And Maybe…Not So Much.

A funny thing happened about two hours after I posted my last update – I couldn’t swallow my lunch. I mean, I physically, COULD. NOT. SWALLOW. IT. Everything that I make right now has a foundation of my homemade chicken or beef stock. So everything sort of has a ‘it-all-tastes-the-same’ thing going on. My body seemed to have hit a wall and is screaming at me to make some changes. I added in a glass of goat’s milk with my lunch and it was like I discovered the world’s most amazing treat (yeah, and for goat’s milk!). The following morning I got on the scale a saw that I had lost almost six-and-a-half pounds…in seven days! While it might sound like an amazing problem to have, it’s clearly a sign that this is not working out so great for my body. No one should loose practically a pound a day!! That’s just NOT healthy – nor is it sustainable.

So after much debate (with myself) and discussion (with the family), I’ve decided to stop the Intro Diet and move back into the full GAPS Diet. Part of me feels disappointed, like I failed or gave-in again, but part of me is really relieved. It’s not easy eating boiled meats and vegetables and broth every day, for every meal. While it’s true, over time, new foods will be introduced, but if I can’t even get myself to swallow the main part of the diet (homemade stock), then waiting three more days for a new food item probably isn’t the best idea.

Case in point – last night I made for dinner the carrot and yellow squash soup from the Intro Diet meal plan I’ve been following. We added chicken to the soup, and for dessert I made a GAPS blueberry/peach/strawberry crumble (pulled the recipe off the internet here). I ate 1/4 of the 8×8 pan. I would’ve eaten the entire thing if I wasn’t worried about Lydia thinking I was a major pig. I got on the scale this morning and was another 1.5 pounds lighter. IN ONE DAY – after totally gorging on dessert! I need more calories and the way to do that is to add in more GAPS legal foods.

So I keep pressing on in this journey, and I keep learning what works for my body and what doesn’t. And hopefully, at the end of all this searching – I’ll have found a healthier, happier me. And that’s the bottom line! Bon Appetit (and get READY to see all amazing things I’m about to make)!

Still Chugging!!

Well, we’ve made it to Day Seven! This was SO much easier than the last go around – I think because through all my ‘cheating’ I still wasn’t eating sugar (only honey). So I didn’t have the sugar withdrawal. BUT yesterday and today are starting to feel rough. Don’t get me wrong – there’s temptation EVERY DAY, but the mind games are now kicking in. I am constantly battling with myself right now – this is silly. we don’t need to do this. eating FULL GAPS is enough. you can stop this at any moment and make that GAPS friendly granola and call it a day. But I keep reminding myself – it’s only one month. we have one week down. why blow it now?? you can do this. And so I have!

Of all places that were the most challenging this week – church was one of them. This past Sunday our church celebrated our 18th year and of course, we had a pot luck. Most of the time our church pot lucks consist of seven or eight desserts and maybe one or two dishes. That was not the case this past week. The table was FULL of amazing aromas and mouthwatering treats. And I couldn’t even sample a bite!

Homemade empanadas, chicken salad sandwiches, TACOS, Shepherds Pie, fruit, homemade rhubarb pie, tiramisu, cookies, and of course CAKE! I wanted to bend down and lick the entire thing. I actually pictured myself grabbing two of those fat, purple, sugary-goodness flowers with my hand and shoving them into my mouth. I could smell the frosting and my body was saying “GIVE THAT TO ME!” Cutting a piece for B was pure torture. At one point I almost caved. A woman brought gluten free monkey bread. I even went so far as getting some into a bowl.

But some how, some way, I managed to NOT eat this. As much as I wanted to listen to the voice telling me it was fine because after all, my doctor said if she could choose one thing for me to remove from my diet it would be gluten, I refused to give in. I didn’t want to hear it, but I made myself say over and over ‘It’s not worth another migraine. It’s not worth another migraine.’

And now here we are at Day Seven!! I’m a fourth of the way there!! I’ll admit, the food is starting to get old. I’m tired of soup. I’m tired of boiled veggies and meat. But today we add in two new squashes AND eggs! So there’s new stuff coming. I now believe I can make it all the way.

And so I keep trying!