Checking In...

 So this is week 4, and I've been noticing side effects a bit more this week. The occasional headache, along with some relatively mild nausea. Fortunately 7up Zero seems to help with the nausea, so that's a plus.

Surprisingly, it's the weekend and even with a Monday night shot, I haven't really gotten my appetite back in a raging way like I did right before my shot on previous weeks. So that's a positive thing, and I would guess both these issues are related to having a baseline level of Ozempic in my body.

I'm leaning to staying at the lower dose based on those two factors, rather than stepping up to 0.5mg on Monday. If 0.25mg is working then I'm thinking it might be best to stay there for a little while. I'm curious to see what the results on the scale will be this week. I've still been experiencing bloat, so I'm hoping that I'll have a big whoosh to take off the 2lbs from last week and then some. I've been good and staying off the scale except for my once weekly weigh in on Monday mornings, so it's helping me to avoid obsessing over those normal daily fluctuations.

It's helping to have some handy snacks around that are quick and grabbable, so that I don't have to worry as much about planning my meals. Or if I'm not particularly hungry but know I need to eat, having something close to hand that I don't need to go to any trouble for is really helpful. I still have some Nutrisystem snacks in my freezer and those have been really helpful because they are tasty as well as high protein for satiety.

I made a really delicious salad last night that was bursting with flavour and nutritious- I would definitely recommend that you give it a try!

Gochujang-Sesame Turkey Salad:

250g ground turkey

2 tbsp gochjang sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp garlic puree

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 cups baby spinach

1 cup sweet bell pepper, cut into strips

4 radishes, sliced thinly into rounds

1/4 cup carrot, julienned

1 green onion, thinly sliced

In a large salad serving bowl, mix together the greek yogurt, vinegar, 1 tbsp gochujang, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, and 1/2 tsp garlic puree. Whisk ingredients together, and add salt and pepper to taste. Set dressing aside for flavours to blend.

Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the remaining sesame oil. When oil is hot, add the turkey. Cook, breaking up any large chunks, until there is no longer any pink, approximately 4-5 min. Season with pepper if desired. 

To the pan with turkey, add the remaining gochujang, soy sauce, and garlic puree, and stir to coat the meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey starts to brown, 3-5 min. 

Add the spinach, bell peppers, carrots, and radishes to the bowl with the dressing, and toss to coat. Divide the salad onto two plates and top with the turkey; garnish with green onions.

This recipe is so flavourful I guarantee you won't miss your favourite Asian takeout! Serves two, each serving contains 321 calories, 7g of fat, 23g of carbohydrates, and a whopping 43g of protein! Definitely a great choice. Try it and let me know how you like it!