Things I've Learned to Love...

So having to change my eating habits drastically I've learned to love a lot of old and new things when choosing what to eat. Here are just a few that come to mind...


~ Edamame...I loved these before and I love them even more now! They are a great source of protein and super yummy with some sea salt sprinkled over them. I even found them already shelled in the freezer case @ Walmart!


~ Homemade Parmesan Crisps...I just made these on Sunday and they are awesome! It's like eating a crispy chip without the guilt of it actually being a chip!lol They are super easy...here's the directions: take a mound ( i just did a tablespoon and spread it out) of shredded Parmesan cheese and put it on a baking sheet. I lightly sprayed mine with some Pam. Cook for 10-12 min. @ 350 till lightly browned. Pat dry if there is a lot of grease from the cheese because they won't crisp up if they are soggy...I didn't have any on mine since I only used a small amount, but you can surely make these bigger if you want. Let cool for a few min. and gently remove from baking sheet. Place on wax paper while cooling and ENJOY! These are a great source of protein for a meal or a small snack!


~ Dreyer's No Sugar Added Fruit Bars...Because I have to avoid NutraSweet I found these Popsicles @ Walmart that are sweetened with Splenda and they are really tasty. They have 2 different boxes with different flavors and they are all enjoyable. It's just the right amount of sweet for me. Since having gastric bypass and having to cut out sugars and whatnot from my diet, my taste buds have changed and I don't like things that are very sweet. So these make a nice little sweet snack!


~ JELL-O Mousse Temptations...These mousse cups are heavenly! I absolutely love them, especially when I'm wanting chocolate! I've tried the chocolate indulgence, mint chocolate sensation, and the carmel and they are all wonderful! They only have 60 cal. and they are low in carbs and sugar free and they even have some protein. I find that when nothing sounds good in the morning I'll measure out my 2oz. and have that as my breakfast!


~ Natural Peanut Butter...I loved this before, but I never ate it alone. It was always in a Pb&J sandwich. Since I can have nuts sparingly I get a little teaspoon out and make me a pb sucker! My kids LOVE this and now so do I!


~ MorningStar Veggie Burgers...My first thought of eating these was not good. But I bought some in hopes it would give me that grilled burger taste I was looking for. Surprisingly they were even better! I bought the grillers original and they were terrific! The nice thing is that they offer a ton of different varieties of burgers to chose from which I will definitely be trying out!


~ Celestial Seasonings Herbal Tea...Usually in the mornings, especially now that its super cold here, I'll make myself a cup of herbal tea. I love the fruit flavors they offer...my favorite is the Tangerine Orange Zinger. It's a great way to help me get my water intake in and it warms me up too!


~ Swiss Miss Diet Hot Cocoa...Again this one is a nice chocolate hot treat for me to have morning or night, its low in calories, carbs and sugar and it helps me get my water intake in as well. This I have sparingly as its better for me to just drink good ol' plain water but it is a nice warm treat to have every now and again!


~ Exercise...I never thought I would say this but I actually enjoy workingout now!lol I love how I feel after a great workout! It not only gives me a sense of accomplishment, but knowing it is helping me get to my goal helps me see exercising in a whole new light! Since I've only been able to do cardio workouts till I am out 6 week Post-Op I have had to start slow. I am slowly working my way up to a good steady pace. As of today I now can officially start to change up my workouts and add in some strength training as well as cardio which I am definitely ready for! Hooray for progress :)


**UPDATE** Today I hit my 6 week mark and I am officially down 35lbs!!!