Brrrrrrrrr....

Lets talk ICE CREAM!

A few days ago I received an awesome package from my good friends over at Arctic Zero.  They sent me all of their flavors of pints and ice cream bars.  It took me a second to get past the dry ice because I couldn't stop playing with it but as soon as the novelty wore off we all dug in.

Although they advertise as ice cream it tastes more like creamy water ice.  It's a perfect mix of sweet, creamy and cold.  Sweet enough that my son never notices that he's not eating real ice cream while at the same time not being so sweet that you think you're teeth might explode.

My favorite flavor so far is the Pumkin Spice with Coffee as being a close second.  We're still only part of the way through of trying all the flavors so expect a follow up post with plenty more awesome reviews of this yummy stuff.

(Nutrition Facts from a pint)

Even though this is a great treat for the WLS patient, it is a great treat for anyone.  Look at those stats!  You can indulge in a whole pint and not feel guilty!  The best part? I felt good about letting my son try these because their ingredient list is rather user friendly.
(Copied off of their website:)

Pints:


Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter,
Mint Chocolate Cookie
INGREDIENTS: PURIFIED WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, DUTCH PROCESSED COCOA POWDER WITH ALKALI, GUAR GUM, XANTHAM GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MONK FRUIT.
Vanilla Maple, Cookies & Cream, PumpkinINGREDIENTS: PURIFIED WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, CHICORY ROOT, GUAR GUM, XANTHAM GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MONK FRUIT.
Coffee
INGREDIENTS: PURIFIED WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, CHICORY ROOT, INSTANT COFFEE, GUAR GUM, XANTHAM GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MONK FRUIT.
Strawberry
INGREDIENTS: PURIFIED WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, CHICORY ROOT, STRAWBERRIES, GUAR GUM, XANTHAM GUM, BEET JUICE FOR COLOR, CITRIC ACID, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MONK FRUIT. OUR NATURAL FLAVORS DO NOT CONTAIN MSG OR HVP

Bars:

Chocolate
PURIFIED WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, DUTCH PROCESSED COCOA POWDER WITH ALKALI, CHICORY ROOT, GUAR GUM, XANTHAM GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MONK FRUIT CONCENTRATE.

Vanilla
PURIFIED WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, CHICORY ROOT, GUAR GUM, XANTHAM GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MONK FRUIT CONCENTRATE.

Strawberry
PURIFIED WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, CHICORY ROOT, GUAR GUM, XANTHAM GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS, BEET JUICE FOR COLOR, CITRIC ACID, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MONK FRUIT CONCENTRATE.

Orange Cream
PURIFIED WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, CHICORY ROOT, GUAR GUM, XANTHAM GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, ANNATTO FOR COLOR, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MONK FRUIT CONCENTRATE.

Chocolate Coating
ORGANIC PALM KERNEL OIL, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, SUGAR, COCONUT OIL, SOY BEAN OIL, SOY LECITHIN (AN EMULSIFIER), PURE VANILLA EXTRACT. OUR NATURAL FLAVORS DO NOT CONTAIN MSG OR HVP

Check out their website and let them know Vanishing Mom sent you.  A little birdie even told me you can find these in most whole foods stores around the country!

If all the rain drops were lemon drops and gum drops......

It's been pouring over here!  Pouring food that is!  

Lets see... Where should I start?  Ice cream!  That's where I should start.  Who doesn't like some good 'ol ice cream?!

Today in the mail I received a HUGE box of goodies from Arctic Zero, equipped with our very own dry ice!  After playing with the ice and having a ball I ripped open a chocolate covered vanilla ice cream bar and I literally melted into a pool of mush.  This stuff is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  It's creamy, it's chocolately.  You feel like your eating something horrible for you.  But your not!  Check out these stats!

Plus the ingredient list isn't too shabby itself!

I'm going to do a full blog on them but until then check out their site and Facebook page.  Make sure you let them know I sent you!

The second full belly I had today came from my brand new awesome cast iron skillet.  I took a recipe from Bariatric Foodie and adapted it.  Yummy, Cheesy Alfredo Spaghetti Squash with Bite Size Marinated Chicken Breast.  My version is below my supper yummy picture. 

VM's Yummy, Cheesy Alfredo Spaghetti Squash with Bite Size Marinated Chicken Breast

I used a 12 inch cast iron skillet

1 package of chicken breast (mine had 3 large)

Walden Farms carb free, fat free Italian Dressing (I add extra Olive oil when I marinade)

1 large spaghetti squash

1 jar of low carb Alfredo sauce (Thanks Aldi's!)

2 garlic cloves

half a stick of butter

1 cup of shredded cheese (we used colby, any sharp kind should work fine)

1/4 a cup of Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste (I use pink salt)

The best advice I can give for the spaghetti squash can be found on Bariatric Foodies blog.  

Once you have that done follow these directions for VM's version:

Cut up chicken into bite sized portions and marinate in dressing for 30 minutes.

Brown butter and minced garlic in skillet, add chicken.

Brown chicken until chicken just starts to turn tan.  

Add jar of sauce (I thin it out a little bit by adding 1/4 cup of warm water to the jar).

Season with salt and pepper.

Stir and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Sprinkle top with both cheeses.

Put skillet in oven on broil until cheese melts to your liking.  

Enjoy!

This made enough for me, my wife and son.  I even had enough to freeze for another nights dinner.  I would estimate that this yielded 5-6 servings (with my serving as being only half a normal size).   

NOTE:  For sensitive DS tummies I suggest letting your chicken breast soak overnight in some greek yogurt and rinse before marinating or cooking.  The enzymes will help break down the meat so it's more tender and easier to digest.  I normally would have done so but I've been handling chicken better lately so, being lazy, I skipped this step.

Fresh Beginings

On such a sad day when the world seems to come to a stop for some I like to think that it's a day of new beginnings. 

Today ten years ago I decided to keep a baby that I didn't think I was ready for.  Today my 9 1/2 year old stands besides me and reminds me of each life that was lost and how grateful I am am to them. We will always remember and cherish each and every family who lost a loved one. I hope one day he will grow up and help keep their memory alive. I can see the spark of hope in his eyes.  

At 8:46 my son and I held each other for a full minute, I had to wipe the tears but it led to a great discussion. We then sat down and talked about why 9/11 is so important, not just for a country but for him and I. We spoke of how almost 3,000 lives were lost that day but 2 were saved. We talked about why it's important for him to live his life with passion, hope and perseverance. One day that boy is going to make a difference in the world. He already has changed my world forever.

This year I reflected on how much the last 10 years have changed not just myself but those around me.  I think I can speak for all my loved ones that we are better people than we were 10 years ago.

So as I sit here sipping on my Chocolate/Banana Chike protein drink, I'm listening to the memorial at Ground Zero.  My heart goes out to all those who lost a loved one.  I also want to thank all those who have served/or are serving our country to keep our freedom.  

This year I've already taken the first steps to a new me.  I'm proud to be part of this country, a mother to my child and a DSer!  

And We Have a WINNER

We have a WINNER!!!  Well two actually :) 

Heidi D. has won one of my favorite goodies, a Pami Pocket!

You're very own Vanishing Mom has also won!  Although my win is more of a lose.  A 75lbs loss that is!!!

As of today I weigh in at 304.4lbs!  That is 75lbs down from my highest weight and 56lbs from my surgery date.  Ready for the best part?  Pictures!!

 In both pictures on the left I weighed in at 379, and on the right I weighed in at 305 (that was yesterday, today I'm a lb lighter)

I am sooo happy.  I can't wait to see what the following months have to come!  What makes this the best is I get to share it with you!  Yes you!  I have people I love to watch me shrink away.  Never in a million years did I ever think I could mutter the numbers that make up my weight to anyone, let alone all of cyber space.  I do it with the hopes of helping just one person.  If I can make the difference in just one persons life than I feel like I've done my job.  There are countless vets and pros who have given me tons of advice and support.  This is the best way I can find to pay it forward. 

PamiPocket GIVEAWAY!!!

My good friends over at PamiPocket are going to let me give away a PamiPocket to one of my readers!
It's super easy to enter and I have a new nifty company helping me pick a winner and organize it all.  Thanks Rafflecopter!

See my review of the PamiPocket:  HERE

Enter below:

Confessions of a Scale-O-Holic

First thing first, I know you love the new look!  I needed something simple. This works for now but it's not what my final look will be.  I'm soo indecisive. 


OK I'll admit it.  I've been weighing myself.  Mostly out of curiosity.  It's been beaten into my brain to stay away from it but I can't help it.  The worst thing about weighing yourself has already happened to me, I've stalled for a week and it didn't freak me out.  I expected that to happen.  For the past few days I've been losing at an amazing rate.  So fast in fact that I'm expecting my next stall.  I've lost about 3lbs a day for 3 days now.  Here are my stats so far:

379 - 2 week Pre-Op visit
360 - Day of surgery (7/11/11)
309 - Today (9/5/11 which is 8 weeks.  I'm not celebrating anything until my official two months next week)

I have officially lost 70 lbs.  Thats HUGE!  I feel amazing!  I have so much energy.  I can move in ways I couldn't just 70lbs ago.  I'm still not comfortable in my body though.  A 3x is still tight on me so I'm making that my first small goal.  I am so happy it's ridiculous.

I've stopped telling everyone around me about how fast I'm losing because it's starting to piss some people off.  It's a jealousy thing for sure.  Before my surgery if someone kept tell me how they lost 3lbs in their sleep I'd be super jealous too.  I just wish they knew this wasn't as easy as it looks.  I mean, it's not hard at this very moment but it's not a walk in the park either.

My newest complaint?  Eating.  Who would of ever thought I would almost never be hungry?  I've set a timer to remind me to eat and if I don't I find myself going almost all day with nothing but water in my system.  I've been eating a small portion of protein centered food every 2 hours.  So when I go out that means packing myself a snack or two.  If I don't do these things my blood sugar drops (yes you read that right, the prediabetic is having low blood sugar problems).  My body will even itself out over time in this respect but it takes patience and getting used to "grazing" my food throughout the day.

Speaking of which.  I have a B.A.T. calling my name!  YUM!

My Switched Scoop: The BAT (Bacon Avocado and Tomato)

I have to share another awesome recipe I found. This time it's another DSer!

For the past month I keep reading this post because it looked so good and today I finally made it. I'm so glad I did because it is DELICIOUS!  Thanks Maria!

Try it for yourself, it's super easy:

My Switched Scoop: The BAT (Bacon Avocado and Tomato)

PamiPocket

While cruising the web I ran into this little beauty you see on the right.   Being the kinda girl who likes to try new things I was anxious to try it and before I could click through the website I came up with a few reasons why a DSer would love one:

1. Vitamins on the go.  This is water resistant so taking your vitamins on the go is simple and safe.  
2. Small valuables while we exercise such as phone, credit cards, or even a few dollars.
3. A safe place to keep things hand when going to this years OH conference!

I received my PamiPocket in the mail about 2 weeks ago and I'm in love with it.  The fabric is soft and stretchy.   The stitching is strong and resilient and the cord is just the right length to hang nicely.  

We tried splashing some water on it to see just how water resistant it was.  This was fun for my 9 year old who was finally told to wet something that should stay dry.  Nothing in the PamiPocket got wet.  

So far it's held up nicely to my everyday abuse.  I keep a days worth of vitamins in it and throw it in my purse.  If I'm going into a store or running errands I've thrown my cash and drivers license in the side pocket and just grabbed this and have been able to leave my purse in the car. 

Would I recommend this to my readers?  Without a doubt! 

Let me know some other uses you think this would be great for in the comments below! 

Cleaning Up

For some Irene left a nasty mess of destruction.  For those people my heart goes out and I wish them a quick recovery. I've donated some of my protein samples to a few people I know.  I just wish there was more I could do.  If you made it through the storm as good as I've done consider donating to the Red Cross or other charities.  It's amazing how little help they get. 

For us though, the story is completely different. My basements got some water in it.  We were fortunate enough to grab some of the valuable things out first.  What we lose we didn't need anyway.  We were lucky.

There's a bunch of tree limbs and branches on my lawn and in the street but thankfully no trees. 

Really though, this is as bad as it got.

I have a grandmother still without power and most of the towns around us just got turned back on yesterday and the day before.  We lost power for maybe 5 minutes, like I said, we were lucky.

I've also been working on myself.  I started not to feel so good and thought for sure I was going to end up in the ER.  I had a hard time dealing with my emotions for this and didn't speak about it with friends or family.  I kind of just sucked it up.  Instead I reached out to some of the DS vets I know.  One of which is Awesome Dina.  Click on her name.  It'll bring you to her blog and it is completely worth the trip.   She has some of the best information for the DS and life afterwards available.  Her site is always my fall back.  Luckily I know her through some of the online sources I use so when in doubt she is always a message away.  She's been through a lot since her surgery so she has tons of advice and information to fill you up on. 

Turns out the 64oz of water a day that we need is just not enough for me so I'm working towards 100oz of water a day.  I also wasn't eating enough.  That my friends is a funny thing.  I used to always be hungry.  I never could get enough to eat.  Now?  I am never, and I mean NEVER hungry.  It's a weird feeling and it takes sometime to get used too.  It's teaching me to have a different relationship with food than I'm used too.  Before my surgery I ate what I felt like eating.  After my surgery I have to learn to eat what fuels my body and is good for me.  I'm starting to enjoy food more and appreciate it's worth. It's really hard to understand and wrap my head around but I'm loving every second of it. 

Now that I'm all juiced up and feeling terrific again I'll be posting again.  It was so hard to come on here and offer advice when I felt like sludge.  I hate whining so it was even harder to blog since I hadn't really told my family about it and they read my blog.  

I have a post all ready to go for later today I just didn't want to bombard you with two at the same time.  I have a product review for the PamiPocket and Tomorrow I have a review for Banana CHIKE!  (so far my favorite flavor)!