Citrus Shrimp Salad

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  
  


• 1 medium head cabbage, shredded
  
  


• 3 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  
  


• ⅓ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
  
  


• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  
  


• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  
  


• 1 cup watercress, chopped
  
  


• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
  
  


• ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
  
  


• 1 clove garlic
  
  


• 2 tbsp honey
  
  


• Non-fat cooking spray
  
  


• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (optional)
  
  


• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)
  
  

Preparation:

• In a food processor, add the lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce and red pepper flakes, blend until smooth.
  
  


• Pour lemon juice mixture into a medium bowl then add shrimp. Toss to coat evenly, cover with plastic wrap then marinate in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  
  


• Add the watercress, cabbage, and carrot in a large serving bowl and mix until combined.
  
  


• Whisk together the lime juice and honey in a small bowl then pour over salad mix. Toss until well-coated.
  
  


• Spray a small skillet with non-fat cooking spray. Pour shrimp with the marinade into the pan and cook over medium-high heat until shrimp is completely pink in the center (about 3 minutes).
  
  


• Place cooked shrimp in center of salad and sprinkle with optional basil and peanuts.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount Per Serving(¼ of recipe (420 g)): 271 Calories, 28 g Protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 7 g Dietary Fiber, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 172 mg cholesterol, 363 mg sodium

New Dietary Guidelines Coming June 2

New Guidelines --- Now What?

Stick with us at LivingAfterWLS and we will work through how the new guidelines work with our "Protein First" dietary requirements. This new dietary icon marks a change in the health strategy promoted by the USDA and we will show you how to make it work for you, your WLS, and your family.

Stacked Vegetable Salad

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant, slice lengthwise about ¼” thick and cut each slice crosswise in half.
  
  


• 2 medium portobello mushrooms (about 4-5" in diameter)
  
  


• ½ cup mixed salad greens
  
  


• 2 fresh tomato, sliced
  
  


• ¼ cup goat cheese (or Cheddar cheese)
  
  


• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
  


• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  
  


• Non-fat cooking spray
  
  


• Fresh oregano (optional)
  
  

Preparation:

• Preheat broiler.
  
  


• Remove stems from portobello mushrooms then wipe the smooth surface of the mushroom with a paper towel to remove any excess soil.
  
  


• Spray a cookie sheet with non-fat cooking spray. Place eggplant pieces and mushrooms (gill-side up) on the sheet then lightly spray vegetables with cooking spray. Broil about 5” or 2nd to the top shelf level of the oven from the broiler until eggplant starts turning golden brown (about 7-10 minutes).
  
  


• Remove roasted vegetables from oven. Place the portobellos, gill-side up on salad plates. Add a layer of greens then a slice of tomato. Spread 1 tbsp of the goat cheese on the tomato then add an eggplant slice. Repeat starting with the greens 3 more times.
  
  


• Drizzle each stack each with ½ tbsp olive oil and 11/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar then sprinkle with desired amount of fresh oregano.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount Per Serving(¼ of recipe (246 g)): 117 Calories, 5 g Protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 5 g Dietary Fiber, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 53 mg sodium

Cabbage Salad with Caraway and Raisins

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cabbage
  
  


• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
  
  


• 6 tbsp raisins
  
  


• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  
  


• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  
  


• ½ cup walnuts or almonds, chopped
  
  


• 5 tbsp low-sodium vegetable stock
  
  


• 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
  
  


• Salt and pepper, to taste
  
  

Preparation:

• Thinly shred cabbage using a sharp knife or mandoline.
  
  


• Heat oil in a large-sized skillet or wok, over medium-high heat. Add scallions and stir fry for about 1 minute. Add the cabbage and stir fry for about 3 minutes. Add the raisins, nuts, vegetable stock and cook, stirring often until cabbage is lightly softened (about 3-4 minutes).
  
  


• Remove from stove and pour cabbage mixture in a large-sized bowl. Add caraway seeds, mint and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Toss until well coated.
  
  

Make 4 Servings:

Weight Loss Recipes Amount Per Serving(¼ of recipe (188 g)): 214 Calories, 5 g Protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 5 g Dietary Fiber, 14 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 32 mg sodium

Photo's

I have added new photos to my shrinking drama here: Photo Gallery Feb 2007 to Present

I must admit I am not impressed with the size of my arse! It looks a gazillion times fatter and like, rounder!! I don't know what the hell is going on, but it must just be that the pants fit better and it's covering more of it or something. I can see definite changes around my middle and back and so it physically cannot be bigger, but still *sniffs*

I am a couple of kg's under my surgery weight now, so that's making me feel better, but I seem to have lost restriction over the last 4 or 5 days. Dramatically so.

Since my last fill I have been subsisting on, for breakfast maybe a green tea or a mint tea, soup for lunch and then a portion of the family dinner in the evening. It would take me ages to eat, and I find (contrary to every other bandster in the land it would seem) that sitting at the table to eat is not good for me. I sit on the sofa and eat my dinner after everyone else has had theirs. it worked.

Yesterday, however, I made lunch for DS and I - jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn - and ate it. Then went to TB's daughter's party and had a piece of banana bread, piece of chocolate cake, jam and cheese sandwich and a tomato. All were just over bite size, but I still managed them no chokes.

 

Then we came home and I cooked for the lodgers - chickpea curry. I was hungry so had a bowl of it in the car en route to our mates G an R for the evening. We ordered a Domino's Pizza there and I had 4 slices of Veggie Volcano over the hour and a half we were there.

 

We came home and I had some more of the chickpeas curry in a bowl.

None of these were earth shatteringly massive portions, but this is A HUUUUUUGE amount compared to say 2 weeks ago.

2 weeks ago I would never have been able to eat banana bread or cake or pizza!!!!

So, my loss seems to be making my little friend Albert take a back seat.

I am deliberating on whether to call in reinforcements, or give it a week or two and see what happens...

I have never been in this situation before. I know that seems really hard to believe, but I have never had a great restriction which suddenly disappears and the tell tale signs like you all get.

I should maybe be unhappy about this but I am actually thinking "Sweet lord, this thing is doing what it does for other mortals!!!" and enjoying the experience. At least with this experience and sensation I have been reading about on blogs for over 4 years and know it's normal!!

 

So to fill or not to fill... I dunno yet, but will of course tell you when I do. I am currently hungry so am off in search of succor...