A little bit of lots of things

On Gaining Health: I had a visit to the Doctor's and we assessed all the numbers, looked at the blood test results and you know what? We have good numbers all around plus the numbers have also come down since we last checked all the numbers. [Numfar does the dance of joy]

[Doctor dosen't do the dance of joy] We had a brief discussion about lapband surgery, again. It's less do or die now, it's more like it'd be the quickest way of losing the last of the weight now. I still don't think it's the option for me, changing my lifestyle has been a slow process but I've come along way from how things were. I think I can finish this, keeping a positive mind set.

Gaining Health Props I Love:

My much used copy (the post-it markers show when on the shelf among my other books this is also my most used vegan cook book) of Appetite For Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, to borrow a qoute from the back cover "Only 200 to 400 calories per serving".

While the book has no breakfasts or sweet stuff, it's all soups, salads and other mains & sides. The food is delicious that I have made so far and it's also very filling, I find myself not riffling the kitchen in search of snacks after I've eaten. A very good thing in my case as this was really my downfall in the past, not eating enough at meals and then madly scrambling through out the day for unhealthy snacks - overly processed, high fat, loaded with refined sugars and while calorie dense not really all that nutrient dense.

I think the Low Fat recipe selection on Isa's website the PPK can give you some idea of the kind of recipes in this book, a few of them are actually in the book but the majority aren't. My top reccomendations Hottie Black Eyed Peas with Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Apples, Marbled Banana Bread and Eggplant Bacon.

My Food Diary! It's been abandoned, I got really slack about taking photos and posting them, might have been a bit less slack about some of the stuff I'd eaten recently if I had been doing this. Oh well. We can but start over!

And a little app I love Zombies, Run! It's kind of quirky, very fun and really the only kind of fitness app I ever want to own. Basically it plays a little story out, "missions" are unlocked as you complete the stories so as your walking, jogging or running imbetween your music you get little bits of story, post apcolyptic world with zombies so you get updates from the people back at base camp. As your moving you gather supplies which after you run you can distribute in your camp to help it grow so kind of also a game as well. Growing your base also unlocks more "missions".
The best bit? It has optional zombie chases, giving you the option of turning it into interval training. This alone sold me on this app. :)

And the newest addition, just arrived so I haven't had time to try anything out of it yet, Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food by Alicia C. Simpson. As the cover says "Every Recipe Has Fewer Than 350 Calories Per Serving!".

This has everything breakfast, soup, salad, mains and sides, dessert and drinks. All of it looks delicious, I think I'm going to have to start with the Cheese Steak on the cover, I have been coveting it ever since the cover was unveiled.

Although running a close second is Chilli Cheese Fries, I haven't eaten them since, I can't remember when. The only time I had them in the past was when I frequented the local Creole restaurant. A little haven of Americana food adventures. Miss it. :(

If I have to make a short list of must try's Seitan Cheesesteak, Chili Cheese Fries, Butter Pecan Ice Cream, Home-Brewed Ginger Ale, Crispy Risotto Cakes and Sticky Bun Popcorn.

Gaining Health ideas that baffle me:
Paleo diet, I don't quite get the excitement.
Running, everyone's all into running now, running is the it sport at the moment and everyone is either running their way to health or running their way to run a marathon.
Fat/Oil-free, I'm always perplexed by fat free. What are you eliminating exactly? All fat both good and bad? Or just bad fat? Are you still eating avocados and nuts? Oil free is a bit more specific, but having been down that road myself in the past, just no.

Final answer? It's back to 1200 calories and daily exercise, it's winter rolling around so maybe I should join the gym. Decisions decisions!