Happy Monday

Above is an excellent link to how to make simple Deviled Eggs....  This Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day... I got up, dressed, and drove the country, back, winding roads to Fresh Market (I think they have the best eggs), and then came home and boiled up eggs - deviled them, and then my son and I proceeded to devour them within the next 24 hours....

One thing I love... Make a Chopped Greek Salad served with a couple of deviled eggs... I start salivating just thinking about it....

Today I get my labwork done - and next Monday I see the doctor... only a week left to find out if I am showing signs of success!  I cheated .... not on my diet... but I visited my grandmother and she checked my sugar levels... they were NORMAL.... and I weighed myself... but, I'm not going to divulge or think about the weight loss until I see the doctor....I have lost weight....

Trader Joes

It used to be I could buy 4 to 5 bags of groceries there for $125 - went there yesterday and bought barely anything, and it was 1 1/2 bags worth - for $65.00... I have to say - they are raising up their prices and I don't like it... :(

I love their turkey meatballs... easy fix when you don't feel like cooking....

I love their cheese prices, but I noticed they were going way up too... they are easily catching right up with Whole Foods.

Well... I find lately that when I go out to eat... I swell, feel bloated, and it doesn't help with weight loss - even though I was very careful to order salads - no croutons, and have just an oil and vinegar dressing on the side.... I think I am just going to skip the eating out for a few weeks... it doesn't seem to be the healthiest choice for "me" at the moment...

I've packed a bag in our office fridge...

Ham, Cheese, Strawberries, Mineral Water

and I am keeping a bag of roasted mixed nuts at my desk for those serious hunger/craving moments.

I have no clue how much weight I've lost, but yesterday I had three people mention to me "the weight loss"... I don't talk to anyone about the "weight loss" part because I still keep telling myself I want to focus on the "health" not the "weight"... So far, I'm feeling fantastic - other than being bloaty and gassy from eating out...

Cooked Out....

Starting with Tuesday night, I was just worn out - a long day at the job, then to the grocery store and errands, clean up the house, and finally - cook dinner... it was after 8 p.m. when I got the chance to make dinner....

So...

I made up a concoction that was inspired by a few more involved recipes... using ingredients I had in the house:

Shredded up the rotisserie chicken
1 can of drained/rinsed black beans
3 cups of Whole Foods Organic Frozen Brown Rice
1 bag of shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
1 container of refrigerator fresh chunky medium heat salsa
1 packet of Spicy Taco Seasoning

Preheated/cooked at 400 degrees in a small square 8X8 casserole dish

I mixed up the chicken, seasoning packet, beans, half the cheese, and all the salsa
Rice in the casserole dish first
Then topped it with the mixed ingredients
Topped the rest with the remaining cheese

Baked it for 40 minutes till it was very bubbly and the cheese was crisping

When served - we topped it with guacamole and sour cream

There were NO Leftovers

I am now craving that dish again.....

Yesterday I woke up feeling terrific... today - I feel even more wonderful!!!!!  No aches, No Pains, No complaints... energy level is high... mood is high.... and I owe it all to taking vitamins, eating lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and having cut out sugar, starch, potatoes, and junk food...

Snacks have consisted of nuts and berries - I sound like a squirrel!!!

21 Days.....Hypoglycemic Episodes Worsen

It's been exactly three weeks now - I've cut all starchy foods and sugar out of my diet... I've been walking and doing more activities... and I'm taking multitudes of vitamins to help with the deficiency I had... and how do I feel today... honestly?

I did not sleep well because I had had such a Hypoglycemic Episode yesterday, the tremors and the heart beating out of my chest symptoms continued, causing panic attack, and trouble sleeping... so this morning I took all my vitamins before I left for work, then cleaned up a container of strawberries, and ate them for breakfast... they tasted like candy!!!!  I'm drinking a large cup of Iced Tea with a packet of Sweet n Low...

I read up on these episodes... seems it is normal for someone who is either Insulin Resistant (which I have PCOS, and I have been for a long time) and Pre-Diabetic (which I am), to have these huge blood sugar drops when beginning a Low Carb diet... and that it is recommended to have Glucose drinks or tablets on hand to help.... so today I will be picking up Glucose tablets from the pharmacy when I'm on my lunch break... 

Yesterday I did not eat enough too... which probably also didn't help.

I had a piece of crustless spinach quiche

Strawberries

5 Mini Dill Pickles

A small bowl of cauliflower mixed with cheese and a fried egg on top...

I don't believe that is enough food... I'm going to have to get stocked up on nuts, healthy small snacks... 

One thing I don't know if they really tell you when you go on these low carb diets...

1.  If you are really sticking to it - you'll be up all night peeing your brains out

2.  You HAVE to drink water and eat high fiber veggies - maybe even some figs though they are high in sugar (but natural) because you will become seriously constipated... and uncomfortable.  Mirolax and any of those fiber cures don't work for me... they cause me more pain, bloating and misery than just eating some figs or high fiber veggies and drinking lots of water...

An Eggy Weekend Spent....

Craved Fried Eggs this weekend - major craving.... and very edgy for something sugary, fattening, like CAKE.... What does one do....

I went and fried up two eggs with a piece of Low Carb Whole Wheat/Grain Bread toasted... then ran to the grocery store and bought a flat of strawberries and a small container of fresh blackberries... and got over the cake craving... I DON'T even crave sweets - I normally crave things that are full of starch like pasta or bread or something really salty like chips....

I got over it.... and moved on.... and made an incredible crustless Spinach and Caramelized Onion Quiche.

5 eggs
1/2 c. Half and Half
4 c. shredded cheddar and monterey jack mix
1 bag of frozen spinach, thawed/squeezed out all moisture
1 onion - caramelized with a pat of butter and olive oil  sliced in rings
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. Herbs du Provence
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven at 375 degrees

In a greased pie dish, put in spinach, then top with caramelized onions, cheese
In a bowl whip up eggs, half and half, and seasonings, salt and pepper into a custard and pour over evenly the ingredients in the pie dish, I then mix it around so it's down to the bottom, and will cook evenly everywhere...
Bake for 45 minutes or until center is cooked through - let it sit for about 10 minutes, and serve....

Some people use cottage cheese rather than the Half n Half - your choice...

I'm going home at lunch to have a piece that is leftover with a side of some strawberries....

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

Last night I decided to try a recipe called Jalapeno Popper Chicken...

2 chicken breasts - pounded flat and patted dry with paper towel
1/2 a block of softened cream cheese
1 t garlic powder
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
2 jalapenos, deseeded/cleaned, and minced
4 slices of bacon
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven at 375 degrees

Pounded the chicken flat, seasoned both sides with salt and pepper to taste
In a mixing bowl - combined the cream cheese, jalapeno, garlic powder, and cheddar cheese and mixed till well blended
Spread the cheese mixture on the chicken breasts, thickly and evenly
Then rolled the chicken up, used toothpick to hold secure
Wrapped each breast with two pieces of bacon
Placed in a 8X8 casserole dish and baked for 45 minutes - till bubbly brown
Then turned the broiler on high - and broiled it till bacon crisped up - about 10 minutes

It was yummy, but my son loved it more than I did... he ate his chicken breast, and then turned and ate the half that I had left on my plate... and told me he loved it...

Today I am not hungry... I know I should eat a snack or something, but honestly... I just don't want anything and feel like I'd be miserable if I forced something down.  So, I'm drinking lots of fluids, water and tea...

Full of energy - woke up to a gloomy gray foggy morning, but didn't matter --- didn't affect my mood or energy level.  I hope my energy remains up this weekend, as I plan to keep very busy... going to stock up on fruit and vegetables... tomorrow I am trying an Eggplant Pizza recipe...

Spring Fever....

I started to slow down...crash... not going to let that happen... so... I drank a glass of water, a glass of unsweetened green iced tea, and just did not sit down... I found the tiredness was flushed away... I worked a 9 hour day, came home, vacuumed, dusted, swept the kitchen floor, scrubbed down the counters and kitchen sink, put clean dishes away, and turned around and cooked up this wonderful low carb chicken dish for dinner... Finally, after dinner, cleaning up from that, I finally - at 10:30 p.m. settled down and got myself to rest.... the energy is back on high - and I refuse to let the Spring Fever get me down...

Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake

 

Ingredients

• 4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• 6-8 Slices Swiss Cheese (Mozzarella works too)
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan Cheese (divided)
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Pat chicken dry and place in a greased 9x13 pan.
3. Add sliced cheese on top of chicken breasts.
4. In a bowl mix mayonnaise, sour cream, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread this over chicken and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 1 hour. Serve over rice if desired or serve alone.