End of Elimination Diet (a little late post!)
I’ve been SO busy last 2 weeks, I forgot to report our final take on the ED! I will be writing another post probably today about all the crazy events we’ve been involved in!
We DID it, but not quite 21 days. My Birthday was Oct 14th :), so we had a big celebration dinner at my restaurant complete with dessert! Chocolate Ice Cream has never tasted sooooooo goooooooood. However, I realized soon after I at it, that it was just not worth it. I am lactose intolerant- and after a diet of clean eating, the next few days were just not fun:-( My Birthday Dinner
Interesting results:
-Caffeine after finishing the diet made me and Chris very sick. It was almost a turn off just to taste coffee. My body felt horrible after a cup, but I craved the warm indulgence, so I have been sticking with half-caf or just decaf… I also Drink YERBA MATE tea (like a mild coffee out of a tea bag- 1/4 caffeine of coffee)- there is a “chocolate” flavored one that is AMAZING! Sweetened with Stevia in the tea bag, and other spices, it is SO much better than coffee: http://www.organicgurus.net/servlet/the-980/Guayaki-Yerba-Maté-Organic/Detail
Weight Loss Results:
Chris had GREAT weight loss results with this diet- I think his overall weight loss was 9 lbs! Not bad for about 2 weeks?! It is good to see him motivated to make good eating and lifestyle habits. His old clothes are fitting again, so it’s kind of like getting a new wardrobe for him:)
My “weight” went down about a pound or 2, but more importantly, my clothes fit looser, and old/tight clothes fit well:-) Everybody part lost at least a 1/2 inch-1 inch! That is a lot for my body in 2 weeks, so that tells me I was really hanging on to junk in my body.
I have heard from a few people at the gym that I “really leaned out”, my muscle definition is really showing through- I think that extra “layer” my body holds that was full of water retention and toxins, was flushed out, and I had so much energy the 2nd week to work out! I feel so much better when I am at my natural weight. I think my natural weight is effortless when I eat really well, get some exercise, but DO NOT obsess over calories, or fat, or carbs, etc. It was nice to know my limits- just say NO to the things on my banned list, and eat freely of whole foods. How easy is that?
Struggles:
Working at a restaurant was HARD. All those Creme Brulees and rich sauces! Starting work at 4, I was really hungry running around all night- some nights until 12am. I brought LARA BARS with me to work, and a piece of fruit. I could special order a salad with greens and grilled chicken, squeezing lemon and or vinegar on it. So I got through it, but will power was hard to find.
GUM was one of the hardest to avoid- I like having something in my mouth I guess… I wanted gum- especially while I was working out- but most contain ASPARTAME. Yuck.
Chris had a tough time with Gum, and apparently pizza (go figure). I think his friend made him crave it more than he truly felt the need… I think the social aspect of eating out, made it hard to choose a fitting meal. Chris eats out a lot at work, but came home more often to eat during this ED period.
Cheats:
The last few days Chris and I cheated with gum! hahaha. I remember him saying he couldn’t stand his breath, and also needed a cough drop (sore throat?). So if that was as bad as we did- I think we did really well!
Final Comments:
I really wish I could just stay on that diet forever, without it being socially hard or physically seeing and smelling food that I want. I can already tell a difference being “off” the diet in my body and in my energy.
*My face broke out completely when I went off the diet!
*My digestion issues were back when I resumed “normal” indulgences (because I KNOW I ate things I am intolerant/allergic to)
* My energy went way down.
*My mental clarity and ability to cope with stress took a turn in the not so good direction.
What I plan to do:
I am keeping my caffeine down, sugar WAY down, and continuing to make meals at home for all of us. I saved SO much money by making Chris and I eat at home! I’d like to do variations of this diet 2x a year. Just to clean my body and my mind.
