Speaking of Low Carb...

...tonight we're trying out the Magic Pizza Crust recipe I saw on YouTube. It is in the oven with the toppings now and should be ready any minute. It LOOKS great and SMELLS great, but who knows how it will taste, that is the important part after all right?

I'm still, by most accounts, morbidly obese. And I plan to stay that way. I've lost nearly 100 lbs., but what it has done to my body - UGH! I'm already sagging everywhere and have so much hanging flesh that I can't stand to look in a mirror. I even had my husband take the full-length mirror off the back of the shower door! The chances that I'd ever be able to have surgery to remove the excess skin, were I to get to a "thin" weight, are nil. So I've decided that where I am is where I will stay. I still eat low carb because it is the healthiest way to eat...but I adapt my plan so that I won't lose any more.

How do I do that? Well, when I was losing quickly, I was eating 5% of my calories from carbs, 20% of my calories from protein, and 75% of my calories from fats, and I had omitted ALL grains, even though my issues were probably only with wheat. I did average 2500-3000 calories a day but I lost rapidly - 90# in 5 months. To maintain my weight where I am, I change the ratios and don't force the fats into my diet like I used to. I also allow a few (minimal) grain products, such as low carb tortillas, into my diet a couple of times a week. It works.

All that said, however, I want to mention that I am now up by 23#. The last few months I have had some serious health issues, and haven't been the one doing the shopping and cooking. My husband is a great cook but we have eaten more carbs that in the last 4+ years while I was sick. In addition, hospital food on a "heart healthy diet" is about 75% carbs! Ugh...

So at the moment I'm working on getting back down to the weight where I was comfortable, even though it was 100# over where my doctor wants me to be. And that's why I will stay there.

By the way, I've now had some pizza made with the MPC as referenced above. Good, but too salty. I wonder if I replaced half the parmesan cheese with protein powder?...

But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

The above verse is from Matthew 10:33.

I see Christians who, when they're with non-Christians, easily fall into their habits. Their language starts to change as they add a swear word here and there, they laugh at worldly things that go against God's will, etc. I have often wondered how, if we Christians are so easily swayed in such simple circumstances, we could stand against a much larger stronger force against the Lord? What if we all found ourselves in a terrorist prison camp where they attempt to force us to deny Jesus? These are things that happen daily in other parts of the world. If I can't stand against the worldly things I run across every day, how would I stand against that?

I pray daily that my heart be filled with the Word, and that I will remain steadfast at all times and in all situations.

Obsessing About Praline Bacon

Someone mentioned it on a yahoogroup today, so I looked up a few recipes, and now that I've read them I MUST HAVE SOME! Bacon is of course a staple of the way I eat, as are pecans...and I have some SF chili powder at hand. But brown sugar...hmm...obviously way too carby for me. I've used a couple of different subs: Diabetisweet is one, and Sugar Twin is the other. I've used both and find the Diabetisweet to be preferable but of course that's a personal opinion and about worth what you just paid for it.

Anyway, I need to find out if either of these products would get all melt-y and caramel-y so as to hold the pecan bits together and adhere the topping to the bacon, as real brown sugar does. I will get back to you on that, as soon as I find out - either from someone wiser than me about such things, or from my own experience.

Meanwhile I need to find a way to keep the drool out of my keyboard.

I got my answer!

Someone mentioned it on a yahoogroup today, so I looked up a few recipes, and now that I've read them I MUST HAVE SOME! Bacon is of course a staple of the way I eat, as are pecans...and I have some SF chili powder at hand. But brown sugar...hmm...obviously way too carby for me. I've used a couple of different subs: Diabetisweet is one, and Sugar Twin is the other. I've used both and find the Diabetisweet to be preferable but of course that's a personal opinion and about worth what you just paid for it.

Anyway, I need to find out if either of these products would get all melt-y and caramel-y so as to hold the pecan bits together and adhere the topping to the bacon, as real brown sugar does. I will get back to you on that, as soon as I find out - either from someone wiser than me about such things, or from my own experience.

Meanwhile I need to find a way to keep the drool out of my keyboard.

Prayers for a friend's family

My heart is heavy for a friend and her husband who are going through a rough patch together with his employment situation. He's a good man, a good provider, a great worker, and has had a very successful career for many years. But all that may not matter, they will find out tomorrow morning whether he will be out of work anyway. If I had a business in his line of work, he'd be the first executive I would hire; in fact, I'd be relying on him to make decisions and advise me. I would trust him that much, and his abilities and honesty and judgment. Any company would be better off for having him on their team - where he is now, they just don't see it... I will be praying for them tonight, not that he gets to keep his job necessarily, but that God will use this situation to get Mike, a generous and loving Christian family man, into a position where he will be able to work in a Christian manner, with respect for others, and where he can shine Christ's light on all he does. Whether that's with his current company or somewhere else. Because "only what's done for Christ will last" and a Christian cannot achieve satisfaction otherwise.

Family and Food

Spent the evening yesterday with daughter Casey and SIL Josh, they took us out to eat, then we went to the nursing home to visit Grandma (my mom, who has Lewy Body Dementia). Grandma was having a good day, and really enjoyed seeing Casey - they've always had a good and close relationship - and Josh, as well as Casey's "baby bump": Leelan Daniel will make his appearance in April.

Then the kids came over to exchange Christmas gifts, as this was the first time we could all manage to get together. Casey got me a neck pillow that I love, it's got beads or something in it, and is similar (different shape) to a pillow she got me several years ago, that goes EVERYWHERE with me, and I use it not only to hold my head but for other things as well...anyway, it was the perfect gift!

And onto food: I ate carbs at the restaurant yesterday, as I was afraid of...I just seem to lose all control when faced with so many delicious choices. FWIW, I did take my white kidney bean extract beforehand...

Today was much better: steak and salad for lunch, yogurt later, another salad with turkey and ranch dressing later, and 3 wasa fiber crackers with melted mozzarella later. So a good food day today. I sure love salads.

Went to the doctor, all is well, I'm back to normal activity, we talked about my GERD and a new med since the old one isn't working for me anymore. And about my recent neurological issues and most recent hospitalization and subsequent vast improvement. All is well, I'm back up to normal activity for the first time in months. And working on taking off the poundage that accumulated during those months...

Sundays without church...

...are like hamburgers without catsup. There's something missing as you go through the day. But sleet and freezing rain and my husband's job kept us from church today...it has been several weeks since we've gone, mostly because of either weather or Pete's job, or I was in the hospital one of the Sundays we've missed...

We're a family that goes to church every week, and in-between too. We are one of the most involved couples...or we were. How can we be there for everything (we don't like to miss a thing!) when Pete always has to work, and I don't drive?

Anyway...I spent the day working on my Facebook page, depressed. Cleaned some bird cages, worked on my daughter's computer...didn't accomplish much.

So far I had 5 bites of cottage cheese, 2 containers of yogurt (it's delicious but I like my own home-made yogurt better!), and about a dozen slices hard salami with cream cheese. Plus a couple of cups of coffee with the usual: sweet'n'low, SF vanilla soy milk, and a splash of whole milk. Going out for dinner tonight with daughter and son-in-law, I understand, depends where we go but most places will serve a salad and a piece of some sort of protein. I just have to make sure I'm not ravenous when I go, my biggest downfall has always been eating in restaurants!

Chilly (lower 20's outside) and grey. I should have worked in the shop to get orders out tomorrow, feel tired and limp today though, is it the weather?