Some background on this fat kid though – I love food, I think about food, I think about what tastes good together, what I want to eat for breakfast lunch and dinner before I’ve even finished the previous meal. I obsess over recipes and food blogs and ingredients and tastes because I like to think I’d make a great foodie if I wasn’t so fat and food obsessed…I absolutely live to eat…It’s really hard for me to give up one of my life passions and even though it’s only for a relatively short time I struggle with it as though I’ve lost a friend. So what is a fat kid to do? Well I like to think I have come up with some interesting solutions to help me stay food obsessed but maybe making some healthier life decisions in the meantime.

The Fat Kid Discovers New Foods:
I like to be adventurous and try new foods – this week I chose fiddlehead ferns to be added to my organic food delivery service. I haven’t tried them yet but believe me when I do there will be a post about them. This gives me something to look forward too, a chance to be adventurous and perhaps discover a new wonderful food I’ve been missing out on.

The Fat Kid Plans Ahead:
I have decided that I don’t need to hide from the monthly meet up with all of my besties, instead I need to plan ahead and stick to my guns. This past week we met at a pizza place and instead of moping in the corner feeling sorry for myself I had baked wings (not dredged) with medium franks red hot sauce and a water with lemon in it. I had it in place of my dinner at home and while wings are fattier than my normal meat choice, it wasn’t pizza. Fat kid wins, I had a treat and a visit with the girls but in a way that left me satisfied, not guilty and on program.

The Fat Kid is in Control:
I had a dinner last night with my parents, brother and his girlfriend. I made all the marinades and dipping sauces from scratch and they were all low carb and delicious. We had kabobs of all kinds (Shrimp, scallops, beef and chicken) grilled vegetables and even rhubarb crumble for dessert. No one even knew that the meal was low carb or noticed that there was not a starch to be had on the menu. I can entertain people at my house & stay on program. The company was wonderful, the meal delicious and I didn’t have to sit in the corner and eat a salad with some chicken on it while everyone else indulged…I was right there in the mix, enjoying/indulging in some extremely delicious food.

The Fat Kid Switches it Up:
My husband and I like to go on dates, and some of our very favorite dates are when we stick the kids in daycare and go out in the middle of the day and do something fun. Much of the time we would go out for food or a movie (which always includes popcorn and candy!). I miss these secret middle of the day dates so I found something new to do – we went and painted pottery and had a great time…It showed me that all our activities don’t need to be so food focused and we can have a great time doing just about everything because it’s the time spent, not the food that creates the memories.

Anyway, I just wanted to write this post because I’m sure like myself there are many of us struggling with the same problem…feeling deprived and isolated on such a restricted program but I hope you realize that you are doing it to yourself and you don’t have to feel that way at all!

Fat Kid Out :)

T Minus 700 and counting!

I made green onion cakes out of the Ideal Protein Potato Puree because I’ve been craving Chinese food.  I couldn’t think of a 2 cup side of veggies that would go well with green onion cakes because I’m sick of salads and need to go grocery shopping and then it dawned on me…what’s my favorite side dish when I go out for Chinese food?  Garlic stir-fried broccoli!  It was delicious, satisfied my cravings and I didn’t have to go off program at all to enjoy it.  I even whipped up a quick spicy teriyaki sauce to dip with :)

Here is my version of Garlic Stir-Fried Broccoli:

Ingredients:

2 c broccoli, steamed for approx 2 minutes in microwave steamer

1 tsp olive oil2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
4 tbsp chicken stock

pinch of sea salt

Directions:

1) heat olive oil in pan and saute garlic until golden

2) add steamed broccoli and toss so lightly coated in oil & garlic

3) add chicken stock to continue steaming broccoli & adding flavor

4) once broccoli is fork tender, sprinkle with sea salt to taste

5) serve

Total Lost: 14.2 lbs

I have been seeing an herbologist/natropathy doctor who has me on a bunch of different herbs including a Thyro-Complex herb to help with my thyroid functioning, while I can’t say for certain if it’s making a difference, it does seem that my weight loss numbers are higher this time around than when I started up on IP again last sumer…perhaps it’s working?  Or maybe it’s just that I’m being very diligent and feeling much more motivated this time around.  Either way I’m thrilled with my first two weeks!  I’m almost down 15 lbs; Which leads me to rewards.  Do you set out rewards for yourself?  I find rewards set out over small milestones to be very motivating and encouraging.  It also helps me reframe my thinking in that celebrations don’t have to be food related.

I have set out rewards for my weight loss journey and the first one is coming up in 0.8 lbs!

The Fat Kid’s Rewards:

15 lbs down -   Sneakers
25 lbs down – haircut & colour
35 lbs down – mani/pedi
50 lbs down – Laser hair removal
65 lbs down – couples massage
75 lbs down – hair extensions
90 lbs down – Family photos
100 lbs down – tattoo
115 lbs down – haircut/colour
GOAL! – shopping spree

What are your rewards for losing weight?  You deserve them, you’ve worked hard!

Fat Kid Out.

serves 2, prep time 5 minutes, bake time 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 oz ham, finely diced

1 roma tomato, seeded & diced

1 scallion, finely sliced

6 baby spinach leaves, chiffonaded

4 eggs

seasonings of choice – sea salt, pepper, mrs. dash etc.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.  Place 6 silicone muffin cups on a baking tray or baking dish (can use muffin tins if wanted, I just find silicone muffin cups work best)

2. Mix together ham, tomato, scallions and spinach leaves.  Place in the bottom of silicone muffin cups (about 2/3 full)

3. Whip up eggs and seasoning until well beaten.  Pour egg mixture in to muffin cups (up to about 3/4 full)

4. Bake for approx 20 minutes, remove from oven & let sit to set for about 10 – 15 minutes.

*can be kept in fridge for up to a week, tastes great cold or re-heat.

*add any meat or veggies wanted, can add cream or milk to egg mixture or use less eggs & add egg whites, and sprinkle some cheese on top for different tastes =)

Some of the combinations the fat kid enjoys:

bacon/tomato/cheddar

asparagus/goat cheese

ham/tomato & green onion

broccoli/cheddar

Total Lost: 8.6 lbs

Can’t complain at that =)

Fat Kid Out.

Moment 1 – I went to a card making workshop today and the host put out a TON of different yummy looking snacks.  The old fat kid could socialize and not touch the food that didn’t fit in with my program, but after having Charlie it was like I left my willpower behind at the hospital and I would eat anything and everything I could and then feel shame and guilt afterward.  BUT today I said no thank you and it didn’t even phase me that everyone else was eating snacks and I wasn’t.

Moment 2 – I got iced coffees for myself and my mum today, mine was supposed to have splenda in it rather than sugar syrup.  The girl seemed confused as to which one was which and sort of pointed at one non-noncommittally and said “ya that one”…which made me know that she had no idea at all.  A few weeks ago I would have said feck it and haphazardly picked one and drank it but today I came home, gave them both to my mum and made my own iced coffee with instant coffee ice and splenda…it might not have been as good as one from McDonald’s but better than making a bad choice.

Maybe just maybe the successful not so fat kid is back?  I don’t want to jinx myself but before going on medication for postpartum I could not understand why I was having such a hard time staying focused and committed to my program, but now I am feeling great about it and can’t wait to reach my goals and feel as wonderful as I did when I lost all the weight last time.  While I don’t want to use postpartum as an excuse for gaining as much weight as I have over the past year I couldn’t wrap my brain around how I was feeling and the lack of control I had over myself so I know it was at least a contributing factor that I’m happy to say no longer seems to be holding me back.

- IP Potato Puree Pkg

-75mls water

Directions:

Mix water with potato puree, and spread in a preheated pan on medium heat.

Flip once the bottom has set.

Fill with your favorite ingredients.

*this is the simplest recipe ever!  I added some spices in with the potato but that was personal preference.  I filled it with cucumber, peppers, onions and tomato and tossed the veggies in a bit of olive oil, lemon juice & mrs. dash.  The bread is mild in taste but thick enough to hold a lot of veggies.  It literally took me about 5 minutes from start to finish.

*not sure where this recipe originated but just wanted to point out that it’s not mine, but the terrible picture taken with my iPhone unfortunately is accredited to the fat kid =)

Enjoy!

Update – I had a fat kid idea…I turned this into a cheesy flat bread using 1/2 oz of low fat cheddar & some seasonings mixed in to the bread batter, then just let it get crispy on each side and enjoyed it hot along side my salad for lunch and it was soooo tasty!

And another fat kid idea – I added a finely sliced scallion, some onion seasoning, salt & pepper to the puree and turned it into a green onion cake!

But, I just got fatter.  I got fatter, I was more miserable, I couldn’t bare to look at myself in the mirror, any chance I could get I would haul my fat self into bed and hide from the world.  I started yelling at my kids for no reason, stopped seeing my friends, stopped enjoying the things I love the most…stopped caring about myself…couldn’t stand my children, wanted the world to disappear and then one day it dawned on me.  This fat kid might just be struggling with postpartum depression and maybe just maybe I’m not the worst mum, the most pathetic fat person with no willpower…maybe there is some hope?

I went to my doctor about 3 weeks ago and mustered up all the courage I could and squeaked out a few words that went something like “hate myself, bad mum, want to die” before becoming a crying snotty mess.  She figured out the rest and here I am a few weeks later feeling a little bit better every day.  I’ve stopped yelling at my babies for no reason, I’ve stopped sleeping all day, I’ve even found myself smiling and laughing again…In fact recently I’ve begun feeling like maybe I can face this weight loss thing again.

I braved up this morning and stepped on the scale.  The number wasn’t pretty but at least I know what I’m working with and for the first time in a long time I’m not feeling so hopeless.  So there it is world, the fat kid is trying again, only this time I think it might actually be for real, but don’t worry, I know…The proof is in the pudding…mmmmm pudding….no, focus fat kid.  The proof is in the celery.

The Good: Been on program 100%

The Bad: Still fat

The Ugly: Still having problems fitting into my fat clothes.
I had a yummy dinner last night that I had forgotten about until I was looking in the freezer for dinner ideas and stumbled across some ground chicken and remembered my love for Asian Lettuce Cups.

  Asian Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:

5-8 oz ground chicken

2 c diced veggies (I use a mix of zucchini, peppers, onions, broccoli, & celery)

butter/bib/boston lettuce leaves (or can use romaine leaves)

bean sprouts to garnish

Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

1/2 tbsp olive oil

2 -3 drops sesame oil

ginger/garlic/red pepper flakes/splenda to taste

Directions:

Saute up diced veggies and remove from saute pan.

Brown ground chicken (season with sea salt & pepper)

While cooking the meat & veggies, combine all sauce ingredients

Put sauteed veggies back into pan, mix and reheat.

Push meat and veggie mixture to side and create space in the middle to pour sauce, let it heat up in the middle until it starts bubbling and then combine with meat and veggie mixture

Serve in lettuce cups with some bean sprouts and sesame seeds (if you want)