My Recipe for Scrumptious Quesadillas

One of the new staples in my house is my wonderful chicken cooked in the crock pot that I use to make quesadillas with.  I just came up with it one day, and did it ever turn out awesome!  And, it's low carb, relatively good on calories for a dinner and super good on the protein, too.

The nutritional information for 1 quesadilla using the ingredients listed is:  515 calories; 35g carbs; a whopping 36.5g protein; 10.3g saturated fat; and 4g fiber.  (Serving: 1 quesadilla)

You can lower the overall calories and carbs by choosing reduced fat cheese, reduced fat sour cream, and  healthier tortillas such as Smart & Delicious brand.

Ingredients:

About 3 average sized chicken breasts, frozen
1 medium onion, diced
1 small can diced green chiles
2 8oz pkgs shredded cheese, like colby jack or cheddar
1 pkg fajita size flour tortillas (I used Wal-Mart's Great Value brand at 80 calories each)
1 pkg taco seasoning (Please see this post for clean, easily home made taco seasoning)
Sour Cream
Salsa
Non-stick pan spray

1.  Place frozen chicken, diced onion and can of green chiles in a crock pot.

2.  Set the timer for 5 or 6 hours on low, or about 4 hours on high.
3.  After the chicken has cooked through, use two forks (or a fork and knife) to pull the chicken into shreds.  It will be very tender and it is very easy to do.  Do not drain the liquid from the crock pot, btw.
4.  Add in 1 packet of taco seasoning and stir it all up.

5.  Hopefully you have a griddle, otherwise you can use a large skillet over med-high heat.  Spray the surface lightly with pan spray.
6.  Using your digital kitchen scale I suggested you buy, measure out 3 oz of chicken.   (I measured out 2.5 oz in this photo because I had extra people to feed and didn't have a lot of chicken to begin with.)

7.  Put tortillas on griddle and spread chicken to cover tortilla.  Use a measuring cup to measure out 1/2 cup cheese and spread on top of chicken.

8.  Put another tortilla on top and spray the tops lightly with cooking spray.  Let cook for a few minutes.
9.  After about 3 minutes lift up a quesadilla to check if the bottom is lightly browned and crispy.  When the bottom is done, carefully flip over each quesadilla with a spatula and cook the other side.
10.  Place on a plate and cut into quarters (a pizza cutter makes it super easy).  Serve with salsa and sour cream.  For more yumminess, also serve with guacamole and you can maybe put sliced olives inside the tortilla as well.  Just make sure you figure up the added calories and carbs for whatever toppings you choose. (note:  included in the nutritional information is 2 Tbsp each sour cream and salsa.)

btw, this makes the house smell awesome as it cooks in the crock pot.  I hope you enjoy my recipe for quesadillas.  The amount of carbs fits in perfectly with the diabetic guidelines.

If you'd like to drop me a line, I'm at happyfairylove@live.com.

Enjoy!
Lisa

(Almost) Guilt-Free Decadence

For some people complete abstinence from sweets is the only way that works, because for them it is a landslide...one taste and they go haywire and crave more and more sugary treats.  I have a very good friend, as a matter of fact, for whom this is the only way to go.  For her it works.

For me, it doesn't.  My thought process is that by allowing yourself treats that are not as loaded with carbs, fat and overall calories, you will have your craving satisfied and can refrain from binging.  If I didn't allow myself treats (I have a small something every day as a matter of fact), I would go absolutely insane and go on a binge-fest.  But, seeing as how I am trying to stay in the 1400 calorie per day range, at 180g carbs/day, and at or under 7% saturated fat a day, (more on that another day) I have to be very choosey about what I decide to indulge in.

One of my most favorite things is ice cream!  Creamy, rich, luxurious, cold bites of yumminess...I'm smiling just thinking about it.  I thought I wouldn't be able to have any again.  One of the hard parts is getting a big container of ice cream and then limiting myself to just one 1/2 cup serving.  Sorry, but that just ain't happening.  My very favorite used to be Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie in the pint container.  How many servings is that?  One, if you ask me!  But no.  It's actually FOUR 1/2 cup servings.  Riiiight.  Do you know how many calories are in a serving?  Better yet, I'll tell you the nutritional facts of the whole container because that's how I used to polish them off.  Ready for this? 1040 calories!  36g saturated fat! 128g carbs!  Holy cow it makes me cringe in horror at the thought of that's what I used to have.  Well, sometimes if I was "being good" I'd only have 1/2 a container.  lol like that would really make a difference.  The point is:

No more Ben & Jerry's for me!  So what is a girl to do when the unbearable craving for some good ice cream hits?  I have the perfect solution.  Skinny Cow ice cream in the single serving containers!  Single serving is great because it means there is no room to over indulge.  To replace the B&J Chocolate Fudge Brownie I first tried Skinny Cow Chocolate Fudge Brownie.   

Hallelujah!

Oh, I thought I had died and gone to Heaven!  It is rich and creamy, just the way good ice cream should be.  Chocolatey and delicious!  Each container has 150 calories, just 1g of saturated fat, 29g carbs, and it even has 4g fiber and 5g protein for good measure!  What a glorious concoction.

But wait!  There's more!  I got daring and decided to try a different flavor.  Tonight I had Skinny Cow Caramel Cone.  Holy cow! (Nope, Skinny Cow) It was absolutely Heavenly, and it is now my new favorite!

Now, I have to tell you that mine did not look like this picture.  Sorry, I should have taken a photo of my actual container before I devoured it.  Mine had one pocket of caramel off to the side, so with each little bite I gave a little dip into that golden pool of goodness.  In addition to the caramel, it had little bits of chocolatey crunchies in it.  Yum-o!  This single serving of ice cream has a few more calories at 160, 2g saturated fat, 33g carbs, 4g fiber and 4g protein. 

Granted, these are not treats I would have every single day, but for that "omg I need some ice cream" moment, you have got to try the Skinny Cow ice creams.  Take little bites, though.  A single serving doesn't last long if you go at it like I used to when hitting a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's.  I will for sure be buying the Caramel Cone again.  I'm sure it varies in different parts of the country, but for me it was cheapest for $1.22 at my Super Wal-Mart.

Learn to have treats in moderation, of course.  And buying single serving packaging can really help in not over-eating a sweet delight.  I cannot wait to try the strawberry cheesecake flavor!

Want to contact me?  I'm at happyfairylove@live.com.

Happy Treats!
Lisa

Houston, We Have a Problem!

What is the very first step toward a healthy lifestyle?  Admitting you over eat!  Once you can fully grasp what is going into your mouth, the sooner you will be on the road to a new you.  My recommendation to you is to log (honestly and completely) what you put in your mouth for at least 1 full week, maybe even 2 to get a better picture.  It can be as simple as a little notebook, 1 page for each day.  To be very accurate you should list individual ingredients.  I would list the food, the amount, the calories and carbs for a start.  Now, one of the biggest problems people have is what "looks" like a cup.  Or what they "believe" is a serving.  You are almost never correct.  Believe me!  If you want to take your health seriously, I would highly suggest investing in a simple digital kitchen scale (mine can weigh in oz, g, kg and lbs).  Also for measuring, get ready to use your measuring cups and spoons.  Weigh and measure your foods to get a real good reality check.  Did you know that one serving of spaghetti is only 1/2 Cup?!  And how much do you really eat for dinner?

My digital scale, $20 from Wal-Mart.

What is the second step toward a healthy lifestyle?  Realizing that diets don't work!  A "diet" is perceived as a temporary thing.  Once people get to their desired weight, they usually start eating the way they did before, which inevitably leads to gaining all, and in most cases more than, of what you lost.  Another interesting thing about a "diet" is that it contains the word "die".  So for these reasons I do not consider myself on a diet.  It is not temporary, nor will it kill me.  Instead, I am on a "live-it" because that's what you have to do...live a new lifestyle.

Once you realize that diets don't work, then you can start making changes to your new live-it.  There are sooo many different eating plans out there.  I've been on Weight Watchers, the 6 Week Body Makeover, Atkins and plain old starvation.  Sure, they worked temporarily, like I said.  But obviously since I was 275 lbs just a few months ago they didn't work for the long term.  Don't get me wrong, and don't send me hate mail.  Some of these programs work very well for some people.  From what I have gathered, though, they don't work for many people for the long term.

I started my live-it instinctively and also from information all over the internet, and I decided to just change one thing at a time.  As it turns out, my nutritionist and life coach says that if you want to make permanent changes in your life, they need to be gradual.  Too many things all at once is too hard to manage.  Don't make it hard on yourself.  Look through your food journal and ask yourself, "Where can I make improvements?" 

For me, I knew I had to give up my addiction and abundant indulgence in Mountain Dew.  Oh my gosh...just hook me straight to the tap!  I realized I was drinking 9000 calories a week!  That right there is 2.5 lbs worth of calories that I don't need.  My doctor told me though that since I'm on a medication that has a side affect of making people crave carbs, switching to a non-sweet drink will spell instant doom on my efforts.  He suggested I switch to diet.  UGH!  Diet sucks!!!  I knew I had to do it though.  But for permanent, long-term change, I did it gradually.  I mixed my soda half regular and half diet.  Oh, Lordy was it awful.  But after a few days I got used to it.  Over the next week or so I gradually reduced the regular and increased the diet.  Now I exclusively drink diet, and i don't mind it!  But it has to be Fry's brand generic diet Mountain Dew or Lemon Lime.  I seriously can't stand diet Pepsi or Coke or anything like that.  I don't even like real diet Mountain Dew.  But I found something that works for me, and I can stick to it.

Thank Heaven for Diet Citrus Drop!!! I go through 6 2-liter bottles a week!

That's an example.  And another thing, because I just know some people out there are just fuming over me suggesting to drink the chemicals and sodium in diet soda (and as much as I drink it)...  A) It works for me.  B) It was also recommended by my doctor.  C)  There really isn't that much sodium in diet soda.  Just saying. 

So pinpoint the things you want to change.  Here are some other ideas:  Switch to olive or canola oil; switch to whole wheat pasta (Super Wal-Marts have a great selection of whole wheat pasta); buy whole grain breads; start getting in the habit of reading nutritional labels; start weighing and measuring your food; increase your fruits and vegetables; reduce your overall calories and carbs; start walking around the block; eat more protein; eat less snacks.  The list can go on and on, and the thing is there is no "correct" list.  It's a list that you come up with for yourself individually.  Sure, some of your things may be the same as some other people's, but not everyone needs to work on the same exact things.  BUT ONLY CHANGE ONE THING AT A TIME!  Get used to it, incorporate the change into your daily life comfortably.  Then change the next thing. 

There's my recommendations for you today.  Admit you have a problem, get a reality check on what you really consume, realize "diets" don't work, and make a list of things you want to improve.  Then start slowly making those changes.  That's a good start.

Feel free to email me at happyfairylove@live.com or comment here.  Again, I am not trying to say there is one correct way to make your lifestyle changes.  The important thing is "what works for you".  So don't beat me up, k? :)

Take Care,
Lisa

My History, My Diagnosis, My Goals

A little bit about me.  Growing up I almost always struggled with my weight.  I definitely did not have the perfect supermodel body.  Nope.  I am short (5'2" at my tallest, now shrunk to 5'nothin'), and I've got a large frame.  I never was, nor will I ever be, a size 0, 2, or even a 4 for that matter.  I remember as a kid wearing long pants to hide my legs, because even then I was self-conscious of my legs, big calves and thighs.  And my brothers didn't help much by nick-naming me "Bubble Butt".

There was a point, when I was 15, that I got fed up with my weight problems.  So I did what a lot of teenage girls do...I starved myself.  I never ate breakfast.  I ate diet caramel "candies" for lunch to take away the hunger, but they still gave me the feeling of eating candy. And I barely ate anything for dinner.  To increase my weight loss I started working out with weights several times a week and also played racquetball almost every day.  I got down to 115 pounds, and I wore a size 5.  But you know what?  It looked terrible on my frame.  You could see my ribs in my back...ick.  Even then, though, I still thought I was fat.

I managed to stay at a reasonable 125ish for quite a few years.  Up until I married Jeff in 1994 and started having more kids.  Then I couldn't keep from gaining.  Speed up a few years, and my weight troubles got even worse when I started taking some medications that made me absolutely ravenous.  I couldn't eat enough.  And, to top it off, (although I didn't find this out until just a few months ago from my new doctor) one of my medications is also used to give to anorexic patients to MAKE them crave sugary foods to gain weight.  No wonder I've ballooned up to where I'm at!

I went to a new general physician in February, 2012 to try to get a handle on my health, which I have sorely neglected for quite a long time.  Denial, really.  It was a real eye opener when he told me if I don't lose weight he's going to be telling me soon that I'm diabetic.  I told him about my frustrations.  It didn't seem like I ate that much, but I kept gaining and gaining and gaining for over 5 years.  It was a life-changing moment when he handed me a pamphlet on the lap-band surgery.  I almost burst into tears right then.  Has my situation become so desperate, I thought, that my only option was to have major surgery to force me to stop eating?

Sure enough, when my blood tests came back I had Type 2 diabetes with an A1C of 6.5, my blood pressure was out the roof, and all my cholesterol levels were bad.  Not good.  After I cried a few times over a few weeks, I started to get my resolve back.  I am NOT going to let this get the better of me.  I am NOT going to be on Metformin and Victoza for diabetes forever, nor am I going to be on Simvastatin for cholesterol problems forever.  Being bi-polar does sometimes work to my advantage.  I get manic and super-focused.  My new hobby became my health.  I am NOT going to get beat by all the problems my weight has caused.  Google became my best friend.

I am really embarrassed to admit this to the world, but when I first started seeing my doctor in Februrary, I weighed in at 275 pounds!!!  How did I let it get so out of control?  My goal is to get to 135 pounds by my huband's birthday next year...8/24/13.  I need to lose 140 pounds...that's more than some adults weigh.  I need to lose an ENTIRE person!  140 pounds is also equivalent to 560 sticks of butter!  Imagine all that ooey, gooey, greasy butter sitting in a big pile.  Yep.  Lovely thought, huh? It is also my goal to have an A1C of 5.5...without the help of medications.


What I would like to share with you through my journey are the things I have discovered (and am continuing to discover) from my endless hours of searching the 'net for information on diabetes, diets, recipes, etc.  I now also have a professional  nutritionist and life-change coach that my insurance actually pays for.  So I consult with her once a month.  In addition to that I am now going to my doctor on a regular basis, about every 2 months or so.  My A1C is being monitored, along with my daily glucose readings at home.

Feel free to leave comments here...I will answer you back personally if you have reply enabled to your email, otherwise I will just comment back here.  If you'd like to contact me directly, please feel free at happyfairylove@live.com. 

Best wishes,
Lisa