At 39, Suzanne experienced being bullied for the first time in her life. This happened after she had her third child at age 37 and after that, she started to gradually gain weight. Two years after giving birth, she was not able to lose the weight, instead, she gained more pounds putting her at her heaviest of 270 pounds. She knew that she was obese but she kept on denying this saying that the pregnancy weight will come off. It was not until a random guy at a grocery store called her a fat chick while she was loading her cart with bags of chocolate chip cookies when it finally hit her that she was uncontrollable.

Suzanne hated the feeling of being bullied. After that incident, she would always be conscious thinking that people are judging her and that they talk about her behind her back. It did not help that she also used to be one of those people who would bully fat girls in high school and judge other people who are overweight.

This made her feel guilty and somehow, she felt that she deserved it because she’s just getting her own karma. She went into depression mode that her older sister had to intervene. Her sister tried helping her by introducing different diets. She would lose some weight for a time, but she would gain it back double after stopping the diet. After 5 more years of yoyo dieting without much long-term results, she was ready to give up.

Then her husband told Suzanne that he was planning a Carribean trip for the family for Suzanne’s 45th birthday. Instead of being excited, Suzanne felt really upset. She said that when she’d think of the Carribean, she thought of sandy beaches, lounging in nice floral dresses and enjoying long walks on the beach. But with her difficulties with her weight, Suzanne did not feel she would enjoy the trip.

This was what prompted her to look for a more permanent solution and considered bariatric surgery. She knew that she might not lose the weight to make it in time for her 45th birthday but she also knew that she had to start asap.

Her favorite recipes post-surgery were simple ones that can be whipped up in a few minutes but used smart combinations to make the flavors pop! One of these recipes is the one below where a humble egg is given a facelift by adding scoop of black bean puree!

By the way, the Carribean trip was delayed until her 46th birthday but Suzanne said her WLS was the best decision ever and her family vacation pictures were the best proof of this.

Scrambled Egg with Black Bean Puree

You’ll Need:

Scrambled Egg
1 egg
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Black Bean Puree
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
3 tbsp green enchilada sauce, divided
2 tbsp chicken or vegetable broth
1 tbsp unflavored whey protein powder

Cooking Method:
Black Bean Puree
Place rinsed black beans in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add enchilada sauce. Stir and heat throughout, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth.
Move mixture to a blender or using a hand blender, blend mixture until smooth. Move to a bowl.
Let cool slightly and then stir in unflavored protein powder until blended in well. Cover to keep warm until egg is cooked. Refrigerate leftovers for another meal.

Scrambled Egg
Heat a non-stick skillet to medium high heat. Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk the egg well allowing air to incorporate.
Pour egg into heated skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use a rubber spatula to slowly move the egg around the pan as it cooks through. When egg seems mostly cooked but still has some liquid texture, fold onto itself and remove to a plate. Top with 1 tbsp black bean puree and 1 tsp green enchilada sauce.

Nutrition:
This recipe makes one serving which provides an estimated 11 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrate and 5 grams fat.