These are a few of my favorite things....

As some of you are aware, I underwent gastric bypass surgery on December 16, 2009. Since that time, I have lost over 170 pounds...something I never imagined happening, much less in one year's time!


I know that this is all a blessing from the Lord, and, therefore, I am not trying to boast about my own accomplishments. Through all of the health problems I went through before the surgery, through the surgery, and now through the weight loss, I believe the Lord has led me each step of the way. He has blessed me, and I am able to say that I have been able to praise Him through every situation in my life, good or bad, and I will give Him all the glory for any and every "good thing" in my life!


I do plan to share the entire story of this journey with any of you who are interested in reading about it on this blog one day, hopefully not too far off in the future. It's going to take me some more time, though, to be ready to get through it all, to "screw my courage to the sticking place" and just put it all out there for the world to see! It's been a long, crazy, heart-rending, lesson-learning, life-changing journey, and I want to do it justice in sharing it with you...so please bear with me a little longer as I continue to get it all into words for you.


In the meantime, though, I've been getting lots of questions about the process, stuff like: "How was the surgery? How was the recovery? What is your typical daily diet/exercise program like? Any regrets? etc..." I am happy to answer any question I possibly can about this, and like I said, I hope to answer many of them through my writing on this blog in the future.


So for now, I thought I'd start sharing a few tips, as they occur to me. I would also love to hear any and all feedback from anyone else out there who has gone through this, and would be especially happy to hear any of your tips!


Today, I'm going to share my "TOP 10 THINGS I CAN'T DO WITHOUT SINCE SURGERY". Even if you haven't had Gastric Bypass Surgery, I highly recommend all of these things...based on my own personal experience. They are healthful, and they are GOOD, and you may just find a way to work them into your own daily nutrition plan.


(I am not being paid to endorse any of these products, they are simply my favorite things at the moment.)


10. Activia Light Fat Free Peach Yogurt: I eat this for breakfast EVERY morning!


















9. Adora Calcium Supplements: I recently found these dark chocolate chews, and consider them one of my daily "treats"!


















8. String Cheese:- For a great high-protein snack, Frigo String Cheese (mozzarella) is my fave!














7. Morning Star Black Bean Burgers: I eat these for lunch several times a week, sans bread, but I like to melt pepper jack cheese over it and add a few dashes of Red Hot or salsa...yummy!



















6. McDonalds Fruit & Yogurt Parfait: This is about the only thing I can eat from McD's, but that's okay, because it is delicious!!! I'm never disappointed on missing out on the burgers & fries!
















5. Diet Snapple Peach Tea: A great alternative to water when I need something "fruity" to quench my thirst. Not crazy about aspartame, but every now and then...














4. Pure Protein Bars: I've tried 'em all, and this is my favorite. High quality protein, low carb, low sugar. Great meal substitute, or between meal snack.













3. Breyers Carb Smart Almond Bar (Ice Cream): Okay, I confess, I have one of these almost every day! Love 'em and thankful they were invented!
















2. Syntrax Nectar Lemon Tea Whey Protein Powder: THIS, I cannot live without! I have to make sure that I get tons of protein every day, and I have been drinking this stuff, two scoops in a big glass of water and crushed ice, EVERY DAY since the beginning of all of this. I actually like the taste, which is kind of like Nestea Instant Tea with Lemon, and I sip on it throughout the morning, until it is time for lunch. Somedays I even have an extra glass (1 scoop) in the evenings, just for kicks and giggles. ;)

















1. Okay...my all time favorite meal BEFORE the surgery, AND AFTER! I can still eat this, but in much smaller amounts. This usually makes about three or four meals for me now...which is wonderful! CARRABBA'S ITALIAN GRILL - CHICKEN BRYAN! OH YUM! Grilled chicken, topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomotoes, and a lemon-butter sauce, and cooked veggies. I don't even ask them to go light on the butter - it's a treat, and I eat very small portions (about 3 ounces at a time), so I can enjoy it, and boy do I!























So, these are my current faves! I honestly don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. Food is something that fuels my body these days, and I try to make sure that every bite/drink packs in as much nutrition as possible. I hope you'll share some of your faves with me!


Blessings!

Tron :)