Sigma957 - 2011

[sigma957]

Just using this journal as a way to record my progress.

1/1/11 320.2 (usual morning fasting blood sugar around 210)
1/2/11 started McDougalling
1/3/11 319.4 bs 182!

My blood sugar has not been good, and I'm happy with the quick response with the morning fasting sugar.

Sunday's meals:
B- hashbrowns, bbq sauce
L - 2 bowls Mary's bean soup, homemade baked tortilla chips, hummus sandwich with cukes and tomatos
D - mashed potatoes, 2 garden veggie patties

Decided lack of veggies other than the corn in the soup and that's really a starch.

Today it will be hashbrowns for breakfast, and I'm making a chickpea and cabbage soup recipe from fellow Portlander Isa Moskovitz.

Barbara

[sigma957]

Interesting thing I ran across today while making my breakfast. I decided to have a can of Fred Meyer french cut green beans, no salt added. Only ingredients are beans and water.

Then, I read the heating directions. They were interesting.

For the microwave - drain slightly. if desired, reserving excess liquid for use in soups, stews or gravies.

The stovetop directions were the best though.

'Drain liquid into saucepan and boil down to one-half. This saves flavor and food value.' Then add beans, heat and season.

I decided to try the stovetop method. I tasted the liquid before heating and it definitely had a green bean flavor. Cooked it down, seasoned with onion powder and dill. (I love dill with green beans!). It was good.

I've also been making baked tortilla chips. Nothing on them. One thing I noticed when eating them is that they have a lot more flavor. You can actually taste the corn. Not just the oil and salt and artificial flavors spread on them.

Just stuff I found interesting.

Barbara

[sigma957]

Okay, a good day of healthy eating today.
Monday 1/3/10 menu

B - hash browns with salsa, green beans with dill and soy sausage patties
L - chickpea and cabbage soup (link to the recipe), 1 slice toasted rye bread, orange
D - more soup, 1 slice toasted rye bread, salad with tomatoes and salsa for dressing

The salad with salsa was an experiment. It tasted pretty good. The rye bread comes from Dr Barnards diabetes book.

The soup was good, still have about 2 bowls full left. A strange breakfast I know, but I'm trying to get more veggies.

Barbara

[jsl]

Nothing wrong with veggies for breakfast!!

[sigma957]

jsl, thanks for stopping by!

Okay, first my food for yesterday, Tuesday 1/4/11

B- hash browns with bbq sauce, small can of corn, 2 soy sausage patties
Snack - homemade baked chips with salsa
L - stir fry with fiesta veggies, ww thin spaghetti and MSF chick'n strips.
D - cabbage and chickpea soup

I wasn't real hungry yesterday, which is good. I know the chick'n strips are processed soy, but I wanted to try them. Not so great really. I may toss what I have in the freezer. The sausage patties I enjoy, but I may cut back on them.

Today I'm back at work. I made roasted chickpeas for a snack, no oil of course! I also have an orange and a banana. I just finished my breakfast (which I eat at work as well) steel cut oats with cinnamon and a bit of agave nectar. And yes, two sausage patties. For lunch I have Mary's bean soup with chips, and a hummus sandwich with cucumber and tomato.

For emergencies at work, I have two containers of Minute ready to serve brown rice. They aren't perfect, but they are better than any other option available to me at work.

Barbara

[jsl]

Emergency food at work is always good - you just never know when you need them! I wish I had a place at work to store some...

[sigma957]

Well, my weight was down 2 pounds today (haven't upgraded the ticker yet) and my blood sugar this am was 170. Last week it was 208. It's come down about 20 points just in the last few days!

My meals yesterday, Wednesday 1/5/11
B - oatmeal with cinnamon and agave, soy sausage patties
Snacks - banana, orange, roasted chickpeas, chips w/salsa
L- Bean soup with homemade chips, rye with hummus, tomato and cucumber
D - spanish rice and beans

I actually had too much to eat for lunch, either less soup or 1/2 sandwich would have been enough. I'm not as hungry as I usually am, I've noticed. My partner is going out of town today for 8 days, so less temptations while I really get going on eating well.

Today will be pretty much the same, bean burritos for lunch. Not sure about dinner yet.

Oh, and I slept for 5 hours straight tonight. That is unusually long for me. I'm very happy about that!

Barbara

[jsl]

That's all great news!!! Lost weight, lower blood sugars, more sleep!! Yay!

[sigma957]

Jenny, thanks for the encouragement!

I did great today. Here's my food for today.

Thursday 1/6/11
B- oatmeal with cinnamon and agave, 2 soy sausage patties.
L - 2 bean burritos, ww tortilla, salsa, tomatoes
snacks - roasted chickpeas, banana, orange, 1/2 sandwich on rye with hummus and cucumbers
d - homemade marinara with ww spaghetti and some mock meatballs.

I was slightly hungry at times at work but very very mild hunger. And when I am eating, I am trying to just get full, not stuffed. Still working out how much food to bring to work.

AND! Today at work a customer sent over 2 huge sheet cakes, pies and doughnuts. I had to walk past all that at least 6-7 times today and didn't even flinch. My food was just so much tastier.

I am still on all my meds, but I did check my blood pressure just a few minutes ago. It was 120/71, which is lower than I usually got before with meds and no McDougalling.

I am having spaghetti again for tomorrow. My marinara sauce came out quite tasty for a quick throw together. Some baked chips and salsa for a snack and maybe some salad with salsa for dressing. Not sure whether to have spaghetti twice (breakfast and lunch) or maybe get up early enough (2am yuck) to have hash browns.

Barbara

[sigma957]

At work at 4am as usual today. Had an interesting breakfast.

Had some bean soup with homemade chips, a slice of rye toast and salad with salsa. I've been trying the salad with salsa as dressing and I'm getting to like it. However, I don't think salad at this hour of the morning is really going to work for me. The soup and bread was very good and quite filling.

I've got a lot of good stuff for today. Made more spaghetti for lunch. For snacks I have an orange, banana, a few roasted chickpeas, and chips with salsa.

And!! My fasting blood sugar this morning was 155, 15 points down from yesterday!! I know this steady downward progression could stop or vary day to day, but I'm still thrilled! I am still on my full meds, but we will see where this goes.

Barbara

[sigma957]

Another good day!

Meals for today, Friday 1/7/11

B- bean soup, chips, rye toast, salad with salsa
L - spaghetti with marinara and mock meatballs
Snacks - orange, banana, chips with salsa
D - what I call POT -potatoes, onions, teriyaki

The teriyaki sauce I use is Annie Chun's. It's a little pricey, but completely McD legal and tasty.

Still gauging how much to eat. I was a little hungry this morning, but nothing much. I do have to remind myself to have more veggies in my meals.

I haven't told anyone at work about how I'm eating now. We'll see if anyone notices. Although, one lady did say that my bean soup smelled wonderful.

Tomorrow, more spaghetti and some bean burritos with beans and spanish rice. I'm also planning to write a post about meals and recipes tomorrow.

Barbara

[sigma957]

The title of this post says it all. I've read a lot when changing the way you eat to find a few recipes that you like and can eat again and again. Because that is what we do, with any sort of diet. We have a limited array of recipes we usually choose from. So that is what I am trying to do this month.

So far, some keepers. I do my own variation on Mary's bean soup, which is on one of the DVD's I have (forget which one). Very quick to make, and I make just enough for two bowls full.

I made a quick marinara sauce today, easy to make again, and very tasty. I like it with ww (whole wheat) thin spaghetti and mock meatballs. The meatballs are either Ian's or Trader Joe's brand.

Bean burritos. I actually find myself thinking about having these when it's slow at work. I really do enjoy eating them. I doctor up some fat free refried beans and I make a quick spanish rice. And they are quick to make up in the morning before work.

I've found I'm enjoying the rye bread, hummus, cucumber, tomato sandwiches as well.

Hashbrowns, very good and I think I've finally figured out how to get them crisp in my pan. I like them with either salsa or bbq sauce.

Oatmeal, kinda. I will keep eating it at least 2 days a week. But I can't handle it much more than that. I do enjoy the steel cut oats WAY more than regular oatmeal.

One thing I haven't had yet, but I know I love, is a recipe for potato corn chowder, non-dairy of course.

I like rice and beans, mixed up with some salsa. Also mashed potatoes with veggie burgers.

I'll keep trying to find more things I can eat regularly.

Barbara

[jsl]

You sound like you are doing awesome! I'm so happy for you! Yay

[sigma957]

jsl, thanks for stopping by!

I just got back from lunch and I realized something. I used to get heartburn or acid reflux at least once a week and sometimes more often. Since I started this, I've been eating a lot of food with chili powder, and salsas. No heartburn or acid reflux at all since starting. That is so cool!

Btw, lunch was great. Refried beans and spanish rice in whole wheat tortillas, with some salsa put on top on each bite. YUM!

Barbara

[sigma957]

Keeping on and eating good!

Today's meals Saturday 1/8/11

B- ww spaghetti w/marinara and mock meatballs
L- bean/rice burritos with salsa
Snacks - kiwi, rye toast with hummus and cucumbers, last of the roasted chickpeas
D- mashed potatoes, ff gravy, 2 veggie burgers

I had planned to have the last of the marinara with polenta rounds, but it didn't sound appealing when I got home. So I made some potatoes, some ff gravy and two MSF garden veggie patties. Very tasty, very satisfying and very comforting. It's cold here and threatening snow, and it just felt good to have it.

Mashed potatoes were just 3 smallish russets, peeled, boiled, mixed with some plain almond milk, s&p and some garlic powder. Gravy was Hain's fat free. Very quick and tasty.

The spaghetti for breakfast was very filling and kept me full for quite a long time today.

Next three days are off. Looking forward to more good food and continuing to feel better.

Barbara