Breakfast Casserole

I should tell you.. I got this in my D1 notebook.  Easy breakfast and keeps well!

INGREDIENTS

4   large eggs

4   large egg whites

1 cup  nonfat milk

2 tablespoons  Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon of dried italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper

5 cups  chopped spinach, wilted (see Tip) or 10 ounces f frozen spinach

4 cups  whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 pound, 4-6 slices)

1 cup  diced ham 

1/2 cup  chopped jarred roasted red peppers or pimentos

3/4 cup  shredded  Swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 7-by-11-inch glass baking dish or a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.

2. Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Add mustard, rosemary and pepper; whisk to combine. Toss spinach, bread, ham and roasted red peppers in a large bowl. Add the egg mixture and toss well to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and push down to compact. Cover with foil.

3. Bake until the custard has set, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until the pudding
is puffed and golden on top, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Tips:
Tip: To wilt spinach, rinse thoroughly with cool water. Transfer to a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and punch several holes in it. Microwave on High until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture before adding the spinach to the recipe.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare casserole through Step 2; refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake as directed in Step 3.

NUTRITION FACTS

Calories 290, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 167 mg, Sodium 813 mg, Carbohydrate 23 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 23 g, 

The in Between?!

I love antique shopping. On Friday, I stopped at a sale near work because they had chairs I wanted. They were waay out of my price range. So, I put in a bid and they called Saturday and said they were mine! (that never happens!) So Sunday, I pick them up and I am hanging out because it's raining and I would prefer to not get my new to me "victorian parlour chars" wet! Somehow we start talking about losing weight and low and behold the lady having the sale had "gastric sleeve" surgery. She was 20 or 30 years older than me and has already had hip replacement surgery. Her husband didn't support her or come to the hospital during surgery. Her sister took care of her post surgery. She talked about the fear of working out.. Of course, we talked about loose skin and our options.. And it's in that moment I realize again -I am blessed..

Here I am. One year ago this week- I asked my husband what he thought about me having weight loss surgery and I met Dr. Fuller (my surgeon) at a weight loss seminar..  And now I am 11 weeks post surgery.. Beginning my 6th week of working out..  What an incredible journey to being healthy! I like working out but, I struggle with eating enough and working out. I am working out 2-3 days a week to be able to keep it balanced. (what a somewhat silly problem to have!) There is not many days I hit over 1,000 calories. I like working out especially when I am not dying. It's strange, eh? I think the weight training is going to be a key part of me tightening up my skin as I lose weight.

We all make excuses for being unhealthy or fat or apathetic. My girls keep me busy with appointments. I struggle with finding time for everything. Maddie has allergy shots twice week. I actually started shots too. Sounds great but, we learned that I don’t do well working out post allergy shot. One more thing to work around. Maddie has 4 doctor's appointments this month.. This month Lauren has 4 doctors appointments this month plus weekly therapy and weekly i Can dance class.  Life is about choices and decisions. I am moving personal therapy to twice a month. I am not going to feel guilty for working out only 3 times a week. I am working out more this month than I worked out in the past 2 years. We do what we have to do for our families. Oh, have I told you I am taking 12 hours of college classes too? Yes, yes I am crazy but, blessed!

I am excited to do my three month update (coming up next Sunday night). I hope to finish the week strong!  I am about 30 pounds from being to my halfway point. I do believe I am "thinner" than I have been in 5 years. Defiantly since I moved Little Rock. Eating is getting easier but, I still struggle with eating enough. My favorite go to lunch is smoothie (with splenda and soy protein) and half sandwich. {Total Calories=500 calories and Total Protein= 50} I usually do eggs for breakfast but, no matter how I spin it- 1 egg is all I can do. Dinner is usually a few bites and I feel done. So, as you can imagine I feel like my tropical smoothie lunch is important.

I waited long enough. I have been overweight 20 years. I am committed to being healthy and sharing my story. The ups and the downs. The highs and the lows. The success(es) and the struggles.

You are the author of your story. Make it a good one. Some of my contacts are below. And as always, thanks for reading. Your support means so much!

My (Surgeon) is Dr. Jon Fuller. He is at Arkansas Bariatric Surgery Center. You can click here to learn more about weight loss surgery with Dr Fuller.

Josh (My physical therapist) says you don't even have to join D1 gym to receive PT with him. Seriously, if you have joint or muscle aches or  just too fat or too weak to work out please call or email Josh. (joshlanders(at)sbcglobal.net) or message me for his #. He takes most all insurances.    

If you are looking to step up to your game then Tisha is the person to connect with at D1. (tisha.kelly(at)d1sportstraining.com

Mid Month Update..

So for the next 8 weeks I will also be blogging about my experience with "Burn it 2 Earn it". Burn it 2 Earn it is a weight loss challenge that started on September 16th and ends November 16th.  I am not a person that likes to compete. Even with this workout challenge- I feel like my biggest enemy is myself. I think for a lot of people this is true. 

I started working out at D1 one month ago. I really wasn't sure that I really needed this type working out element. It felt a little intense and hard core. But, I worked out 1 day that week-- 2 days the next week and I worked out at D1 4 days last week. I am a believer. I need to be purposeful or intense if I am going to meet my long term goals!

Clearly, I stepped up my game by adding in the workouts. Working out has change my entire weight loss journey. It feels weird to say that but, its true.  I think as humans we don't want others succeed in where we have failed. What a waste! I am thankful that I am surrounded constantly by people who are encouraging me every step of the way.  It's also a key to my success.  This month I have lost approx 7 pounds. I am hoping for 10 pound loss by the end of the month! 

Non Scale Victories...

• I was solidly in a 26/28 clothing at the beginning of this journey. I am wearing mostly 22's and I even had a dress on the was 18/20 this week.
• My balance and physical endurance has improved greatly.
• While all of my workouts and trainings are still modified - my physical ability has improved.
• The whole reason this journey began was because we realize I was suffering from neck vertebrae separation and lower back issues due to weight. While I am have soreness from working out on a regular basis- I am not hurting anymore!
• I zipped up a raincoat the other day that I have never been able to zip up!!!!!!! 

I have also realized the importance of weight training. It's actually a huge part of melting off fat. I know- we have all been told lifting weights will make you gain weight or that it will "make you bigger".. Check your sources. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a mere 21 percent of women strength train two or more times a week. What you don't know: When you skip the weight room, you lose out on the ultimate flab melter. Those two sessions a week can reduce overall body fat by about 3 percentage points in just 10 weeks, even if you don't cut a single calorie. That translates to as much as three inches total off your waist and hips. Even better, all that new muscle pays off in a long-term boost to your metabolism, which helps keep your body lean and sculpted.  (To continue reading more click here.) (and whoa!)

I am hoping to have a blog more about strength training soon! We started with some weight training this week.. I was so scared of the weight room but, I have decided that day by day I will conquer it. I was also recently told this: "Since fear is mostly about ignorance, the best part is that it's as temporary as you choose." My batwings (arm fat) need to leave permanently. 

Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt mentally "off"? Like everything is going
okay but, you can't seem to get motivated or feel excited? That was me this past week. I wasn't depressed but, I was not roaring to go..  Not a feeling I am used to feeling. I assume it could be a number of things.. I realized tonight that I missed a nutrition class at D1 today. I was so pumped for the class and I had it in my calendar or so I thought. uggh.. Now that I have started blogging I wonder if it's a ADHD issue.. Sigh..   Anyways,  I also spent the weekend trying out a few new recipes.. Here is a sneak peak. This is my breakfast "casserole". (It's healthy too!) I will post the recipe this week. 

Till next time.. 

Life 2 months post surgery..

Friends are always interested in my life through food.. It's actually- quite boring. Here is the deal.. I am not usually hungry.. I get full really fast! I chew my food probably 20-30 times for each bite.. I do not drink with my meals.. If I eat too much I start sneezing.. Strange, eh? 

I am technically off restrictions. This is a typical day..

Breakfast - super important especially for working out! I usually eat a couple egg quiche mini muffins or protein bar..(Recipe below)

Lunch- 1/2 sandwich or soup or quiche or smoothie. I also stop by Fresh Market pick up a few items like
(spinach, tuna salad, edamame  et el) and eat them for a few days.. 

Snack or meal items I like include string cheese, beef jerky, deli meat wrapped in slice cheese, GoLean Crisp by Kashi (a favorite)  and peanut butter is one of my favorite! 

I eat for nutrition value not for personal satisfaction. I have had a grilled cheese at Sonic, Breakfast burrito from McDonalds (My last one ever), Taco Bueno yesterday and tropical smoothie several times..  I used to love pizza. I have had a few slices from a local place in Cabot that I tolerated. It was a Ranch, Bacon, Chicken on a thin crust pizza.  I do like chili from Wendy's! I have 2  flavors of smoothies and a sandwich I like from Tropical Smoothie.. Fast food is challenging.. No protein, too much food.. Honestly not worth it. 

Drinks.. Some times I crave a Dr. Pepper. But, I have a glass of decaf diet tea each day. I can tolerate 4-6 ounces of lemonade (splenda or real) once a week. A cup of coffee with creamer and 1/2 tsp of sugar. (I used to use 2+ tsp of sugar). Lemon water from sonic is a favorite.I also enjoy starbucks occasionally. Most of the time it's just plain ol water.  

I did enjoy a whole grain sugar cookie last night. I usually will take 1-2 bites of sweet item and then trash it. I like eating off John's plate too when we go out! I also take a box home.  

Here is my recipe to my mini-quiches. I thought I found them on The World According to Eggface. But, I can't find them now! 

Mini Crustless Quiche Lorraines

Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon butter
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
a couple dahses of louisiana hot sauce
1/2 cup swiss cheese, shredded
4-6 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped
Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two mini muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 7-10 minutes, until tender and golden.

In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and parsley. Set aside.

Place a pinch of the cheese, onions, and bacon in the bottom of each muffin tin. Then, carefully pour the egg mixture into each tin, just to the top.

Place the trays on the middle oven rack and bake for about 15 minutes. They will look puffed and golden when done.

Makes 24 mini quiches

*Quiches can be served immediately or refrigerated or frozen for later use. A few seconds in the microwave will do the trick for reheating.