I wanted to share one simple recipe nothing fancy, nice and easy! 

• 4 skinless, boneless,chicken breast halves
• 4 fat free or low fat mozzarella cheese sticks
• Fat free or low fat Italian dressing Breadcrumbs. 

Pretty easy so far right! 

Marinate chicken pieces with italian dressing (for at least 1 hour, or longer), coat them with breadcrumbs, place cheese sticks in middle of each piece of chicken and wrap chicken around cheese. Spray cooking spray lightly in a baking pan, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Use remaining dressing for a dip. My kids love this one. 

Kerry Timmins

Focus 28 Customer

kerrytimmins@yahoo.com

We all know that New Years is a time to say we are actually going to go the gym, eat healthy, and finally take off that weight.  However, is it that easy?

Here are some tips to keep the resolution and turn it into a permanent mentality:

1. New Mentality – You can start a diet and exercise, but can you really convince yourself to stick to it.  Start setting goals, getting back to the gym and eating healthy.  Theses things will help you more and more to have a better attitude and you can actually stick to the mentality.  If you have problems or issues in your life at the moment, maybe this is not the best time.  Trying to have a new mentality with problems are your mind may make every worse.
2. Set Realistic Goals – Are your goals realistic or do they seem ridiculous?  Part of this new mentality should be realizing that weight loss and diet is a long process.  It should be slow and healthy.  Once you are done losing the weight you want to lose, you still have that mentality and strong, healthy diet to continue your life with.  A good goal to set is one to two pounds a week.  Losing too much at once is not healthy and can sometimes make one sick.
3. Believe In Yourself – This is a life long commitment and mentality.  If you don’t believe in yourself, then why are you doing this?  Have strong faith in yourself and tell yourself daily that you can and will do this for yourself.  Also, your friends and family are your support system.  They believe in you and are there to back you up.  If you ever lose faith, don’t give up, just give talk to your support and you’ll get over the hurdles.

These are just a few things that you need to take in consideration as you start that New Year’s Resolution.  Take that simple statement and turn it into a lifestyle.

Focus 28 Team

I made the most wonderful protein Vanilla Frappuccino this morning with the help of Focus28’s fabulous protein Cappuccino drink mix, my trusty Magic Bullet and a few other ingredients. It is easy, quick, healthy but most of all it tastes like Heaven in a cup! If you don’t have a Magic Bullet, a blender will work.

Ingredients:
1 pkt Focus28 Cappuccino
1/2 cup skim milk (may substitute soy milk)
1/2 cup cold coffee
1/2 cup ice (I find using ice chips works best in the Magic Bullet vs. big cubes of ice)
2 tbsp of SF Vanilla Syrup - I use Torani or Davinci sugar free syrup, you can find them in the coffee aisle at the store.
*Optional a dollup of Sugar free Cool Whip

 In your Magic Bullet cup, pour in a 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup cold coffee, 2 tbsps Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup, 1/2 cup ice, 1 pkt of Focus28 Bariatric Cappuccino drink mix. Put the lid on your cup and blend for about a minute. Top with a dollup of Sugar Free Cool Whip if you like. This tastes fantastic, I kid you not! Loaded with 23 grams of protein and only 120 calories, it just doesn’t get much better than that!

Jennifer Savage

Focus 28 Customer

ccjjcwlr@gmail.com   

http://luveysblog.blogspot.com/

Okay I’m sure each one of you has a fickle band like me.  It is enough to drive you insane, one day you’re wide open and the next your band is so tight you can only take two or three bites and you’re done.  I know, I know, I’ve been there done that, it actually happened to me last week.  I was eating a ham steak; took three bites and I could feel the tightness in my chest.  At lunch I had chicken tacos and was able to eat just fine.  How can that be?  It boils down to the actual food we are eating; some foods are denser than others so it makes it harder or easier to get full, depending on how you look at it.  

Take what I ate for example.  The ham steak was much thicker than the cubed chicken I had at lunch.  I waited too long to eat and basically tried to scarf my food. I should have taken the time to chew the ham much more than I did the chicken cubes.  Had I taken the time to really chew the ham I could have had more than three bites.  We are all guilty of this, we eat too fast and don’t chew well enough then we get frustrated because we want to eat more but we can’t.  Don’t get upset if you take a couple of bites and you’re full, it’s one meal. I hear this all time “I only had three bites and I couldn’t eat anymore”.  I know how it feels it still happens to me even four years out. 

When this happens to some band patients; they automatically think that’s it “I’m too tight and I need a un- fill”.  Look at what you ate and how fast you ate; it can be as easy as slowing down and paying attention to how you are eating.  We have to be aware of what we are doing as patients and not be so quick to blame our fill amount. 

I have stated this before and it’s worth repeating, if you are stressed or eat too fast this can cause premature fullness.  If this is happening to you from time to time, start paying attention to your eating patterns.

A.     Are you waiting until you are starving to eat, then you try to scarf down your food? Don’t let yourself get to this point, eat well before you reach starvation mode.

B.     Do you test your band to see if you can eat something?  If you do that’s fine just make sure you are chewing to liquid before you swallow.  This will help you avoid PB’s (productive burps).

C.     Are you getting stuck every time you eat, no matter what the food is?  If this is happening you could be too tight and need to schedule an appointment with your surgeon.

D.     Do you choose band friendly meals because you know you can eat it?  It’s okay to eat softer foods if you are going out or will be with a big group.  However don’t make it a common food choice just because you know you can get it down.

I know it can get frustrating from time to time.  Try to be patient and honest with yourself before you decide if you’re too tight or just right.   

Believing in your Success!!

Cher Ewing, CC

Focus 28 Empowerment Expert

Certified LAP-BAND Lifestyle Coach

Author of “Transformation Caravan”Radio Host for “The Band Banter”

Talk Showwebsite: www.bandedtogether.net

email: cher@bandedtogether.net

Radio Show: www.blogtalkradio.com/thebandbantertalkshow

Blog: http://www.thebandbantertalkshow.blogspot.com

Book: http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=2128218

Bph: 214.534.7455

Focus 28 works hard to try and keep on top of our customers needs and desires.  We are constantly updating our inventory of products.  As per customer demands, the following are a list of new products that have just arrived. 

Keeps your eye out for additional new products added all the time.

Mint Hot Cocoa  

A holiday favorite you can now enjoy any time of the year, guilt-free. Refreshing mint, creamy chocolate, and lots of protein. This delicious hot cocoa drink are is only 70 calories, and has 12 grams of high quality protein. It’ll warm you up on a cold winter’s day, and help you slim down for the summer! Each great tasting serving provides you with just the right combination of protein and carbohydrates to keep you feeling great while losing weight.

Raspberry Hot Cocoa

Take our creamy, rich hot chocolate, swirl in the flavor of sweet red raspberries, and you have one delicious flavor combination with all the nutritional benefits of the original. This delicious hot cocoa drink are is only 70 calories, and has 12 grams of high quality protein. It’ll warm you up on a cold winter’s day, and help you slim down for the summer! Each great tasting serving provides you with just the right combination of protein and carbohydrates to keep you feeling great while losing weight.

Minestrone Soup 

An italian favorite is made even better! Low in calories and high in protein and flavor, this authentic-tasting recipe will become a dinner time favorite!  It is wonderful on its own or used in a low-calorie recipe. Each serving only has 90 calories and has 12grams of protein.  What a delicious way to add protein and cut calories from your diet! It will provide you with the right combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates to keep you feeling great while losing weight!  Easy to prepare in the microwave or on the stovetop. Enjoy a quick and easy lunch or snack break.

Cheesy Eggs w/ Vegetables

Start your day with a country breakfast of eggs with mushrooms, red bell peppers, onions, chives, and a mix of cheddar and parmesan cheese.  Our Cheesy Egg w/ Vegetables is a savory dish containing 12 grams of protein and only 90 calories.  It is low in fat and cholesterol and no trans fats.  It is an excellent souce of Vitamin A and a good souce of Vitamin C and Calcium.

Strawberry Kiwi Fruit Drink 

Savor the sweet flavors of strawberry and kiwi, while treating your body to a protein-rich, thirst-quenching cold beverage! Delicious and Cold! Quench your thirst for a sweetened drink without the sugar and extra calories. Focus 28 drink mixes are sugar-free, high in protein and provide the light, refreshing taste of summer in any season. Specially designed bariatric protein fruit drinks make bariatric weight loss easier. They taste great as frozen Popsicles too.  Each great tasting 60 calorie serving provides you with just the right combination of protein and carbohydrates to keep you feeling great while losing weight!

Pineapple Apricot Fruit Drink

Escape to the tropics with this delicious exotic blend of pineapple and apricot.  Delicious and Cold! Quench your thirst for a sweetened drink without the sugar and extra calories. Focus 28 drink mixes are sugar-free, high in protein and provide the light, refreshing taste of summer in any season. Specially designed bariatric protein fruit drinks make bariatric weight loss easier. They taste great as frozen Popsicles too.  Each great tasting 60 calorie serving provides you with just the right combination of protein and carbohydrates to keep you feeling great while losing weight!

Greetings,

Just a quick announcement about our new Bariatric Gift Basket Contest. Enter for your chance to win a whole gift basket full of Focus 28 snacks and goodies. The contest closes February 28, 2009 so enter today for your chance to win. Stay tuned for other exciting upcoming promotions and contest from Focus 28 as well. 

Enter the contest here

Cheers,
Andy MacLellan
Focus 28

Bikram Yoga, or ‘hot yoga’, is performed in a heated room; the interplay between yoga breathing and weight loss occurs because the extra body heat generated burns off more calories.                                     

Other less intense styles of yoga don’t help so much with burning calories, but are an excellent complementary tool to aerobic exercise and a healthy eating plan. How they complement other weight loss tools is outlined below.

The deep-breathing involved in yoga increase oxygen intake to all body cells; this in turn increases oxidation and burning of fat cells. Another direct benefit of yoga exercises is that, when combined with yoga breathing, weight loss is made easier because as well as burning off energy the exercises also store energy that is ready to be burned instead of stored. 

Learning to breathe more effectively through yoga can also be extremely beneficial when applied to aerobic exercise. Oxygen intake is maximized, and the speed at which carbon dioxide exits the body is slowed; this allows you to exercise more efficiently, and not get “puffed” so easily.  Another benefit is that deep breathing is known to improve mental strength and concentration; anything that can improve will-power can only be a good thing! There are deep-breathing exercises designed specifically for weight loss, but these need to be used with caution. They can be effective in the short-term, but used as a long-term measure they may disharmonize the body, mind and spirit.

Read the rest of this entry »