5 Month Mark

I've been able to complete a solid five months of being wheat free. Has it be easy? Heck no. Have I learned a lot about my body and my health? Heck yes!

Since doing WeightWatchers in addition to going wheat free, I've adapted a much simpler eating style. The fewer ingredients, the better-- so much to the point where if something has a lot of chemicals/additives/salt in it, I'm not interested. I'm eating entire meals that have five ingredients or less-- lots of fruits, vegetables and grilled/baked meats. I wish, again, that I can say that I've lost a ton of weight in these five months, but its only been close to 15lbs. But the things is, since going WF, many people really started noticing my weight loss-- probably because I don't look as puffy/water retaining as I did before. Its exciting to see my clavicles, feel my ribs and see my shoulder blades pop out of my back when I put on halter tops.

My bouts of dizziness have decreased dramatically-- I usually only get them when I eat something high in sugar (i.e. a banana) after going a while w/o eating. But it doesn't last long at all-- usually just a few minutes, I drink water and everything is back to normal. My vitals/bloodwork/etc have been taken too w/in the past two months-- the doc said everything came back fantastic! One male nurse even said that my vitals were better than anyone else's in the office. Now if that doesn't make you feel good, I don't know what would :)

The Cleaner

I can't believe that it's been two and a half weeks almost since I've blogged.


The journey has actually been an interesting one-- rounding the corner into two months of being wheat-free. I actually did a cleanse two weeks ago (w/o 7/7 - 7/14) using The Cleaner 7-day detox. Can I just say, it was nothing short of amazing.

I carefully read the reviews and spoke with different people who actually used the product. I got the fact that everyone's body is different-- but I was actually surprised how well mine took to it. Again, it was definitely to help get a jump on being wheat-free and clearing out the aftermath of having horrible wheat withdrawls the first two weeks in.

In that 7 days, I lost about 7 lbs. I know some of it was post-4th-of-July water/meat weight, but it was still nice to bounce back from splurging that weekend in just a few days rather than the rest of the month. I could really tell that everything was getting cleaned out and I really felt alot lighter after the regimen was done. During the week I ate mostly salads or soup; if I ate meat it was fish/chicken/turkey in small quantities. Lots and lots of veggies, fruit and water. I was taking a probiotic, too, to help things stay regular and replace anything that could have been lost in the mass exodus. I totally recommend the cleanse to anyone who wants a jump-start to a healthy eating/diet regimen to help motivate you and give you a blank slate. It was defintely like taking everything out of the room first before shampooing the carpet/wiping down windows and walls and placing everything (neatly) back inside!

Coming into the first Month.

I really believe that I have to be the only person in history that has managed to gain weight after starting Wheatbelly, lol. While I know (hope) that's not true, I very well know why. Not eating wheat AND making healthy choices have to go hand in hand, and while I've been successful in one area, I have not been in the other.

With the fourth of July holiday happening, I went ga-ga over smoked ribs, slow-cooked pork, GF/WF potato salad, potato CHIPS, nuts, nuts and more nuts. I even made a GF pizza from the Bob's Red Mill line and tried my HARDEST to eat the whole thing. ::sigh:: It was shameful, but the one thing I'm actually proud of is the fact that I couldn't eat the whole thing and I had to put the rest of it in 3-square slice intervals in the freezer for some other time.

It is, however, getting easier to avoid the obvious wheat items. I was faced with a pound cake this weekend. Didn't touch it. I even made a all-the-way-from-scratch-except-for-the-canned-peaches peach and apple cobbler and didn't even sample a bite. I had my husband and the guests from the party taste it to make sure it had everything that it needed to taste right.

I really wish, though, that my husband would get inspired enough to do WF for a while. There are just so many health issues that he has that I really feel like he may benefit from going WF, but like any diet change, you have to make the decision to do it on your own. Secretly and selfishly, I hope that the benefits of going WF AND making healthy choices will motivate him enough to make a few tweaks here and there on his own.

Well-- here's to happier moods and healthy bellies!

Finishing Up Week 3

So, we're rounding the corner of the end of week 3 into week 4. I wish I could say that I've experienced a significant weight loss like some of the posts on the WheatBelly blog have proclaimed, but I haven't. Pretty much still holding steady and fluctuating within a few lbs of my lowest weight. I'm ready to pick up the bottom my skirt and keep on moving along in this weight loss journey.

My appetite has finally evened itself out-- I'm not nearly as insatiable as I was the first two weeks. I'm actually able to keep within my daily points. I find that if I do eat more, I actually do it consciously, not because I'm genuinely hungry. Its because I want to try something or just want to experiment with a recipe when I'm bored. I'm having more days of eating breakfast and being okay until lunch-- and then having a small snack before getting on the road to drive an hour to get home (and then spend another hour cooking/walking the dog/etc).

My mental fogs are coming farther in between and I may even venture to say that my eyesight has even gotten a tad clearer. My attention span is still pretty short, but overall I seem to feel happier. I still have moments when I want to snap on someone (PMS notwithstanding) but walking around with a chip on my shoulder has been kind of taboo these days.

Now that I'm exercising, I'm able to sleep a lot better at night. I'm starting back slowly-- adding what I call "15 Minutes of Fame" where I get up in the mornings and go jog around my (very hilly) neighborhood. Since I know my workout is short, I'm more inclined to really put my energy into it rather than some of my longer runs when it just seemed like time wasn't passing fast enough. I know eventually I'll incorporate longer runs into my regimen 1-2 days a week to build back up to running 3-4 miles straight w/o stopping.

I know I started a wheat-free diet for my physiological support rather than for weight, but I'm slowly wanting to make even more healthier eating choices so I can see more of a drop in the scale. I've decided this morning that after losing another 20lbs, that I will treat myself to my own photoshoot: hair, makeup, costume(s), the whole nine. Its something about being the center of attention every once in a while that can be a little boost to help you stay focused and keep going!

The First Week.

So last Wednesday marked the official week of deciding to go wheat-free. And this Wednesday? Two weeks. I wish I could start this blog on a positive note, but I'm really baffled by something.

I'm almost amazed and how much my appetite has gotten out of control. I seem to be this insatiable monster that can't seem to get enough food into its eager belly. Admittedly, in the middle of a second bowl of rice Chex and almond milk (which I had to break down and buy because my body was downright fiening for it) I realized it felt like I had an itch that could not be scratched.

Yes, I missed bread, crackers, cake and things of the sort. But I didn't realize how much they were a part of my SOUL that going without it caught me up in trying to find something to replace them, but nothing could. I would try to eat more protein. Still felt hungry. More fats (nuts, oils, etc.) Still hungry. I went back and upped my fiber intake (more quinoa, gluten-free grains, etc). Hungry. I already take vitamins/suppliments (B-complex, D3, Coconut Oil mostly) and really can't seem to get over this hungry hump!

I know I've gained because since being so hungry I decided not to count points to see if it was what or how much I needed to eat to help curb my hunger. I was amazed and flustered at counting points and still being ravenous after eating a meal (albeit not even exercising, either... hm... maybe that's what I need to get back into?) so I stopped. But I can't continue on much longer not counting points and still being able to go wheat free and fit into my clothes at the end of the month. It kind of defeats the purpose, I think!

So, starting into this second week exercising, counting points and going wheat-free. Tonight's thoughts are a 15-minute jog and a 45-minute Zumba stint. We'll see how well this will go!

Drawing a Line

So, I was on the WB website and stumbled upon the "Wheat Belly Quick and Dirty Page" and found out a little more about what we should eliminate on this diet. Wheat, I get. Even after a few days, I'm seeing the benefits. But there were a few things that I had to draw a line in the sand about.

1. Oats. It was already tough enough to find out that some oatmeals contain traces of wheat. But I finally dug deep and spent three times as much as I normally would on oatmeal, for me to go back and find out to eliminate it completely from my diet? AND to substitute eggs or lunch items for breakfast? Sorry, dude. You're not getting that out of me.

2. Candies. I love me some dark chocolate. Sometimes a few squares are all I need to get me through the rest of the day when a hankering for something sweet hits. Next.

3. Limit your fruits to 2 a day. Hrm. Its not that I go bananas (no pun intended) on fruit all the time. Some days I do, because of Weight Watchers, because I want something and I'm running out (or have completely ran out) of points for the day. Is there a way where I can get two and a possible...?

Most of the other things that were on the list, I could already kind of see just by living on Weight Watchers for a while. Admittedly, seeing that list did let some of the wind out of my sails, but at the same time, and reading other people's posts/comments/feedback about it, they are still able to eat grains (rice, quinoa, etc) and still see a change. Even though its only been three days for me, I've had rice and quinoa, on the same day (one cup, each, because of WW points) and still felt like a rockstar.  So I guess, all in all, its a situation of trial and error-- to see what works and what doesn't. But if anything else, how I feel now and how I'm sleeping is so much better than just a few days ago.

Its All in My Mind. I think.

Just going one day w/o wheat and I think I feel better already. Like the title said, I feel like its all in my mind.

Getting out of bed this morning wasn't any easier than it normally is, but, I will say that I actually woke up kind of ready to start the day. I didn't grumble at my little rumbly-bumbly puppy when letting him out of his crate this morning-- we actually had a pleasant conversation on the way downstairs. I put dinner in the crockpot (smoked sausage with potatoes, parsnips, peppers, onions and spices) and opted to make a pot of rice and a separate pot of quinoa for myself when I get home. I carefully read the label of the smoked sausage just to make sure everything was okay... which reminds me... I need to research where "dextrose" comes from. Sigh. Such is the world of processed food.

Yesterday, during lunchtime, I restocked my snacks. Things that had "GLUTEN FREE" emblazoned across the label is what I looked at, sniffed and even googled to make sure it was legit. Stuff I wasn't sure about I put back on the shelf. I had a box of Special K cereal bars at my desk that I gave up for adoption to a few good homes. I didn't feel bad about it-- especially since I happily replaced it with some GF dark chocolate and some Snikiddy cheddar puffs.

What I found interesting was the amount of items in the store that contain wheat, not even including the bakery section. I kind of felt like I put on a different pair of glasses to see/be aware of the things that I eat and now that I choose not to eat. Even my pantry at home hasn't been dewheated, especially since I still have wheat-eaters in my home. Which reminds me, again, to consider switching the dog to a wheat-free kibble as well.

I can say I don't recall any hazy/foggy moment yesterday at all. No moments of feeling dizzy, weak or grumpy. I actually joked around a bit with my husband this morning, which was nice-- and it was actually genuine, not pretending to derail his senses from thinking something was wrong with me (feeling tired, cranky, dizzy, hazy, etc). I'm interested to see how bouncy I'm feeling just within a week of the process.

In other news, I haven't weighed myself yet to get a starting weight to see if this lifestyle would reap that benefit. I actually dont have WI until Friday, and plan to stick to that schedule. I know there will be a significant gain, as I barely (read: not at all) stuck the plan Thursday-Tuesday of this past week. And when I dont stick to plan, honey, it gets ugly. But, onward and upward, right?