Hillery82211

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I’ve been getting lots of messages about how I make my protein coffee in the morning, so I decided to write a quick blog post about it. For my protein coffee/latte I use a basic recipe and then “mix and match” my protein powder and SF syrups depending on the flavor/taste I’m craving that day.

Hillery’s Basic Protein Coffee Recipe
6-8 oz milk
6-8 oz cold decaf coffee
1 scoop protein powder
SF syrup to taste (usually 2-3 tablespoons)
Splenda to taste (I usually don’t need it but your mileage may vary)

Directions: Add all ingredients to a shaker bottle (or blender/bullet) and mix. Pour into a microwave safe mug/container (my shaker bottle can go in the microwave, just remember to remove the metal whisk!). Heat for 3 rounds of 30-45 second, and stir between each round (for hotter coffee…go 45 seconds). IMPORTANT: do not try to microwave it all in one shot…the protein powder will curdle and you will have to start over (ask me how I know…lol). Pour in mug or travel cup and enjoy!

When mixing and matching the protein powders and SF syrups it’s fairly simple of you keep the following in mind:
--For  a "mocha" style drink...use chocolate protein powder (or unflavored protein powder+ unsweetened coco powder) +SF syrup or choice
--For  a "latte" style drink...use vanilla or unflavored protein powder and SF syrup or choice

Here are a few of my favorite protein coffee drinks that I make:

Carmel Mocha = chocolate protein powder + SF Caramel syrup
Peppermint Mocha = chocolate protein powder + SF Peppermint syrup
Hazelnut Mocha = chocolate protein powder + SF hazelnut syrup
Hazelnut latte = vanilla protein powder + SF hazelnut syrup
Peppermint Paddy = vanilla protein powder + SF Peppermint syrup
Carmel Latte = vanilla protein powder + SF Caramel syrup
Chai Tea Latte = unflavored protein powder + SF Chai Tea Concentrate
Vanilla Kahlua  Latte = vanilla protein powder  + SF Kahlua Syrup

The possibilities are ENDLESS!!! Just mix and match the flavors to see what you like and what you don’t! 

Shortcuts: I’m a busy working woman…and I’m usually in the office by 7AM daily. So to cut corners and get every minute of sleep that I can…I’ve developed a few tricks that makes preparing my protein coffee in the AM go much faster
1.        I make a huge pot of decaf coffee 1x a week and pour it into a pitcher in the fridge.  This also helps because mixing everything at the same temperatures (cold milk, cold coffee) means that I don’t have to temper my protein powder and run the risk of it curdling on me.
2.       I mix everything up nightly in a shaker bottle and leave it in the fridge over night and heat and go in the AM. I discovered this trick a few days after I got out the hospital. Something about letting the protein powder dissolve in the milk/coffee over night helps make it smoother and helps with the grit factor a bit.

Where to purchase SF syrups:
1.       Wal-Mart/Super Wal-Mart: I discovered that Wal-Mart carries mini 12oz bottle of several of the SF DaVinci syrups for $3!!! Whenever I’m near one I always check the coffee aisle to see if they have one that I don’t have in my stash.
2.       Your local Grocery Store:  Most of the grocery stores carry Torani  syrups. The SF selection might be limited but you should at LEAST be able to find a SF vanilla and Hazelnut.
3.       World Market: I’ve been told that World Market carries a wide selection of SF syrups (not sure what brands) and that it’s a great place to find some of the more obscure and seasonal ones.
4.       Target: Target’s in house Archer Farms brand has SF syrups (check on the aisle with the coffee). I’ve only seen the basic ones (vanilla, hazelnut and Carmel) but your Target might have more.
5.       Amazon/EBay: just put in a search for SF coffee syrups and you’ll be amazed at what you find!
6.       Directly from the manufacture: Torani doesn’t have a shop on its website, but it does have a listing of retailers that you can search by zip code to find a store in your area that sells it. DaVinci does have a shop on its website. To purchase the sugar free syrups from DaVinci visit: http://www.davincigourmet.com/products/sugar_free_flavored_syrups/

I woke up this morning to a chilly 41 degrees outside....IN OCTOBER!!!!  The weather reports are predicting a snow storm will move through our area...and we will have snow in October for only the 4th time in recorded history.  *SIGH*. 

So after I went down to the basement and dragged out the 50lb bag of salt and snow shovels, I decided to try on my winter coats.  I have about 4-5 NICE wool winter coats that I haven't been able to wear in about 2-3 years but I've REFUSED to give them away or donate them because I was determined to lose weight and wear them again.  THEY ALL FIT!!!  Every single last one of them.  I'm sooo excited! 

OK maybe I should explain my excitement here...I LOVE wintertime clothes.  I'm a coat, boot, bag, leather glove SNOB.  Seriously.  My coats, boots, and bags are matched based on color, style, and fit (no joke).  Certain coat/bag/boot combinations are only worn with certain outfits.  I am SERIOUS about my winter gear.  So the past 2 years as things have gotten smaller I've skimped and brought cheaper "filler" coats and HATED it.  I love Target as much as the next girl but their wool coats are cut funny and are not warm at all.  I would longingly look in my closet at my beautiful  coats that were too small to comfortably wear.  And as of this morning...I can wear them ALL.  A few are a bit snug, but I think by the them old man winter is really upon us...I'll be back to my regular ole coat/boot/bag snobbish ways.

Oh...and my weight this morning was 311!  I'm so close to 299 I can TASTE it.  I want it...and dayum it if it means going to zumba class 5x a week then I WILL break 300 before my birthday.  I've got exactly 30 days to do it.

Yesterday was a horrible sucky day.  If you need proof, just read yesterday's blog post.  I was about ready to jump out the window of my 7th floor office building.  I didn't jump...but I did cry myself to sleep.  However, I am determined to make today a MUCH better day.  I had to ask God to give me the strength and courage to keep moving forward.  And of course, being who he is...he answers prayers....and gave me a non-scale victory!  Just what I needed to life my spirits and keep on pushing on!

Today's non-scale victory:  Fitting into a pair of size 24 Lane Bryant Jeans...a pair of jean without a single thread of spandex.  This is important because these jeans have NO give....they either fit or they don't.  Not just any ole pair of jeans, a pair of jeans that I brought last year and was only able to wear 1-2 times before they were to small.  I remember the last time I wore these jeans...it was December of 2010....and I was leaving the office Christmas party and I remember thinking "dayum these new jeans are tight as hell".  They were promptly tossed to the back of the closet where they remained except for brief "try on sessions" that ended with them not getting up over my ass...and when zipped, created the WORST muffin top ever.  They were officially banished.

Today is causal Friday, the only day I wear jeans to work.  After the events of yesterday, I decided to test that OH theory of "you might be loosing inches".  So I pulled out the banished jeans and not only did they fit....they were slightly loose.  Now...I'd just tried on these jeans maybe 2 weeks prior and they were still a no go.  So I proudly wore my jeans to work today and felt WONDERFUL.  Don't get me wrong...I'm still pissed that the scale is not moving and my singular goal is to MAKE it move....but I'll take this NSV today and cherish it.

I'm freaking out a bit.  OK...I'm freaking out a lot.  I'm freaking out and I'm trying to keep things in perspective and not allow my fears to get the best of me.  I need an out let to express this irrational fear...but I don't want to start a thread about it on the RNY board...not because I don't think people will understand because I KNOW they will.  But because I know a fair amount of folks are going to give me the ole "chill out" speech.  It's the same speech I've been giving myself for the last week and it's not working.  It's not getting rid of the fear.  I just need to vent it out, let it go and stop holding on to it.  So here goes....

I'm six weeks post-op.  And I've only lost 25 pounds since my surgery.  And I wasn't a "lightweight" when I started.  My surgery weight was 340 pounds.  Judging by what appears to be "average" weight-loss, I should be well on my way to about 40 pound lost by now.  But I'm not.  My body is hovering at the 25 pound mark and is hanging on for dear life.  The scale refuses to move.  It just will NOT budge.  I'm charting my food and water intake, I'm taking my vitamins...I'm getting in my protein...I'm exercising....I'm just at a loss.  In the past, this would be the point where I'd start falling off the wagon.  Where I'd get pissed off and go eat a big ass Five Guys burger and those awesome fries...and then feel even worse....*SIGH*

I'm a results driven person.  The more results I see, the more I'm driven to see additional results and work harder, the more results I see.  When I see no results, or what I perceive to be minimal results, it kills my motivation.  It makes it harder for me to press on.  It makes me feel like a loser.  Like there's something wrong with me...or that I'm doing something wrong.  I know...this is a completely irrational feeling...but dayum it feelings are not rational.  They don't have brains and right now, mine one brain is fried from hormones and work related stress so I don't have a whole lot of extra "ration" on hand to loan my emotions today.  So their kinda running rampant at the moment. 

I think what's really starting to get to me are reading the threads on OH of folks asking if "losing 50 pounds in 8 weeks is slow weight loss".  Are you fucking kidding me?  I'm sitting here 6 weeks out holding at 25 pounds and you're only 2 weeks past me and have doubled that.  I'm telling you...it's fucking with my head...BIG TIME.  I like coming to OH because I don't have a lot of people in my personal life that have had RNY...so I don't have that comparison or person to ask questions, and I get that here.  Plus, it's not a bad way to pass the day when work is kinda slow.  But I've got to stop reading the threads like that because I find myself comparing my weight loss to other folks and it's not healthy and it leaves me feeling like shit.  And what did I do in the "good ole days" when I felt like shit....I ate.  Because food doesn't judge me and it was comforting.  The foods gone and I'm not quite sure how to handle these feelings without it...except to let myself feel them and try to work through them.

 I'm seeing everyone else's GREAT weight loss results and its a stark reminder of how dismal my own results have been....and it's bring up all kinds of emotions...emotions that I've never really experienced before.  I'm JEALOUS.  I'm totally green with envy of the folks that are able to just breath an drop 50 pounds after surgery.  And what's really funny, is that I didn't exactly expect the weight to melt off going into this.  But now...seeing everyone else getting such great results early out...seeing folks get to goal and/or losing 100 pounds in like 6-8 months...and then seeing that *my* weight loss isn't on target to BE one of those folks is killing me softly. 

And I think the biggest fear of all...is that I worry about what people must/will think about my weight loss to day.  I don't want people to think that I'm a failure.  I don't want people to think that the reason why I'm not one of those people who lost 100 pounds in 6 months is because of something that *I* did.  That I didn't exercise....ate too much...ate too little, something..ANYTHING...and will find fault in ME and blame me for this not working. And I guess the truly crazy thing, is that I know it's working.  It's doing what it's supposed to do.  I'm not hungry, I'm not having cravings, I'm eating a FRACTION of what I used to eat.  My logical, very analytical mind is programmed such that working = results.  And no results MUST mean that it's not working....right? 

I'm rambling and struggling today.  Not the best combination.  Whoooo-saaaaaa.