Photo - food blogging success - and a fail!

I'm crashing. 

That last photo post.  I'm shaking.  My blood sugar is currently 60-something and falling.  I ate a sandwich.  Protein + carbs + fat = usually does not do me in.  But tonight it did - perhaps because I had real sugar prior to it in the afternoon?  I don't know.  But, my brain no like this.  BOO ON LOW BLOOD GLUCOSE.  BOO.

Photo Foodblogging Attempt #1 a la Dr. Simpson Style - Sunday, 11/30/2008

Dr. Simpson says food blogging photographically is very, very smart. I'm going to "try." Photos don't lie, y'all. Though, the bites, licks and tastes will be HARD. (Idea, right?) I have a big fcking camera. I don't generally carry a small one.

6am - Soy Cappuccino, twice (I don't know if I should really add the photos of this, I drink it at least three times a day.)

9am - Vegetable Tofu Soup, quart size container, drank all of the broth, all of the tofu, and all of the greens, sprouts and mushrooms.

11am - Sample packet of high protein chips (the verdict, didn't like the texture, but the taste is like Golden Grahams) + cracked open a can of Diet Pepsi.

1-3pm - Eating my way through a bag of frozen M + M 's.  *thumbsup*  This is when you realize you don't really want to take a photo inside your freezer.

At some point between 1 - 5:30pm - I ate a few bites of soup I made, probably up to about a half serving - I also ate three small hunks of cranberry cheese - no photo - estimate 1 ounce total.

8-8:30pm- Two slices of 35 calorie bread, 1 slice turkey, smear mayo, bacon bits.

We have a little...

...kitten.

Photos to follow. She's currently in Tristan-free areas. I think her name will be...

Our dog is Rizzo. We already have a Sandy in the family, so?

Played with this today.

Just to clarify, I did not get this toy. LOL. I wanted to. I played with it. I've played with it a couple times at the store.

It's very, very nice.

Wal-Mart trample death - zoo like murder to save a buck.

Was it worth the money saved?  How many people just kept on, and got their shit anyway after witnessing this?

Saturday, a comical vomit and a low blood sugar sure to follow!

Weight - 151 lbs.

The yard was surveyed this morning, it's big.  We have a lot of space.  The man who did the stakes works for the town, and gave us some insight into major work being done near us soon and that we might have some serious drainage issues, so to keep an eye out.

We then got the single cell phone traded for one that WORKS!  (Mine is gone.  Sniff.)  We had a "Voyager" which had a touch-screen, and it did not work nor did it calibrate.   We're going to share it for now, since it works.  ;)  Mr. MM changed his voicemail to "You've reached (the both of us...)" so I guess that means we're sharing the stupid thing.  Not only that but I changed his ring-tone a while back - to "Green Light" which is quite the feminine song.  I did play with a Crackberry for a moment, was not impressed, and I'd have to buy a whole. new. phone. just to use my number.  Ugh.

1. Soy cappuccino + unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 drop mint extract.
2. Cranberry cheese, four rosemary crackers, a few sesame crackers later...
3. Soy cappuccino.
4. 1 fresh spring roll, a SINGLE bite of Mr. MM's taco from lunch, AND PUKED, into my bag, in a parking lot.  SCORE!  He laughed so hard he cried.  (I didn't feel the over-filled feeling until the taco was IN my mouth.)
5. Mashed white potatoes, only thing that 'tempted' me, and it's making me dump.  And, my blood sugar will tank in a little while.  I am fine now, it passed.

Food Journal.

Photograph your food
by Dr Terry Simpson, Bariatric Surgeon

"In the last newsletter to our patients we brought the new idea for
journaling your food -- taking photographs of everything you eat.
Everything.

In classic food journals you write down everything you eat. This has
always been great method for people to think before they eat, and
take personal accountability. Some even go further and keep track of
the calories, or the fat, or the carbohydrates that they consume with
each bite.

In the newsletter to our patients, we changed this from simply
writing everything down, to taking a photograph of everything they
eat. It still causes one to pause when they eat, and it provides a
good record of everything that is put into your mouth. It also has
the advantage that you can see how much you eat. Most telephones have
cameras on them -- making it easy to carry around. If you don't have
a camera phone there are many inexpensive digital cameras available
that are compact and easy to carry.

If, for example, you go out to eat, you can photograph the plate when
it comes, and the plate before it is sent back. You can see what you
ate, and what you did not. It also gives you some perspective about
the amount of food that you eat.

Walk by a candy dish and take a piece -- take a photograph.

At the end of the day you can transfer the photographs from your
phone to your computer. There are a lot of great places you can put
these photographs-

- Picasa from Google is my favorite. Although, if
you have a Macintosh computer, your iphoto provides a great place to
see and store your photographs.

You can then put comments about the foods. For LAP-BAND patients, you
can see if a particular food has given you some trouble. Feeling
queezy (sp) a few days after a restaurant -- you can see what you ate
where.

One of the great difficulties of calorie counting is portion size.
Portion size is underestimated commonly.

The beauty of the camera and modern technology -- it is cheap, it is
available, and it allows you to record what you eat. Over time, you
can see trends, you can see places where you can make substitutions,
and - if you put something next to your food-- you will have an idea
about the portion size you are eating. "

Preceding from Dr Terry Simpson's Bariatric Newsletter.
November 2008.

How did I miss this?

There's always next year for this gorgeous centerpiece, or I could start on the Tampon Christmas Tree!

It's really large.

We actually went out and braved the not-really crowds.  That said, we went out after the rush.  The crowds were non-existent.

We bought an giant artificial tree, came home to a dog who obviously had Too Much Turkey (THANK DOG SHE WAS IN HER CRATE) and spent an hour un-curling the damn thing tonight, and Tristan fell into the box.  The best thing about this fake tree?  I was worried about where I would store the box, and then the whole thing, we couldn't have one before because we had no storage space, and now it's all like the friggin' Nutcracker in my living room!

Next.

Nearly all of the goodness of yesterday is gone.  I sent it away with everybody, and while I did keep a pie here, I tasted it, and it isn't very good.  I should really be eating leftover asparagus for breakfast, but.  all I want is coffee.  To be perfectly honest, all I really want to do is get out there in the crush of sick humanity with all the crazy mothers who are out there For A Deal and pretend to shop for the holidaze.  I woke up in time to do it - but there is no way on earth I would bring four kids to the mall or Wal-Mart on this day, so no, it ain't happening.

Do you shop on the blackest of Fridays?  I always worked on it, so I am used to the busy-ness of it - I kind of enjoy it.

Not stuffed.

No food porn this year.  Just a little turkey:

Had I not cooked it, I suppose I would have been all over photographing it, but I was more busy preparing (BTW - our stove/OR or electrical system broke?!  ON TURKEY DAY.) and cleaning it up.  I sort of forgot to take photos, aside from this kid right before everybody was set to go home.

As for food?  I ate my body weight in cheese.  I knew that would happen, and I had no room for ANY dinner, At. All.

I ate cubes of cranberry cheese, Gruyere, two spears of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, two hunks of andouille sausage with caramelized onions, Brie with glazed pecans and walnuts, three roasted onions with balsamic vinegar and nothing else until a turkey sandwich now at 7 pm.  I seriously had NO turkey, no potatoes, no traditions - AND I PREFERRED IT THAT WAY.  (This may be why I don't cook often, because I want all of these type of things.)

crocs confession.

I find crocs shoes not. that. pretty.  That's that nice way of saying hideous.  When I was asked to take a pair to review - I wanted to say "no."  In fact, I did at first, I asked to do a giveaway.  Then I looked that the website and thought, "Well, maybe, juuuust maybe."

Since it was for National Diabetes Month, absolutely. 

People.  I got a pair of black crocs, and those suckers have not left my feet in days.  I guess that's the review.  They feel amazing.  My only complaint is that they are way too big for my feet.  I ordered a size 8.5 in womens, and these are from the crocsrx line, and they run large for medical conditions, of which I do not have any, other than tingly-Topamax feet. 

I won't be swapping out my high-heeled boots for these any-time soon (which I wear like once every three weeks if ever anyway, just sayin')  but for every day around the house comfort, you bet.  If you have achy feet, these are meant for you.

Eureka True Clean | 2961BVZ Most. Useless. Vacuum. Ever.

So this is where I become a total mommy housewife blogger for a brief moment in time because I am pissed off enough to write a product review post about a freaking vacuum cleaner, and avoid the posts I am obligated to write, okay?

I made a Housewarming Gift Wish List before we moved.  It had on it a Super-Dee-Duper suck your socks off vacuum cleaner on it.  Here's my reasoning for the high-end vacuum on my wish list:  I have gone through at LEAST 8 lower end vacuum cleaners since I moved out of my mom's house in 1998.  Needless to say the man laughed at me and said, "How much for a vacuum?  You're crazy!" and promptly came home with this  $80 model Eureka True Clean | 2961BVZ:

Extra Wide Cleaning Path, Power Brush and Telescopic Self-Cleaning Duster make vacuuming your entire home simple and convenient. The powerful filter traps dirt and dust, and the Easy-Empty Dust Cup means no messes when you empty your vacuum.

The extra wide cleaning path does not pick anything up from the bare floor, in fact it spits debris back out at your feet.   You could use the tubing to suck stuff up by hand, but the tubing  is not long enough, and you're stuck bent over trying to use it, dragging the vacuum behind you, and it hurts!

The stairs are impossible - you cannot carry it up - there is no handle.  Trying to hold the damn vacuum up thirteen carpeted stairs at a time?  Times, three?  Yeah, right.

I would use the suggested "pet brush" but it's too strong for the new carpeting we have in this house, it tears up the rug.

The vacuum does not clean well on the carpet either,  it spits fuzz back out repeatedly, after going over a path.  The moment the dust cup is at all dirty - the machine loses suction.  Did I mention we've owned this thing for all of what, a week?

This Eureka True Clean | 2961BVZ is junk, absolute JUNK.  I wish I hadn't thrown the box away. 

But, I guess I'm not alone in my review!

Product Attributes:

Value:		1 out of 5
Meets Expectations:		1 out of 5
Features:		1 out of 5
Durability:		1 out of 5
Appearance:

"It's Over." Reality, Bites.

April, I get it. We get it.  "Do I continue?"  Yes.  Just push on.  Just do what you can.  Maintain.  Regain scares she crap out of us, but it is the reality of most of us.  At five years most of us regain at least half of our excess weight lost.

Reactive Hypoglycemia Update

Weight - 150 lbs.  (This was the weight I was told to get to.  I'm here.  Now what?) 

It's been a long time since wrote about my hypoglycemia.  That may be because I am managing "okay," by eating "okay." 

What?

"If You Give A Beth A ________ (insert simple carbohydrate or mixed meal) She's Going To Have A Low Blood Sugar."

That goes for many of us post op gastric bypass-ers. 

It's just the way it is, it is just apparently normal, it's just reality.   

If you CHOOSE TO EAT LIKE SHIT - YOU WILL FEEL LIKE SHIT.

Yes, I think it's a choice.  After living with forced freakish guts for nearly five years, what I put in my mouth is my choice.  I can eat anything I want to.

Donuts IN YOUR MOUTH - Donuts in your BLOOD.  (Subsequently, donuts on my ass, too.  My weight chart is public.  Go look at it.)

For some post ops, it happens so frequently and requires the avoidance of simple carbs or mixed meals altogether if we want to live reasonably normal lives.  For an even smaller fraction, it gets so severe even with drastic dietary changes (nesidioblastosis) that these post ops often have surgery to fix it, but this can cause other problems.

Uniquely for ME, I'm already living "abnormally" since I have the additional issue of post RNY seizures- which are still not connected but happened at the same time - so - even if the hypoglycemia was making life hard, whatever, deal. 

Except, it's gotten better since I'm not being such an asshole about carbs.  I won't EAT a "donut."  I mean, sure I WILL, if it's laid out in front of me, but, it's more like eating around the top of it and throwing it away.  I don't purchase junk.  I try to be "good" because if I am not - I pay dearly for it.  My biggest hurdle is that I am married to this:

That isn't to say that I do not crash anymore - it's just less now than before.  Also, I don't test my blood sugar that often.  I can tell what my glucose is by how I feel.  I don't have symptoms of a low until I am super low, because I am usually at a consistent 70-100 most of the day until I eat.  When I do eat, I spike up over 100-150-200 even if it's something concentrated, and then I crash by 60-90 minutes post intake depending on what the food WAS - it could be as low as 30-50 mg.  Again, if I eat "right" I don't see that drop, I may only drop to 70 mg., and that is fine for me.

Monday.

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Proti 15 Hot Chocolate	2.00	160	1g	0mg	560mg	8g	0g	-2g	30g	x
	^ Servings consumed: Serving size: 1 packet Optional: When did you eat this? - select mealtime - breakfast morning snack lunch afternoon snack dinner evening snack midnight snack pre-workout post-workout Unclassified or more specifically  --  12am 1am 2am 3am 4am 5am 6am 7am 8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm 10pm 11pm
Ricotta Cheese	1.00	90	6g	30mg	85mg	4g	3g	0g	6g	x
	^ Servings consumed: Serving size: 1/4 cup Optional: When did you eat this? - select mealtime - breakfast morning snack lunch afternoon snack dinner evening snack midnight snack pre-workout post-workout Unclassified or more specifically  --  12am 1am 2am 3am 4am 5am 6am 7am 8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm 10pm 11pm
Valrhona Le Noir Amer 71% Cacao	0.50	120	9g	0mg	0mg	10g	6g	3g	2g	x
	^ Servings consumed: Serving size: 40 g Optional: When did you eat this? - select mealtime - breakfast morning snack lunch afternoon snack dinner evening snack midnight snack pre-workout post-workout Unclassified or more specifically  --  12am 1am 2am 3am 4am 5am 6am 7am 8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm 10pm 11pm
Sprouted Whole Wheat English Muffin	2.00	320	1g	0mg	160mg	30g	0g	6g	8g	x
	^ Servings consumed: Serving size: 1 english muffin Optional: When did you eat this? - select mealtime - breakfast morning snack lunch afternoon snack dinner evening snack midnight snack pre-workout post-workout Unclassified or more specifically  --  12am 1am 2am 3am 4am 5am 6am 7am 8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm 10pm 11pm
Butter	2.00	240	23g	62mg	4mg	0g	0g	0g	0g	x
	^ Total consumed: servings cups tablespoons teaspoons Serving size: 1 tbsp Optional: When did you eat this? - select mealtime - breakfast morning snack lunch afternoon snack dinner evening snack midnight snack pre-workout post-workout Unclassified or more specifically  --  12am 1am 2am 3am 4am 5am 6am 7am 8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm 10pm 11pm
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles	0.33	63	0g	0mg	3mg	11g	0g	2g	3g	x
	^ Servings consumed: Serving size: 2oz (1/4 package) Optional: When did you eat this? - select mealtime - breakfast morning snack lunch afternoon snack dinner evening snack midnight snack pre-workout post-workout Unclassified or more specifically  --  12am 1am 2am 3am 4am 5am 6am 7am 8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm 10pm 11pm
Boar's Head Oven Roasted Choice Top Round Roast Beef	1.00	90	3g	30mg	40mg	0g	0g	0g	14g	x
	^ Servings consumed: Serving size: 2 oz Optional: When did you eat this? - select mealtime - breakfast morning snack lunch afternoon snack dinner evening snack midnight snack pre-workout post-workout Unclassified or more specifically  --  12am 1am 2am 3am 4am 5am 6am 7am 8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm 10pm 11pm
Classico Four Cheese Pasta Sauce	0.25	23	1g	1mg	143mg	3g	1g	0g	1g	x
	^ Total consumed: servings cups tablespoons teaspoons Serving size: 1/2 cup Optional: When did you eat this? - select mealtime - breakfast morning snack lunch afternoon snack dinner evening snack midnight snack pre-workout post-workout Unclassified or more specifically  --  12am 1am 2am 3am 4am 5am 6am 7am 8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm 10pm 11pm
Silk Unsweetened Soy Milk	1.00	80	4g	0mg	85mg	4g	1g	1g	7g	x
	^ Servings consumed: Serving size: 1 cup Optional: When did you eat this? - select mealtime - breakfast morning snack lunch afternoon snack dinner evening snack midnight snack pre-workout post-workout Unclassified or more specifically  --  12am 1am 2am 3am 4am 5am 6am 7am 8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm 10pm 11pm
Fitness	Minutes	Calories Burned						Distance	Heart Rate
Add your physical activity/exercise for November 25th, 2008!
Click totals for charts!	Totals:	1,185	48g	123mg	1,080mg	69g	11g	10g	70g
% of your daily value		108.76%	73.97%	41.08%	44.99%	23.07%	n/a	n/a	140.44%
		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein

Phone home?

The other night my cell phone, which has been missing, called here at 3:51am. 

I guess that means it's really gone.  I called Verizon and canceled it completely - no charges had been made on the line - but - someone physically picked up the phone and pressed "send" and that was that.  (I hadn't - because I thought one of the kids hid it from me after playing with it - but it called here when they were all sleeping.)

Not that I really want to do this again, but... heh heh...Santa baby?

Gobble gobble glurp.

I realize this is old news, but she had just "pardoned" a turkey? WTF? Happy Thanksgiving.

Valrhona Guanaja Chocolate

I am a chocolate lover.  After gastric bypass you're "not supposed to" eat lots of things, including highly concentrated foods like chocolate or candy.

I laugh in the face of that rule.  Repeatedly. 

What?  No, honey, I'm not over here eating Skittles and tasting the rainbow.  I am a hypoglycemic.  I can't. 

I am seeking out the best-tasting, best quality "sweets" that are unlikely to put me in a coma.

One of these foods has turned out to be dark chocolate.  A disclaimer for the faint of pouch:  I didn't start eating naughty foods until about 9 months to 1 year post op.

Not all versions will do, because some make me very ill, very quickly, even with low-sugar counts.  (I'm talking even with my three-bite rule, I might have the heart pounding sick dumping with a small treat, so there are some I will avoid entirely.)

I have a new love, a new chocolate love:  I have a small tin of tiny 70% bitter dark squares.

	Description of the product
	Intense flavours 70% cocoa - A blend of Criollos and Trinitarios cocoa beans from South america. - Bitter dark chocolate Grand Cru revealing exceptional power and long lasting flavour. Its intense taste is highlighted by flowery notes.

Yes, please.  These little squares of delight are not bitter, in fact they are creamy and JUST the slightest bit sweet to me.

But, there's probably good reason for this:

Valrhona has the reputation of being just about the best chocolate in the world. The company prides itself in using the highest quality cocoa beans and creating couvertures with unique and complex flavors.

Ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar, soy lecithin, natural vanilla

Specs: 71% cacao, 13.8% sugar, 48.4% fat

I have been noshing on other dark chocolate bars and squares, but none have been tasty enough (aside from that Godiva 10 sugar gram bar, it's the sweetest I have ever tasted for a dark bar, not sure why it's so sweet?) to share with you, they are all bitter and tangy, in fact I usually melt them into coffee - or - only have one taste because they are too intense and gritty.  But, these other bars have all been grocery store finds, you won't find me in a candy-shop, the real crack is too close.  Although, I can buy this exquisite chocolate online, locally.  It's not cheap, not all all, but it's worth every lick.

This was gifted to me to try - via a chocolate distributor - had I known she had this  I'd have been all over it years ago.  :)  CATHY! PAGING! YOU! NOW!  I seriously just thought chocolate = sugar = no.  But, not so much.  There's very little sugar in deep deep dark dark chocolate you see.

• Product - Valrhona Guanaja Chocolate
• Purchased - Freebie from my mom via a chocolate company.
• Price - Unknown.
• Pros - Deep, dark, delightful chocolate.  A little bit of love in your face.
• Cons - Getting sucked into the abyss of CHOCOLATE websites looking at the vast array of low-sugar choices and wanting to drown in it.
• Rating - Pouchworthy within limits. 

Special.

Now, you can only imagine our holiday card this year.