Walk From Obesity 2008 - Walk On The Capitol

(This would be part of a cool road trip to take with the kids.  I've never been to DC.)

Walk on the Capitol Date:
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
6:30 pm

Walk Location: Washington, DC
National Mall - Monument Park

Presented By: The ASMBS Foundation and The Obesity Action Coalition

[email protected]

___________________________________________________________________________

I was part of a Walk From Obesity last fall, up in Lowell, MA - and I plan to do another one this year, once the schedule is posted in May the walk website.  I am SO hoping that someone suggested a Walk From Obesity on the Cape at the Canal - because - Beth wants to take pictures.  Not that the only reason I want to go is to take pictures - but - it really helps when you have a gorgeous backdrop - not that Lowell isn't, um, gorgeous.  Sure, I could have set it up myself, but the deadline is today, and there was a lot of paper involved.  A lot.

Beth isn't so good with paper.

She's good with chocolate.

Your Mom Blogs, And She's One Hell Of An Influential Blogger.

After my recent forays into the world of getting screwed by companies in exchange for selling my soul to review products - I am seeing articles like this.

Hopefully as companies start to see that we, as bloggers, particularly women, and apparently "mommy-bloggers," specifically, are especially influential. 

We have so much power.  Why?  According to Pro-Blogger, there are five reasons:

1. Moms Can Blog At Home (Thus no need to leave the house, no need for daycare - did you see my video today about my "job?")
2. Moms Need The Sociality Of The Net (Because, we don't have friends anymore.  We all email and blog together.)
3. Moms Have A Wealth Of Material To Use (We tend to pick a topic that we live.  We write about what we know, and generally in our own honest to goodness voice.)
4. Moms Are Record-Keepers (Aka Scrap-bookers, Baby-bookers, etc.  Not me, but... I do have a mad amount of photographs.)
5. Mom Blogs Wield Economic Power (And, by God Do We Know How To Use It.  If you have a good product, we will buy it.  All of it.  By the case, yesterday.  If something works for my family, I am going to tell you about it.  As boring as it may sound, you would NOT believe how much I wanted to blog to you about my laundry softener today.  It. is. to. die. for.  I had to soft myself from taking photographs and making a scratch and sniff product review.  Had I done so?  You'd have bought it.  I am powerful.)

Companies are also lucky sometimes, that "mommy-bloggers" can be sweet, loving and write genuinely good reviews, because, when provoked, they can be scathing and bitchy - and tell the world how they screwed you and how their product really did suck donkey dick.  That would be wrong, though, because we're trying to maintain a nice good "mommy" persona here.

Moving on!  I do hope that companies start to take us more seriously, and view bloggers as business people. (She says as the words donkey dick are fresh in her mind.)  I am honestly fed up with people taking advantage of the fact that I have a lot of traffic, without considering what's in it for Mama.

Mama needs a new pair of shoes.

Winnahs.

A post you must read from Junkfood Science - The Other Side Of The Story.

The Other Side Of The Story - Part Two, by Sandy Szwarc - Junkfood Science.

"Television networks are in the entertainment industry. And when a show — even one that’s the most successful in television history, has all the resources imaginable and has won virtually every broadcast journalism award there is — airs a medical news story, it is entertainment. Yet, how many of the some 13.6 million viewers who tuned in to watch 60 Minutes last Sunday really understood that?

How many believed the story — reporting that bariatric surgeries are wildly successful, safe and can instantly cure diabetes and lower risks for cancer — was giving all the facts?" 

I was disgusted when I saw 60 Minutes myself, because I viewed it at a giant infomercial for bariatrics, and it relieves me to see other people writing and discussing it.  I thought I was hearing things.

She explains many things, but this part about nesidioblastosis is explained in easier terms:

"...bypass operations not only restrict food intake, they also cause malabsorption. But, in addition, they cause food that hasn’t been digested to reach the distal small bowel, stimulating the (ilieal brake) hormone GLP-1 to be secreted, which interferes with the normal regulation of insulin secretion. It stimulates the beta cells in the pancreas to grow and produce more insulin, and this continual stimulation of the pancreas can result in an overgrowth of cells (hyperplasia) in the pancreas and islets.     

What he is referring to is nesidioblastosis, a previously extremely rare disease of the pancreas that is usually seen in newborns and results in severe hypoglycemia uncontrolled with diet and leads to brain damage, retardation and death. It usually requires (all or partial) removal of the pancreas, although hypoglycemia can persist even then, resulting in permanent insulin-dependent diabetes.

They said that just in the past five years, 40% of the confirmed cases of nesidioblastosis they’d seen at Mayo had occurred in persons who had undergone Rouxen-Y gastric bypass surgery, whereas less than 0.1 percent of the general population has had this procedure. In other words, nesidioblastosis is seen in gastric bypass patients 400% more than in the general public."

In response to growing reports of nesidioblastosis in gastric bypass patients, Dr. Mason had written in ISBR back in 2005 that what may be a rare complication can become too frequent in absolute numbers when treating an epidemic with the projected 200,000 RYGB operations for 2006. 

RYGB causes weight loss but also loss of many important body regulatory systems that keep a normal person healthy. Lifelong medical care following gastric bypass is expensive and difficult to obtain, but it is necessary. 

Free Shaker Cup Offer.

Wanna Free Shaker Cup?  Click here and fill out the questions.  I'm doing it now, because, I'm all about a free shaker cup.  As for the protein, um, it's been about four years since I tried Spiru-tein.  I remember it being the FIRST protein powder I ever tasted while freshly post-op, in serious physical pain from my weight loss surgery and nauseous. 

When I see the containers of Spiru-tein at the store, I equate it with OMG, The Pain!  The Vicodin!  So.   I haven't reviewed it.  Maybe it's time.

Sunday Food-blogging.

• Weight - 165 lbs. +1
  

I've been up for a couple hours, but I am downright cold, and not motivated.  I was hoping it would be warmer today.  Hello, sun?  Please come back.  In the meantime, I have been clicking through Flickr.  When someone adds me as a contact, I always follow the link back to sort of see "why," because I'm not a photographer, and my photos are a mess of frosting and whatnot, and I like to delete the ones that add me for the preggie porn pics or the fat belly man porn.  (It happens way more than you would think.)

I hope to get a good walk in today.  Either outside or actually on the treadmill.  My husband threatened to sell it last week, considering it never gets any love, it shouldn't matter, but I spazzed, "That's MY treadmill, and you are not selling it."  I opened it, for the baby to climb on and maim herself, and promised myself that I would at least use it to time my walking mile.  I have no idea how fast I really walk outdoors.  I don't pay attention, I just know that my walk takes about an hour, and it's about four miles start to finish, so I'm going in spurts of about 4 mph, but I stop to cross the street a few times, and with the baby or kids, stopping happens a lot more.

That, and I saw a photo that my sister in law posted on her MySpace of my ass.  Sure, she's 30+ weeks pregnant and has yet to gain weight or a stretch mark anywhere.  (Except her belly button ring had to come out, it was chafing, lol.)  I don't take photos of my ass on purpose unless it's on purpose for this blog.  If I had seen those photos on my memory card, they would be deleted prior to getting the upload.  That right here is motivation to keep walking.  (Yes, I'll show you.)

• Breakfast - Unsweetened soy milk cappuccino.
• Snack - Glazed indiscretion.  (230 calories.  In my defense, I'm writing it down, I didn't buy it, the man who obviously has a death wish for me or prefers me fat, and it's the lowest calories and carbs from Dunkin Donuts.  :x)
• Quite A Late Lunch - Cheese Quesadilla from Taco Hell (We were out, Dad had taken the kids out to lunch and I skipped it - opting to get my nails done instead, but by the time all was said and done, I was ravenous.)
• Snack - Turkey Breast.
• Dinner - None.
• Bed - Protein Shake.  1 scoop vanilla protein, 1 c. frozen mixed berries, crushed ice, unsweetened soymilk, water to blend, 1 oz sugar free vanilla.

Exercise - 45 minutes on treadmill until my brain fell out, and I thought I was having a hyper hypo moment and Had To Stop.  Bob said I did my "stupid" act and said some "I'm sorry, I think my sugar is low, I can't find my glucometer" shit and was looking for my meter, and I tested, the glucose was normal.  I had just eaten a leftover slice of the quesadilla immediately prior to stepping on the treadmill, so it was just a brain melt (aka possibly a complex partial seizure) and it passed in about three minutes.  FWIW, these sort of episodes seem to come in clusters, two to three a day for a few days, then none for a long time.

Saturday Food-blogging.

Weight - 164 lbs. *small celebratory dance*

• Breakfast - Unsweetened soy milk cappuccino, green salad + zero calorie dressing.
• Snack - 3 ounces turkey breast.
• Lunch - (Party.) Guts of a small stuffed shell, no pasta.  One mini peppermint patty, 1 caramel.  Iced Coffee.
• Snack -  (Car.) 1/2 donut + skim milk cappuccino.
• Dinner - (Home.) 3 ounces chicken breast.
• Snack - (Another party.) 1 glass red wine.  1 light beer.  A few bites sausage.  Some green salad.

We had two parties today.  I survived without too much junk, amazingly enough - but I missed my walk.

Photos at the link.  I am so not responsible for the food porn below, but one of you IS.  OMG.  The marshmallows?!  The. cutest. cupcakes. ever.

Super Yummy Orange Creamsicle Protein Shake + Recipes!

I mentioned in the last random video that my current favorite protein is   . 

Watty asked:

"Was wondering how much liquid (water? milk? soy milk?) do you mix in with the Matrix per serving please? Please tell me it wasn't that whole bottle!"

I said in the video that this protein is the only kind I have tried that I would be willing to drink straight up.  It pretty much is. (Other than the ready-to-shake ones from Bariatric Advantage, I did enjoy those, and I have one more to review.  But, that's a different category to me, the whole ready to drink part.)

To one scoop orange cream protein, I would add just enough liquid to make it as texturally pleasing to YOU, and your level of post-op'ness, and just sip it and get it done. 

It's yummy enough to enjoy, and that's saying a lot.

The Syntrax Matrix Orange Cream is a smooth, great-tasting protein powder.

1.  Mixes instantly and completely with a spoon (Score. Works in the shaker cup.)
2.  Anabolic and anticatabolic proteins
3.  Micellar casein, whey and egg albumin
4.  Incredible taste even in water (which is probably WHY I like it so much.)
5.  Ideal for everyone including bariatric patients (Score.)

The nutrition stats:

Here are two ideas with the Matrix a la MM:

Immediate Post-op Orange Creamsicle Protein Shake

• 1/2 - 1 scoop 
• 2-4 ounces of your milk preference (Skim Milk, Unsweetened Soy, Calorie Countdown, Lactaid, or Water)
• 1/2 ounce sugar free Vanilla DaVinci or Torani Flavor Syrup
• Add ingredients in shaker bottle or blender, shake or blend, and sip slowly.

MM's Orange Creamsicle Protein Shake

• 1 scoop
• 4 ounces of your milk preference (Skim Milk, Unsweetened Soy, Calorie Countdown, Lactaid, or Water)
• 1 cup ice cubes or crushed ice, I prefer to start with crushed ice in the blender.
• 1 ounce sugar free Vanilla DaVinci or Torani Flavor Syrup
• 1 fresh orange slice
• Add ingredients to blender, blend, and enjoy!

(I am going to make a creamsicle protein shake later on when the wee one is not sleeping and take some photos of it to add to the recipe.)

• Product -
• Purchased - Local health food store for $44.99 on sale a really long time ago, available through the link above at about $39.00 and through Syntrax at $69.99, and elsewhere online the price REALLY VARIES, shop around and watch the shipping.
• Pros - 23 grams of protein in a scoop, 2 sugars, tastes like heaven on a cloud compared to other protein powders that taste like licking mildewed bathrooms.
• Cons - Just made me remember my favorite soft-serve ice cream treat that is conveniently served in a cone with rainbow jimmies that I can't have.  *tear*
• Rating - Pouch-worthy!

Friday Food-blogging, on Saturday, crap, it's late.

Weight 166 lbs.

• Breakfast - Unsweetened soy milk cappuccino
• Snack - Green Salad - romano cheese - zero calorie dressing
• Lunch - (Out) Some shelled peanuts, a few bites black olives, two bites meat chili (too spicy, it was my plan to eat that, but I couldn't), a few fries.
• Snack - A cookie + Two breaded chicken tenders from lunch leftovers, I was "staaaaarving."
• Dinner - (Out) Two bites pizza (Wasn't going to happen.)  1/2 of a Wendy's Single on the way home from the party.
• Snack - 1 low carb flax tortilla + cheese.

Got in about a 45 minute walk today, with kids, so it was slow, and some roller-skating.

Lard frosted cupcake porn and a rant for now.

We're alive.  We nearly lost a toddler due to a skee-ball to the cranium, but she was quickly calmed with lard frosted blue cupcakes.

It didn't seem like as many children as I thought it would have been, with two entire classes invited and the random RSVP calls, but we did have ten pizzas eaten within minutes!  We did not bother with a fancy cake or even a "healthy" cake like as in previous parties (Shout out to Sweet Fordy's who makes THE BEST FUCKING CAKES EVER, including the most gorgeous cake I ever had for my baby-party for Tristan, and her first birthday.) we went with the cheapest alternative, the Wal*Mart Lard frosted cupcakes!  Fashioned in numerals for your child's age - one in a six - and one in a nine!  Oh?

But.  It sufficed.  Even with this, kids are picky. 

RSVP.

If by the long shot there is a parent at my kids' birthday party tonight that reads this post, forgive me, but I am a blogger, and this is what I do.  I rant.  There is a slight chance, because my email sig has the link to the blog, otherwise, nah.

But.  I sent the invites out more than a month ago.  There was a mistake on the original invite, and I sent out an updated invite a bit later.

The phone?

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng! 
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng!

Yesterday, probably like four RSVP's.  Today alone since 8am, six new RSVP's.  The party is at 5 o'clock.  I could be a bitch and say no, but I don't care - the more the merrier, it's for the kids' - and the skate rink is "unlimited" entries since we rented it out for the time slot.  I can't imagine that people call the day of a party to say they're coming, but, they do.

Mock Cauliflower "Mac" + Cheese

16 ounce bag frozen cauliflower (or one head chopped fresh cauliflower)
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Sprinkle dry mustard
Optional:  Bag of Kay's Naturals' White Cheddar Kruncheez Protein Snacks crushed, on top.

2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook the cauliflower until tender; drain well.

In a 1 1/2 quart casserole, soften the cream cheese in the microwave about 30-40 seconds on HIGH.

Whisk in the cream until smooth, then stir in 4 ounces cheddar cheese.

Microwave on MEDIUM about 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Stir well until creamy and smooth, microwaving a little longer if necessary.

Add the cauliflower and gently fold into the cheese sauce to coat well. Adjust the seasonings if needed.

Top with the remaining 2 ounces cheese + crushed chips if you want, and bake at 350 for 35 minutes, until bubbly and brown on top.

vlog

Thursday Food-blogging + Success.

Weight 165 lbs.  Thank DOG.  THAT WAS ROUGH.  That took a lot of miles and many calories. 

If I take a step back and look at a bigger picture, like a whole month, it looks like a three pound loss over a month.  A month that I worked my ass off walking.  (But, in the three weeks previous to this, I did hardly a bit of exercise, and dropped like nine pounds?  Apparently a few of them came back immediately, so that doesn't mean poop.)  Anyhow.  I'm pleased.  It's a slight bit of progress. for this:

Ten consecutive days of walking.  I've never done that before, at least not that many times. (The most I've ever done is 3-5 times a week.)  It is getting progressively easier to just get it done, so I plan to continue, and go faster as I can, since easier means it's too easy.

• Breakfast - Unsweetened soy milk cappuccino + Green salad, romano cheese + Walden Farms Caesar Dressing
• Snack - 2 ounces roast turkey breast
• Lunch - Green salad + romano cheese + fat free peppercorn ranch dressing
• Snack - La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Wrap + turkey breast + olive oil mayo
• Dinner - 2 slices of small cheese pizza
• Snack - 1 chocolate chip cookie
• Bed -
• Exercise - 60 minutes walk (with kids on bikes)

Really. warm. day.

Nike. Women's Air Zoom II.

I had to do it.  I really had to get a new pair of sneakers.  After visiting three stores and grimacing over the disgusting prices of footwear, I finally settled on this super light-weight pair of Nikes.  (Why did I need new sneaks?  Well, I was walking my many miles in a pair of super expensive Adidas, but, when I kicked up my pace and bent my foot upwards, the shoe cut into the top of my feet.)

I took these Nike's out for a test walk tonight, and they feel awesome, if odd, because they are so very light and holey and "air-conditioned!"  I am so very used to leather sneakers, so these are a welcome change.

Looking for a sleek and cushioned running shoe that will also totally rock your look? The Nike Air Zoom II is as light as a cloud, yet supports the foot and pads every step. Seamless, supportive mesh upper with minimal synthetic overlays, lace-up front Full-length Phylon® midsole, integrated second midsole features Zoom Air unit for a responsive ride Full-length carbon rubber outsole with aggressive adaptive traction lug

• Product - Nike. Women's Air Zoom II. Running Shoe
• Purchased - Famous Footwear - $59.99
• Pros - Light, airy, cute, flexible.
• Cons - I wonder how long they'll last the Beth test.
• Rating - 8 out of 10 right now, with a good hour's walk in them.

sign of a failing economy?

sign of a failing economy?, originally uploaded by Melting Mama.

Hump-day Food-blogging: Down, baby, down.

Weight - 166 lbs. 

It looks like a loss, but, it's not.  It's a blip. 

Apparently I was constipated.  TMI?  I'm ALWAYS CONSTIPATED.  More TMI?  SURE!  I would be willing to be you my DeLonghi Espresso Machine, that I am full of shit.  WTF?  I went potty yesterday - *throws confetti* - and I got on the scale last night before bed - two pounds lighter, and it was the same this morning.  (I know, you're not supposed to weigh everyday, it screws with your neurons, but... whatever.  I think it's easier to ignore when I know I won't weigh myself.  If I know I am accountable, I won't mess around.  Easy enough.)

Today plans?  To. Not. Duct. Tape. The. Children. To. The. Ceiling.  If you noticed a slight lack of blogging?  (I know, what?)  It's because it's SKOOL VACAYSHUN!  And we didn't make any planz!  And there are kids everywhere in tha hood!

In fact, at 6:45am, my six year old called Papa to escape, because he's also on vacation, so she's off with him for the day.  It is going to be holy warm here today, and if were weren't taking on two additional kids (neighbor kids got screwed out of the town day-care program, it was canceled, they need a sitter) I think I would have headed to the beach today.

• Breakfast - Soy cappuccino (NO protein in it this morning.  I do not want a repeat of yesterday.)
• Snack - None.  (We were walking at the waterfront.)
• Lunch - Green salad with black olives dipped in blue cheese dressing and a small dish of black bean/meat chili off that was meant for the top of a plate of nachos that I refused to touch because they make. me. very. sick.
• Snack - One bite of fudge.  Restraint was shown for once.  (We were out, the kids got candy from a store, and they gave me a piece of fudge.)
• Dinner - As much turkey breast from a turkey pie (from a local farm, we went there to buy my fresh turkey that I have been living on) that I could dig out, one bite of crust. (Because?  The crust will make me what?!)
• Snack -

Tuesday Food-blogging.

Weight 168.  (Yes, it's still stuck. But! But! But!  Tomorrow, maybe not?!  I walked for 90 freaking minutes yesterday, in two separate walks.  The first, with children, the second, Bob took the kids out for ice-cream and that is just asking for death for me, so I walked instead.)

• Breakfast - 1 scoop BSN Lean Dessert Protein Powder in Unsweetened soy milk cappuccino.  I had a hypoglycemic reaction and a sick stomach after this.  I don't know why.  I drink the cappuccino every single day without the protein, so the protein obviously did not work for me this morning.
• Snack - None. 
• Lunch - Out with kids plus two extras we are babysitting.  1/2 junior whopper.  A few onion rings.
• Snack - About 1/3 of a no sugar added all fruit Planet Smoothie before I gave it away because That Much Fruit Makes me hypoglycemic, in which I had peanut butter crackers.
• Dinner - Green Salad + romano cheese + Walden Farms Zero Calorie Dressing.
• Snack - Low carb tortilla + cheese
  

I got about a half hour walk today, not the usual hour.  I am about to duct tape and velcro children to the ceiling.  I hate school vacations.

Creative ways to cut back to food costs?

With our small gastric bypassed bellies, we are at an advantage (I know this sounds weird) that our actual food costs are lower than most families.   (I'm not saying we spend less, our actual food costs are less than the typical family of six persons for actual EDIBLES.  We buy more STUFF at the store than we do food.  We were at Wal*Mart lat night, actually, the only food in the cart - four boxes of Atkins Love Nuggets Protein Bars for Bob, two cases of water, and a box of miniature Teddy Grahams packets that Tristan thieved while we looked for a new baby gate, and we spent $100.00+)

We spend less on "digestibles," than you probably do, even with four kids and two adults.  The only time we spend more?  Those times I spend fifty or a hundred bucks on protein bars every few months.

I also don't buy much meat, unless it's in huge family packs or frozen, and I don't buy many fresh produce items unless they are on sale cheap, local, in bulk or a great deal.  I buy things like the kids' oatmeal and cereals, and less-perishable items in quantity when I find them for a good price.  We do not have the storage space in our tiny house - but if we did - I would have a pantry filled with non-perishable on sale items, and we'd eat out of the pantry and shop much less.  It would be beans and grains half of the week.

Moms are getting creative.

"Many more moms are cooking at home, growing their own vegetables, breastfeeding instead of buying expensive formula, using leftovers to stretch the week's meals, and even hoarding discounted products.

"Most families are spending $500 a month on groceries," Murray said. "That's a mortgage payment for many of them."

I apparently missed that part about the mortgage when I posted this.  I'd give my pancreas (and probably anything else you want) to pay only $500 for a mortgage payment.  We pay $2300 for a two bedroom house with six bodies in it.

What about you?  Has the economy forced you to get creative?  What kinds of things have you found yourself doing to save some pennies?

You see how I eat.  I don't eat much.  I skip breakfast most days.  I drink gallons of coffee.  I eat salad, protein bars and then maybe pieces of a refined carb that I am not even allowed to have.  Alone, my grocery bill would be nada.  For Bob & I, it would be coffee, protein bars and salad.  We would never cook.