After six months of having a sweet taste in my mouth 24/7, the sweet taste is gone and I am finally able to taste food once again. In honor of the return of my taste buds, I have been collecting recipes all week. This soup, which is definitely not your grandmother's chicken soup, is a recipe that I invented as I cooked it today, and it turned out incredibly flavorful.

I made a single serving of this soup, but I will be making it again soon.

Meanwhile, I will tell you what I did, but this recipe is void of any real measurements. As I wrote this recipe, I realized it could easily be made into 3 servings, if you do the math as you go along. I was sorry I didn't use all the chicken for this recipe, but I wasn't sure what it was going to turn out like and I didn't want to end up tossing out a whole package of chicken. Oh ye of little faith!

Instructions

1. Cook chicken in enough water to just cover it. I cooked a whole package of chicken tenders and used about 1/3 of it for this recipe.
2. When the chicken is cooked, pull it from the pot to cool and save the broth.
3. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a small pot.
4. Chop 1/2 cup of onion and add it to the olive oil and allow onion to soften.
5. Add about 1/4 cup of frozen corn to the onion. Stir.
6. Add a few sprinkles of Chipotle Chili Spice to the pot. Stir.
7. Add a few shakes of Borsari Seasoned Salt. Stir.
8. As the onion and corn are cooking, add about 1/3 of the chicken broth to the pot. Stir. Put the rest of the broth in the refrigerator or freeze to use later.
9. Add 1/3 of a packet of Herb-Ox bouillon (instant chicken broth) to the soup.
10. Shred the chicken and when the chicken broth is steaming, add the chicken to the broth.
11. Pour a 1/2 cup or so of the hot broth from the pot into a small bowl, add 1 tsp. basil paste, and mix vigorously. Pour the basil and broth mix into the soup pan. If you have fresh basil, add thinly sliced leaves to suit your taste directly to the soup.
12. Dice a small amount of green onion and add to the soup.
13. When the soup is nice and hot and the flavors taste right, serve in a bowl and sprinkle the top with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Borsari spice

September 07, 2013

I thought this would be a good audience participation topic.

I like eating in restaurants.

More to the point, I like eating in restaurants that are accommodating to my diet. The vast majority of them have been. I can only come up with one notable example where I was met with opposition and that place was up in Maine.

So the heck with them. I won't eat there again (not that I ate there in the first place).

I thought it would be fun to give a shout out to places who get it right - places that accommodate and even extend a welcome when I ask them to do a low-carb conversion on my dinner. If you have a favorite place, let us know in the comments.

Oh, and if you know of anyplace to avoid that's closer than Downeast Maine, a warning would be welcome, too.

1. 99 Restaurants
I find 99 to be one of the easiest places to deal with and they have more Key-adaptable options than most sit-down restaurants, especially when it comes to chains. They offer extra veggies in lieu of rice or potatoes and this comes in handy with entrees like the sirloin tips. If I get them smothered, I don't ask for extra veggies because there are enough on the plate already. When I ask them to leave off the bread and biscuits, they do it and when I order a seltzer with lime I don't get charged. Service in Westside is the best out of all the area locations with East Longmeadow at a close second.

2. On the Border
Yep, the Ameri-mex restaurant in Westside that starts you off with a metric ton of chips with salsa is actually really cool about the diet. I ordered the mixed combo fajita with chicken and steak the other night and when I told them I didn't want the rice and beans and that I couldn't eat the tortillas either, they rung in the order for the combo but then only charged me for the chicken, a $3 savings. I didn't ask for it. They just did it. Seltzer with lime was free there, too.

3. Boston Market
I eat at Boston Market in East Longmeadow about three times a month with my son. They don't go out of their way to accommodate me, but they don't have to. Every entree except the pot pie is Key-friendly and you can choose appropriate sides. I usually get the half chicken with corn and mixed vegetable medley. They also serve unsweetened iced tea with unlimited refills. I usually drink one there, then refill it and bring it home. It lasts all evening and into the following day. Liam takes care of the cornbread so I don't even bother asking them to leave it off (but they will if you do).

I haven't encountered any opposition around here to accommodating my diet yet but I don't eat out THAT much anymore. It's also important to exercise common sense. Popeye's, Sonic and Wendy's aren't going to accommodate you (unless you want to peel the bun off your burger yourself) so that makes them not great choices to begin with. That and the meat in a McDonald's burger is only food in the academic sense and has little to no nutritional value. There's a difference between a fast food grease pit and a sit-down restaurant. The latter should WANT to work with you within reason.

September 05, 2013

A while back I came upon these two videos with Oprah and I found them to be inspiring and I want to share them with the rest of you.

How Oprah's Weight Was Tied to her Ego

Why Being Alive Means You Have a Purpose

September 04, 2013

OK, so I have been having fun buying new clothes, skirts, shirts, shoes, bras and undies. Who wouldn't, new sizes in totally uncharted waters here.

The only new thing I haven't bought was a new black slip. Didn't need one. I don't wear it to often, it has always been to tight and now that it is loosening up my lined black Sunday skirt holds it up. Right?

WRONG!!!!

This past Sunday I wore my lined black skirt. It has a slit up the side that is to high to wear knee highs with. So out come the pantyhose, see my post The Pantyhose Dance, (which is a story in itself). If I wear my black slip, then I can wear my knee highs.

It was hot Sunday and I didn't want to wear pantyhose, so out came the slip. Put it on and noticed it was loose. But no big deal.

Made through the morning service, lunch and the afternoon service. Time to go home...

Walked out of the assembly into the fellowship hall which was becoming VERY crowded with people.

When LO and BEHOLD something felt funny.

I bet you know where I am going with this!!!!

MY SLIP FELL OFF IN CHURCH RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FELLOWSHIP HALL!!!

Yup, surrounded by people, it is around my ankles.

I, what I thought was discreetly, bent over, grabbed what I could and quickly walked to a bench and sat down hoping so one saw me. A young girl came over to say hi and I told her to stand in front of me and bend over like she was talking to me, then I quickly took off my slip and stuck it in my pocketbook.

We laughed, and someone else stuck their head over and says, "So what did I just see?!!" More laughter.

Needless to say, I am glad it was my slip and not undies.

Guess I need a new black slip as that one went right into the garbage!!!!

September 04, 2013

Today am pleased introduce to you our newest contributor - Alanna. Alanna contacted me shortly after she started seeing Julie and asked if she could become a blog contributor. I asked her to finish the first three classes with Julie and then send me her story and photos, because we all love to see photos of each other on this journey, and then she could be a contributor. Aloha Alanna!

Before starting program (11/10/12) versus today (week 6 on program)

 As a child and in high school, I was lucky enough to not have a weight problem - I used to jog 6 miles a day my freshman year! After high school, when I went out on my own, things changed. All the pizza, snacks, and ice cream that previously burned off, when I walked or biked everywhere, now sat on my hips…and thighs….and waist. By the time I had my first child at 27, I was up to 275 lbs. (at 5’ 7"), and over the next 20 years that ballooned up to a high of 365 lbs. In 2006, by writing down every bite I put in my mouth and going to the gym 4 times a week, I lost 60 pounds in a year, and made it down to 305. Since then, my weight crept back up and I was back up to 345 lbs. and a size 30/32 - I was out of control, miserable, and out of hope.

Then my daughter told me about her girlfriend’s mom, who had been very heavy too, and now after 2 years with Julie’s program she looked amazing. Maybe there WAS some hope for me. I tried to book an appointment in December 2012 and couldn’t get through. I called again in April and was put on the waiting list. Doesn’t that 3 months of waiting for your appointment seem like FOREVER?

Before starting program; 11/10/12

I had my first session with Julie on July 19, 2013, and left feeling hopeful, but apprehensive. No more coconut coffee?! It’s hysterical that it wasn’t pizza, or chips, or chocolate that I was worried about missing. How the heck was I going to start my morning without my flavored coffee with light cream and 2 sugars?

3 weeks on program (08/08/13) vs 6.5 weeks (09/01/13)

Well, I’m glad to say it’s 6 weeks down the road, and I’ve survived without my coffee “ice cream.” I do use a LOT of milk in my coffee, I would say 2/3 coffee to 1/3 whole milk, but that’s okay - milk is unlimited and it takes that much for me to cut the bitterness of the coffee.

Week 6 on program; 9/01/13

Normally, when you weigh as much as I do/did, it takes almost 50 pounds before anyone even notices you’ve lost weight. With Julie, by the third week I was in the jeans that fit me in 2006! They were snug, but they zipped! People who didn’t even know I was following the program were telling me I had lost weight! I was so excited that I called my mom who lives an hour away and told her how fast I was losing etc etc. Bad move! Danger! Danger!

After telling my mom about my success, she then told the family, and now in my head everyone was going to expect me to look “skinny” at the family gathering coming up on Labor Day weekend. I was putting myself through hell all last week, because I felt like I hadn’t lost enough, and was going to disappoint everyone when they saw me. Mind you, this is all in my head - my family loves me no matter what, and does it really matter if someone else thinks I lost more or less weight than I really have?

That’s when I read Theresa’s great post about our bodies taking however long they need to lose weight. I read about Linda’s struggle with bad pictures that made her want to throw in the towel. Those posts helped so much, because they reminded me about the JOURNEY! There will be ups and downs, and happiness and frustration, and we all just need to chill out, follow the program, and go along for the ride!

So, thank you again to everyone who comments and posts on this blog - what a great support system this is! I look forward to following along on your journeys!

PS - I Just got home from the family picnic - I stayed on program (yay!) and had fun. I had to laugh when someone who didn’t know about this (weight loss) thought I looked different because I had a new hairstyle - I don’t.

September 02, 2013

Someone on Facebook asked for a pic-post yesterday, now someone here today is asking. OK. Here's a "before and during" that will make your jaw drop. The date on the "before" picture is actually a month PRIOR to me starting Julie's program so you are looking at results that actually span 100 total days.

August 30, 2013

Today marks my OFFICIAL 100 days on-program.

No sweets.

No bread.

No dunkin donuts. <---small miracle

No pasta. <---large miracle

No Never-Ending Pasta Bowls this year. <---divine intervention

Just me, my 1/2 lb. burgers, steaks, salmon, tilapia, lamb leg and every other tasty treat that has helped make slapping the cravings away easier.

Truth be told, I eat a LOT.

I have a huge appetite.

But my body is doing precisely what Julie said it would.

Sometimes I eat a 1/2 lb. burger and finish off what my son doesn't.

I eat twice the serving of fish you would be served in a restaurant. Sometimes more.

I can eat a LOT of steak.

I finished a whole crockpot of beanless chili in two days once.

Two pounds of hamburger inhaled in four sittings.

My wife had a little.

I ran a train on that @!$&#@.

Today I noticed that I could feel my cheekbones and my jawbone while applying shaving cream.

Yesterday I noticed that my belly doesn't overhang my belt anymore.

I have a muffin top now.

Granted, it's one of those massive blueberry muffins you get at a Vegas buffet, but it's a muffin top nonetheless.

That whole business got me curious.

Since I'm completely writer's blocked today (hence this diversion - trying to get the words flowing again), I decided to try on some clothes. Again.

I have these two snazzy-looking dress shirts I bought for work while I was still a wage slave. They were the right size, but I needed a tall and these were regular.

The only reason I needed a tall was the extra length in the tails that would accommodate the belly.

The good news is that the regular fits fine now.

The bad news is that I can now wrap those shirts around me like a sarong.

Or maybe that's good news...

The bad news is they were $80 each and I never wore either of them in public.

But it gets better...

The suit that I wore to my grandmother's funeral (before I gained ALL the weight... I was about 320-330 at that point, I think - 2010 was a stressful year) now wraps around me like a bathrobe.

I could never get it altered to fit right. It's just done.

$400 and I wore it twice.

But it gets even better...

I have a blazer that I bought in 2003. At that point in time my weight was holding perpetually steady at 300-305 all the time. My "over 40" switch had not been flipped into the ON position yet.

This was when I was drinking 2 32-ounce Mountain Dews or Coke Classics every day and eating McDonald's for lunch and D'Angelo subs for dinner every day.

And visiting the vending machines on my :15s. I did love my pastry...

By 2004 I was totally addicted to Hostess Banana Dream cakes. I would buy them two at a time from the vending machine at work.

I'm probably the reason they kept stocking them. They were selling 10 a week to me alone.

Who am I kidding... I STILL love pastry. I just love it from afar these days.

SLAP!

Now where was I?

The blazer is now at least two sizes too big. It is rapidly earning bathrobe status, too.

So, in 100 days I've turned back the clock by more than 10 years.

And I eat to my heart's content.

And I balance my veggies well.

And I drink a lot of seltzer with lime.

Seltzer with lime is the new Mountain Dew.

Not sure what I weigh now, obviously, but I do know it's been at least a decade since I've looked like this or was even close to this size.

August 29, 2013

Before Julie:

Confidence / Linda = one of the biggest oxymoron word comparisons ever

Anyone who knows me, knows I would rather blend in with the woodwork or fall in a hole and disappear than to be noticed, ESPECIALLY if I am being noticed because I am FAT!

Could hardly meet and visit with people, whether I knew them or not, and totally forget any pictures being taken of me! My girls are upset about the pictures as there are hardly any of me with them growing up, ONE OF MY BIGGEST REGRETS OF MY FAT LIFE!!!!

My dad and I got into our genealogy years ago. With a lot of work we traced and found relatives in Torino Italy. My dad has been over there 4 times and one of my cousins came over here. My dad has hounded me for years to go with him to Italy. NO WAY, I couldn't go that far from my family, I didn’t want people over there to see this fat American, I could come up with a million excuses. My dad finally gave up.

Inside I wanted to cry. My dad is getting older, my mom can’t walk like she used to and he really wants to go there at least one more time. I really wanted to go, I want to meet my relatives, I want to see where I come from, experience the culture and so on.


After almost 2 years with Julie:

Confidence / Linda = gaining confidence daily


My confidence is building slowly. I try to mingle more and talk more to people. I have always loved giving hugs to people who I think may need one, and was always a bit hesitant. Now today, I give them out left and right!

I find myself opening up more to people, laughing much more, willing to go more places without the panic setting in. I fight the old panicked thoughts. My personality is changing with the weight I loose. AMAZING!

Now for the biggest confidence change in my life:

I AM GOING TO ITALY WITH MY FATHER!!!

YUP! You heard that right, I am going!!! I have my husband's encouragement (he doesn't want to go and my mom doesn't want to go) and I am actually going!! for 16 days!!!

My family is amazed at the change in my confidence! I still have days when that confidence goes back to before Julie days, but I am learning to fight those old thoughts. (tap tap)

I am not afraid of being the fat American there, as I think I will blend in more now. I am not as thin as my cousin who came over here a couple years ago, but at 55 and she is 22, well, lets just say, that thin isn't going to happen anymore in my lifetime!!!

I am a bit nervous about the food (tap tap) but have prepared my family over there about my eating habits. I told them breads, pasta, rice, sugar, four, and so on make me sick. I will be going to a grocery store daily to get meat to get me through. Julie is in my mind big time and I know I will do fine!!!!

Before Julie - Italy, NO WAY!!!

After Julie - I am not going to miss out on a chance of a lifetime!!

JULIE again THANK YOU!!!! Thank you for giving me what I needed to get to where I am on this life style!!!

I am not leaving for a few weeks, and can't wait to fill you in on how it went!!!

Did I mention how excited I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Italy here I come!!!!!

August 28, 2013