4 Weeks Gluten Free

I have officially been gluten free, dairy free, cafeene free, and reduced sugar for four weeks. I find myself craving coffee the most - sometimes as a pick-me-up on a long day and sometimes as a relaxing hot beverage. My frequent (but mild) headaches that I think are gluten induced are mostly gone. And, I have lost....9 pounds!!!

Gluten Free, etc

Three weeks ago I started on a Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Caffeine Free, Refined Sugar Free diet. It’s similar to the yeast free diet I did last summer, but not as restrictive. I had been wanting to go back on the yeast free diet or at least a gluten free diet for a few weeks, but have been putting it off for some time now.

Robert suggested I do the diet through Lent and offered to join me. I don’t really think of this as having given something up "for Lent" but we are using Lent as our timetable. Mostly I was just thankful that Robert was going to join me. So far in three weeks I have lost 6.5 lbs (Robert has lost about 10 lbs). I don’t talk much about weight on my blog because although I try to be as healthy as possible I also try not to fixate on my weight.

A little history...I started having trouble with my weight as a child when I was diagnosis with hypothyroidism at age 9. I was never obese, but consistently a little overweight. When I was 16 I joined we*ght w@atchers. With a lot of hard work I lost about 15-20 lbs, achieving a goal weight of about 135 lbs - not skinny, but no longer overweight. As a teenager I really struggled with why it was so much harder for me to loose weight than it was for my friends. It just didn’t make sense. I now understand that having essentially been in (hormone wise) menopause since about 15 years of age, losing weight for me is like a 50 year old woman trying to loose weight.

In college I gained all of the weight I had lost, plus some. Since college I have fluctuated anywhere from 145 - 170 lbs. (Except while pregnant when I topped just over 200). During college I had an epiphany...I was packing up some old clothes when I came across a pair of size 2 jeans. I remembered wearing them and I remembered still not feeling pretty enough or thin enough. It was then that I swore to embrace myself and love myself no matter my size. Yes, I still delete unflattering bathing suit pictures of myself form the camera and cringe when I see a bad photo of me posted to Fac*book, but I don’t stress over my weight.

Sometimes it’s hard, especially being around my mother. After some reflection it is clear to me that she is a main source of my weight-related insecurities. Even recently she commented that she was happy to see me on this diet because I had been looking so great last fall and seemed to have put back on some of the weight (I’ve gained 4 lbs total in the last nine months). I recognize that her comments are a product of her own insecurities and I really believe that she doesn’t understand or recognize their affect on me, but still it affects me.

So back to the diet....I have wanted to go back to Gluten free because I am almost certain that Gluten gives me headaches. I have no other signs of a Gluten allergy or intolerance, and I have been tested for Celiac, so I am not really sure what to make of it - any thoughts??? Tomorrow marks the halfway point of my diet. I will keep you posted!

I joined a gym....

So I didn’t really "join". I actually bought a 10 visit pass. Based on my intent to make it to the gym once or twice a week it was a better investment than a monthly membership. I have been going to yoga - making it to 4 class in the past 3 weeks. I’ve done yoga in the past, but this is a more relaxing, gentle yoga. I really love it.

The biggest struggle I have with going to the gym is guilt. Yep. I feel guilty when I actually go to the gym. I already have so few hours a week with Leland and I feel like every hour I spend doing anything - gym, bible study, errands, hair cut - are hours I could be spending with him. And mommy guilt can be intense. I am trying to focus on the fact that being a well rounded mom, with occasional interests and outings of my own, will make me a happier and better mother to Leland. I am also committing to making the most of my time with Leland - really engaging with him, reading to him, playing with him, etc; and not letting my time with him be diminished by distractions like TV, my phone, etc. Bottom line - this working full-time with a toddler thing is tough!

Weight Loss Update

I got on the wii fit this morning and I have lost three more pounds. I am in awe of how fast I have lost this weight. (20 pounds in less than two months!) In my head, I have considered my pre-pregnancy weight to be 153. Looking back at the records on the wii fit my low weight just prior to the pregnancy was actually 151.7. I do have to mention that from January 2010 until September 2010, just prior to getting pregnant, I had lost about 18 pounds in order to reach that 151.7 weight. I dealt with my lack of control in the embryo adoption process by focusing on weight loss. So with today’s weigh-in of 153.7, I am practically at my “153” pre-pregnancy weight and am only 2 pounds away from the low weight of 151.7.

In related news….I slipped into my pre-pregnancy jeans last weekend!!!

16 1/2 Pounds!

I got on the Wii Fit this morning and to my surprise and elation, I have lost another 4 ½ pounds in the last 9 days. That makes a total of 16 ½ pounds since the beginning of May. I am down to 157 pounds, with only 4 more pounds to lose to reach my pre-transfer weight.

I am actually in a bit of shock. In the past I would have had to work diligently for 4-6 months (maybe longer) to lose that much weight. I don’t know if it is the breastfeeding along with the healthy diet or if it is avoiding gluten that is making the difference. Either way, I am very thankful for how wonderful I am feeling.

Now…back to my lunch of egg drop soup and watermelon…also know as my $2.14 take out from our “dollar scoop” Chinese restaurant.

Yeast Free Update

Today marks the end of my four week goal of sticking with a yeast free diet. I only "cheated" once - I took a tiny, tiny bite of an Oreo on my birthday. I am really proud of myself for sticking with it. As of Tuesday, I had lost 12 lbs since starting the diet just 26 days earlier. The huge significance of this is that I am now back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I still have 8 lbs to go before reaching my pre-transfer weight. Also, I am just feeling better overall. Tomorrow, I will indulge in fruit. Yep, fruit. I don't want to overload my system by just jumping back into eating anything and everything. Plus, I'd like to keep up the weight loss. I also want to take the opportunity to introduce foods slowly and see if I have any sensitivities. I will probably stick to a gluten free diet for a bit longer and then try gluten to see if it affects me in any way.

Yeast Free

I started a yeast free diet 12 days ago. A yeast free diet is designed to treat an internal yeast overgrowth by starving out the yeast. The most common symptoms of internal yeast overgrowth include yeast infections, thrush, craving sweets (to feed the yeast), and fatigue. Frequent rounds of antibiotics can also contribute to yeast overgrowth.

 I had been in denial. I told myself that I was craving dairy (Chocolate milk specifically) for the protein, not for the sugar. I told myself that I was craving sugar and carbs for the energy since I am just so busy and sleep deprived. I reasoned that I had not had a yeast infection or shown any signs of thrush, despite taking four antibiotics in the last six months.

Then about two weeks ago I got a yeast infection – a really horrible yeast infection. I called the nurse at my OB’s office. I told her about the yeast infection and I mentioned that I have been having severe pain in my right breast on and off for a few weeks. She said she would call me in something for the yeast and that it could help my breast pain…after all yeast is in the blood stream and it could be yeast in my milk ducts. At that moment, a light bulb went off. I was no longer in denial. That was Friday, May 4^th about 8:30 AM. I started my yeast free diet at that very moment.

A yeast free diet means: no sugar (or any form of sugar), no artificial sweeteners, no dairy, no wheat, no gluten, no fruit, no caffeine, no vinegar, no corn. I can have some grains if I keep my intake low (brown rice, quinoa, etc.) and I have to be careful with some vegetables that have a high sugar content (onions, tomatoes, bell peppers).

So what am I eating? Meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, water. It has been hard. I got no cake at Robert’s graduation party, no edible goodies on Mother’s Day, and I will eat no cake on my birthday this upcoming weekend. I struggled with eating on our trip last weekend and I will struggle eating on my trip coming up in about a week. But,  my yeast infection is gone, my breast pain in reduced, my sweet cravings are reduced, and I am feeling a little less fatigued. AND….I HAVE LOST 6 LBS….IN JUST 12 DAYS!

My goal is to stick it out for four weeks and then to gradually start reintoducing foods to my diet. I will keep you posted.