Fat Frog Diary

Lemon and Herb Rubbed Pork Chops Ingredients 1-1/2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed 1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 8 cloves garlic, minced 4 pork loin chops, cut 1-1/4 inches thick Directions For rub, in a small bowl combine lemon peel, rosemary, salt, sage, pepper, and garlic. Trim fat from chops. Sprinkle rub evenly over both sides of chops; rub in with your fingers. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place chops on grill rack over pan. Cover; grill for 35 to 40 minutes or until chops are slightly pink in centerand juices run clear (160F), turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as above.) Makes 4 chops. Nutrition Facts Calories 292,Total Fat (g) 10,Saturated Fat (g) 4,Monounsaturated Fat (g) 5,Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1,Cholesterol (mg) 105,Sodium (

It's been a stressful two months with my husband out of work. We saw financial ruin at every turn and panicked daily at 3 AM. I'm a stress eater, and for awhile there I tested my band and hovered at gaining weight despite a band with close to 9 cc's in it. I gained and lost, adding more unnecessary stress to my life. Even when I thought I was watching my carbs, I refused to keep a food log. I truly believed I was limiting my stress by allowing myself some freedom. (Self-delusion time! Call me Cleopatra, Queen of Denial!) This weekend, I decided "enough is enough" and went back to my doctor's advice about keeping a food log. Immediately, I got results. The two pounds I'd gained dropped off me, and I was shocked to discover I once again –quite deservedly, I might add!-- had to go through with withdrawal from my carb addiction. I'm now back on track and less than one pound away from where I was when all my troubles and stress began. I now know the value o

MON TUES WED THURS FRI 05.22.09   BBQ season is here again. YAYAY! Here's our official 2009 BBQ Survival Guide, guaranteed to get you through any and all outdoor eating events...   

Eat this, not that!   Wow, you'd think you were eating healthy?   http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/30464/the-worst-drive-thru-foods-in-america-and-what-to-eat-instead/   Lena Austin http://www.LenaAustin.com http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com  

Wow! And to think I paid a lot more for this!   http://www.amazon.com/Phase-Low-Carb-Recipes-Better-Gardens/dp/0696222558/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1242546395&sr=11-1 This cookbook taught me to make a frittata in a snap, has the best and easiest Steak au Poivre I've ever seen, and the Swiss Chard with Peppered Bacon is so good, I decided to grow Swiss Chard in my garden. (I bake the bacon instead of frying, but who cares?) I'm anxiously awaiting my first crop of zucchini, just so I can make the Broiled Zucchini Slices recipe. The carb count journal in the back is a nice bonus, but I use www.fitday.com so it was unimportant to me.     Lena Austin http://www.LenaAustin.com http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com  

Daily Dish Could the Scale Lie? Don't be discouraged if your weight fluctuates day by day. Shifts in water weight, constipation, and even the food you just ate can cause the daily changes you see on the scale. To avoid confusion and disappointment, weigh yourself only once a week. Let how much healthier you feel and how your clothes are fitting become your "scale." These daily weight changes are particularly common during Phase 1, when your body is adjusting to the new way of eating. You may also notice that you weigh more immediately after a meal. This is due to the actual weight of the food and not to any fat weight you've gained. Remember that it takes time for your body to digest food, and it can take a couple of days for weight loss or weight gain to register on the scale.  http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/publicsite/dailydish/dd_20090514.aspx   Lena Austin http://www.lenaaustin.com/ http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com/  

Did you know that little $3 cup of gourmet coffee is costing you more than the whopping 370 calories and 48 carbs for the "tall" (small) size? If you only drink one three times a week, that's $432 a year, and do we need to discuss the carbs? I have heard so many people say they can't afford to eat healthy. You can afford to eat healthy when you cut out some of the little expenses that you don't even realize are affecting your budget.   But for some people, they've already cut out luxuries like coffee out and meals out. How can they make cut out even more "fluff" to make the room financially for healthy eating? Here are a few ideas:   1)  Drink only water . Juices, sodas and the like are expensive and can really kill your grocery budget. If you prefer bottled water, get an inexpensive water filtration system from a big box store—no, not "perfect" but it will certainly take most of the stuff out of the tap water you don't want to d

Today I went to Dr. Baptista, well aware that I'd lost very little weight. It's official. I've lost only two pounds. I'm not surprised, considering how much I've been stress eating, and my beloved saboteur DH has been dangling the irresistible temptations in front of me, like ice cream. Still, despite my confessions that my lack of weight loss was my fault, he still gave me a fill of 1.5 cc's. If this doesn't put me in the sweet spot, nothing will.   Lena Austin http://www.LenaAustin.com http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com

We just tried this recipe last night! Delish! And only 13g of carbs! http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u323/voiceomt2002/Recipes/Recipes-%20Chicken%20and%20Poultry/CrockPosole.jpg   Lena Austin http://www.LenaAustin.com http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com

When I first began my journey toward having a LapBand, I was told an odd fact: a fair percentage of bandsters often end up with other issues such as alcoholism. I thought that rather odd, and considered myself very well-adjusted. I couldn't imagine developing such a horrible problem back then.   I can now. What's more, I now understand why.   I'm  a stress eater. When I get under stress, I run to the refrigerator, not a bottle. That is, I did until I was banded. While I can still swallow those naughty treats, I don't keep many around anymore. Even ice cream, which slides past my band like it wasn't even there isn't available as much anymore, long as I avoid temptation while in the grocery store.    But where does that leave me when under stress? I don't smoke. I can't eat sweets and junk because I don't keep them around the house. Booze? Yes, it's here. I keep a small stock for cooking.    Now I can see how some bandsters, deprived of t

Midnight Snacks Are you a night owl who sometimes gets the midnight munchies? It's okay to add a late-night snack to your meal plan, particularly during Phase 1 of the program when you're still getting your hunger and cravings under control. Frequent snacking can help stabilize your blood sugar and insulin levels, according to Dr. Arthur Agatston, leading preventive cardiologist and author of The South Beach Diet Supercharged . Here are some tasty late-night snack ideas, suitable for all Phases: Celery sticks with hummus or natural, no-sugar-added peanut butter ::I still have trouble accepting that it's okay to have peanut butter. (grin) Still, making these and having them handy with the raw veggies in a serving-size ziploc baggie means I grab what's most convenient (the baggie). Raw veggies Lean deli meat roll-ups Yummy and again, easily rolled up and available. Part-skim mozzarella cheese stick These are great! Least likely to leave something visible in

Scales Can Sabotage a Diet Are you ruining your chances of achieving a healthy weight by relying too much on the scale? By Dennis Thompson Jr. Medically reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD Print Email If you're trying to lose weight, it's important to keep track of how much you weigh. But can you ruin your attempt to get to a healthy weight by stepping on the scales too often? Yes, says Keri Gans, RD, a nutrition consultant in New York City and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Weighing yourself every day, or multiple times a day, can become frustrating and sabotage your eating plan for a healthy weight. "People get frustrated with the movement of the scale, and it might take them away from sticking with their plan," Gans says of individuals who hop on the scale frequently. "Especially if they see it going up one day — that could affect their sticking to their plan." Scale-Obsession and Healthy Weight Research backs up Gans's assertion ab

While I completed my spring cleaning a month ago, many folks are just now throwing open the windows to the spring breezes. JourneyLite is a partner of my bariatric surgeon, so you know the recipe is good for you! If you have any trouble reading this email, please view the newsletter online by going to http://www.journeylite.com/newsletter.php HEALTHY EATING   |   RECIPE   |   SUPPORT GROUPS   |   SUCCESS STORY   |   "QUESTION OF THE MONTH"   JourneyLite is dedicated to offering support for successful weight loss with the gastric band. Our website has many tools to keep you connected. Check out the online message boards and personal blogs to offer support, find inspiration and ideas, and to familiarize yourself with JourneyLite. Amberly L. JourneyLite Patient Cincinnati, OH   Amberly now has all the energy she needs to spend time with her children. She no longer misses out because of her weight.