Reduced Sugar Carrot Cake

     Happy Easter everyone!  regardless of how you observe this holiday I hope you have a great day.  Fortunately I was able to sneak away to visit my family for the holiday weekend.  Mom and I were up late making goodies for the family to enjoy today!  Deserts are sometimes the hardest thing for us to avoid after going through bariatric surgery.  This recipe gives a nice option as an occasional treat as each serving only has about 4 grams of sugar.

Reduced Sugar Carrot Cake 

Servings: 8

Total cooking time: Aprox. 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup almond flour
• ¾ cup all purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon clove
• ½ cup sugar substitute baking blend
• ¾ cup egg substitute (equivalent of 3 large eggs)
• ½ cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup freshly grated carrots, about 3 medium carrots

Frosting

• 4 ounces Neufchâtel, light cream cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Jello Sugar Free Instant Vanilla Pudding powder
• ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Spray an 8 inch round cake pan with vegetable cooking spray.
3. Blend the almond flour, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and clove in a medium bowl with a whisk and set aside.
   
4. Beat the Truvia, eggs, yogurt, vanilla and butter in a large bowl until creamy.  
   
5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. 
   
6. Fold in the carrots.
   
7. Pour into prepared pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
   
8. Allow to cool for a bit and then remove from pan and allow to continue cooling.
9. Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add heavy cream and pudding powder and beat until smooth and creamy.
   
10. If not serving immediately place frosting in a container and chill until ready to serve.
    
11. When cake is completely cooled and ready to assemble, scrape frosting onto center of layer, spread to edges and level. Sprinkle with the walnuts. 

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 454

Fat: 29 grams

Carbs: 46 grams
Sugar: 4 grams

Protein: 12 grams

Calculated using MyFitnessPal

Reduced Carb High Protein Lasagna Bake

     I haven't made a post in a while to the blog and I was long overdue.  I was looking for a new dinner idea and came up with this recipe with some inspiration from some post I came across on Pinterest.  

Low Carb High Protein Lasagna Bake

Servings: 8

Total cooking time: Aprox. 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Meat Mixture

• 1/2 Cup (4 Oz) Chopped Yellow Onion
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1 Pound 96% Lean Ground Beef
• 2 Cups Pasta Sauce
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Cheese Mixture

• 15 Oz Container Ricotta Cheese
• 16 Oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (Divided In Half)
• 1/2 Cup Egg Substitute (Equivalent Of 2 Eggs)
• 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 4 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan

Special Ingredient Note:

     When it comes to shredded cheeses I prefer to buy a block of cheese and grate/shred it myself.  Yes those pre-cut bags may be time savers but they also come with extra preservatives to make them last longer and part of this new life for me is about putting better things in my body.  Also if you compare the price per volume you'll be pleasantly surprised to learn its actually cheaper to buy the cheese as a block.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion & minced garlic and sauté. 
   
3. Add ground beef and cook until meat is no longer pink. 
4. Add the rest of the ingredients of the meat mixture and let it cook on a gentle heat. 
   
5. Spread meat mixture evenly in a 9"x13" baker.
   
6. In another bowl mix together all cheese mixture ingredients (remember to keep half the mozzarella and the parmesan aside). 
   
7. Evenly spread the cheese mixture over the meat mixture.
   
8. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
   
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top starts to become golden and bubbly.
   
10.  Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing (the lasagna will hold together better).

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 403

Fat: 25 grams

Carbs: 11 grams

Protein: 38 grams

Created using MyFitnessPal App

New Year, New Goals, New Tools!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

2015 was an amazing year and I am very proud of the progress I have made. I lost roughly 190 pounds since my surgery in December of 2014.  I saw myself become a more active person who actually loved getting dressed and clothes shopping.  I went from wearing a 4XL shirt to a L shirt and went from wearing a 46" waist pants to a 34" waist. I also started this blog, as a resource for myself as well as others.

Me at my heaviest in December 2014 right before surgery
VS.
Me at my one year post surgery checkup with my amazing surgeon, Dr Enoch

Now 2016 is here and it's time for some new and updated goals as well as a renewed focus on creating and maintaining the healthier and happier me!  I also got a new tool to use this year on my journey!

My 2016 Goals:

• Loose 20 pounds:  I have roughly 20 pounds (actually 17 but I like round numbers) left to loose.  I will be reusing Excess Body Weight % Lost Calculator the I shared in a previous post. this was an amazing tool that I learned from a fellow bariatric patient and bloger at her website Bariatric Foodie.  I hope one day to get my blog to look as amazing as hers but the important thing is that I have fun along the way.
• Continue BariatricChris:  As we got into fall and the holiday seasons in 2015 I broke away from working on the blog.  Its time to get back on track with that.  This means more post, more recipes, and a few more ideas I have been working on!

New Tool For 2016:

• Skulpt Aim: Towards the end of 2015 my weight was starting to plateau but there were still changes going on because I was still moving into smaller clothes.  I was lucky enough to receive a Skulpt Aim for Christmas.  This awesome little tool uses sensors to accurately track the fat% as well as the muscle quality.  I look forward to using this tool to keep closer track on whats actually happening in my body as I continue to change.  You can learn more about the Skulpt Aim here.

Bariatric Friendly Pumpkin Yogurt Cake

     I am so ready for "Pumpkin Flavored Everything" Season!  Having a family gathering today and I was asked to make a desert.  I thought of making my Apple Almond Yogurt Cake but really wanted to incorporate pumpkin into it.  I removed the applesauce from the recipe, added the pumpkin, and increased the almond flour since the wet ingredients were now a little more than the previous recipe.  In the end I decided to put the batter in a 9" x 11" baker instead of a loaf pan.  Hope you enjoy!

Bariatric Friendly Pumpkin Yogurt Cake

Servings: 12

Total Cooking/Baking Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Almond Meal
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Serving Protein Powder 
• 3/4 Cup Sugar Substitute (I Used A Stevia baking blend)
• 1 6oz Container Plain Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani Plain)
• 1 15oz Can Of Pumpkin Puree
• 1/4 Cup Egg Substitute (Equivalent Of 1 Egg)
• 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the Almond Meal, Baking Powder, Salt, and Protein Powder and set aside.
   
3. In a separate bowl combine Sugar Substitute, Greek Yogurt, Pumpkin Puree, Egg Substitute, and Vanilla.
   
4. Blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. 
   
5. Pour into a greased baking dish.
   
6. Place in oven and bake for 40 - 45 minutes.
7. Test cake with skewer or cake tester to verify doneness and cool on a wire rack for fifteen minutes.
8. Divide evenly into servings and enjoy.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/12th of cake):

Calories: 175

Fat: 9.7 Grams

Carbs: 20.5 Grams

Protein: 8.2 Grams

Calculated using MyFitnessPal

Products I Like: Power Crunch protein energy bars

      Im always keeping my eyes open for new products that can help me, as well as other bariatric patients and dieters, with my protein rich dietary needs.  Yesterday I found myself visiting the pharmacy section at my local store to find some protein goodies I could take on my trip home to visit family and stumbled upon a line called Power Crunch.

french vanilla créme Nutrition Facts

     Most protein bars that I have come across are rather high in carbs and sugars.  With my dietary needs after surgery it is important to keep my daily intake of carbs under my daily intake of protein.  My store only had boxes of the french vanilla créme and chocolate mint so I bought one of each for my trip.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that these bars are high in protein while being lower in carbs and protein.  The vanilla créme for example offered 200 calories, 13g of fat, 8g of carbs, 5g of sugar, and 14g of protein per bar.  Now the fat content is a little high but still reasonable for a once a day treat.  These protein energy bars resemble a covered sugar wafer cookie and are surprisingly delicious.  I checked out their website, powercrunch.com, and learned that their bars come in 7 flavors; Peanut Butter Fudge, Triple Chocolate, Peanut Butter Créme, French Vanilla Créme, Cookies & Créme, Wild Berry Créme, & Chocolate Mint.  It also appears that the company is not limited to this protein bar alone and has other products available as well including other bars, drinks, and powders.  I look forward to keeping these in my arsenal of dietary needs.

Weigh In Day - Stick With One!

     So today was weigh in day. Since surgery I picked Friday to be the day that I step on the scale to see what my progress was regarding my weight-loss.  This past week things got a little mixed up and it reminded me of a very important lesson.

     Last week I stepped on the scale on Wednesday instead of Friday and used that number as my update.  A few days later I decided after going for a 16 mile bike ride to step on the scale and was immediately surprised to learn that I had lost four more pounds since stepping on the scale on Wednesday.  Then this morning I stepped on the scale and learned that I had actually gained 2 pounds back.  At first this kind of depressed me because this is the first time I had gained weight back since my surgery.  It wasn't until I looked at the recorded dates and amounts of my weight loss that are realize that I actually lost 2 pounds since last week regardless of the fact that my we had gone down and back up.

     This reminded me of how important it is to pick one date as your weigh in day and stick with that day because your weight can constantly fluctuate due to all kinds of things.  It is also important to pick a common time and stick with it.  So for example I have decided that Friday mornings before I get dressed for work is the perfect time for me to step on the scale and get an update on my weight-loss progress.  This way I am able to use a common point to monitor my progress.

Thoughts on progress. Entry No. 1

     This may become a ongoing part of my blog but I decided to take a moment and talk about my thoughts regarding my progress as well as concerns I am facing that I think is important for anyone on a weight loss journey.  Yeah I wanted my blog to be nothing but fun and excitement but I thin some serious moments are needed as well.

     So the other day I decided to reach into the depths of my closet and try on a pair of 36" width shorts I had purchased years back when I thought I could use it as motivation to loose weight.  To my surprise they fit quite comfortably! This past Friday was my weekly weigh in day and I had finally crossed into the 230s.  I think the last time I was in the 230s was 2009/2010. On a recent bike ride I tried on a new workout outfit and learned that a XL shirt and L shorts fit comfortably.  Sometimes I find myself in disbelief that I have lost almost 160 pounds and that my shirts have gone down three sizes and my pants now 5 sizes.

     My mind has really been focusing on the fact that I am in the 230s.  Like I said the last time I was in the 230s was around 2009/2010.  As my weight has always been a struggle for me from my teens till today the last time I can remember being in the 230s or lighter was 1999/2000 when I was 20/21.  Since I've never seemed to be able to maintain that weight or surpass it I have a nagging fear in the back of my head that I could easily hit relapse again and balloon back to a heavier weight as I have numerous times before.  I have also been observant of the fact that I know quite a few people that have had weight loss surgery at different stages of their life and have since gained some of that weight back.  I also know of a few people that had weight loss surgery around the same time I did and have lost a fraction of the weight that I have.  I consider myself very fortunate and in retrospect have had a re-understanding of the following  and would like to share it.

1) I, as well as anyone else on a weigh loss journey, must continue to work hard on this if I want to maintain my progress and success!

• If I wish to continue with my progress and success I must continue to put the work and effort into it.  That means watching what I eat, recording it in a diary, and must put in the time to be physically active.  Im glad Ive learned to enjoy riding a bike down the trail located near me but I also need to start making sure I find other things like going to the gym. This is especially important since there have been rainy days lately, and the bike I was using is currently being repaired.  That has easily become my excuse for not getting my physical activity in.

2) Weight loss surgery is not a quick fix!

•  I never thought this to begin with.  However I feel its important to remember this, as well as point it out for anybody contemplating having weight loss surgery!  Weight loss surgery is a tool, short and simple.  This tool helped me get where I am today and I need to remember, as I push towards my goal, that this is a one time only tool.  If I mess up and return to my care free sedentary lifestyle all my progress could be for nothing and there is no second surgery they can go in to do this all again!