Med Tests Kill Metabolism, Oatmeal Cookies

I spent half the day at the hospital yesterday, having a test done. It involved not drinking or eating from midnight the night before, so I was suitably dehydrated by morning. Consequently, it took 4 tries to get a vein and I felt like a pincushion. At least one vein was blown, so I'm pretty bruised up.

But the real issue is eating regularly. I need to eat breakfast to keep the momentum going in my metabolism. Not eating breakfast until noon really doesn't help anything. I feel really sluggish today, and I ended up eating too much yesterday, making up for the missing meals.

I had two large meals with no snacks, while I normally eat three reasonable meals and two snacks every day. That eating of two large meals just set me off on a tailspin. I had sugar cravings that were nearly impossible to resist.

I ended up making some low-sugar cookies with ground oatmeal for most of the flour. That was a good substitute, and satisfied my craving, but added too many calories because I had little self-control. Luckily, I didn't eat them all, so I have some for "correct usage" in my diet.

Low Sugar Oatmeal Cookie Recipe:
1 stick softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons dark molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 cup oatmeal, sent through the coffee grinder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins, optional

Cream butter, molasses and sugar. Add vanilla and egg and mix well. Add the rest in 3 parts, incorporating well after each addition. Fold in raisins if you want them. Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes. I used a teaspoon to make rounded mounds, and they didn't spread too much. Cool on racks and store covered. Makes about 2- to 2 1/2 dozen, depending on the size.

Real simple, real good, low sugar, and the oatmeal adds a nice dose of fiber.

I used self-rising flour because I got it by mistake and want to use it up. If you don't have that, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and increase the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.

A good thing that came out of the test yesterday, is that I have no blockages in my heart, so I can start exercising. I start with "Functional Fitness" for the rest of this week. I got the DVD some time ago, and used it. It adds basic flexibility for everyday movement. Not a lot of calorie burning, but it gets me off my butt. Several reps of each exercise will get me ready for the next step by Monday.