracker, so decided that a few rice crackers would just have to do since the cheesy lsa crackers just didn't work for me.
Actually I think Si actually did better than me last week as I know I had a couple of very weak moments at work and got some hot chips and a peanut slab. It was Friday and I hadn't organised our lunch and I was on the run. No excuses really, it was just a really bad choice.
We are getting better though, and we have started going for walks from home at least 3 times per week. I have mapped out a few walks on MapmyRun, and our first is actually only 1.74 kms and with the dog it took 25 mins. So the plan is to keep doing that till we get faster and then move on to the bigger block. I would like to think that within a couple of months I will regularly do 5km walks and then bigger ones maybe in the weekends.
This weekend has been pretty busy, on Friday night we just did our usual grocery shopping etc, and Si got a couple of DVD's out. On Saturday, we did a walk around the Gypsy fair.......man it certainly is not what I remember. There was not much there and the prices were really really high. Then we hit the shops for a couple of gifts and that evening we went out to dinner for my Step mothers Birthday and my dad and her's 3rd Wedding Anniversary, which is today.
Yesterday, we got up and did all of the housework as somehow the night before we managed to invite 6 people over for dinner........luckily money wise we were doing a shared Chinese dinner, as I would not have been able to rustle something up at all.
I also had my WLS monthly meeting yesterday which was fantastic. I really enjoyed just hanging out and relaxing with other people who are on this journey. I was telling some people about the LSA wrap and I think I have a few more people converted. Oh, that reminds me, I have created a tab at the top of the page for GF and low carb recipes. These are just the ones I have tried and loved. In most cases I have adapted them from others, so I am not claiming these to be mine, just recipes I now love and use all the time. If you click on the link it will take you to the recipe in a new page.
Today, we had nothing planned, so we decided to watch "Fathead - movie" , I loved it and Si seemed to enjoy it, but he still thinks that I need to be slightly different from him with the Gluten Intolerance and the WLS. So, at the moment we are trying to find something that works for both of us. The movie certainly explained things to me in a way I understand especially about how our bodies react to carbohydrates and how they decrease the HDL (good cholesterol)
So after that and feeling more inspired to actually try and even eliminate those pesky crackers I stumbled across another cracker recipe made with almond meal (ground almonds). But as I don't have any of those on hand I decided to adapt.
So here is my recipe for
LSA Crackers.
Ingredients:
1 cup of LSA
1 egg white
1 pinch of salt
(that's it)
Preheat the oven to 160 c (regular bake)
In a bowl, mix together the LSA, egg white and salt until it forms a dough. ( I started with a fork and then used my hand)
Place in the middle of a long piece of baking paper with another peice of baking paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough as thin as you can get it. Try to make it take up the whole baking tray - ie: super thin.
Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
You could make variations of these crackers by adding in different seasonings to the dough base ( such as cracked pepper, sea salt, garlic salt, rosemary etc)
I love them, and they are just what I was looking for!!!!!!!! YAY. I like mine with cheese!!!!!!!
Oh - also, on the weight front, I was 119.3 kgs this week, which is a little heavier than last week but still better than where I was at. So happy about that as well.
Actually I think Si actually did better than me last week as I know I had a couple of very weak moments at work and got some hot chips and a peanut slab. It was Friday and I hadn't organised our lunch and I was on the run. No excuses really, it was just a really bad choice.
We are getting better though, and we have started going for walks from home at least 3 times per week. I have mapped out a few walks on MapmyRun, and our first is actually only 1.74 kms and with the dog it took 25 mins. So the plan is to keep doing that till we get faster and then move on to the bigger block. I would like to think that within a couple of months I will regularly do 5km walks and then bigger ones maybe in the weekends.
This weekend has been pretty busy, on Friday night we just did our usual grocery shopping etc, and Si got a couple of DVD's out. On Saturday, we did a walk around the Gypsy fair.......man it certainly is not what I remember. There was not much there and the prices were really really high. Then we hit the shops for a couple of gifts and that evening we went out to dinner for my Step mothers Birthday and my dad and her's 3rd Wedding Anniversary, which is today.
Yesterday, we got up and did all of the housework as somehow the night before we managed to invite 6 people over for dinner........luckily money wise we were doing a shared Chinese dinner, as I would not have been able to rustle something up at all.
I also had my WLS monthly meeting yesterday which was fantastic. I really enjoyed just hanging out and relaxing with other people who are on this journey. I was telling some people about the LSA wrap and I think I have a few more people converted. Oh, that reminds me, I have created a tab at the top of the page for GF and low carb recipes. These are just the ones I have tried and loved. In most cases I have adapted them from others, so I am not claiming these to be mine, just recipes I now love and use all the time. If you click on the link it will take you to the recipe in a new page.
Today, we had nothing planned, so we decided to watch "Fathead - movie" , I loved it and Si seemed to enjoy it, but he still thinks that I need to be slightly different from him with the Gluten Intolerance and the WLS. So, at the moment we are trying to find something that works for both of us. The movie certainly explained things to me in a way I understand especially about how our bodies react to carbohydrates and how they decrease the HDL (good cholesterol)
So after that and feeling more inspired to actually try and even eliminate those pesky crackers I stumbled across another cracker recipe made with almond meal (ground almonds). But as I don't have any of those on hand I decided to adapt.
So here is my recipe for
LSA Crackers.
Ingredients:
1 cup of LSA
1 egg white
1 pinch of salt
(that's it)
Preheat the oven to 160 c (regular bake)
In a bowl, mix together the LSA, egg white and salt until it forms a dough. ( I started with a fork and then used my hand)
Place in the middle of a long piece of baking paper with another peice of baking paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough as thin as you can get it. Try to make it take up the whole baking tray - ie: super thin.
Peel of the top layer of the
paper and score the dough with a knife to whatever size crackers you
want. Bake for 10-12 mins. Check on crackers, if you need to remove the
outer crackers to cool on a rack and put the remaining back in to finish
cooking. Keep checking every couple of minutes removing cooked crackers
until finally they are all baked to perfection.
You could make variations of these crackers by adding in different seasonings to the dough base ( such as cracked pepper, sea salt, garlic salt, rosemary etc)
I love them, and they are just what I was looking for!!!!!!!! YAY. I like mine with cheese!!!!!!!
Oh - also, on the weight front, I was 119.3 kgs this week, which is a little heavier than last week but still better than where I was at. So happy about that as well.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Enjoying creating
I am really enjoying creating alternatives to carb based meals. The LSA Wrap is still my favourite, but I am now enjoying the hunt for great things. Tonight I am giving the pizza recipe that Lynda posted about today. I have made a double batch, but not sure I could spread it out as much as I should have been able to. It has "puffed" up a bit, and I think will be almost like a pan pizza base. I included a knife to give you a reference of the size.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180c. Cut 2 pieces of baking paper out for baking sheet.
Mix cheese, eggs, LSA, GF flour, and baking powder together until a sticky wet dough is formed. Spread with a spatula to ¼ inch thickness on a baking sheet lined with one piece of backing paper.
Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven. Halfway through the baking process, flip crust over by sliding it off the baking sheet with the parchment paper, placing the second piece on the sheet, and turning the crust over unto the new sheet and peeling the old paper off. Return to oven until done baking.Remove form oven and cool
So last nights dinner I used a Gluten Free Beef Strognanoff Mix and had steamed veges and Cheesy Cauliflower Tater tots, which I would not bother with again as they were time consuming and fiddly to make and I ended up with far too many. (Might adapt the recipe - but that's for another day) Here is a pic of last nights dinner.
NB: my Cheesy Caultoflower Tater tots look nothing like the recipes.
The other thing I tried was making some LSA cheesey crackers, and I was very disappointed with those as well.......so I think I am just going to wait till the Bariatric Advantage Crisps arrive in New Zealand, which should only be a few weeks away.
So off to do the topping for the Pizza. Chicken, Bacon and a little sweetcorn (not really lowcarb) with HP sauce. Will post a pic or two later.
Pizza Base
Makes 1 large pizza
2 cups grated cheese (I used Edam)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons LSA
2 tablespoons Gluten Free Flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Makes 1 large pizza
2 cups grated cheese (I used Edam)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons LSA
2 tablespoons Gluten Free Flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180c. Cut 2 pieces of baking paper out for baking sheet.
Mix cheese, eggs, LSA, GF flour, and baking powder together until a sticky wet dough is formed. Spread with a spatula to ¼ inch thickness on a baking sheet lined with one piece of backing paper.
Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven. Halfway through the baking process, flip crust over by sliding it off the baking sheet with the parchment paper, placing the second piece on the sheet, and turning the crust over unto the new sheet and peeling the old paper off. Return to oven until done baking.Remove form oven and cool
Once crust is cooled, top with sauce, pre-cooked
veggies or meats, and cheese. Set crust with toppings under the grill
on high for a minute or two until cheese is melted and bubbly. or pop back in the oven to bake for a few mins. Slice
and serve.
So last nights dinner I used a Gluten Free Beef Strognanoff Mix and had steamed veges and Cheesy Cauliflower Tater tots, which I would not bother with again as they were time consuming and fiddly to make and I ended up with far too many. (Might adapt the recipe - but that's for another day) Here is a pic of last nights dinner.
The other thing I tried was making some LSA cheesey crackers, and I was very disappointed with those as well.......so I think I am just going to wait till the Bariatric Advantage Crisps arrive in New Zealand, which should only be a few weeks away.
So off to do the topping for the Pizza. Chicken, Bacon and a little sweetcorn (not really lowcarb) with HP sauce. Will post a pic or two later.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Focaccia Bread
Well, the Focaccia Bread turned out really really well and will be something I make again. Out of the loaf size I made it will do Simon and I for 6 'sandwichs' . I will show you a pic shortly of todays effort.
But first the loaf and the recipe taken from http://www.lowcarbcooking.co.nz/
Ingredients:
• 2 cups LSA
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt, pepper to taste
• 5 beaten eggs
• ¾ - 1 cup water
• 3 Tbsp oil
• Optional extras: Rosemary, olives, garlic salt etc
Preparation:
§ Preheat oven to 180-190C.
§ Prepare pan (a 10X15 pan with sides works best) with oiled baking paper .
§ Mix dry ingredients well - a whisk works well.
§ Add wet to dry, and combine well. Make sure there aren't obvious strings of egg white hanging out in the batter.
§ Let batter set for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken up.
§ Pour batter onto pan. Spread evenly.
§ Bake for about 25 minutes, until it springs back when you touch the top and/or is visibly browning even more than LSA already is.
§ Cool and cut into whatever size slices you want.
§ Nutritional Information: Each of 12 servings has less than a gram of effective carbohydrate (.7 grams to be exact) plus 5 grams fiber, 6 grams protein, and 185 calories.
So, on today's plan. I got up and made Si and I both a banana (flavoured) protein shake made from EATME Protein Banana Isolate and then I made us a sandwich each with the focaccia. YUMMY!!!!!!!!
Weighed in this morning at 119.1 kgs, so 200 gms down from yesterday. Onward with the day, feel like it is going to be a good one. On that note....off to work!!
But first the loaf and the recipe taken from http://www.lowcarbcooking.co.nz/
Ingredients:
• 2 cups LSA
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt, pepper to taste
• 5 beaten eggs
• ¾ - 1 cup water
• 3 Tbsp oil
• Optional extras: Rosemary, olives, garlic salt etc
Preparation:
§ Preheat oven to 180-190C.
§ Prepare pan (a 10X15 pan with sides works best) with oiled baking paper .
§ Mix dry ingredients well - a whisk works well.
§ Add wet to dry, and combine well. Make sure there aren't obvious strings of egg white hanging out in the batter.
§ Let batter set for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken up.
§ Pour batter onto pan. Spread evenly.
§ Bake for about 25 minutes, until it springs back when you touch the top and/or is visibly browning even more than LSA already is.
§ Cool and cut into whatever size slices you want.
§ Nutritional Information: Each of 12 servings has less than a gram of effective carbohydrate (.7 grams to be exact) plus 5 grams fiber, 6 grams protein, and 185 calories.
So, on today's plan. I got up and made Si and I both a banana (flavoured) protein shake made from EATME Protein Banana Isolate and then I made us a sandwich each with the focaccia. YUMMY!!!!!!!!
Weighed in this morning at 119.1 kgs, so 200 gms down from yesterday. Onward with the day, feel like it is going to be a good one. On that note....off to work!!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
A picture tells a thousand words
As they say, a picture says a thousand words, and the following are screaming at me!!!
This is what has happened since April 2009. (click to make larger)
I can really see in both of these where I have regained.........amazing!!!!!! I couldn't actually put the same clothes on again as I gave them away in the WLS Conference clothing swap as they had got way too tight, but I found something that was pretty similar in style, cut and fabric.
Not really too much to be said here really - just very disappointed - but THIS is the reality, this is where I am at. The pics on the left I was getting so many compliments......those have dried up.....I was actually looking slimish there.....sure still overweight, but I had in my opinion a nice shape.......now I just look I hate to say it, but FAT!!!!
I can see how much my butt, hips and thighs have changed and how my waist definition has changed. I almost had a small gap between my legs......no wonder I am not physically comfortable with myself anymore.
This is what has happened since April 2009. (click to make larger)
Not really too much to be said here really - just very disappointed - but THIS is the reality, this is where I am at. The pics on the left I was getting so many compliments......those have dried up.....I was actually looking slimish there.....sure still overweight, but I had in my opinion a nice shape.......now I just look I hate to say it, but FAT!!!!
I can see how much my butt, hips and thighs have changed and how my waist definition has changed. I almost had a small gap between my legs......no wonder I am not physically comfortable with myself anymore.
Changes.....
So, I have made some changes to my blog for a new look and new attitude. I have included several pages and I may add to these, such a recipes page, but I will think more about it, as I might just use tags on those types of posts.
I know that I am weighing more than weekly, not always daily but usually and I try not to let that dictate how I am feeling about things, but I also use it to monitor the changes that might be brought on with my other conditions.
I have also included a page on progress pictures, and I am scared to take updated ones. I have exactly the same clothes as my lowest to wear and I think it will really highlight to me where the extra 20 kgs has come on. I will get Si to take some soon.
I have been thinking about my Jett's membership and I am going to stop it, as at the moment I just don't have the energy to go, and Si is also wanting to start walking. I am also thinking that something that is more natural and sustainable is the best way to go. So walking it is. (The Dog will be happy)
Speaking of dogs, Si's parents dog died a couple of weeks ago, and I know that has been hard on Si's parents. It does mean that they will now be able to go away more often for long weekends end, and not have to worry about him, but the loss of a pet is always sad.
So after my last blog where I mentioned that Si was reluctant to go low carb (even though I said it was his our journey etc) he took that to heart and has decided to join me ( well for most meals) I think he will still have some carbs, but he realises that this really tempts me. Although I think I find it harder than him. One thing we have noticed is that it is much harder to just grab something on the run. Yesterday we were on our way home from Masterton around 7pm and we had some meat out for dinner, but is was 1.5 hrs till we got home, so we both felt we needed something to keep us going, but no where had anything suitable. What I should do is always make sure I have some nuts or something to tide us over. Does anyone else have any suggestions.
So tonight I am going to make some Flaxseed crackers (although I will use LSA) and maybe some of the Focaccia Loaf (again with LSA instead of Flaxseed) . I thought this might help with lunches for Si this week,and also with cheese as I always normally have rice crackers.
Will do a post if I do make them and of course if they turn out okay.
I know that I am weighing more than weekly, not always daily but usually and I try not to let that dictate how I am feeling about things, but I also use it to monitor the changes that might be brought on with my other conditions.
I have also included a page on progress pictures, and I am scared to take updated ones. I have exactly the same clothes as my lowest to wear and I think it will really highlight to me where the extra 20 kgs has come on. I will get Si to take some soon.
I have been thinking about my Jett's membership and I am going to stop it, as at the moment I just don't have the energy to go, and Si is also wanting to start walking. I am also thinking that something that is more natural and sustainable is the best way to go. So walking it is. (The Dog will be happy)
Speaking of dogs, Si's parents dog died a couple of weeks ago, and I know that has been hard on Si's parents. It does mean that they will now be able to go away more often for long weekends end, and not have to worry about him, but the loss of a pet is always sad.
So after my last blog where I mentioned that Si was reluctant to go low carb (even though I said it was his our journey etc) he took that to heart and has decided to join me ( well for most meals) I think he will still have some carbs, but he realises that this really tempts me. Although I think I find it harder than him. One thing we have noticed is that it is much harder to just grab something on the run. Yesterday we were on our way home from Masterton around 7pm and we had some meat out for dinner, but is was 1.5 hrs till we got home, so we both felt we needed something to keep us going, but no where had anything suitable. What I should do is always make sure I have some nuts or something to tide us over. Does anyone else have any suggestions.
So tonight I am going to make some Flaxseed crackers (although I will use LSA) and maybe some of the Focaccia Loaf (again with LSA instead of Flaxseed) . I thought this might help with lunches for Si this week,and also with cheese as I always normally have rice crackers.
Will do a post if I do make them and of course if they turn out okay.
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