Uncharted Territory

Kitchen: The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Samantha. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new cabinets, to seek out new recipes and new flavors, to boldly go where no woman has gone before.


Yeah. New house = new house payments.  That means Hubby and I really really need to be good at eating at home. Also bonus, it's easy to eat the right things (as long as guacamole isn't involved) when I'm at home.  


So I'm trying this: http://thescramble.com/default.aspx


Basically for $30 (or $15 like paid through livingsocial) you get a 6 months subscription of  daily dinner recipes (with nutrition info listed) AND a weekly shopping list (OMG LIFE SAVER!).  Each recipe is supposed to be able to be made in 30 min or less.  You're able to trade out recipes if there's something icky (or in my case a band meanie).  I figured for $15 it was worth a try.  Hubby's biggest problem with eating at home is we tend to just repeat the same 4-5 things over and over again, so this could be huge!


I'll keep you posted on how this works!




<3,
Sam


P.S.  while looking for awesome pictures to go with this blog I totally found my next knitting project!!

It's that time of the week again!

(.. so I copied and pasted.. and what was "Bring Your Own Crazy" on Drazil's blog says "Pea Picky Panda" on mine? so confused)

Bring
Your
Own 
Crazy

A little ditty where we answer a few questions on Friday to get to know each other better and to give our blogging brains a break.  Copy and paste to your own blog if you so desire!  Enjoy!

1.  Sun or rain?  Roses or tulips?  Romantic movie or comedy?

I like the sun after a rain.  When you look in one direction and it's all dark, but the sun is behind you lighting things up.   

this is as close as i could come to finding what I'm trying to describe.

2.  I've been sick lately and haven't eaten in two days - except for ice cream...which leads me to ask - what's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Mint Chocolate Chip.  No questions asked.  (or an Oreo Mint Blizzard)

3.  Are you a door locker - in your house and car?

Usually I'm a locker.  I got into the habit for a while of not locking my car, even at the park-n-ride.  I think maybe I was hoping someone would do me the favor of taking my car so I could get a new one.   But front and back doors always.  The hubby has been locking the door from the house into the garage.. which is driving me crazy when I get home and try to go inside!

4.  In the spirit of my being sick and wanting to die - tell me your "go to remedies" for when you are sick?

Baths.. Just to try and relax

Sleep.  Amen for sleep.

Soup.  I wish my hubby would make me some, but it's like pulling teeth just to get him to buy me some cans. 

5.  Repeat question:  Summarize your week in blog land and in real life.

Blogland has been good, at least when I'm at work and can actually use the Internet to read (does that make me a bad employee?? )   Everybody is super amazing and I'm so glad to have found you all.

Real life.. still unpacking after the move.  I feel like we've made the mistake of unpacking the "essentials" first  and now the 8 million books we need to unpack will never get done.  Ah well.  Not as good this week in the food and exercise department, but it's not the end of the world. 

<3

 Sam

Lunch

So I tried one of these today:

And it was actually pretty good.  it was a small container of reduced fat chives and onions cream cheese, some flat bread crackers, and some turkey.  And when I opened it I discovered a tiny Toblerone!   and all for 270 calories.  I'm sure it's not the perfect bandster lunch.  Maybe a little high in calories? A little low in protein? (11g) .. but I think for a quickie lunch on those days when you just forgot your plan, or late running out the door it's not too bad.  And if it is bad, please yell at me now before I get addicted to these!

Not the best week

THIS has been my downfall this week.

Yeah, so far this week I've gained back most of what I lost last week.  Oops.  Not the end of the world, I know.  But it's damn frustrating.  And it's all on me. I've been eating like crap, and less active.  I haven't been doing my stairs (partially due to my slip soreness this week) ..  I'm full of excuses as usual.

But.. This is okay.  This is not an excuse to pig out the rest of the week (this is my last grande no whip caramel mocha, I swear).  This is not an excuse to say "I'll skip the stairs today, and just start next week".   This IS time to look back and say "yeah, I wasn't great, but I did skip the donuts they brought in yesterday". This IS the time to go home and find my gym bag and put it in my car and go! (damn moving, giving me another easy out for not exercising). 

This surgery IS my reason to keep myself from falling back into old patterns. I DON"T want to fail.  I DON'T want to be 6 months down the road and sitting in the exact same place as I am now.  and I know what I need to do in order to achieve my goals.  Now it's just a matter of DOING it.  

I think I need NIKE to sponsor me! 

<3

Sam

Time to catch up!

Oy, Not having the Internet at home yet is killing me (and still a week to go!) And at the same time it's nice to get a little untied from my computer.  If I can keep it up, it'll go a long ways to helping me get more active.   But now I get to spend the first few house at work catching up on everyone's weekend :)  

As for me, I wasn't very productive in the weigh/exercise department, or the unpacking department.   Although I have an excuse! (don't I always?)  Sunday (which is my saturday)  was my cousin's baby shower.  It was at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse which was really cool.  I ate more than I should have, and stuff I shouldn't have but it was good. And it was fun, and part of why I chose the band instead of the bypass was so I could go out and have cucumber with humus, and artichoke stuffed pastries and a tiny little slice of heaven brownie (just as long as I do it very occasionally). 

On my way home, I stopped at the grocery store to get some dishwasher detergent.  And promptly managed to walk in the slippery stuff on the floor and do the splits.  OMG OW.  My groin area is still very very sore.  And I didn't see any store employees, so  no incident report so I can sue! and be rich! except I'm not going to. I'm way too nice.

Also it seems despite my worries the 2cc fill I got recently is working.  I've noticed several episodes of getting mini-stuck.  mini because it goes away quickly as long as I'm not trying to shove more food down my gullet.  Although this morning the hubby was nice enough to get up with me and make breakfast of scrambled eggs (he seemed to think he needed to make 6 eggs for the two of us) .. and scrambled eggs almost got me to my first PB episode.  But not quite.  I'm sure it didn't help I tried to wash the stuck eggs down with some orange juice. I KNOW better.. but obviously not.  :) 

Anywhos, time to go and see what everyone else did this weekend, and time to pray that Downtown Denver stops smelling like a shit truck exploded everywhere.

<3 Sam

Merp? How'd that happen?

Sunday weigh in, and daaaaang. I don't know if last weeks weigh in was small due to TOM, and now I just lost all that water weight, our if this week with moving and my second fill I'm in a good spot, but yay!  Last week I'm pretty sure I was 250 on the dot, so this is 6.something pounds this week. (I'd look at past entries, but I'm doing this on my phone and don't want to lose it) And since this is on my phone, this is all you're getting for now. 

<3 sam

NSV and BYOC

So.. Firstly NSV.   I pulled out a pair of jeans to wear today (yay for Fridays!) that I hadn't worn in .. maybe 3-4 weeks.  OMG these suckers are falling off.  I can pull them off EASILY without unbuttoning them.  And some of my shirts are starting to look huge on me!  Also this morning one of the Police Technicians on the night shift commented that I was melting away!  I'll take it.  :D

and BYOC brought to you by Drazil


It’s BYOC day! Bring Your Own Crazy! We answer a few questions to get to know each other better and to give our blog brains a break! Copy and paste to your own blog and enjoy!!

1. Alright – forgive me – we’re gonna get a little personal here. I was flipping through my organizer and saw in big bright letters “ANNUAL PHYSICAL DUE” coming up soon. Then I remembered that last year my lady bits doc said that since I haven’t had a bad pap in so many years – that I don’t have to come back for another 3 years if I don’t want to. What the what? Did you guys know that?

No speculum in the vaginulum?

Anywhoozle – it sounds all good but really – do any of you follow this medical rule? Do you go every three years if you’ve never had a bad pap?

I try to go yearly.  I'm all good with preventative medicine.  But I think that's a woman thing.  But we all know we're smarter than those guys who only go to the doctor after a body part has fallen off.


2. If you read, what are you reading right now? Or how about what is your fave music right now?

I am such a reader it's not even funny.  When I was a kid, when I got in trouble I was grounded from reading.  Mostly I read Sci-fi/Fantasy.  Currently re-reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin (as he finally published the 5th book and I need to remember what the heck happened in the previous ones)


3. Name some of your favorite smells.

hmm.. Fresh baked goods (not that I bake).  Fresh cut grass..  Lots of fresh things (that don't come out of people)

4. Showers or baths? Shampoo only or shampoo & conditioner? Shave daily or just when you start feeling and looking like an ape?

Both showers and baths.  Showers daily for cleanliness purposes, but baths for relaxing with a book/kindle and candles and smelly stuff.  I'm such a girl and I don't know where it came from.

I have to use both shampoo and conditioner or else I'm never getting a brush through my hair.  And Shave when I'm starting to imitate an ape, or when the hubby complains about my legs cutting his legs up in bed.



5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in real life and in blogland.

Real life: I am a homeowner!! YAY!  moving was rough, took longer than I thought and probably burned a million calories.  And now comes unpacking.  But it'll be so worth it!

In blog-land I've been mostly M.I.A.  with that whole moving thing.  But I spent a good chunk of time catching up yesterday, and hope to stay caught up.  You all make this worth while!

That's it for now!

<3 Sam

Never Moving Again!

I swear, I'm not moving again until I'm wealthy enough to be able to pay someone to come in and pack all my junk for me, load it, and unpack it.  Oh, and to clean the old place.  Holy carp I am so tired.  And we're not even unpacked yet.

And did I mention the 8 million mosquito bites I acquired?  >.<   blargh.   But on the plus side there was much physical work being done, so yay exercise!  And YAY for my first house!  And boo for no internet at home yet. I wont' really be able to catch up on everybody's blogs, as it would take my entire work day.  But I'm here, doing well (except for a sore port area.. maybe using those muscles made it sore?  dunno)  and my goal is to have my scale unpacked before Sunday!

But that's it, just checking in.

<3 Sam

P.S.  I now have a huge mirrored closet door.  Pictures will be EASY!! (once I decide I like taking them)

Sunday Weigh-in

Posting this quickly and in the not even bright and early morning cause today is moving day.  OMG there's still so much to do.  This sucks.

I attribute this to liquids after a fill, (which I'm half convinced that's part of why they have you do it.. give you a little boost).  And  now you all can see how often I don't get my toes nails done.  Ah well, they're still cute.  I won't have much internet besides my phone till wed.  So <3 you all till then.


<3 Sam

Busy Day

This morning we closed on our house!  I am a home owner.  EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

:D  I am very very excited about this.


This afternoon, I got my second fill.   Apparently the needle didn't want to go in the diaphragm, so much poking ensued.  ...  not fun.  (my surgeon apparently doesn't do fills with xray)..  He finally got it, put and put 2cc's in.  So in THEORY i have 6 cc's total.   Why do I say in theory?  Well, when he finally got the needle in, he couldn't get any of the orignal fill to go into the needle.   So immediatly pessimistic/panic mode of my brain kicks in with "OMG I have a leak somewhere already!!!!"  which I soooooooooooo hope is not true.  I mean it's been 2 months, can I have a leak?  What else would cause the original fill to not want to play nice?  I dunno.  But he wants me back in 4 weeks to see how I am and probably to see what happens with this fill.  If it's gone too...  (dun dun dun) .. *sigh*  I hate how paranoid/pessimistic I am.

This, I am  not very excited about.

<3 Sam

Huh..

So.  I think I'm actually more nervous about this second fill tomorrow than I was about my first.  Probably because I pretty much expected to have little to no restriction on the first fill.  But the second.. this could change everything.  (of course the fill is the day before I was supposed to go to lunch with my friend.  Ah well, we can change that)

I have been doing fairly good with food though.  I stick to my small meals (although with snacks, otherwise I'd kill someone)..  and dinner is usually good.  Although it almost seems when I'm not as good for dinner, I weigh less the next morning?  Is this the "up the calories, lose more weight" I've read about? Does this mean I just need to eat a little more, and don't need a fill?  I dunno. I'll ask my surgeon tomorrow I suppose. (Although I really can eat pretty much whatever)

I'm pretty sure I had something else to say.. but it's gone now.  Have a great Hump Day!

<3 Sam


P.S.  OMG HOUSE TOMORROW!!!! *SQUEEEEEEEEE*

On a happier note:

On a much happier note, After being told by one of the gals in my surgeons office "well the lady who does the fill schedules is not at her desk right now, but I know he's currently taking appointments for the end of August" (!!! holy cow, remember to schedule early!) .. I got a call back from his OTHER office .. and have a fill scheduled for Thursday evening.  O.O  .. so yeah. the day we close, i get a fill.  2 days before we move, and grill food for everyone who helps.  ah well.  Food should not be my life any more. and if it means i get a small fish fillet instead of a burger or brat, it's okay (now to repeat this to myself over and over and over)

So Fill #2 on Thursday.  dun dun duuuunn....  

Never forget how lucky we are

Please never forget how lucky we are to be here.

I just found out today that a co-worker on another shift just passed away.  She apparently had either gastric banding or bypass (depends on which rumor you listen to) surgery just this last Thursday.

I don't know her well, I dont' know if she followed doctors orders, I don't even know for sure which surgery she had (if it was even weight loss surgery).  But I do know, that I'm very glad that I'm still here. This really drives home that those 1% numbers they throw around are real.

go hug someone, I know I'm going to as soon as I get home.

<3 Sam

Cheap and Easy

That's me!!  ...er..  not so much.   But dinner last night was!   It's super easy to make, super easy to modify, and super easy to make for just one, or a whole bunch.  And when I say easy, I mean easy, I'm not much for cooking, but this is a do again.  And  it tastes better than the leftover Lonestar Steakhouse Salmon I'm eating for lunch right now.

FOILED SALMON AND LATE SUMMER
VEGETABLES
 

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1917,152191-254196,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.
1 tsp. olive oil
4 oz. salmon fillet or steak
1 sm. yellow squash or zucchini, thinly sliced
1 sm. tomato, skinned, seeded, diced 1/4"
1 green onion with top, thinly sliced
2 tsp. vodka or white wine
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place cookie sheet or baking pan in oven to preheat 5 minutes. I've also used a gas grill.
Meanwhile, smear oil in center of a 12" square of aluminum foil and place salmon, squash, tomato and onion in center of foil over oil. Sprinkle with vodka, salt and pepper; fold diagonally to form a triangle; tightly seal edges.
Place foil package on preheated cookie sheet, return to oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until salmon is opaque and vegetables are tender. Open foil packet, arrange salmon and vegetables on dinner plate and serve. Makes 1 serving. 283 calories, including 155 fat calories.

7/10/11 weigh in photo

for a loss of 1.5 lbs.  Not much, but it's down, so I'll take it  :)

Adorable! That's me! *fluttering eyelashes go here*

Booyah! I have proof that I'm adorable! where's the hubby when he needs to see this?  *sigh*

The Rules

1. Thank the person who gave you this award and link back to them in your post

2. Tell us 10 things about yourself

3. Nominate your bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and let them know you have nominated them

Thanks goes to Jessica for this award. I couldn't have done it without her!

!. OMG my first house! It's almost here! very excited and nervous. And half worried if we can really really afford it. 

@.  I am Queen Procrastinator.  I close on thursday, can move in any time after that, have everythign set up to move move on sunday, and have a grand total of ZERO boxes packed. yeehaw.    And this is nothing new. In college the only difference between a rough draft of a paper and a final draft was spell check.  Mostly because it was written 4 hours before it was due (oddly enough usually got an A)

#.  I love the State i live in. Colorado.  It's beautiful, the weather is awesome, and it's beautiful! 

This is the view out of my window right this second.

 Now I just need to fit in.  Colorado has the lowest obesity rate in the nation.  me too please!

$.  I'm Jewish...ish.   I identify as Jewish, although am not practicing.  

%. I'm a technophile.  If it's new and shiney I must have it.  This I inherited from my mom.  She had a portable DVD player when it cost almost $1000 and didn't have enough battery power to play a whole movie on one battery.  I'm not that bad (mostly because I don't get paid what she did) .. but I want to be.

^.  I'm also an internet junky?  A lot of it is the fact that so many of my friends I made online, and therefore are spread all over, so much easier to keep in touch online.  Also .. I kinda feel like it keeps me young. I know what the kids these days are talking about if they say "nyan cat"  

&.   My favorite TV genre is Sci-fi.  My favorite TV show? Castle!  <3 Nathan Fillion <3 (who's also in Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog  which more <3  and Neil Patrick Harris!  I want him to be my gay best friend!

*. My most favorite movie ever?  Probably the Lion King. Still.  Just <3 it very much 


(. I have a competitive streak.  One of my motivators in this weight loss band journey is to do better than a friend of mine is..  That sounds wrong to me, but it's something to shoot for. 


!). I did stairs at work all 4 days this week!! (yay for short weeks) Tuesday was 2 x 2 floors, Wed. was 3x2, and both thursday and today were 5 x 2 floors!  Holy cow!  (yes it hurt but still) .. That's probably the longest I've stuck with anything exercise related. 


!!.  you get eleven, cause you're that cool!  I have this knack for liking expensive things.  Show me 4 pairs of shoes, the ones I like best will be the most expensive.  ALWAYS.  I'm so very good at that.  It's a curse.


Nominations time!  This years Nominees are:


http://lasttrainoutoffatland.blogspot.com/


http://blackbutterflyevolution.blogspot.com/


<3  Sam

BYOC bandwagon!

This is my first BYOC, but it's a good idea!  so hear goes!

1. If you were asked to symbolize yourself as an animal – which animal would you be?

I would say...  A cat.   and a freaking lazy ass house cat at that.   I know it's lame, but  I look at my kitties, and I'm freaking jealous.  They want food, they get food, they want love, got it.  Sleep all day? check.  nuff said I think.


2. Did you ever play an organized sport – with coaches, rules and scoring? Tell us about it.
As a kid my dad enrolled us in some sports at the Y.  I've done soccer.. which I always wanted to play guard, much less running.  I did basketball too.. Same thing.. running sucks.   Since then, avoided it with a passion. 


3. When did you start shaving your legs?
Gosh.. don't remember for sure.  But I do know it was later than most of the other girls.   My mom didn't want me growing up too fast I think (that and I tended to be a year-ish younger than the other kids in my grade).  I want to say .. Jr. High though (here that's 7th or 8th grade).  Make up was for later... in fact I still rarely wear any.


4. When you’re in a crabby – pissy – want to stab everyone you see kind of mood – what do you do to get out of it or do you revel in it?
... I revel in it.  Much to my hubby's dismay.  And have I ever been there lately.  being hungry is NOT good for my mood.  Every other sentence comes out stabby.   If any part of this weight loss thing is going to affect my marriage, it's the stabby mood I get in when hungry (remind me to call about an early fill)


5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blogland and in real life.
This week... I've had trouble reading all my blogs i'm following.  I want to read/support/comment on everybody's.. but I don't have the time.  I'm not sure how you all do it!  (I'm sure the 3 hour raids 3 days a week in World of Warcraft don't help with time management any) 


Real life.. hectic!!!  We close on our house this coming Thursday!!! EEEEP.  and guess what.  Miss Queen Procrastinator here hasn't packed a single stinking thing.   Guess what I get to do all weekend!  oy. 




And tada!  my first BYOC! fascinating (?) in sites into my life!


<3 Sam

Comparisons

wanted to do a quick face comparison. although my phone pic looks crappy today.

I suppose getting the same angle would have helped, But I think I can see a difference?  (and don't I do great faces in self pics? )

When in doubt (or longing)...

Look up the nutrition.   The Devil Someone brought in Einstein bagels and cream cheese today.   OMG .. so not fair.  I was wavering.  So I looked up the nutrition info.  Most of their bagels with no cream cheese are right around 300 calories.   That's enough to make me stop.  For now. 



This right here, This is Food Porn


On the plus side, I'm on day 3 of  taking the stairs at work.  I do  have to take the elevator to the second floor, but then I can walk to the 4th.  And I'm doing extra stairs during the day too.  Yesterday I did 6 floors. Goal today is 8 ( I do two floors at a time and am winded after that).   I'm hoping to relive my freshman year of college when I lost 15 lbs in the first semester just from dorm food and taking the stairs to the 3rd floor all the time.  By the end of the first semester I was able to run up three flights of stairs, skipping stairs all the way up.   Soon.  yes soon.   I've been .. mostly good with my food.  Much much easier to be good at work, than at home.  Which seems backwards in my head, but it is what it is. 

I do need to call my surgeon and find out what his policy on fills is.   Is he one of the "call me if you need one" types, or the "you will get it on this day, and no other day, and no sooner than 2 months after the first"?  .. Cause right now I can eat anything.  And I'm HUNGRY.   I had a smoothie with 15g of protein in it for breakfast this morning, finished it maybe 2 hours ago, and I'm starving (which is why the bagels are EVIL).  I'll probably have half a protein bar as a snack here in a few.  Only good news is weight isn't going up, other than daily fluctuations.  Bad news, not down either (although I haven't weighed since Sunday)

But I'm at work, so I should probably look like I'm doing worky stuff.   toodles!

<3 Sam

OFFICIAL Back to Basics Challenge weigh in!

Seeing as I jumped the gun a couple of days ago, here's my official weigh in for the B.O.O.B.S Challenge (which yes, I sent to the designated email address)

I swear in real life my toes are longer and less chubby.  *sigh*  

But this should be interesting.  I've done these things before, and always peter out after a week or two.. But i've never had the band before, and never had such a wonderful support community like you all before.  so Huzzah!! We can do this!!


So anybody who wants to join, do it today! today is sign up day!! go go go go!

<3  Sam

I joined the B.O.O.B.S challenge!

challenge here

Or at least I think I did.  I sent in a photo of my weight, and expressed my interest to join and am waiting to hear how to pay :)   Maybe this will kick me in the rear to get started.   And for super accountability:

official starting weight (unless i have to do it again on sunday morning.   Never realized how chubby my feet look :(

Here's to weight loss! May it all be almost as easy as the pre/post-op liquid diet (the losing, not eating.. that sucked)

<3 Sam