When am I going to learn that my old ways of coping are no longer the things that are helpful to me? I mean, not that they were helpful before but they were disguised that way.
I'm having a rough day...I keep crying which I hate to do at work, but I can't seem to knock it off. I ate my lunch late (which doesn't help) even though I was hungry early.
What did I do? I ate a total of 6 pieces of chocolate over 2 hours...and I had a belly ache but mostly I feel jittery and the carb/sugar monster is making me think I'm hungry which I am not.
Chocolate and sugar just don't "fix" me the way they used to.
What I should have done was gone for a walk, gotten more water or tea, and just stepped away...instead I went for an old habit.
I will learn from this and I am writing about it so that I will remember to learn from this.
I will workout after work today and I will go for a run as well because that is what will help me...not stuffing myself with sugar but getting my endorphins going.
Showing posts with label #grainfree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #grainfree. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Holy sweetness High Fructose Corn Syrup!
I had a bad day yesterday. S'ok, they happen.
My bad day got worse when I gave in and had 2 fun size pieces of candy...it's in my house for Halloween and we now have 148 pieces of candy to give away because of it...again, s'ok, it'll be enough.
It got worse because my found memories of Milky Way and Snickers are just memories...because whoa was that sweet. It was so sweet that I got a tummy ache...from 2 fun size pieces of candy!
Do you know how many fun size pieces of candy I would typically consume around Halloween? More than 2 in one sitting, that's for sure.
I couldn't believe the reaction I had to it. No splotchiness thankfully since there was no wheat or grains, but it was way too sweet. Yes those candies are all sugar but a bunch of it had to be the high fructose corn syrup...it was bad.
So I have learned that when I'm going to indulge I just need to stick with my organic, super dark chocolate and one piece...that should avoid the tummy troubles.
I also had gluten free pizza last night...ordered not made. That made things better :)
Lastly, I am going to identify as paleo...well my eating style...even though I still eat dairy. Some things I read said dairy is ok, others say no...but most of what I'm eating is paleo...and I'm not following the wheat belly thing 100% either so paleo makes sense to people. Saying no grains and really no beans and no sugar doesn't seem to make sense..."what do you eat?" is the response to that...but paleo is more of a "oh, ok...can you eat that?" response :)
My bad day got worse when I gave in and had 2 fun size pieces of candy...it's in my house for Halloween and we now have 148 pieces of candy to give away because of it...again, s'ok, it'll be enough.
It got worse because my found memories of Milky Way and Snickers are just memories...because whoa was that sweet. It was so sweet that I got a tummy ache...from 2 fun size pieces of candy!
Do you know how many fun size pieces of candy I would typically consume around Halloween? More than 2 in one sitting, that's for sure.
I couldn't believe the reaction I had to it. No splotchiness thankfully since there was no wheat or grains, but it was way too sweet. Yes those candies are all sugar but a bunch of it had to be the high fructose corn syrup...it was bad.
So I have learned that when I'm going to indulge I just need to stick with my organic, super dark chocolate and one piece...that should avoid the tummy troubles.
I also had gluten free pizza last night...ordered not made. That made things better :)
Lastly, I am going to identify as paleo...well my eating style...even though I still eat dairy. Some things I read said dairy is ok, others say no...but most of what I'm eating is paleo...and I'm not following the wheat belly thing 100% either so paleo makes sense to people. Saying no grains and really no beans and no sugar doesn't seem to make sense..."what do you eat?" is the response to that...but paleo is more of a "oh, ok...can you eat that?" response :)
Monday, October 28, 2013
More delicious food
One of the things that I'm really loving about going grain free is all of the new recipes that I've been trying. Things that I've never thought of combining before...or things that I've eaten but never thought I would make.
This weekend we started trying out paleo stuffing recipes for Thanksgiving. I need to make something that everyone will enjoy but will still be ok for me and the hubby to eat. Traditionally we had a meat stuffing with sausage and hamburger meat, Pepperidge Farms herb stuffing and then some celery and egg and broth. So going paleo/grain free means that I can still have all of the meat (yay meat) just not the breading. Luckily there are lots of options out there. Yesterday we started with this one minus the cranberries and I think less onion that she calls for. She is not overreacting when she says "Eat it up!!! OMG..." it is so freaking yummy! I have a feeling we will stick with Juli's recipe (with my minor adaptations) but we have a few more to try.
Additionally, I mentioned trying things that I wouldn't think of trying together. Today's lunch is just that. I cooked up a bunch of chicken to go with the stuffing last night, so we had leftovers. I cut up some leftover chicken, added some apples, grapes, almond butter and honey....mix...serve inside of bibb lettuce. The recipe called for romaine but no...that is not a good wrap in my opinion. This lunch is freaking delicious! I'm so excited to play around with these flavors even more.
With all of the recipe searching and blog reading I've been doing, I reintroduced myself to pinterest. Now that I'm using it more, I see how addictive it can be. I'm pinning way too much stuff but it's much easier to access on my shiny, new Iphone 5S...and I'm able to just look it up and start making it in the kitchen. On my galaxy 3 I would look things up but didn't really have them saved...using pinterest is helping with that saving part.
I do need to start learning how to make my own recipes, and not just the coconut chicken and broccoli & cauliflower...though that was yummy. Eating this way for almost 2 months I can cut myself a bit of slack though in terms of not creating everything on my own yet...at least I'm cooking!
This weekend we started trying out paleo stuffing recipes for Thanksgiving. I need to make something that everyone will enjoy but will still be ok for me and the hubby to eat. Traditionally we had a meat stuffing with sausage and hamburger meat, Pepperidge Farms herb stuffing and then some celery and egg and broth. So going paleo/grain free means that I can still have all of the meat (yay meat) just not the breading. Luckily there are lots of options out there. Yesterday we started with this one minus the cranberries and I think less onion that she calls for. She is not overreacting when she says "Eat it up!!! OMG..." it is so freaking yummy! I have a feeling we will stick with Juli's recipe (with my minor adaptations) but we have a few more to try.
Additionally, I mentioned trying things that I wouldn't think of trying together. Today's lunch is just that. I cooked up a bunch of chicken to go with the stuffing last night, so we had leftovers. I cut up some leftover chicken, added some apples, grapes, almond butter and honey....mix...serve inside of bibb lettuce. The recipe called for romaine but no...that is not a good wrap in my opinion. This lunch is freaking delicious! I'm so excited to play around with these flavors even more.
With all of the recipe searching and blog reading I've been doing, I reintroduced myself to pinterest. Now that I'm using it more, I see how addictive it can be. I'm pinning way too much stuff but it's much easier to access on my shiny, new Iphone 5S...and I'm able to just look it up and start making it in the kitchen. On my galaxy 3 I would look things up but didn't really have them saved...using pinterest is helping with that saving part.
I do need to start learning how to make my own recipes, and not just the coconut chicken and broccoli & cauliflower...though that was yummy. Eating this way for almost 2 months I can cut myself a bit of slack though in terms of not creating everything on my own yet...at least I'm cooking!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Coconut Curry Chicken with broccoli and cauliflower
Last night I made a super easy and delicious dinner. I'm sure that I've seen a recipe like this somewhere and I did not create it out of my own head, but after doing a quick search on the internet and my history, I don't see this anywhere. I apologize if I'm not giving credit where credit is due.
So super easy dinner last night. I had just purchased some organic, pastured chicken thighs and wanted to eat them. I've been craving curry but haven't wanted to go out to get it. Problem solved! I coated 2 chicken thighs with Jamaican Curry (both sides) and put it in a dish. I then covered the curry coated chicken with coconut milk (I used the Thai Kitchen which seems thicker). I put a cover on it and put in the over at 350 for about 30 minutes. I then mixed in a bowl some coconut milk and curry and wisked together. In another dish I put a bunch of broccoli and cauliflower and drizzled the mixture over the veggies and stirred. They weren't coated enough so I did it a second time. I didn't want to have it be covered like the chicken because I thought that the veggies would get too soggy...so enough to coat but not drench. I then added some walnuts and salt and pepper, mixed it up, put a cover on it, and in the oven.
What was super nice was my husband is not the biggest fan of curry, so in another dish I made him jerk chicken thighs and used more of the cauliflower and broccoli and just did salt, pepper, garlic and butter. We were both happy campers in about 30 minutes.
Super easy and delicious. I would post a picture but I ate it up...and I don't think this dish would have made a pretty picture, but it is pretty delicious.
Yay for no grains!
So super easy dinner last night. I had just purchased some organic, pastured chicken thighs and wanted to eat them. I've been craving curry but haven't wanted to go out to get it. Problem solved! I coated 2 chicken thighs with Jamaican Curry (both sides) and put it in a dish. I then covered the curry coated chicken with coconut milk (I used the Thai Kitchen which seems thicker). I put a cover on it and put in the over at 350 for about 30 minutes. I then mixed in a bowl some coconut milk and curry and wisked together. In another dish I put a bunch of broccoli and cauliflower and drizzled the mixture over the veggies and stirred. They weren't coated enough so I did it a second time. I didn't want to have it be covered like the chicken because I thought that the veggies would get too soggy...so enough to coat but not drench. I then added some walnuts and salt and pepper, mixed it up, put a cover on it, and in the oven.
What was super nice was my husband is not the biggest fan of curry, so in another dish I made him jerk chicken thighs and used more of the cauliflower and broccoli and just did salt, pepper, garlic and butter. We were both happy campers in about 30 minutes.
Super easy and delicious. I would post a picture but I ate it up...and I don't think this dish would have made a pretty picture, but it is pretty delicious.
Yay for no grains!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Accidental gluten intake turns red!
On day 46 I went to lunch at the Brat Stop, one of my favorite indulgences (today is day 48 which wow how did that happen). Anyway...I know that all of the sausages there are gluten free...I know that their cheddar cheese soup is not (stupid flour) and made sure that their chili was. My problem on Saturday was french fries. I have been so good and did not eat any fried cheese curds...but husband got some fries and I had 3...yup, 3 little french fries...and soon afterwards I was a red splotchy mess, felt feverish, dehydrated and like crap...all from 3 little french fries. My husband also got splotchy but I don't think he had the full body reaction that I had.
The nice thing was my parents were in town so if my Dad ever thought I was kidding about my intolerance...he got to see it first hand (I knew my Mom didn't need to see it to believe it but she got to see it too).
So my lesson as been learned.
Since I had already had a messed up day with that I opted to try gluten free pasta that night. We have this amazing Italian restaurant near us (Via Roma) and my parents really wanted to go back...we went...I had delicious oxtail (a special) with the gluten free pasta. My Mom and husband did the same (because they are awesome). I ate maybe a half of a cup of my pasta as a treat...but really just devoured the oxtail and was happy.
It was nice getting to have a gluten free pasta treat...but I won't be making it all the time. I really like the way I have changed how I eat and I feel much better about myself. The scale and my pant size may not represent how thin I feel...but the mirror shows it well :) My thighs have always been a trouble spot for me and they are getting smaller and smaller...and my skin is just looking great. I really like this lifestyle change...and dare you all to give it a try :)
The nice thing was my parents were in town so if my Dad ever thought I was kidding about my intolerance...he got to see it first hand (I knew my Mom didn't need to see it to believe it but she got to see it too).
So my lesson as been learned.
Since I had already had a messed up day with that I opted to try gluten free pasta that night. We have this amazing Italian restaurant near us (Via Roma) and my parents really wanted to go back...we went...I had delicious oxtail (a special) with the gluten free pasta. My Mom and husband did the same (because they are awesome). I ate maybe a half of a cup of my pasta as a treat...but really just devoured the oxtail and was happy.
It was nice getting to have a gluten free pasta treat...but I won't be making it all the time. I really like the way I have changed how I eat and I feel much better about myself. The scale and my pant size may not represent how thin I feel...but the mirror shows it well :) My thighs have always been a trouble spot for me and they are getting smaller and smaller...and my skin is just looking great. I really like this lifestyle change...and dare you all to give it a try :)
Friday, October 11, 2013
No longer a challenge
I realized today that I've been grain free for 5.5 weeks now (38 days). I realize that I've done 30 and 40 day challenges in the past, but this isn't a challenge, this is now a change. I ended up giving away some of the pasta that we had in the house as well as the brand new 5 pound bag of flour. I know that most of the people in my life are not going to switch to the way that my husband and I are eating now, so might as well give them the stuff we aren't eating.
I did a weigh in yesterday. According to the scale I originally weighed myself on, I'm down 8 pounds. I'm not really trying that hard. I mean I do work out 4-6 days a week but I eat when I'm hungry and I'm still having a glass of wine a couple of times a week. So being 8 pounds down while still enjoying life is pretty impressive.
I do think that since I've reintroduced "snacking" my weight loss is slowing down, but I'm still at a pound a week which is pretty good. Snacking may be good though since it's possible I wasn't eating enough before. The flaxseed crackers were delicious but I only need 4 of them with some cheese and I'm good...as opposed to in the past where I could eat an entire box of crackers. I'm also very excited about making paleo apple cider donuts. I was going to cheat next week when my parents are in town and get an apple cider donut, but then a recipe popped up and I ordered what I needed to make them. I don't plan on eating sweets all the time, but apple cider donuts are just too delicious.
We've been playing around with different dinners this week. Lots of squash. Spaghetti squash for an Asian inspired dish...acorn squash with chicken sausage one night and with ribs another night...pumpkin as the fruit for my green smoothie...butternut squash soup (that was a lunch). Wow I didn't realize how many different types of squash I had this week until I just wrote it all out. I guess I'm in love with squash right now.
I'm just rambling now, so I will say that I'm excited about this next step in adjusting to a grain free life. There will always be exceptions (some beans here or there, rice on occasion) but mostly primal eating (my husband's co-worker said that his wife is paleo and he is primal...he still has dairy...so I like that...I'm primal)
I did a weigh in yesterday. According to the scale I originally weighed myself on, I'm down 8 pounds. I'm not really trying that hard. I mean I do work out 4-6 days a week but I eat when I'm hungry and I'm still having a glass of wine a couple of times a week. So being 8 pounds down while still enjoying life is pretty impressive.
I do think that since I've reintroduced "snacking" my weight loss is slowing down, but I'm still at a pound a week which is pretty good. Snacking may be good though since it's possible I wasn't eating enough before. The flaxseed crackers were delicious but I only need 4 of them with some cheese and I'm good...as opposed to in the past where I could eat an entire box of crackers. I'm also very excited about making paleo apple cider donuts. I was going to cheat next week when my parents are in town and get an apple cider donut, but then a recipe popped up and I ordered what I needed to make them. I don't plan on eating sweets all the time, but apple cider donuts are just too delicious.
We've been playing around with different dinners this week. Lots of squash. Spaghetti squash for an Asian inspired dish...acorn squash with chicken sausage one night and with ribs another night...pumpkin as the fruit for my green smoothie...butternut squash soup (that was a lunch). Wow I didn't realize how many different types of squash I had this week until I just wrote it all out. I guess I'm in love with squash right now.
I'm just rambling now, so I will say that I'm excited about this next step in adjusting to a grain free life. There will always be exceptions (some beans here or there, rice on occasion) but mostly primal eating (my husband's co-worker said that his wife is paleo and he is primal...he still has dairy...so I like that...I'm primal)
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
35 days of no grain
I can't believe that I'm already at 35 days. I realized I've made a few oops and errors along the way (I ate peanuts last week when I was starving only to get a terrible belly ache later...why? They're legumes. Oh and this morning I felt like I had a hangover...I think it's because I ate some cashew cluster and some delicious pumpkin parfait right before dinner...hello sugar.) but overall I've been doing really good. I've incorporated a few seed based items (chia, flaxseed) and of course the chickpea flour and almond meal...but really I haven't missed things. I was really excited about the flaxseed crackers and think that tomorrow I will have some with my lunch. I have a weird day tomorrow so flaxseed crackers with cheese is a good lunch...maybe with some veggies to munch on too.
I have found that the Wheat Belly cookbook and PaleOMG have been great resources for me as well as Satisfying Eats. They have facebook groups too which just make life easier. Don't know what to make for dinner? Boom! There it is on facebook...or something that inspires me to make something similar. My husband is even getting more involved. He asked to get spaghetti squash (Mr. Iamnotafanofspaghettisquash) so that we could make some of our favorite asian noodle dishes. Speaking of which, I think I was supposed to make that tomorrow...that's not going to happen now since I get to babysit my 2 year old niece (she's super cute).
Anyway...overall I'm finding that this is becoming much easier. I do want to throw out a bunch of food (or give away) that is in the house, but my loving husband isn't sure if we should do that yet since we'll be having guests over for the next few months (hello holidays and the first year of owning our home). I may still throw away some stuff...I don't really want to give it away since I don't want my friends and family eating white flour and processed foods...but they don't want to stop so am I enabling by giving it to them??? Or maybe wait for food drives...but same worry there...oh well...throwing it out isn't always a good idea either.
Long story short, I'm loving eating this way...I just wish I prepared better on days that I'm not really going to be home, but for 35 days in, I'm doing pretty good.
I have found that the Wheat Belly cookbook and PaleOMG have been great resources for me as well as Satisfying Eats. They have facebook groups too which just make life easier. Don't know what to make for dinner? Boom! There it is on facebook...or something that inspires me to make something similar. My husband is even getting more involved. He asked to get spaghetti squash (Mr. Iamnotafanofspaghettisquash) so that we could make some of our favorite asian noodle dishes. Speaking of which, I think I was supposed to make that tomorrow...that's not going to happen now since I get to babysit my 2 year old niece (she's super cute).
Anyway...overall I'm finding that this is becoming much easier. I do want to throw out a bunch of food (or give away) that is in the house, but my loving husband isn't sure if we should do that yet since we'll be having guests over for the next few months (hello holidays and the first year of owning our home). I may still throw away some stuff...I don't really want to give it away since I don't want my friends and family eating white flour and processed foods...but they don't want to stop so am I enabling by giving it to them??? Or maybe wait for food drives...but same worry there...oh well...throwing it out isn't always a good idea either.
Long story short, I'm loving eating this way...I just wish I prepared better on days that I'm not really going to be home, but for 35 days in, I'm doing pretty good.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Day 32 of no grains
I missed a few days in here towards the end and I do apologize for that. I also was unable to weigh myself on the same scale on day 30...but I did weigh myself on my scale at home and if that one is calibrated the same, I was down 9 pounds in 30 days!
More importantly though I just feel better. I tend to have more energy and am eating less overall. I love my workouts but on days I'm too tired I listen to my body. I get good sleep most nights (with the new puppy it's a little bit more difficult). I look good and I'm excited about keeping this going.
My blood test results came back saying I am not celiac, however, my doctor says if I feel better without the wheat, keep it out.
I experienced my first gluten free beer last night...just one. I've had a bit more to drink this week now that I'm past the no sugar portion...need to cut back again after tonight (I have a pumpkin cider I am excited about trying.) My gluten free beer tasted better than I was expecting. It was a pilsner style called "New Frist" by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee (the good land), WI . It was a bit sweeter but I thought it was quite tasty.
That was enjoyed with our chicken tacos where we cooked up chicken with onions and peppers and cilantro, added some homemade guacamole and served in lettuce taco "shells" (aka butter lettuce). Super yummy. Tonight I will be making pizza again from the wheat belly cookbook and enjoying my pumpkin cider.
Another interesting side effect of this no grain thing...or possible side effect...I could really tell that it was ovulation time. I had read that kicking wheat and grains out helps with fertility but man I could tell it was time this month! Hopefully that means everything will fall into place...but if you're looking to get pregnant (or avoid it) going grain free may be of assistance.
More importantly though I just feel better. I tend to have more energy and am eating less overall. I love my workouts but on days I'm too tired I listen to my body. I get good sleep most nights (with the new puppy it's a little bit more difficult). I look good and I'm excited about keeping this going.
My blood test results came back saying I am not celiac, however, my doctor says if I feel better without the wheat, keep it out.
I experienced my first gluten free beer last night...just one. I've had a bit more to drink this week now that I'm past the no sugar portion...need to cut back again after tonight (I have a pumpkin cider I am excited about trying.) My gluten free beer tasted better than I was expecting. It was a pilsner style called "New Frist" by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee (the good land), WI . It was a bit sweeter but I thought it was quite tasty.
That was enjoyed with our chicken tacos where we cooked up chicken with onions and peppers and cilantro, added some homemade guacamole and served in lettuce taco "shells" (aka butter lettuce). Super yummy. Tonight I will be making pizza again from the wheat belly cookbook and enjoying my pumpkin cider.
Another interesting side effect of this no grain thing...or possible side effect...I could really tell that it was ovulation time. I had read that kicking wheat and grains out helps with fertility but man I could tell it was time this month! Hopefully that means everything will fall into place...but if you're looking to get pregnant (or avoid it) going grain free may be of assistance.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Grain free day 25
Yesterday was an adventure in eating.
I had the day off from work yesterday and was able to play in my glorious city (Chicago). I went on the lakefront, walked along Michigan Ave., met a friend for lunch, walked through Old Town and met up with more friends at the Lincoln Park Zoo...walked to pick up my car (the ONLY place I trust my car to is Cassidy Tire) and then up to my old stomping grounds in Lincoln Square to meet my best friends for dinner.
Yup I had 2 meals out of the house yesterday and it was easier than I thought it would be.
For lunch I met my girlfriend downtown and the menu had lots of *GF items. I trusted them that they were gluten free and I did eat a little bit of corn in my salad (so I wasn't 100% grain free yesterday I suppose but darn close). The salad was delicious.
For dinner I met my two besties at a wine bar and then off for Thai food. I love Thai food and I love that pretty much everything is grain free. I had the most delicious chicken and broccoli with peanut sauce...no rice. My friends had deliciousness as well that I totally cannot remember because I was too busy dreaming of being surrounded by the peanut sauce I was eating.
For dessert we had bananas in coconut milk...warm...omg I need to make this on my own at home, it can't be that hard.
I was super full and drive home very happy.
I do realize that I cannot drink like I used to though...way too much sugar. My belly was aching and I really believe it was due to the wine. I've had wine twice in the past month and each time I've woken up with either a headache or a belly ache...so I guess I just need to cut back on it even more :(
Weight wise I didn't lose much weight this past week but I am down 6 pounds since I started this journey. I will give a final weight tally next week closer to day 30.
I get tested on Monday about allergies...we shall see if I'm technically allergic or not...but even if I'm not I think I'm going to keep eating this way for a while.
Another reason I've started this journey is to see if it assists with fertility. I'm adding a new step today and that is acupuncture. I've been nervous about trying it for a few years, but now that we're been trying to conceive for a bit I'd like to give acupuncture a try. Between cutting out grains and adding the acupuncture (as well as going to my chiropractor and exercising) I'm hoping that things happen. I have to go get some blood tests done and I really don't want to go for treatments...so hopefully this will do the trick!
I am not being very scientific about this whole thing though since I'm changing multiple factors around the same time, but I figure, what the heck!
I had the day off from work yesterday and was able to play in my glorious city (Chicago). I went on the lakefront, walked along Michigan Ave., met a friend for lunch, walked through Old Town and met up with more friends at the Lincoln Park Zoo...walked to pick up my car (the ONLY place I trust my car to is Cassidy Tire) and then up to my old stomping grounds in Lincoln Square to meet my best friends for dinner.
Yup I had 2 meals out of the house yesterday and it was easier than I thought it would be.
For lunch I met my girlfriend downtown and the menu had lots of *GF items. I trusted them that they were gluten free and I did eat a little bit of corn in my salad (so I wasn't 100% grain free yesterday I suppose but darn close). The salad was delicious.
For dinner I met my two besties at a wine bar and then off for Thai food. I love Thai food and I love that pretty much everything is grain free. I had the most delicious chicken and broccoli with peanut sauce...no rice. My friends had deliciousness as well that I totally cannot remember because I was too busy dreaming of being surrounded by the peanut sauce I was eating.
For dessert we had bananas in coconut milk...warm...omg I need to make this on my own at home, it can't be that hard.
I was super full and drive home very happy.
I do realize that I cannot drink like I used to though...way too much sugar. My belly was aching and I really believe it was due to the wine. I've had wine twice in the past month and each time I've woken up with either a headache or a belly ache...so I guess I just need to cut back on it even more :(
Weight wise I didn't lose much weight this past week but I am down 6 pounds since I started this journey. I will give a final weight tally next week closer to day 30.
I get tested on Monday about allergies...we shall see if I'm technically allergic or not...but even if I'm not I think I'm going to keep eating this way for a while.
Another reason I've started this journey is to see if it assists with fertility. I'm adding a new step today and that is acupuncture. I've been nervous about trying it for a few years, but now that we're been trying to conceive for a bit I'd like to give acupuncture a try. Between cutting out grains and adding the acupuncture (as well as going to my chiropractor and exercising) I'm hoping that things happen. I have to go get some blood tests done and I really don't want to go for treatments...so hopefully this will do the trick!
I am not being very scientific about this whole thing though since I'm changing multiple factors around the same time, but I figure, what the heck!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Grain free day 23 - new addictions
I have almost always had a love affair with Chipotle Mexican Grill...and my favorite thing was getting the salad (once they introduced it). A barbacoa salad with both beans, mild salsa, 2 scoops of hot salsa cheese and no dressing...that was my salad. Last week I ended up going to get a salad from Chipotle because there really wasn't anything for lunch at the house that I wanted. I ordered my salad with no beans...still delicious but something was missing.
Today I have found my new addiction. A chicken salad with the fajita veggies, mild salsa, hot salsa and cheese :) If it wasn't $1.80 for guacamole I would add that too but $1.80 is just a bit much in my mind. I am in lunch heaven right now!
Some of the blogs and websites say "just saw no to fastfood" but I don't view Chipotle as fastfood...but even if it is, I'm getting as close to non-contaminated food as possible and so I say :P
I'm also addicted to finding new recipes and drooling over them on the internet and then trying to figure out how many of those ingredients I currently have at home so I can make it. This evening I am going to attempt to make the cauliflower cheesy breadsticks and then some chicken and broccoli. I don't know how I'm going to cook said chicken and broccoli but I will cook them.
Last night my husband made dinner. Red potatoes, green beans and bacon. It was delicious but really too starchy for me (I hate a lot of potato) and I haven't had that many carbs in one sitting in a while. It's funny, I used to think that I was a carb addict, but being away from them, I don't really want them that much. So it's true...once you cut them out you don't crave them nor do you really eat as much food in general.
I have my own little weigh in tonight so we'll see where I am at. I'm actually thinking I gained weight this week which is ugh but oh well...I still feel great (just a little tired)
Today I have found my new addiction. A chicken salad with the fajita veggies, mild salsa, hot salsa and cheese :) If it wasn't $1.80 for guacamole I would add that too but $1.80 is just a bit much in my mind. I am in lunch heaven right now!
Some of the blogs and websites say "just saw no to fastfood" but I don't view Chipotle as fastfood...but even if it is, I'm getting as close to non-contaminated food as possible and so I say :P
I'm also addicted to finding new recipes and drooling over them on the internet and then trying to figure out how many of those ingredients I currently have at home so I can make it. This evening I am going to attempt to make the cauliflower cheesy breadsticks and then some chicken and broccoli. I don't know how I'm going to cook said chicken and broccoli but I will cook them.
Last night my husband made dinner. Red potatoes, green beans and bacon. It was delicious but really too starchy for me (I hate a lot of potato) and I haven't had that many carbs in one sitting in a while. It's funny, I used to think that I was a carb addict, but being away from them, I don't really want them that much. So it's true...once you cut them out you don't crave them nor do you really eat as much food in general.
I have my own little weigh in tonight so we'll see where I am at. I'm actually thinking I gained weight this week which is ugh but oh well...I still feel great (just a little tired)
Monday, September 23, 2013
Day 20 of living grain free
I can't believe I'm pretty much at the 3 week mark already. This is incredible!
For 10 years I have been scared of going grain free.
For 10 years I would try a day or two and claim that I had no energy...
I couldn't run...
I had headaches...
and would just start eating grain again.
For 10 years (well most of my life) I have yo-yo'd with my weight and what to do about it.
For 10 years I told myself I can't
But now I see that I can and I do!
There is so much delicious food out there to eat...but there is so much more to life than food!
Yes, in order to do this right you need to compensate for lost calories from grains...and fat is an easy way to do that. You can also eat tons of vegetables whenever you want. Mix things up.
Today for lunch I took a snack idea I had yesterday (pear with cheese wrapped in prosciutto) and turned it into an arugula and butter lettuce salad with pear, walnuts, feta, roasted beets and prosciutto with grapeseed oil and apple cider vinegar. I'm enjoying it now at 3pm as I type this...yup 3pm because that's when I got hungry after my 8am breakfast of steak, mushroom, eggs and cheese. I'll have a cup of soup tonight around 8...now to be fair on Monday's I usually eat everything later because I work late on Monday but still...I listen to my body now.
I also look forward to working out again...that has been missing for a while but it's back. I did take today off because of all of the happenings with the new pup...but tomorrow will be the gym and Wednesday a run and Thursday gym and Friday a run and so on and so on.
I also realized I could show you pictures of some of the delicious dinners I've been making, so sit back and enjoy!
For 10 years I have been scared of going grain free.
For 10 years I would try a day or two and claim that I had no energy...
I couldn't run...
I had headaches...
and would just start eating grain again.
For 10 years (well most of my life) I have yo-yo'd with my weight and what to do about it.
For 10 years I told myself I can't
But now I see that I can and I do!
There is so much delicious food out there to eat...but there is so much more to life than food!
Yes, in order to do this right you need to compensate for lost calories from grains...and fat is an easy way to do that. You can also eat tons of vegetables whenever you want. Mix things up.
Today for lunch I took a snack idea I had yesterday (pear with cheese wrapped in prosciutto) and turned it into an arugula and butter lettuce salad with pear, walnuts, feta, roasted beets and prosciutto with grapeseed oil and apple cider vinegar. I'm enjoying it now at 3pm as I type this...yup 3pm because that's when I got hungry after my 8am breakfast of steak, mushroom, eggs and cheese. I'll have a cup of soup tonight around 8...now to be fair on Monday's I usually eat everything later because I work late on Monday but still...I listen to my body now.
I also look forward to working out again...that has been missing for a while but it's back. I did take today off because of all of the happenings with the new pup...but tomorrow will be the gym and Wednesday a run and Thursday gym and Friday a run and so on and so on.
I also realized I could show you pictures of some of the delicious dinners I've been making, so sit back and enjoy!
Steak Fajita Salad
Slow cooked venison & carrots with steamed broccoli & cauliflower & parsnip puree
Grain free pizza!
Sausage, kale and potato soup
"Chipotle" chicken salad with homemade guacamole
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Day 19 of being grainfree and our new dog!
Good Sunday evening!
I have so many food stories to write about but I want to start with running stories. On Thursday evening we started fostering-to-adopt a new dog..his name is Hank and is is adorable!
See, adorable. He is approximately 2 years old and is a pit mix. We are fostering-to-adopt through a wonderful group called Peace for Pits. If you live in the Chicagoland area and are looking to adopt a dog, you will want to adopt through them. They rescue pit bulls and pit mixes from Chicago Animal Care & Control and foster them until they can find the right home. They are great!
Anyway, with this lil one transitioning into our home, dinner the first night was a bit difficult to make. I had made salsa earlier in the week so I just threw that on some chicken breasts and cooked it...on Friday night we had a dog trainer come over so I got grain free pizza crust ready and setting before she came and after she left cooked up some pizza. I used chick pea/garbanzo bean flour, ground flax seed, yeast and stuff....it turned out amazing!
With this new lil man I'm going to be running lots more. I was always nervous about going wheat free because of how much I used to run. I haven't been running as much as I used to (tons of excuses as to why) but I've been trying to run more recently. I found out yesterday the lil one is a great runner. We only went 1.75 miles yesterday but then went 2.7 miles today. He will push me to go further and faster for sure. I don't remember the last time that I ran 2 days in a row so yay on that...even if it wasn't far on either day, I did it. I felt great and I plan on running tomorrow morning too. I'm a little worried about his front paw though, it looks a little bit red, but I didn't look at before we started running together.
It could also be because he and our other dog keep playing like this:
They have so much fun together I can't stand it!
More about food though...post run snack today was pears and cheese wrapped in prosciutto...um yes that needs to happen more.
Other delicious items made this weekend. Pumpkin spice muffins made with ground almonds, ground flax seed, chopped walnuts, pumpkin, and egg, some stevia, baking powder and spices. Reheated with some butter and a little honey on it = happy lady! Another item...sausage, kale & potato soup. I went to the Farmers Market and got fresh sausage and kale and potatoes and onion and carrot...so it was deliciously fresh. Yes it had potatoes in it, but 4 small red ones and the soup makes 10 cups so not many at all. Super yummy.
Oh I also had my first glass of wine last night in 3 weeks...I woke up with a headache. I did have 2 glasses last night but was not expecting the headache. I'm guessing it was because I haven't had that much sugar in one sitting in 3 weeks. Lesson learned! More water needed and maybe limit it to one glass. I do have one bottle of hard cider that I've been saving...soon...soon.
Speaking of cider, I did splurge and have a mug warmed with cinnamon today...it's the first day of fall, I'm allowed :)
I really feel amazing. I do get tested in another week...we'll see if I have an allergy or not...even if I don't I'm thinking I will stay eating this way.
I have so many food stories to write about but I want to start with running stories. On Thursday evening we started fostering-to-adopt a new dog..his name is Hank and is is adorable!
See, adorable. He is approximately 2 years old and is a pit mix. We are fostering-to-adopt through a wonderful group called Peace for Pits. If you live in the Chicagoland area and are looking to adopt a dog, you will want to adopt through them. They rescue pit bulls and pit mixes from Chicago Animal Care & Control and foster them until they can find the right home. They are great!
Anyway, with this lil one transitioning into our home, dinner the first night was a bit difficult to make. I had made salsa earlier in the week so I just threw that on some chicken breasts and cooked it...on Friday night we had a dog trainer come over so I got grain free pizza crust ready and setting before she came and after she left cooked up some pizza. I used chick pea/garbanzo bean flour, ground flax seed, yeast and stuff....it turned out amazing!
With this new lil man I'm going to be running lots more. I was always nervous about going wheat free because of how much I used to run. I haven't been running as much as I used to (tons of excuses as to why) but I've been trying to run more recently. I found out yesterday the lil one is a great runner. We only went 1.75 miles yesterday but then went 2.7 miles today. He will push me to go further and faster for sure. I don't remember the last time that I ran 2 days in a row so yay on that...even if it wasn't far on either day, I did it. I felt great and I plan on running tomorrow morning too. I'm a little worried about his front paw though, it looks a little bit red, but I didn't look at before we started running together.
It could also be because he and our other dog keep playing like this:
More about food though...post run snack today was pears and cheese wrapped in prosciutto...um yes that needs to happen more.
Other delicious items made this weekend. Pumpkin spice muffins made with ground almonds, ground flax seed, chopped walnuts, pumpkin, and egg, some stevia, baking powder and spices. Reheated with some butter and a little honey on it = happy lady! Another item...sausage, kale & potato soup. I went to the Farmers Market and got fresh sausage and kale and potatoes and onion and carrot...so it was deliciously fresh. Yes it had potatoes in it, but 4 small red ones and the soup makes 10 cups so not many at all. Super yummy.
Oh I also had my first glass of wine last night in 3 weeks...I woke up with a headache. I did have 2 glasses last night but was not expecting the headache. I'm guessing it was because I haven't had that much sugar in one sitting in 3 weeks. Lesson learned! More water needed and maybe limit it to one glass. I do have one bottle of hard cider that I've been saving...soon...soon.
Speaking of cider, I did splurge and have a mug warmed with cinnamon today...it's the first day of fall, I'm allowed :)
I really feel amazing. I do get tested in another week...we'll see if I have an allergy or not...even if I don't I'm thinking I will stay eating this way.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Day 17 of no grains
Well this past week didn't equal as big of a weight loss in terms of the scale (down another 1.5 pounds) but that does make 5.5 pounds in 2 weeks which is a good thing. My pants are fitting much better which is a good thing but most importantly I feel better.
Last night I was super lazy on the dinner front though. We are fostering-to-adopt a second dog and he moved in last night. We already have one dog and one cat so now we're up to two dogs...that introduction took a bunch of energy, especially since dog #2 is very high energy...so dinner last night was throwing 2 chicken breasts in the oven, covering with homemade salsa, adding some cheese at the end and just eating that. Tonight I will attempt to make pizza using chickpea/garbanzo bean flour. I'm very excited about this for many reasons, but I think if this is successful my husband will be even more on board. I think he's starting to waiver and really wants to have some corn chips. As long as he doesn't start eating bread in front of me we'll be good.
I really don't miss bread though. I may make him some flaxseed wraps if he really starts missing bread...but right now I'm in a happy place with no grains.
My sister-in-law asked me last night if we can have polenta, I told her that corn isn't on the list of what we're eating right now since it's just too modified...she then asked about oats which I said were iffy. She wants to make us something yummy I know, and treats but it's just hard right now as we figure out what works for us. I do appreciate it though, she's super sweet!
This weekend I also plan to attempt to make grain free pumpkin spice muffins made by grounding up almonds. What was funny was when I picked up the chickpea flour yesterday I picked up the almond flour, saw it was $12 for the bag, looked at the ingredients, laughed and put it back down. All almond flour is is ground up (blanched) almonds...well I have tons of raw almonds at home and a food processor so...lots of adventures this weekend on the food front (and the transitioning the new pup).
I am starting to get a little bored with the meals I've been making though so I know it's time to open up the cookbook I bought...hoping that helps out. This morning I finished up the leftover apples & walnuts that I had made on Monday with some cheese but also fried up an egg...I don't think I would do an egg again with that mixture, but I wanted both so I ate both :)
Last night I was super lazy on the dinner front though. We are fostering-to-adopt a second dog and he moved in last night. We already have one dog and one cat so now we're up to two dogs...that introduction took a bunch of energy, especially since dog #2 is very high energy...so dinner last night was throwing 2 chicken breasts in the oven, covering with homemade salsa, adding some cheese at the end and just eating that. Tonight I will attempt to make pizza using chickpea/garbanzo bean flour. I'm very excited about this for many reasons, but I think if this is successful my husband will be even more on board. I think he's starting to waiver and really wants to have some corn chips. As long as he doesn't start eating bread in front of me we'll be good.
I really don't miss bread though. I may make him some flaxseed wraps if he really starts missing bread...but right now I'm in a happy place with no grains.
My sister-in-law asked me last night if we can have polenta, I told her that corn isn't on the list of what we're eating right now since it's just too modified...she then asked about oats which I said were iffy. She wants to make us something yummy I know, and treats but it's just hard right now as we figure out what works for us. I do appreciate it though, she's super sweet!
This weekend I also plan to attempt to make grain free pumpkin spice muffins made by grounding up almonds. What was funny was when I picked up the chickpea flour yesterday I picked up the almond flour, saw it was $12 for the bag, looked at the ingredients, laughed and put it back down. All almond flour is is ground up (blanched) almonds...well I have tons of raw almonds at home and a food processor so...lots of adventures this weekend on the food front (and the transitioning the new pup).
I am starting to get a little bored with the meals I've been making though so I know it's time to open up the cookbook I bought...hoping that helps out. This morning I finished up the leftover apples & walnuts that I had made on Monday with some cheese but also fried up an egg...I don't think I would do an egg again with that mixture, but I wanted both so I ate both :)
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Day 16 of grainfree living
I am so bad to keeping up with this on a daily basis, but at least I'm able to write about it every few days.
I am no longer referring to this as a 30 day challenge, I feel as though this is going to be a lifestyle that I choose to stay with (unlike veganism which was a 30 day challenge).
Why? Because I feel amazing, I look pretty amazing for being on this just 2 weeks, and I have a new appreciation for food.
I had to travel for work the past couple of days and that was eye opening. My sister-in-law (who is allergic to dairy) and I discussed creating a chain restaurant that specializes in foods for people with allergies. It's ridiculous how difficult it can be. Tuesday I was at an event that included lunch...which was a pasta lunch. Luckily there was a salad...oh but it was just romaine lettuce with croutons on it...ok avoid those...dressing was not going to work for me either. Luckily I found a piece of chicken to have on my sad plate of lettuce...oh and the tiramisu that they had out on the table for dessert...please don't have that out there just sitting there. The table I was with looked at me like I was crazy.
Lets move on to dinner while traveling. I went to another event that included dinner...pulled pork sandwiches. And I had no way of knowing what ingredients were in the bbq sauce so I opted out of free dinner and went to buy some dinner. I got really excited for some blackened mahi mahi with broccoli and potato...I asked the waitress, "is there any wheat in the seasoning" she answered she didn't think so but would check...along comes another waitress, "um we have flour in the seasoning"...great...what about the salmon? Floured...ok so burger with no bun it was. My initial waitress was so afraid of me (I was being super nice) she had just never met someone with a wheat allergy (and yes that is not diagnosed but I find it easier to say I'm allergic rather than I don't eat it...especially in this little town). When she brought me my burger (which was delicious) it looked so sad. They gave me the one pickle and one slice of lettuce and one slice of tomato (really?) and no side. She asked me if I could eat the homemade chips that they make and I looked at her to be like, "you would need to tell me that" I told her I probably could but not to worry about it.
Moving onto breakfast the next morning...luckily I was able to grab some strawberries from the fruit plate...and ate the nuts that I brought along. Lunch? More pasta so I left and ate my cheese curds and jerky (no corn syrup or wheat added) and nuts.
When I got home I made myself a nice dinner to celebrate that I stuck with this!
My skin looks really good. I'm still having some weird itchy spots but that could be so many different things. I'm looking forward to seeing the allergist to get her opinion and some testing done.
I do have more energy overall and I know when I'm hungry and when I'm not.
Oh and I had my bloodwork tested...everything looks great...so don't believe it when they say you can't eat eggs it makes your cholesterol too high...just balance it with veggies!
I am excited to try a few recipes this weekend that use different types of flour (garbanzo bean and almond for example). I'm making us some pizza and some pumpkin spice muffins. Both of which I hope are delicious and I'm able to eat more of in the future.
I also purchased some brown rice pasta which I told the husband will be a side dish not a main dish.
He is loving the changes he is having with his body. He's not going 100% grain free but he is going to keep wheat away as best as he can. He loves tortilla chips too much to be 100% grain free...but he's been doing really good most of the time with me. I will have weight numbers tomorrow but I'm not thinking it's a big number since I didn't do a normal workout since Saturday...but I did do lots of walking and yard work in between Saturday and now...but today I'm looking forward to my workout.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Day 8...entering week 2 of no grains!
Whoa it's been a week already? I'm pretty impressed that it's a week later.
I had my first craving yesterday. I'm happy it took so long. I really wanted a glass of wine...like really, really badly. I did not give in but man did I want a glass of wine. Of course when I got home I saw that my husband was drinking a glass of wine and that made me all "grrr" on the inside...but I did not have a glass of wine.
Speaking of my husband, yesterday he joined in! He had one full day of no grains and is starting day #2. He has not given up sugar though (he enjoys 1 diet pop/soda or 1 gingerale a day) but he has been putting honey in his tea vs. white sugar. I'm proud of him *yay honey* for jumping on this with me since he is more of a carb addict than I am!
Yesterday I worked out for 90 minutes at the gym. I never workout for 90 minutes at the gym. I do my 30-45 and get out of there...but yesterday I did the circuits twice which took me about 35-40 minutes and then jumped on the bike for 30 plus a 5 minute cool down. I have been reading that on the wheat purge you don't need these long workouts but it felt really good. I got super sweaty during my bike ride. I felt so good that I am going today after work to do the elliptical even though today is not typically a gym day!
I've noticed some more skin changes. I had some hives yesterday and some extra pimple type things on my legs. I'm thinking a bunch of gunk is getting pushed out of me. After 33 years of eating lots of grain I'm not surprised (and lets be honest, I was eating well but enjoyed some processed food).
I have been tired though. There could be many factors to me being tired, but thought I'd mention that I'm tired. I'm also hardly ever hungry. I woke up this morning nauseous but then it turned into hunger...so I guess when I first wake up I'm hungry but never really hungry after that. It's odd not grabbing a snack at 10am...I like it though. I did enjoy a post workout snack yesterday which then made me not really want dinner, but ate something a bit late.
Dinner is my lunch today. I pounded out some chicken breasts and baked them in the oven with some tomatoes and peppers and then added mozzarella cheese (mmmm) and some spices too. Super yummy. That was it though...and both the husband and I only ate half the chicken and saved the other half for today. Today it is going to be eaten with a salad for lunch (lettuce and cucumbers on the salad but the chicken with the peppers and tomatoes will go on top as well). Dressing is grapeseed oil with apple cider vinegar. I also brought some grapes and almond butter to snack on. I do think that getting some natural sugars is a good thing, especially post workout...as long as there is protein attached to it.
I feel stronger and I feel much less bulky. I don't feel bloated but I should be (I'm a girl, who gets bloated at certain times of the month) though on Monday night I did feel gassy and bloated, that went away rather quickly (that may have to do with Monday being my late night at work more than this diet change).
My husband is sweet though, there are 2 beers left in our refrigerator that some house guests left us. I told him to drink them and he is saving them for me "just in case" I want a beer after this 30 days is done. I am a beer fan, but I have a feeling it will be wine and only occasionally but we shall see. Best intentions...
The gross stuff is still as consistent as it's been. A friend on instagram last night asked me how my digestive system was handling this change. I told her super. My husband is not in the same boat as me, but we had very different patterns in the past.
This weekend should be an adventure though. Last weekend there were lots of lessons learned...this weekend is going to be trickier...a 3 day festival where "gluten free" options may be available, but doubtful there will be many "grain free"...hopefully I can find a burger and just not eat the bun!
Today's meals:
breakfast omelette with zucchini, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella
lunch is leftover chicken and a salad
snack will be grapes and almond butter
dinner will be leftover pork cooked up with the leftover sweet potato
I hope that everyone has a great day!
I had my first craving yesterday. I'm happy it took so long. I really wanted a glass of wine...like really, really badly. I did not give in but man did I want a glass of wine. Of course when I got home I saw that my husband was drinking a glass of wine and that made me all "grrr" on the inside...but I did not have a glass of wine.
Speaking of my husband, yesterday he joined in! He had one full day of no grains and is starting day #2. He has not given up sugar though (he enjoys 1 diet pop/soda or 1 gingerale a day) but he has been putting honey in his tea vs. white sugar. I'm proud of him *yay honey* for jumping on this with me since he is more of a carb addict than I am!
Yesterday I worked out for 90 minutes at the gym. I never workout for 90 minutes at the gym. I do my 30-45 and get out of there...but yesterday I did the circuits twice which took me about 35-40 minutes and then jumped on the bike for 30 plus a 5 minute cool down. I have been reading that on the wheat purge you don't need these long workouts but it felt really good. I got super sweaty during my bike ride. I felt so good that I am going today after work to do the elliptical even though today is not typically a gym day!
I've noticed some more skin changes. I had some hives yesterday and some extra pimple type things on my legs. I'm thinking a bunch of gunk is getting pushed out of me. After 33 years of eating lots of grain I'm not surprised (and lets be honest, I was eating well but enjoyed some processed food).
I have been tired though. There could be many factors to me being tired, but thought I'd mention that I'm tired. I'm also hardly ever hungry. I woke up this morning nauseous but then it turned into hunger...so I guess when I first wake up I'm hungry but never really hungry after that. It's odd not grabbing a snack at 10am...I like it though. I did enjoy a post workout snack yesterday which then made me not really want dinner, but ate something a bit late.
Dinner is my lunch today. I pounded out some chicken breasts and baked them in the oven with some tomatoes and peppers and then added mozzarella cheese (mmmm) and some spices too. Super yummy. That was it though...and both the husband and I only ate half the chicken and saved the other half for today. Today it is going to be eaten with a salad for lunch (lettuce and cucumbers on the salad but the chicken with the peppers and tomatoes will go on top as well). Dressing is grapeseed oil with apple cider vinegar. I also brought some grapes and almond butter to snack on. I do think that getting some natural sugars is a good thing, especially post workout...as long as there is protein attached to it.
I feel stronger and I feel much less bulky. I don't feel bloated but I should be (I'm a girl, who gets bloated at certain times of the month) though on Monday night I did feel gassy and bloated, that went away rather quickly (that may have to do with Monday being my late night at work more than this diet change).
My husband is sweet though, there are 2 beers left in our refrigerator that some house guests left us. I told him to drink them and he is saving them for me "just in case" I want a beer after this 30 days is done. I am a beer fan, but I have a feeling it will be wine and only occasionally but we shall see. Best intentions...
The gross stuff is still as consistent as it's been. A friend on instagram last night asked me how my digestive system was handling this change. I told her super. My husband is not in the same boat as me, but we had very different patterns in the past.
This weekend should be an adventure though. Last weekend there were lots of lessons learned...this weekend is going to be trickier...a 3 day festival where "gluten free" options may be available, but doubtful there will be many "grain free"...hopefully I can find a burger and just not eat the bun!
Today's meals:
breakfast omelette with zucchini, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella
lunch is leftover chicken and a salad
snack will be grapes and almond butter
dinner will be leftover pork cooked up with the leftover sweet potato
I hope that everyone has a great day!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Day 7 of no grains
Well slow cooked pork with fresh corriander seeds is delicious! I also had about 1/2 of a sweet potato. That was a yummy dinner last night.
Today is more of the same regarding food. Breakfast was 2 eggs with tomato, zucchini, olives and feta cheese. Lunch was leftover steak & peppers on lettuce (as tacos) with cheese and avocado. Dinner will be chicken thighs with roasted tomatoes and peppers.
I've noticed I am not eating nearly as much, especially at night. I'm not even hungry! My lunch today I ate it all, I could have probably not eaten everything. I did though and it was delicious.
I really do have a good amount of energy. My skin looks different. I also feel much less anxiety in general which makes me really happy. Want to stop sweating the small stuff? Stop the grains!
GROSS STUFF
Poop is continuing to be 2x a day and consistent. I've never been this consistent.
Anyway...I'm looking forward to more of this adventure. On Friday I'm going to see the doctor to get some basic allergy testing done and possibly a referral for other testing.
Today is more of the same regarding food. Breakfast was 2 eggs with tomato, zucchini, olives and feta cheese. Lunch was leftover steak & peppers on lettuce (as tacos) with cheese and avocado. Dinner will be chicken thighs with roasted tomatoes and peppers.
I've noticed I am not eating nearly as much, especially at night. I'm not even hungry! My lunch today I ate it all, I could have probably not eaten everything. I did though and it was delicious.
I really do have a good amount of energy. My skin looks different. I also feel much less anxiety in general which makes me really happy. Want to stop sweating the small stuff? Stop the grains!
GROSS STUFF
Poop is continuing to be 2x a day and consistent. I've never been this consistent.
Anyway...I'm looking forward to more of this adventure. On Friday I'm going to see the doctor to get some basic allergy testing done and possibly a referral for other testing.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Day 6 of no grains!
This is not going to sound believable but I feel better. I feel lighter and have more energy (though last night I was super tired and slept for about 9 hours, but that had to do with the weekend not the no grains). My knee feels better, I ran faster today than I have all summer, and I overcame a HUGE groups of challenges this weekend...going out to dinner with a group, a wedding AND opening day of football party! I learned a bunch.
I learned that you cannot assume anything on a menu. When a menu says, "tilapia sauteed with garlic & butter served over spinach" what they might mean is "tilapia fried with a coating that may or may not contain bread served over spinach with a side of pasta". I pushed the pasta off of my plate immediately. As for the fish, the waitress avoided our table so I never found out what the coating was. I simply removed it and ate the inside. Lesson #1 learned.
The wedding. I thought that I had eaten a good amount of food prior to going. I had steak & eggs in the morning and a green smoothie as we headed out to the wedding. I was wrong :( Even the fresh veggies had a dressing on them so I didn't eat them. Luckily my husband came up with the idea of me to eat the toppings of a pizza slice so that I didn't kill people. Lesson #2 learned, always be prepared.
Football season has started and I love me some football. With my friends, football means beer and snacks and pasties (a meat & potato pie) and pizza and hot dogs and the list goes on and on. I was already taking a break from alcohol since September 2 so I had a couple of extra days practice on that front. I was lucky that my sister-in-law provided me with some walnuts, pickles, olives and fruit to munch on as a snack. I made a pork chile verde that was delicious and hardly any leftovers (a huge hit). So no real lessons needed to be learned from this event, but I showed myself that I can enjoy a party without grains and without alcohol.
So how am I feeling overall? Pretty incredible. As I said, I ran faster today and my knee didn't hurt as much. I'm not running as far as I want to but that has nothing to do with grains. I'm finding all sorts of delicious recipes to make and I'm excited about them. I went overboard at the Farmers Market yesterday and love that I did. I even found a CSA that we can join...had some of the fresh eggs yesterday morning and OMG I forgot how amazing they taste. Plus the fact that you don't refrigerate them. I also purchased organic milk to add to my coffee/drink and it tasted like cream.
Oh and yesterday I didn't even want dinner! I did have 2 (small) bowls of chile verde during the game but that's never stopped me before! I'm amazed.
So here is what I ate this weekend and today.
Saturday:
Breakfast was steak & eggs (scrambled) with some cheese, coffee
Lunch was a green smoothie (random leafy greens, 1/2 an avocado, 4 strawberries, 1 piece of pineapple)
Snacks/dinner was the top of a slice of pizza, some nuts and when I got home from the wedding a few pieces of leftover steak
Sunday:
Breakfast: A kind bar and then a little bit later 1 fresh scrambled egg, coffee
Lunch: chile verde, walnuts, 2 bites of the inside of a pasty (meat, onion & potato)
Snacks: homemade kale chips
Monday:
Breakfast: tomatoes, zucchini and cheese mixed in the 2 scrambled eggs. Coffee
Lunch: salad with raw zucchini, tomatoes, feta cheese, walnuts, roasted tomatoes and I made a dressing of grapeseed oil and apple cider vinegar
Dinner: I'm slow cooking pork with corriander, garlic, onions, and spices
***GROSS STUFF***
I didn't realize how terrible my poop was! Pooping is almost an awesome experience now. It happens a couple of times a day and is very easy. I know it's weird but that's the biggest change in 6 days, my poop and pooping schedule.
NO MORE GROSS STUFF
I'm reading Wheat Belly and also reading a bunch of blogs. This article was very interesting.
OK now to get through the rest of the work day :)
I learned that you cannot assume anything on a menu. When a menu says, "tilapia sauteed with garlic & butter served over spinach" what they might mean is "tilapia fried with a coating that may or may not contain bread served over spinach with a side of pasta". I pushed the pasta off of my plate immediately. As for the fish, the waitress avoided our table so I never found out what the coating was. I simply removed it and ate the inside. Lesson #1 learned.
The wedding. I thought that I had eaten a good amount of food prior to going. I had steak & eggs in the morning and a green smoothie as we headed out to the wedding. I was wrong :( Even the fresh veggies had a dressing on them so I didn't eat them. Luckily my husband came up with the idea of me to eat the toppings of a pizza slice so that I didn't kill people. Lesson #2 learned, always be prepared.
Football season has started and I love me some football. With my friends, football means beer and snacks and pasties (a meat & potato pie) and pizza and hot dogs and the list goes on and on. I was already taking a break from alcohol since September 2 so I had a couple of extra days practice on that front. I was lucky that my sister-in-law provided me with some walnuts, pickles, olives and fruit to munch on as a snack. I made a pork chile verde that was delicious and hardly any leftovers (a huge hit). So no real lessons needed to be learned from this event, but I showed myself that I can enjoy a party without grains and without alcohol.
So how am I feeling overall? Pretty incredible. As I said, I ran faster today and my knee didn't hurt as much. I'm not running as far as I want to but that has nothing to do with grains. I'm finding all sorts of delicious recipes to make and I'm excited about them. I went overboard at the Farmers Market yesterday and love that I did. I even found a CSA that we can join...had some of the fresh eggs yesterday morning and OMG I forgot how amazing they taste. Plus the fact that you don't refrigerate them. I also purchased organic milk to add to my coffee/drink and it tasted like cream.
Oh and yesterday I didn't even want dinner! I did have 2 (small) bowls of chile verde during the game but that's never stopped me before! I'm amazed.
So here is what I ate this weekend and today.
Saturday:
Breakfast was steak & eggs (scrambled) with some cheese, coffee
Lunch was a green smoothie (random leafy greens, 1/2 an avocado, 4 strawberries, 1 piece of pineapple)
Snacks/dinner was the top of a slice of pizza, some nuts and when I got home from the wedding a few pieces of leftover steak
Sunday:
Breakfast: A kind bar and then a little bit later 1 fresh scrambled egg, coffee
Lunch: chile verde, walnuts, 2 bites of the inside of a pasty (meat, onion & potato)
Snacks: homemade kale chips
Monday:
Breakfast: tomatoes, zucchini and cheese mixed in the 2 scrambled eggs. Coffee
Lunch: salad with raw zucchini, tomatoes, feta cheese, walnuts, roasted tomatoes and I made a dressing of grapeseed oil and apple cider vinegar
Dinner: I'm slow cooking pork with corriander, garlic, onions, and spices
***GROSS STUFF***
I didn't realize how terrible my poop was! Pooping is almost an awesome experience now. It happens a couple of times a day and is very easy. I know it's weird but that's the biggest change in 6 days, my poop and pooping schedule.
NO MORE GROSS STUFF
I'm reading Wheat Belly and also reading a bunch of blogs. This article was very interesting.
OK now to get through the rest of the work day :)
Friday, September 6, 2013
Day 3 of 30 days without grains
I feel really good today. Last night was my first workout and I had lots of energy for it. My knee stops aching when I'm working out and today it's not as achy (yay I can get a run in this weekend then!) I could have gone longer but decided I should go home.
I also went overboard at Costco yesterday. Organic chicken breast, pork shoulder (not sure if it was organic or not right now but I do know it will be delicious) but I'm making a chili verde recipe for the Bears game on Sunday (just found a turkey and chicken version!). And I also got some skirt steak (last nights dinner), cabot seriously sharp cheddar (my top 3 favorite cheese), and some feta cheese...all in bulk of course because it's Costco. I was really happy about the chicken breasts since it was $5.99/pound but I don't think I've seen Organic Free Range chicken for only $5.99/pound in the Chicago area before. So we have some food ready to go. I may end up only using half of the pork and freezing some, but everything else is frozen.
Anyway...today I had the same breakfast of a caprese omelette but my lunch is much different. I had made a garlic zucchini soup earlier in the week with my zucchini from my garden so I'm going to enjoy that with a sausage. I have a banana and strawberries with raw nuts for a snack today. Dinner depends on what company we have over for dinner...it may be leftover steak.
Now gross stuff...you can skip this part if you get grossed out about things easily.
POOP!
I am not always the most regular person in the world, but this morning I've gone twice already and they were very nice poops.
***NO MORE GROSS STUFF***
My skin isn't changing yet, but I'm keeping an eye on that one.
I do feel like my back is less achy in addition to the knee...and I woke up this morning at 5:30...decided to stay in bed until 6 but I still woke up at 5:30...next week I will try the getting out of bed when I wake up at 5:30. I do think I have more energy.
Oh how am I forgetting this part! I'm sitting right in front of donuts. I can smell them and they smell super sweet, like too sweet. Mind you I had a donut as recent as last weekend so the fact that I can smell them and that I don't really like the smell right now makes me happy. Though writing about the donuts is making me hungry so I will grab a handful of nuts.
Lastly I did have coffee with milk this morning. No sugar. I have always taken sugar in my coffee. I really wanted coffee though and I wasn't about to add sugar to it so I just added a little extra milk. It may have also helped that I made pumpkin coffee :) Not sweetened just flavored...I'm super glad I got that one Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte in before starting this challenge...as well as that one Pumking Pumpkin Beer in :)
I will try to get a run in tonight or tomorrow morning so I hope to have an update on that front...my fear about going grain free was always "but I need carbs to run so I can't do no carbs"...I think I just was lying to myself. If I really need carbs, I will have a sweet potato with lots of butter, but right now I'm trying to avoid the starches, at least for the first week.
I also went overboard at Costco yesterday. Organic chicken breast, pork shoulder (not sure if it was organic or not right now but I do know it will be delicious) but I'm making a chili verde recipe for the Bears game on Sunday (just found a turkey and chicken version!). And I also got some skirt steak (last nights dinner), cabot seriously sharp cheddar (my top 3 favorite cheese), and some feta cheese...all in bulk of course because it's Costco. I was really happy about the chicken breasts since it was $5.99/pound but I don't think I've seen Organic Free Range chicken for only $5.99/pound in the Chicago area before. So we have some food ready to go. I may end up only using half of the pork and freezing some, but everything else is frozen.
Anyway...today I had the same breakfast of a caprese omelette but my lunch is much different. I had made a garlic zucchini soup earlier in the week with my zucchini from my garden so I'm going to enjoy that with a sausage. I have a banana and strawberries with raw nuts for a snack today. Dinner depends on what company we have over for dinner...it may be leftover steak.
Now gross stuff...you can skip this part if you get grossed out about things easily.
POOP!
I am not always the most regular person in the world, but this morning I've gone twice already and they were very nice poops.
***NO MORE GROSS STUFF***
My skin isn't changing yet, but I'm keeping an eye on that one.
I do feel like my back is less achy in addition to the knee...and I woke up this morning at 5:30...decided to stay in bed until 6 but I still woke up at 5:30...next week I will try the getting out of bed when I wake up at 5:30. I do think I have more energy.
Oh how am I forgetting this part! I'm sitting right in front of donuts. I can smell them and they smell super sweet, like too sweet. Mind you I had a donut as recent as last weekend so the fact that I can smell them and that I don't really like the smell right now makes me happy. Though writing about the donuts is making me hungry so I will grab a handful of nuts.
Lastly I did have coffee with milk this morning. No sugar. I have always taken sugar in my coffee. I really wanted coffee though and I wasn't about to add sugar to it so I just added a little extra milk. It may have also helped that I made pumpkin coffee :) Not sweetened just flavored...I'm super glad I got that one Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte in before starting this challenge...as well as that one Pumking Pumpkin Beer in :)
I will try to get a run in tonight or tomorrow morning so I hope to have an update on that front...my fear about going grain free was always "but I need carbs to run so I can't do no carbs"...I think I just was lying to myself. If I really need carbs, I will have a sweet potato with lots of butter, but right now I'm trying to avoid the starches, at least for the first week.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
30 days without wheat & grains - a new challenge
Yesterday I decided that I needed a new challenge...not just that I needed a challenge but I needed to do something. My stress level has been crazy, my weight has shot up, my knees ache, my skin is looking rough and I just feel depressed and icky.
After doing a bit of reading I decided it was time I looked at my diet as to the problem. I've decided to do some food elimination and see what that does. So out with the wheat and the grains for 30 days. I'm technically on day 2 just wasn't sure if I wanted to blog about it.
I think, after watching friends of mine take this challenge, it will be good for me. In addition to no wheat and grains I'm also removing alcohol and trying to not put sugar in my coffee...we'll see about that one though.
So yesterday was day 1 and I wasn't really prepared but went for it anyway. I typically have eggs for breakfast and that's what I did yesterday. Eggs and cheese and sausage :) Lunch was an apple and a banana with some nuts...a snack was cheese and dinner was chicken and salad...the chicken was similar to Chipotle chicken...plus some homemade salsa and guacamole.
Today I was more prepared. Breakfast was eggs with tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese. Lunch was cucumber & tomato salad with a few olives, some cheese & olive oil AND more guacamole (avocado is full of good fat and it's delicious). My workout snack (not sure if it will be pre or post right now) is a green smoothie made with strawberries, a little pineapple, mixed greens and weeds and some coconut oil and then I will have some nuts (need protein) and dinner will be steak fajitas no tortilla.
Drinks are water, tea, carbonated water, and green smoothies...coffee too if I can do it without the sugar.
I think I slept better last night but I feel it's impossible to tell this early...I'm excited to see what happens over the course of the next 29 days. I'm working out where I work and today is a weigh in so yes I'm on day 2 but I doubt I dropped 10 pounds from yesterday :)
I just want to feel better, have my skin go back to normal and not have my fat clothes be tight on me anymore. It would also be great if my nose stopped dripping all of the time, but that may be a different problem all together.
After doing a bit of reading I decided it was time I looked at my diet as to the problem. I've decided to do some food elimination and see what that does. So out with the wheat and the grains for 30 days. I'm technically on day 2 just wasn't sure if I wanted to blog about it.
I think, after watching friends of mine take this challenge, it will be good for me. In addition to no wheat and grains I'm also removing alcohol and trying to not put sugar in my coffee...we'll see about that one though.
So yesterday was day 1 and I wasn't really prepared but went for it anyway. I typically have eggs for breakfast and that's what I did yesterday. Eggs and cheese and sausage :) Lunch was an apple and a banana with some nuts...a snack was cheese and dinner was chicken and salad...the chicken was similar to Chipotle chicken...plus some homemade salsa and guacamole.
Today I was more prepared. Breakfast was eggs with tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese. Lunch was cucumber & tomato salad with a few olives, some cheese & olive oil AND more guacamole (avocado is full of good fat and it's delicious). My workout snack (not sure if it will be pre or post right now) is a green smoothie made with strawberries, a little pineapple, mixed greens and weeds and some coconut oil and then I will have some nuts (need protein) and dinner will be steak fajitas no tortilla.
Drinks are water, tea, carbonated water, and green smoothies...coffee too if I can do it without the sugar.
I think I slept better last night but I feel it's impossible to tell this early...I'm excited to see what happens over the course of the next 29 days. I'm working out where I work and today is a weigh in so yes I'm on day 2 but I doubt I dropped 10 pounds from yesterday :)
I just want to feel better, have my skin go back to normal and not have my fat clothes be tight on me anymore. It would also be great if my nose stopped dripping all of the time, but that may be a different problem all together.
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