Day 13

I am dying for treats!  It has actually made me crabby for 2 days.  Oh my word.

I was going to go to Trader Joe's today to see if I could find some reasonable "everything-free" treats, but in the end I decided it might be hard to be surrounded by that much lovely food and temptation.  Instead, I went to Cub Foods to get a few staples.  No temptation there really.  Cub is an ugly place.  An ugly but necessary place.  While there, I did peruse the gluten-free aisle for snacks.  (I ate lunch before I went so I wouldn't be starving!).  I nearly bought some "everything-free" chocolate chunks. But they kind of grossed me out.  And I didn't want to wreck chocolate for myself.  I eyeballed some "everything-free" granola bar type thingies.  But I didn't want to be desperate enough to eat something that looked like flattened and baked poo.

I did happen upon Beanitos while I lingered there. You heard me.





  
I bought some.  They were on sale.  They're made out of black beans and practically nothing else.  I can definitely eat black beans and practically nothing else.  I brought them home and ate some with hummus, and they were delightful.  Now I need some Beanitos in chocolate flavor and I'll be all set.

I'm down 6 pounds, by the way.  Please remind me of this every 5 minutes so I quit freaking out about not being able to eat anything fun.  (I actually like the food I'm eating, I'm just missing the foods I can't have!!)

Day 11

I am home with a sick kid, so the packing food for a trip away issue didn't happen after all.  That made life easier in one sense.  Not being able to eat popcorn while watching a movie with my sickie was tough though!    I am still mourning the loss of treats and coffee, but I'm getting over it faster.  And trying to find things to substitute if I get desperate.  Sun butter on a rice cake actually does the trick for providing something kind of sweet and crunchy.  Although, I have been able to make it without snacks the last few days.  I am trying to only eat them when I actually feel hungry (and not when I just feel like having something).

Yesterday's breakfast was a good one for sweet and crunchy as well.  I made quinoa (a grain) in place of oatmeal.  While it cooked, I chopped up an apple, added a bunch of cinnamon and a bit of honey and cooked it in the microwave until soft.  I added the cooked apple to the quinoa and sprinkled chopped pecans on top.  All allowed!  And it tasted a bit like dessert!  Butter and brown sugar would have made it spectacular, but I'm not going to think about that.  Butter makes everything better, doesn't it?  Never mind.

I am attending a brunch on Tuesday morning, and I am sure it will be a battle of wills there too.  I am bringing a veggie tray with hummus so I can be assured of having something there that I can eat.  I'll actually eat breakfast before going too, so I won't be starved.  But it'll be hard to sit at the table with ladies eating plate-fulls of egg dishes, breads and desserts.  Interesting how so much of our social interaction revolves around food.  I. must. stay. strong.  Wish me luck!

Day 8, and counting

As of this morning, I'm down 3.5 pounds from my Day 1 weigh-in.  Yippee!  That's a fun perk, especially since I don't feel like I'm starving myself to lose weight.

Today, however, I did struggle with not being able to have certain foods (pizza, coffee, chocolate, butter...).  We had a lunch playdate with friends, and they were serving pizza.  I sat at the table eating salad and soup with 6 people who were eating pizza and breadsticks.  Mercy.  That was a tough one.  And so hard not to eat Owen's leftover crusts at the end.  My mind was whispering, "Just a little bit wouldn't matter..."  Yes it would!  The meal plan says that if you have any of the sensitivity foods you have to start your 28 days over again!  Yikes!  That's good motivation.  That, and the 3.5 pounds.

We'll be visiting grandmas this weekend, so added to the ordeal of packing for overnight, I will also have to pack provisions for myself...to be prepared in a kitchenette.  No cooking available!  And I'm not sure the other seniors will take kindly to my smoothie-making noise at 8 in the morning.  Hmmm....still trying to figure that one out.

I have been missing coffee quite a bit.  Not the caffeine, but the warmth and the cream and sugar I put in it.  I like decaf and have that the majority of the time.  But I can't do it without cream and sugar.  Both are off limits right now.  So...I've learned to like tea.  I'm trying to avoid caffeine there too, and I can put a little honey in it, and that is enough to soothe me.

I am aware of feeling much more energetic and lacking that sluggish time that tended to hit me mid-afternoon, which is great.  And I'm even finding it easier to get up and out of bed to exercise in the morning.  Today, I woke up before my alarm!  These are the things I need to remember when I think I'm dying to have things I don't even want to mention by name because it makes me feel hungry.

Hanging on by my fingernails today!!

Day 5.5

Update:  I made it past the church cake, people.  It was tough, but I made it.  Then we went to my friend's house, and they served Davanni's pizza.  Lord help me.  I brought my own salad and white chili, so I was able to eat that and enjoy it totally.  But I had to touch the pizza to serve some to my kids.  Pure torture!!

I have also just realized that I associate Bible study with coffee and snacks.  I'm planning to spend tomorrow morning (Owen's preschool day) working on my lesson.  On his school day, I typically like to sit at a coffee shop or Panera to do it--gets me out of the house and away from other distracting chores.  But, now I can't go to the coffee shop or Panera because I can't eat or drink anything there!!  Oh goodness.

Oh, and I can't have gum either. Or mints.  They have soy in them.  Seriously?!  Is nothing sacred??

See, I'm having a fit, all because of the church cake.

Tomorrow is another day.

Day 5

I'm hanging in there!  I had some passable oatmeal for breakfast this morning at 8:00, and I made it to after-church lunchtime at 1:00 without having a meltdown.  Yeah!  That stuff really sticks with you.

We had company over for dinner last night, and I fed them the white chicken chili I was making for myself.  They actually liked it!  So nice to not have to make 2 separate meals for dinner time, especially with company over.

Going to a baptism service for a friend today and I just read they're serving cake afterward.  Oh man. This may be my first bout of temptation.  Cake, coffee, and church.  They go together somehow.  I'll be packing my own dinner for the gathering at the friend's house later at least.  But, oh, the cake.

Still feeling physically good and energetic.  Have a slight headache most afternoons, but nothing that requires ibuprofen.  And I truly haven't been missing any foods or feeling deprived.  It helps that I am always full after meals and getting to eat things that I like that taste good!  Mostly.  Cooked spinach, for instance.  Never. Again.

Day 3

I've made it to day 3 of my new eating plan, mostly unscathed.  This plan is not for the faint of heart!  But only because of the work involved.  I actually feel full all the time.  I had 2 snacks (allowed) on the first day because I felt like I'd be starved before getting to eat.  Yesterday, I had one snack.  Today, zero so far, and I'm stuffed from my lunch.

The work involves all the meal prep.  No Poptarts here!!  My first two days, I felt like I was cooking or prepping for cooking all day long. Literally.  Now that I've got a few leftovers banked, I'm sailing a little smoother.  And I really like to cook and to try new recipes, so I didn't expect that to feel so hard.

Today was the first day my breakfast was palatable.  First day, I had a gluten-free oatmeal with raspberries. Sounds good, right?  However, no sugar is added, and you're supposed to add protein powder.  My protein powder tastes like sawdust and feels about as good on my teeth.

Yesterday, I had a smoothie for breakfast.  My kids were jealous!  Until I had trouble getting the whole thing down.  Ice to strawberries ratio was way off--too much ice, therefore, little flavor and too much smoothie to drink!  Plus, the protein powder (again!) and flax this time (woohoo!) were too gritty and grody.

Today, I had a mixed berry smoothie, reduced the ice, increased the water and reduced the protein powder and flax.  Hooray!  A smoothie I actually enjoyed!  I'm hoping our cheapo blender makes it through this 28 days with me.

I'm drinking a ton of water, much more than is normal for me, so that added another challenge for a day and half.  I didn't know how I'd ever leave the house!  Today has been better.

I'm feeling good and am still motivated to keep this up.  This plan has caused me to think about how much mindless eating I have done before and would easily do now too if I wasn't recording everything I eat and drink for 28 days.

So far, no cravings that have made me want to buckle...although I did almost lick the mac & cheese spoon (Owen's lunch) when packing up the leftovers.  Yikes!  Habits, habits.  I do love me some mac & cheese.  But what I love more today is feeling good and energetic and healthy!

Hello again

Hello friends!  Good gracious, life has been full. Which is obvious when I see that I haven't posted one blessed thing here since January.  Yikes!

I'm starting to blog again to keep myself accountable.  You see, I'm starting a new eating plan tomorrow, and it lasts for 28 days.  I'm excited about it tonight, on the eve of a new beginning.  But I'll check back in and let you know how it's going.

I'm cutting out common food sensitivity foods (ie. eggs, dairy, soy, gluten...everything that is good in this world).  This will "detox" my body, hopefully get me on track to feeling at my prime, and help me to discover if I may have any foods that make me feel less than awesome so I can avoid them in the future.  Some folks have also lost weight while doing this.  We shall see.

I just returned home from a 2 1/2 hour shopping trip to buy all the food I'll need for this first week.  It took me an eternity because I had to read labels and look for foods I've never even heard of before (arrowroot flour anyone??).  Did you know that gluten and soy are in everything under the sun?!  Just saying.

In the sake of full disclosure, I will let you know that I stopped at Dairy Queen on the way to the grocery store to buy my healthy food.  I had a giftcard that had been languishing in my purse for months, and since I won't be allowed to even look at dairy for 28 days (28 days!), I decided to have a last hurrah.  Small Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard.  I shall miss you small Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard...and every other kind of Blizzard.

Wish me luck!