So March 14th marked one month of this diet and let me tell you, it's a rough ride. The last few days have been a bit easier, but adjusting to my food sensitivities on top of the normal dietary restrictions has been very challenging. Only in the last couple of days have I finally felt some of the abdominal bloating going down, which is a huge relief.
One of the biggest issues is that it's just so hard to tell if all this effort is making any difference. I just kept feeling more and more bloated, was cranky and frustrated a lot, and was starting to have some nasty abdominal cramping (probably due to constipation). It felt like I was doing everything that my body did not want me to do, eating foods I'm not used to, messing up my whole operating system. All the food and supplements were making me feel like a stranger in my own life. I know that's dramatic, but I didn't realize what a pattern I was in, and now everything is so different. I can't just eat, I have to prepare something every time. Chop lots of vegetables, get the oven or stove going, find recipes that work for me, etc.
I did find some quick things that are working great. A milk alternative that has me in absolute heaven is made by Silk and it's unsweetened almond milk. It's just almonds, water and vitamins. Tastes very blah on it's own but I add some stevia drops and it's delicious. I've been making a mixture of brown rice crisp cereal (unsweetened) and millet puffs and I love it. It's fast, easy and makes me feel like I'm cheating. :)
I'm being much more diligent about taking my digestive enzymes and fiber supplement and I think that's helping a lot. But the biggest challenge so far has been to just stick with it and not cheat or quit altogether. I got very sick last week for about 3 days with the flu and did have to bring back in some carbs. I had some toast with soy-free Earth Balance spread, a couple bowls of ramen, and some bone broth chicken noodle soup. This was all I ate for 2 days as I couldn't stomach anything else. Since then it's been very challenging not to sink right into eating all those foods again. It's such a slippery slope!
2 days after being sick I was still dealing with really painful cramping in my stomach, like a knot that just wouldn't relax. That night was 'girls night' where I got to go out with my new girlfriends from work and to say I was excited by this would be a big understatement. It's been so awesome being back in the working world, being with other adults and getting to know the feisty, hilarious women I work with. We went to a pub and somehow I knew that if I just ordered a plate of fries and had a cocktail that the cramping in my stomach would go away. And I was right! One greasy plate of fries and a cosmopolitan later and the pain was 100% gone. No idea why this worked. Two more cosmos and an ill-advised shot of vodka later and I was feeling REALLY good. :) It was the most fun I've had in years!
I managed to get back on the wagon as soon as I started feeling better, but I've noticed that a little bread here and there doesn't seem like a big deal, or maybe just one cookie. I haven't slipped up, but it's been close sometimes. I was in the grocery store the other day, PMS-ing hard-core and wanted to buy a big bag of cookies and some potato chips with every cell in my body. I think I stood there for about 5 minutes going back and forth with myself. Walking out of that store without any contraband was SO hard, but I did it. Phew!
I did find a sugar-free chocolate bar at Trader Joe's that's made with maltitol, which I don't know anything about. It was the most divine, wonderful taste I've had in over a month! And it gave me terrible gas and bloating. I read today that maltitol can cause a severe laxative affect, so no more of that for me. It's sad really because it was freakin' tasty.
As far as physical progress goes, I need to do a weigh & measure again to see if I've made any changes. I don't think I've lost any weight, but I do feel much leaner and love the way my body is looking. I find myself making up excuses to look at my butt in the mirror just so I can feel that little thrill at getting my old body back. Funny how I appreciate it SO much more now that I've lost over 20 post-baby pounds. I went shopping with my sister today and actually enjoyed being in the dressing rooms. Yeah, you read that right. I enjoyed it. Flexing my abs, admiring how thin my arms are, trying on clothes, the works. Now I'm no skinny minnie here, but I can't tell you how glorious it feels to be comfortable in my skin again! To look in a mirror and be able to recognize the girl standing there. It's a very powerful, positive thing that may be shallow on the surface, but I couldn't care less...it feels great! My husband is also showering me with compliments, telling me how beautiful I look lying in bed or getting ready for work. How's that for a much-needed ego boost? Yeah, baby!
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