Great day, good food day

I took the Cashew Avocado Chicken Salad today for lunch. I decided to just take the avocado with me and cut it up fresh when it was time to eat. It is packed with protein and chunky chicken. I ate a cup of chicken salad and still have enough for 5 more meals. I spooned half the container on a plate and diced 1/2 of the avocado on my plate and the other half in the container and mixed. That was earlier today at noon. I keep an igloo lunch tote at my desk with a large ice pack for my Vitamin Water Zero and my lunch foods. I put the container back in there and just came home. The avocado is still fresh and green in the salad. It hasn't turned. No lime juice either. I also tweaked it a bit more. I added much more Ranch and less cashews. I should have added more swiss unless most of it is in the other containers. The celery makes great crunch and so do the cashews. I used the unsalted cashews and added Mrs. Dash today on my portion and pepper. It's a keeper. I will be posting a recipe for grilled avocado. I know, crazy isn't it? I should dedicate a page to avocado recipes. Ooh, I should~~

Had eggs for breakfast. Fixing spaghetti for dinner. Lots of lean beef and garlic. Yum! I use vermicelli noodles. They are much thinner than the thin spaghetti. Easier to digest for me.

It's gonna be a busy work week with my job but I am looking forward to it. It sure beats my previous job with all the stresses of making a monetary goal before the last day of the month and spending the last day of the month working on making the unit goal and end of month reports. I would most times be there until midnight. I could NEVER take off on the last day or the last week of the month for that matter. Now I can because I no longer have those worries. Do I feel bad? I feel bad for those that will have to do it but I don't feel bad personally. I am glad to be done with it.

My mom called me today and she commented how different I am. She said I am a whole different person that has nothing to do with my weightloss but everything to do with my new job. I am much happier. I am in a field I have a strong interest in and one that is growing. My last job I was at the highest position pretty much. There was no chance for further advancement any time soon. This was a good move for me although I was worried about it there for a bit. I am still nervous about getting a new boss but so be it!

And the beat goes on...

I am plugging away. I finally am down a few more pounds. It still has been hit or miss on the getting stuck. I know I need to eat protein so I keep trying no matter what.

Stress plays a big factor in it. I have come to realize without a doubt that my kids and hubby are the main cause of my getting stuck. I can't relax when they are around. My kids are always bickering at meals and hubby just ignores it. So that leaves me to break bad. Which in turn causes me to get stuck.

Point is Friday I went to lunch with my new department. A group of 12 people went to El Torazo. A group I don't really know. Eating for the first time in a setting like that. I really expected to heave ho. Nope! I had a chimichanga, refried beans and rice. YUM!! We sat around from 11:30 until 1pm. I took a bite then talked a bit then took a bite and talked a bit. It took me until 1pm to finish but I did. I was so happy for a couple of reasons.

The first reason is that I have had anxiety disorder for many years. I had to have medication for it and it still really didn't help. I wouldn't be able to walk into a crowded room or sit with people I didn't know, let alone eat with them. Throw in the lab band and it was a recipe for shear terror and disaster. Not so anymore. I think my weightloss has curbed many fears that were imbedded in me and I now realize that is was due to my weight. So I actually looked forward to the outing and enjoyed it tremendously. AND I didn't get stuck.

Second reason was I didn't get stuck and I was eating with a group I really didn't know. Good things are still happening.

I have a new recipe for chicken salad. It is loaded with protein. YUMMY!!

Cashew Avocado Chicken Salad
8 servings.

4 cooked, diced or shredded boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c Ranch dressing
1 c. cashews, unsalted
1 avocado diced
salt, pepper to taste
4 slices of thick precooked bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 c. diced swiss cheese
1/4 c diced celery
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, optional
toasted pitas
shredded lettuce, optional

In large bowl mix all ingredients and chill 30 min. Stuff pitas or serve as is. I recommend eating asap because of the avocado. If not mix everything but the avocado. Cut the avocado at the last minute or prior to but mix with some lime juice and add to chicken salad when ready to eat. It is delicious and 28g protein.

Stuck anyone? PLUS new recipe

Well so much for good food days. It comes and goes. My band isn't too tight. I think I am eating too fast and too big of a bite. Not chewing enough too. Now the question is...do I need a fill? Am I eating too fast, too big of a bite, not chewing enough because my band is too loose? I don't have restriction I have constriction. I don't feel full. I feel like the food suddenly is prairie dogging back up my throat. I can eat for 5-10 min before suddenly a wall slams down and it tightens up and eventually comes up. I'll have to think about this one.I haven't had a fill since March or maybe February.

I am getting used to my new job and then today BAM!! I find out that I will have a new boss soon. My boss was promoted so as soon as they hire her replacement I will have a new boss. Possible someone outside of the company too. I am worried. What if they come in and decide to clean house. I am the new person. The low man on the pole so to speak. Three of us were hired within weeks of each other. One has been there 6 weeks. Another going on 4 weeks and myself just ending my 3rd week.

Last night I made a fantabulous meal. Grilled Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs. YUM!! Didn't get stuck at all. Here's the recipe. My kids loved it. It is one of my keeper recipes for the family. This was hubby's plate. He had potato salad and macaroni salad. That is my daughter's bowl of salad. I was able to eat 1/2 a skewer but these were large metal ones. I like the metal because it heats up and helps cook the inside of the meat.

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs    

Ingredients:


1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup ranch dressing

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to

taste

1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste

(optional)

5 skinless, boneless chicken breast

halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

1 green pepper, cut into chunks

1 red onion, cut into chunks



Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. I pour about half of the marinade in a squeeze bottle to baste the kabobs. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes while you heat up your grill.

2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers alternating pepper & onion and discard marinade.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate( I don't do this because there is olive oil in the marinade. It didn't stick). Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. Baste with the marinade you saved.

Served with a nice salad. It was delish.

Off to a good start

Well today was a good day. I made time and ate breakfast. I planned my lunch. Today I had eggs and laughing cow cheese for breakfast. Derby City chicken salad/ritz crackers for lunch and then for an afternoon meal I had 7 layer salad. I had a good food day. Nothing got stuck.
The chicken salad I bought at Kroger. The 7 layer salad I made. Yummy!
 Seven layer salad
1 cup romaine
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 c chopped cucumber, seeded
1/2 c frozen peas, drained
1/2 c mayonnaise, spread on top of peas to seal salad
1/2 c bacon, crispy
1/2 c sharp cheddar
1/2 c bacon, crispy
Mrs. Dash, sprinkled on before the mayonnaise

Layer in this order in container. One serving. Refrigerate overnight.

Tonight will be hamburgers topped with avocado. Again, yummy!!

Tomorrow I may take leftovers and another 7 layer salad. Good stuff.

My job is less stressful than the previous one so that is good. All in all I am optimistic. Still a little early to tell. If I could only get this eating thing sorted out. Yesterday I got stuck a couple of times. Today none. Here's hoping.

2nd week down...

I had a good 2nd week at my new job. I had a bad 2nd week at my new job when it relates to eating. I have been getting stuck daily. Today EVERTHING has gotten stuck. I have thrown up every thing I tried to eat. I think the problem may be stemming from no breakfast this week. With my new job, my daughter having a fractured elbow (my having to get her up and ready for VBS) and getting to work earlier I haven't had time to fix breakfast.
Lunch today was Jimmy John's sandwich. I never have problems with that. Today stuck big time! Up it came. I waited an hour and tried again and up it came again.
I had a hot dog(no bread) for dinner and pretzels. Up it came. I ended up coming home and fixing scrambled eggs with laughing cow cheese. It stayed down fine.

I need to somehow come up with a plan for breakfast. I have a sitter that watches Brie but I have to get her up and get her dressed each morning because of her fractured arm. I'm the only one that can. She can't do it by herself. So that has me running late every morning. I can't be late for work at my new job. I also need to take my lunch. I am in meetings most days all day so I need something to fix that has a low rate of getting stuck. Any ideas?

I love my new job though. I am getting the hang of it sort of. I am still not into the meat and potatoes yet but I am getting it. I hope it continues to go well.

I don't want to resort to mushies but it is getting to be that way.

Oh the PRESSURE!!

Sinus pressure that is. Thursday night I suddenly had a scratchy throat and woke up in the middle of the night with a stuffy nose. As of today I am coughing up greenish junk. Sinus infection anyone? My problem is my concern that all this drainage will clog up my stoma. I have read where someone has drainage and it becomes a solid plug(eww) and they can't eat or drink. I am paranoid about this now. I am going to try and run to the urgent care to see if I can get antibiotics to get this cleared up but with just me home with the kids right now I don't see that happening today.

I finished my first week at my new job and I still feel lost. I haven't gotten any training so to speak so I am winging it and I have found that I don't have all the necessary tools on my computer. I didn't know that until Friday afternoon. Can't wait to see what next week brings. Several IT guys got fired last week because they screwed up once. Just once! Now I am scared.

What a week!

New job started-Check!
Feeling overwhelmed--Check check!
Starting to think I made a mistake- Check check check!

I know, it has only been 4 days. I am way out of my element here. It is hard to get aclimated to a whole new career. This job is way out of my usual element so I feel lost for the first time in 10 years. I have 2-5 meetings per day. I am busy that's for sure. I work in the IT department now as a software tester. I don't have a college degree, yet. I still have another 6-9 months for my Associates degree in Information Technology but I have had ZERO computer technology classes.

Just an example, I had to validate reports asap. Huh? What the heck does that mean? They gave some vague guidelines and well...I googled it and taught myself and winged it. It has a lot of work with excel, SQL and query. I am by no means an expert in excel or any of the other stuff. Did the report validation, again not really sure what that is, and apparently it was okay because it was forwarded right on to the programmers to fix what I found. I think it will take me some time to feel comfortable with what I am doing.

I had issues with eating. I was so nervous and out of my element that I didn't eat breakfast 3 of the 4 mornings so far this week. That made lunch hard to swallow. Literally! Then suddenly today, I am enjoying a salad and suddenly my throat was scratchy and I felt like I have the flu. It hit me all of a sudden. Just what I need, to get sick. I am rarely sick! UGH!!

I haven't been losing any more weight lately but I am not feeling hungry either. I get stuck quite often. My favorite meal right now is a grilled hamburger topped with sliced avacado. YUM!

I don't have the support of my former boss, no so much anyway. I went and bought some new clothes. Not a lot but I usually just wear jeans. So being that I am now in IT and having meetings with managers and directors I figure I can't wear jeans everyday. So I dusted off my capris and bought some new sweaters and shirts on clearance at Old Navy. My old boss said I get a new job and new clothes and now I am trying to be something I'm not. That HURT! Just maybe I am being what I always knew I could be??

Well, I have one more day this week then much needed rest. I am having problems sleeping, again because I think I am so nervous so we'll see how it goes. Maybe next week will be much better.

Getting ready for my new job

Well it starts tomorrow. As I have said, I am both excited and very nervous. Starting a new chapter as I did a year ago when I got the lapband.

I had come across a fantastic little snack a while back and have now expanded on it. Pepperoni, veggie cream cheese and tortillas. Who doesn't like a roll up? Spread the cream cheese on the tortilla, top with pepperoni and roll up. Chill overnight. Cut in 2 in slices and enjoy! Very filling and band friendly. I will be taking that each day for a snack or lunch. You can mix it up. Mix cream cheese with taco seasoning and add shredded cheese for a taco roll up. Mix cream cheese with diced ham and green onion and roll up. I make this dip for crackers but it would be fantastic as a roll up. The trick is letting it marinate overnight on any of them. The flavors are so much better. Of course the standard green chilis or jalapenos and cream cheese, shredded cheese and roll up. You could make a veggie one just used finely diced veggies and cream cheese. The possibilities are endless.

Getting my clothes sorted out. I want to look professional, well more than usual plus I am just going to have to get new clothes. I will be meeting with developers and programmers and managers. Got to look spiffy. It wouldn't do to have "repeat" clothes too often. LOL.

Going to make ribs on the grill tonight. More for the family than me cause me and pork don't get along too well. Well it pork and my band that have issues. It doesn't matter how tender it is, it still causes issues. I had a bite of steak last night and I mean a small bite. I had to chew it for 10 min before swallowing. I love steak but you know what? It so wasn't worth the chewing I had to do.

I think tomorrow I will eat my eggs, as usual. I am packing my roll ups and some guac/baked scoops. Vitamin water zero. What to do for lunch? I guess I could head out to Jason's for a salad. I will be working shorter days so I won't need a bunch of food. Instead of working four 10 hour days, I will be working M-F until 5pm. I was working until 8pm. I won't get 3 day weekends anymore but I will be getting off early every day. I haven't worked 5 day weeks in a few years. Another change...

Of course now that I will be getting off early I will have to cook every night whereas my husband cooked during the week when I worked until 8pm and I cooked on weekends. Hmm...we are going to have to split this up I think. No wonder he was so excited about my schedule change.

I went to a car show yesterday and took my food with me. Rollups of course and chicken salad. It was so freakin hot. I drank 2 Vitamin waters and 3 lemonades and was still thirsty. Yeah I know plain water is best but I can't stand it. I went home and was sooo thirsty, I drank and drank until my stomach hurt. I feel fine today. I was dehydrated obviously.

Getting ready to get ready for my new job. Cleaning house today as the sitter starts tomorrow as well with school being out for the summer. Changes all around.

I pray I am not too nervous or stressed tomorrow otherwise my band will have issues.

A decade gone...

Today marked my last day in the unit that I have been in for the last 10 years. It was bittersweet knowing that when I go back to work on Monday, for the first time in 10 years, I will be reporting to someone else. I will no longer be a team leader.
My group gave me a "going away" party of sorts. We had pizza, wings, chips, dips, veggies and dip, and chocolate cake. They bought me a few little gifts. It was very sweet of them. I didn't think they would do anything at all. I had the toppings off a piece of pizza, 3 little wings, veggies and dip. I had a sliver of cake. So nice of them.

I worked an extra hour to try and get through some things. They won't have anyone covering my desk for about 2 weeks so that is tragic but not my problem anymore.

I am very nervous to go from a job that I am considered highly knowledgeable to one that I don't know squat. Very scary indeed. I am still very excited though.

I have lots to do this weekend. I will have to precisely plan meals until I learn their routine. Better to be safe then sorry.

Wish me luck...