You should worry about me when I don't post for more than 3 or 4 days. It usually means I'm up to trouble! (unless I'm in Hawaii that is -- then I'm just enjoying myself and don't want to be bothered with technology!!! LOL). Last week wasn't my most bright and shiny week post WLS. Between my fight with SEI and Easter happening (the 1st holiday on real food), I have not made the wisest of food choices. First of all I didn't drink a single protein shake until yesterday. I ordered Unjury to try since I didn't really like any of my protein I had here, but it didn't show up until Monday afternoon. SEI's new replacement shipment showed up yesterday. A friend also gave me a sample of the Kirkland brand Protein powder yesterday too (Thanks Denise!). I will review them at the end of the post. Until then, here are some highlights (and low lights) of the past week:
PRO's: | CON's: |
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Zumba was really fun! I couldn't believe how quickly the hour was up. I am concerned about my knee though. My sister told me it's how she blew her knee, so it may not be right for me. I'm still debating returning.
Easter dinner was great. I made Sweet Chili Sauce glazed Prawns served with Pineapple, and a triple batch of Eggface's delicious Strawberry Cannoli. Both were a huge hit at Easter dinner at my in-laws. Everyone was trying to figure out what the filling in the strawberries was. And EVERYONE was surprised to learn they were sugar-free (minus the natural sugar in the berries). Thanks to Eggface for making me look like a pro at a family function. These may become a regular for me. As for the prawns, I simply cooked them in a wok sprayed with Crisco Easy Release Spray until nice and pink. Then placed them in a colander to drain. In the wok, I then poured 1/2 cup Sweet Chili Sauce (found in the Asian foods isle) and let simmer to thicken. When the sauce was thick and sticky, I added the prawns back in to coat. That's it -- quick, easy, and delicious.
I was happy to have some Sugar Free Chocolate to keep me from wanting to sneak a piece of the real thing. I bought two bags of the stuff. I probably would have been better off with one. My original thought was that 1 would be for the cannoli recipe, and the other would be for me. The recipe called for four bars grated. I was making a triple batch so that would be 12 -- there were 10 in a bag, so I figured ten would be enough....four would have still been MORE than enough (as only 1/2 of them were dipped in grated chocolate. The other half were dipped in crushed pecans). It's OK, I'm still learning.
The thing about sugar-free chocolates, is that they're sweetened with sugar alcohols. If you're not careful, you could wind up spending quite a lot of time in the bathroom with a bad case of diarrhea. I did limit myself enough to not have that happen, but I did end up being a lot more "regular" than usual. I know, TMI! But it's really more of a warning than an exposé.
Now for the CON's List:
I already told you about the Sugar-Free chocolates. I already told you I didn't drink protein. I didn't eat enough protein either. I did indulge in a few carbs, but am now back to detoxing from the damn stuff. Carbs are my drug of choice, so it takes a while to get the cravings to go away after you give in, but I'll get back to that place again.
Well, that's all the energy I want to devote to that. The thing is stumbling and falling are not signs of failure post WLS. Not working on getting back up, dusting yourself off, and moving forward to make healthy choices again is. So look out world, 'cause here I come making healthy choices once again.
Now, as I promised. The protein powder review:
UNJURY -- Tried Strawberry Sorbet (their replacement for the old strawberry). The cool thing is that they sent a list of mixing suggestions with their trial packets. They suggested mixing it with lemonade for a "refreshing" flavor. So I added a packet of Crystal Light into the blender along with the protein powder and water. It tasted good. Kind of made me think of Summer. The down side is that I could smell the protein, but thanks to the included mixer bottle with a lid, I drank it without any problems. All in all, I'd give this protein a score of 7 on a scale of 1-10. Mostly because I don't mind drinking out of a blender bottle if the stuff tastes good. Also, the texture was much lighter than the creamy type protein and that's nice for a change once in a while.
Kirkland -- (The Costco brand. I tried the vanilla flavor). OK, let me just start by saying "I am shocked!" I would rate this stuff as good or better than SEI. Plus it's easier to get here, because our GNC is a corporate owned store and therefore doesn't sell SEI (it's only available at franchise GNC's) so I have to buy from the website. And as we found out last week, the Satisfaction Guarantee doesn't necessarily mean they guarantee you'll be satisfied. Although I did raise enough of a stink to make them replace my entire order. This stuff is so crazy good, I don't even know where to start. Let me break it down in the order I realized the greatness of this powder:
- COST -- It cost less than SEI. I have not gone in to see what the size of the bag is (yeah, a bag? That's a little weird, but I have tubs to store them in, so....whatever?), but I was told there are 80 servings in a bag. SEI's 2 lb tubs have 30 servings, so I'm guessing it's a 5 lb bag? The bag sells for $30 (SEI's 5lb tub sells for $80). Cheaper and just a delicious? Bye-Bye SEI!
- SMELL -- This is where I started to take notice. (Yes, I knew about the cost factor first, but a cheap price isn't the most important factor if you don't like the stuff.) My friend gave me a scoop in a Ziploc sandwich baggie. I drove home with it on my passenger seat. I couldn't figure out why my car smelled like cotton candy? When I got home I threw the bag on my kitchen counter, and continued working on my spring cleaning projects. I noticed that every time I went into the kitchen, I again smelled cotton candy. Could it be possible that the wonderful smell I was smelling was the protein (stop. rewind. did I just say wonderful smell and protein in the same sentence?). I picked up the bag and sniffed. Yep. This stiff smells just like cotton candy!
- TASTE -- As many of you know, being able to drink protein out of a regular glass without a lid, is a big deal for me. I need a protein that not only tastes good, but also doesn't stink. I will use a blender bottle if necessary, but not for a long term solution. So I am giving this protein a perfect score of 10 out of 10 and a bonus of 5 stars! This stuff is delicious tasting and smelling. I tried it plain first and it was amazing, then I added chocolate chip cookie dough SF Torani, and made one of my favorite recipes, either way was nothing short of perfect!!!
I hope you all had a good Easter (if you celebrate) and are making healthy choices today. I know I did, and I am.
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