Thursday, February 4, 2010

Food Journaling


Hello my friends! 

First of all, thank the Lord that tomorrow is Friday!  I just want to get this entire week and weekend over with.  Yes, I said weekend too, and you'll understand why in a moment. 

Okay, now I have to dish something with you guys.  Lately, I have been having to record all of my meals and eats.  This is not really something I am a fan of because it makes me go a bit crazy and I have been known to become a bit obsessive in my past.  In no way, do I ever want to feel like I have to track my every intake; however, due to my unfortunate circumstance of colon issues, this task is not an option anymore.  I HAVE to figure out what foods are causing the severe attacks. 

I actually had to do this in my past and worked with a nutritionist to develop a specific diet based on my needs.  This is why I have eliminated red meats, most dairy, fried foods, and heavy processed foods from my life for the past 5  years and it worked just beautifully. 

Well, now that it is utterly apparent that I am dealing with a full blown colon disease, life has been unmanageable.  I know that my symptoms are extremely elevated right now, which is why most foods that never use to bother me are all of a sudden attacking my digestive system.  But the problem is, things are so bad at this point, that it seems to be just about everything I eat.  Sometimes, it's not so bad, and other times, it's INTENSE.  I am trying to figure what is causing the intense attacks and trying my very best to steer clear. 

My colonoscopy is scheduled for Monday (which is why I am looking forward to getting this weekend over with.  The prep is not exactly a party) and I pray that once I have this done, I will be able to determine what the exact condition is and how to better manage it.  I am also hoping there is something I can take to help control the symptoms. 

All of this being said, I have decided to use my blog as a way of my food recording.  I know I know, I already do this, but I am planning on really getting serious and attempting to photograph almost every meal.  The blog has been great for this because over the past few months, I have been able to go back and look at my food intake for the day.  If I had a couple awful days, I could just look and see what I had to eat over that time and try to see if there was a connection. 

So, expect to see more breakfast, lunch, and dinners.  Even if you don't care to, I am really doing it for my own benefit at this point. 

Thanks for understanding! ;) 

So breakfast this morning……


1/4 Cup Flax Flakes, 1/4 Cup TJ's Fiber Twigs, 1/4 Cup TJ's Twigs and Berries, berries, 2TBL Apricot/Mango Greek Yogurt, 1/2 Cup Almond Milk

 
Whole Wheat Toast with 1TBL Cottage Cheese and 1 TBL Apricot Jam


With a big ol' mug of joe

I actually didn't end up eating the toast because after the first bite, I realized how stale and freezer burnt the bread was.  Disappointing, because this toast combo is one of my favorites. 

This sat well with me.  Okay, note to self…. this breakfast is a go! Doesn't hurt that it was quite tasty too! 

Now, I am eating my own words because I definitely didn't photograph lunch.  I went out with a friend (and was so happy that I felt up for going out today) and completely forgot my camera.  But I can tell you I had 1/2 veggie sammie on Pumpernickel and a side salad.  
Lunch was okay.  I mean food wise.  Lunch was actually a very nice affair, as I have not seen my friend in awhile, so it was great catching up.  But the food digested without much trouble, thankfully. 

I had a late meeting and I didn't want to risk getting sick in the middle of it, so I ate an apple an hour before.  Keeping small amounts of food in my stomach seems to help.  The apple digested.  A little discomfort but not so bad. 

I really just cross my fingers that I am able to get through the workday.  I consider that a good day.  Today….was a good day! 

When I got home, later than usual due to my meeting, I was surprisingly hungry for an early dinner.  Guess eating an earlier snack does this to my appetite. 

I started shortly after, because I knew tonight's dinner was going to take a little longer than the norm. 

On the menu….

Tuna Noodle Casserole! 


When I was little, my mom use to make this all the time and I HATED it.  Now, I love it!  Weird how things change. 

I definitely didn't follow any recipe and used the ingredients I had to adapt this casserole to fit our dietary needs. 

The star ingredients…


I cooked the macaroni al dente and added a LC wedge, dijon, yogurt, tuna, peas, tomato and parsley. 


Then topped with bread crumbs and baked at 350* for 20-25 min.
Guess who got cheese on their half? :) 

I topped my portion with something a bit more spicy.  Cholua anyone? 

And served with a side salad consisting of romaine, cabbage, radish, blackberries, kiwi, avocado, goat cheese and walnuts
This was delicious!  Such a nice change from our usual meals.  I often forget about casserole, because honestly, I am just not a casserole kind of girl.  I'm not a big fan of pasta and I don't eat meat, so it doesn't leave room for many options. 
However, the tuna was a hit!  
And the one thing about casseroles that is so great is all the leftovers. 

I really don't think it's possible to make a single serving size of these dishes.  If it is, I would love to see it. 

This dinner digested extremely well and I am actually pretty hungry an hour later.  Good sign.  A bedtime snack is definitely in my future.  Cereal is becoming a favorite for this by the way! ;) 

Well, thanks for putting up with this very wordy and detailed post.  I hope I didn't turn anyone off with the explicit descriptions of my daily food; however, I am at a point of desperation now.  I have to figure out a way to live and I will never achieve this unless I figure out the scores first. 

Time for Grey's! :) 




Photobucket

10 comments:

  1. Thank goodness it's time for Grey's! I've had the WORST day with lots of troubles, and I just need to veg.

    Love the food journaling. I've thought about doing that more with snacks, too. :) You have to do what's best for you, and I really hope this helps you figure out what's going on with you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Honey, I'm so sorry to hear about all the digestive woes... that's no fun at all! I hope they can figure out what's going on soon.
    Hugs and happy cleansing ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. oh girl! You know I SO feel for you! You will do great with the prep. Just push through it chicky! What a fabulous looking dinner- Josh would love this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. hi sweet pea! i am just pulling an all nighter and so i was able to read your past 4 posts! GAH i have missed you!!! i refused to mark them as read :) SO~ those nachos and your sweater were both note-worthy for reasons of their own. glad you are loving your BB~ i just got rid of mine and got a droid! bummer, i totes would have been BBMing you! how are you liking the new whip? i bet it is so fun to drive. hum what else was i going to say? oh the running plan and new gym both sound/look great! i admire your speed~ 6.5 in under an hour? you're so amazing, girl.

    i am going to miss you! make sure to fill me in with what i miss when i am gone!

    love you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi, I'm new to your blog! I'm sorry to hear about your digestive issues; as you said, hopefully blogging your meals will help you discover the cause! That huge bowl of cereal looks incredible...it definitely puts mine to shame! Can't wait to read more!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tuna casserole! I used to hate that too, I wonder if I'd like it now? I'm not much of a casserole girl either, although I don't know why because I love big bowls of food! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  7. YAY for cottage cheese on a carb!! I think it's funny how tastes change too. So many things I eat now I wouldn't have ever touched as a kid. Hot sauce makes everything taste better ;)

    Good luck with tracking everything - I think it's a smart move even if it makes you a little annoyed at times. Also good luck with this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Do what you have to do!! I love reading every item people eat. It gives me inspiration!! :)

    I hope you start to feel better soon!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sorry to hear about your digestive problems:( 10 years ago when I started college I had such bad stomach problems that I could barely walk to class every day....after a colonoscopy they said I "just" had IBS....while glad it wasn't something worse, I would get sick from almost ANYthing at any given time...I would be fine eating pizza one day and horrible the next....luckily it settled down on its own over a 2 year period! I think the stress (both good and bad) of starting school made it worse....I hope you can figure out everything going on with you!!! I know it's the worst:(

    On a positive note, the prep for the colonoscopy is not very much fun, but once the scope is over, you will probably feel FABULOUS for a couple days:) I hope it all goes well for you!!! Feel better:)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your meals! They always look so yummy and inspire my cooking creativity!! I've been enjoying blogging all my meals and snacks!

    Good luck with the colonoscopy and prep. I know it's not fun but I hope they are able to provide you with more answers and options!!

    I never thought to mix cottage cheese and jam to put on toast! What a great idea!!

    ReplyDelete