Feeling Saucy

Hey y'all! Happy Monday and Roll Tide. I had to slip that in there because Alabama beat the number one team on Saturday.  We still have a long way to go but we are sneaking our way back to the top.  Meanwhile, in wretched diet land, I'm still struggling.  I am an avid football fan but I have to admit, when football season bleeds into holiday season I am weaker than ever on my diet.  This year, I'm borderline depressed because of my inability to stay strict.  I used to have so much motivation.  I did count calories yesterday and while I'm sure I ate more than I should last night, I had several hundred calories left before dinner.  I also made myself get out of bed and go to this Body Attack class at the gym.  So, the weekend wasn't a complete disaster but I'm thinking I need a change in a big way.  I know a couple things.  I am so tired of counting.  I don't want to count calories or points or exercise minutes any more.  I've been doing it for years and it's no longer motivating me.  I also know I can't be trusted to eat right without some kind of structure.  I have been heavily investigating the slow carb diet.  I'm not generally a fan of "diets" but this diet has a cheat day, includes a glass or two of wine and includes food I like to eat.  Most importantly, there's no counting.  I feel like my body needs a shock out of this plateau.  My mind also needs a shock.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet but I'm working hard to get my mind back to the place it was when I stepped on that scale all those years ago.  I'm terrified of gaining all my weight back.  I'm still looking so we will see.  Having said that, I'm not just eating what I want until I decide.  I'm counting today and I'm still in the fight.

Over the summer, my primary care physician wrote me a prescription for Topamax.  He knows me well and he knows I've lost a great deal of weight and that my current challenge is keeping it off.  He also knows that I'm frustrated.  He told me that the pill could possibly make me jittery and nauseated.  I think I shared previously that the side effects were much worse than I anticipated.  My face would go numb and I began developing horrific headaches.  It only mitigated my hunger for a few days.  I couldn't taste soda at all.  I would have these periods of time where my mind would completely space out.  Since I didn't see any weight loss from taking it, I weened myself off of it.  When I returned to the doctor a few weeks ago, I told him how much I hated the pill and that I was irritated with myself and with him for not being totally aware of the side effects.  I told him I was still struggling to stay motivated and he wrote me yet another prescription for Belviq.  I told him I was skeptical and he said nausea was a possible side effect. Before jumping on another Rx, I did some research on the side effects.  From Consumer Reports: "Risks galore. What's more, the drug can cause several side effects including, headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. If you have diabetes, add hypoglycemia, back pain, and a cough to that list. The drug's label also states that Belviq may cause a slowed heartbeat, heart valve problems, painful erections, and if you take more than is prescribed, hallucinations, euphoria, and slowed thinking. Those last risks promoted the Drug Enforcement Agency to classify the drug as a Schedule IV controlled substance, meaning that it poses a slight risk of dependence. Finally, Belviq may also interact adversely with other medications you take, such as drugs used to treat depression, migraines, or colds, and supplements, such as St. John's wort and tryptophan."  I know that not everyone is susceptible to side effects but I told him my reaction to Topamax so I'm not sure why he flippantly recommended this.  I'm not filling it.  My problem is a psychological one.  It doesn't take a genius to figure that out.  I love my doctor but his reliance on pills to "fix" weight issues is disturbing.  There is no such thing as a quick fix.  

This week I added some store bought spaghetti sauce to my zucchini that I made into strands of pasta with my new Veggetti. Once again I got a LOT of tasty food for a pretty low calorie count.  This contraption is definitely one of my obsessions.  I will note that though I prefer the taste and texture of yellow squash, the zucchini is firmer so it's easier to use in the Veggetti and squash also has a ton of seeds that get everywhere so I think I'll stick with zucchini. The squash also looks more like pasta but I'm not exactly one of those people that makes pretty dishes.

I used some of that same marinara sauce to dip my skinny mozzarella sticks in.  I have made and showed these before but I made a good batch and wanted to remind you what a quick and yummy snack they are! It also allowed me to finish up those wonton wrappers finally! I only used two light string cheese sticks to make 9 mozzarella sticks.  I love these things!

Have a good week!

Bye!