As of today, I have been GF/LC/HF (gluten-free/low-carb/high-fat, for those who are acronym-challenged) for 3 weeks, and I am amazed. I have lost about 8lbs, I have gone down a pants-size, and I must be losing more than the scale actually says because people are noticing a difference. And at my size, 8lbs won't make a noticeable difference to anyone but me. My face is thinner, my body feels better in terms of inflammation and muscle aches and pains, and my IBS-D is essentially gone. I am rarely hungry, and if I am, it is an appropriate response to a lack of food (i.e. its been 5 or 6 hours since my last meal), it is not a random craving or low blood sugar that is making me want to eat.
I have been having a blast trying new foods, and working on re-wiring my brain to believe that fat isn't bad for me. For my whole life, I have been reaching for the "light" or "low-fat" or whatnot, and now I have reversed that thinking entirely. 30+ years of indoctrination takes a bit to undo, but it is easier than you would think! Right now, I am making coconut cinnamon fat bombs (coconut butter, full-fat coconut milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut shreds), and they look divine!
Here is a typical day's worth of food for me:
Breakfast:
Bulletproof Coffee (coffee, blended with coconut oil, grassfed butter, and other flavors as wanted)
Eggs or yogurt, some sort of healthy fat/protein combo (eggs includes veggies, yogurt has fruit and hemp hearts)
Lunch:
two baked chicken legs with seasoning
4 celery stalks with natural peanut butter or some fruit
Dinner:
2 slices of my homemade wheat belly pizza
or
a flaxseed wrap with chicken, ranch, cheese, lettuce, and bacon
some veggies, sauteed in EVOO or coconut oil, with shredded cheese on top
Snack:
a few "fat bombs", mostly little snacks that are designed with negligible carbs and loads of fat
In the morning, I drink a whole glass of water, and when I get home that is all I drink until I go to bed (along with a glass of wine occassionally!). That's pretty much it. I don't count calories, I only eat when I'm hungry. If I'm not hungry, I don't eat. It is so liberating to actually not be hungry! Love it!!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Monday, September 1, 2014
Two weeks on my new eating plan!
Well, it has been 2 weeks since I cut out wheat and drastically reduced carbs in my diet, and I am absolutely stunned. I am not only stunned by how I feel, I am also stunned by how easy it was! This is the first time in my entire life that I haven't been a slave to cravings and hunger all the time. I never realized it until these things were gone, and I was free to eat when I was actually hungry!
The results so far:
I have lost 6lbs.
An old pair of jeans that hasn't fit right in a long time fits comfortably and almost needs a belt.
I have more energy than I have had in a very long time.
I sleep better and wake feeling more rested.
My body is much more relaxed and I can tell that my inflammation reaction is way down. I had a massage and it was enjoyable instead of painful because my body wasn't tight at all!
And the most amazing part? It hasn't been difficult at all. I mean, I spent a day at the MN State Fair, home of all things fried, and I didn't even really want cheese curds or a Pronto Pup. Sure, in my head I did. But when we passed the stands, I thought "eh, I'm not really hungry, those don't sound that good" and I moved on. For all of you who have known me through the years, have I ever passed up those two foods? NEVER! And you also know that I have very little willpower when it comes to foods...hence the weight problem, I would imagine. I tend to think "well, I only live once, so what is the harm is having just one ". Now I think "what is the point of having that when I don't really need it or want it?" Talk about a change in mindset, huh? My foods at the state fair were: bacon-wrapped grilled shrimp on a stick, a big slab of maple-glazed bacon on a stick, some cinnamon-sugared pecans, and a new thing called "Sno-Ribbons", which is like the child of ice cream and a sno-cone. I tried a friend's french fry, and was less than impressed. That was my only carb of the day besides the sugar (I decided if I could avoid the gluten, then sugar was okay for the day...wasn't sure how to cut out both successfully!).
Anyway, I just committed to doing this long-term...I cleaned out my house of most of the foods I don't eat anymore (some more purging to go, but the first step is done!), and I just spent a bit of money to get almond flour, coconut flour, and erythritol shipped to me in bulk. I am trying new recipes all the time, and finding fun ways to recreate the foods I love. Today, I made some egg/sausage/broccoli "muffins" to heat up for breakfast this week, I made chips made entirely of cheese and then made some homemade pico de gallo to dip them in, and I made another of my favorite Wheat Belly pizzas for dinner last night and have leftovers galore. I bought two heads of cauliflower and plan to make some mashed cauliflower coming up soon, and bought a bunch of chicken thighs and legs to bake for easy dinners on busy days.
I'm committed! And happy to be!
The results so far:
I have lost 6lbs.
An old pair of jeans that hasn't fit right in a long time fits comfortably and almost needs a belt.
I have more energy than I have had in a very long time.
I sleep better and wake feeling more rested.
My body is much more relaxed and I can tell that my inflammation reaction is way down. I had a massage and it was enjoyable instead of painful because my body wasn't tight at all!
And the most amazing part? It hasn't been difficult at all. I mean, I spent a day at the MN State Fair, home of all things fried, and I didn't even really want cheese curds or a Pronto Pup. Sure, in my head I did. But when we passed the stands, I thought "eh, I'm not really hungry, those don't sound that good" and I moved on. For all of you who have known me through the years, have I ever passed up those two foods? NEVER! And you also know that I have very little willpower when it comes to foods...hence the weight problem, I would imagine. I tend to think "well, I only live once, so what is the harm is having just one ". Now I think "what is the point of having that when I don't really need it or want it?" Talk about a change in mindset, huh? My foods at the state fair were: bacon-wrapped grilled shrimp on a stick, a big slab of maple-glazed bacon on a stick, some cinnamon-sugared pecans, and a new thing called "Sno-Ribbons", which is like the child of ice cream and a sno-cone. I tried a friend's french fry, and was less than impressed. That was my only carb of the day besides the sugar (I decided if I could avoid the gluten, then sugar was okay for the day...wasn't sure how to cut out both successfully!).
Anyway, I just committed to doing this long-term...I cleaned out my house of most of the foods I don't eat anymore (some more purging to go, but the first step is done!), and I just spent a bit of money to get almond flour, coconut flour, and erythritol shipped to me in bulk. I am trying new recipes all the time, and finding fun ways to recreate the foods I love. Today, I made some egg/sausage/broccoli "muffins" to heat up for breakfast this week, I made chips made entirely of cheese and then made some homemade pico de gallo to dip them in, and I made another of my favorite Wheat Belly pizzas for dinner last night and have leftovers galore. I bought two heads of cauliflower and plan to make some mashed cauliflower coming up soon, and bought a bunch of chicken thighs and legs to bake for easy dinners on busy days.
I'm committed! And happy to be!
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