Surgiversary and such

I had my 2 year surgiversary a couple of days ago.  Hard to believe it has been 2 years.  I am not home right now to be able to do my measurements and such.  I will have to do that when I get back home after the holidays.

I am disappointed in my 2nd year.  I had high hopes for what I was going to accomplish and not a whole lot of it came to fruition because of the various health issues I faced this year.  I did loose a little bit more weight - but not a whole lot - pretty negligible actually.  I am 120 pounds down from where I started.  I am in a size 10 and holding.  I would like to lose another 10-15 pounds and I really need to get this extra skin taken care of.  I need to get back to my running and get that half marathon under my belt.  Whenever I have tried to get back to my running I am still experiencing some pain in my abdomen.  I have also not completely said goodbye to the pancreatitis pain that I had experienced in the summer.  So I need to deal with that soon.  I have been firmly camped out in the Land of Denial for some time.  It's so pretty here.  But I'm just not ready to be dealing with doctors and such again.

I am a bit melancholy as I say goodbye to 2010.  I am not sure why.  I am anxious to bid adieu to this year with fervor.  It was not good to me by any means. 2011 has to be better, right?

Another fantastic recipe from The World According to Egg Face

I have been trying to get back to some basics with my eating.  A great way to do that is to follow Michelle Vicari and her WLS friendly recipes on her blog The World According to Egg Face.  She has some fantastic recipes on there. 

Today I tried her Ricota Bake Cups.  Oh good moogli googli.  Fantastic.

Shelly's Ricotta Bake Cups


1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Tablespoon Parmesan, grated
1 Egg Yolk
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasonings (Oregano, Basil, Garlic Blend)
a few twists of Black Pepper
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Large Pepperoni Slices (from deli department, not prepackaged)


Mix all ingredients together (except mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices) till well blended.



Place a pepperoni slice in each hole of a mini muffin tin. Spoon a tablespoon of ricotta mixture into each pepperoni "cup" sprinkle top with a pinch of mozzarella cheese.



Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and remove from tin. Reheat in toaster oven or broiler.


OH MAN - it's so good.

Get. You. Some.

You will get what you ask for.

The family and I watched Evan Almighty tonight.  It's one of my favorite movies.  I love to be reminded of how it has never been easy to follow God.  Looking at the story of Noah - a story I have known forever - but looking at it in a different way ...  It could not have been easy to be Noah - or his family for that matter.  We read the story and in the Bible it's pretty straightforward - God told him to build an ark and he did it.  But can you imagine? 

Or how about Mary?  Seriously?  A young girl has to not only convince her fiance she didn't cheat on him - but live with the stares and the rumors and the gossip.  Not only for her pregnancy - but probably the rest of her life.

There is a quote from the movie that always gets to me.

Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?

Now I don't know about you - but I stopped praying for patience a long time ago.   I HATE opportunities to be patient.  UGH.  And yet apparently I still need that lesson.  But have you ever found that when you pray for different things you expect God to just give them to you - but instead he gives you opportunities to exercise that muscle.  So be careful what you pray for.  :)
 
For instance ...
 
Lord, use me in my husband's life.
Lord, I want to shine for you at work.
 
Even the mundane like ...
 
Lord - thank you for this tool that is WLS to help me make these changes in my life. 
 
Whoops - now I've got to exercise that muscle.  Great.
 
God never promised us that life would be easy - only that He would be with us all the way.  I think most of all - He wants us to reach out for His hand and allow Him to lead us and help us.
 
So be on the look out for the opportunities He is giving you to get just what you prayed for.  :)

I so get this

Someone just pointed me to this article on the link in the brain between overeating and drug use.

Overeating, like drugs use, Rewards and Alters the Brain

It is a good read and can explain to those who don't unerstand why some people just can't diet their way out of obesity.