Five pieces of bacon and two large eggs. That, my friends, was lunch. And it was incredibly satisfying.
BACKSTORY
My food journey starts now (well, technically, it started a year ago but it starts over now) because I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of having generalized body pain that can often be so bad I just want to cry. My brain is foggy. My face is puffy. I get acne on my neck and chest. And now, y'all, I have a skin tag! A skin tag! After doing a lot of research, I've come to the conclusion that I can't eat the way I've been eating...which, to be honest, is how most people eat. I am from the South, so breaded, fried foods, biscuits and gravy, bread or rolls with everything, are all the norm. I grew up eating cereal (in my mind, it wasn't even breakfast unless cereal was involved). I was raised on the best fried chicken in the world (I might be biased as it was my Granny's fried chicken), mashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese, cookies. Oddly, miraculously, I was never overweight. In fact, as a kid, I was very underweight. And make no mistake, skinny does NOT always equal healthy. By my teens, I had heavy, irregular periods. By my mid-twenties, I had a little belly and a neck waddle. By my mid-thirties, I suffered constant, often debilitating, pain all over my body, severe headaches every day, debilitating fatigue, anxiety, female issues, and IBS. By my early forties, I had my gallbladder removed and I had a complete hysterectomy save for one ovary. Charming, I know.WHEAT
Wheat and wheat products have been my drug of choice my whole life. I just didn't realize it. Try going gluten-free and you may find, for the first three days, you suffer symptoms similar to that of a detoxing drug addict. This is because wheat contains opioid peptides. These little buggers are both the reason why we love wheat so much (I mean, who doesn't love bread, cakes, cookies, battered anything, and crackers?), and the reason it hurts so much to give this drug up. Wheat also contains wheat germ agglutinin, which can cause weight gain, digestive issues, and Vitamin D deficiency. (2) Oh, did I mention, I have said weight gain, digestive issues, and yes, I am even Vitamin D deficient. Wooo! Trifecta!
After a homeopathic doctor told me I was low on Vitamin D and I should consider a gluten-free diet, I did a lot of research. I've been on entirely gluten-free diets, suffering brutal withdrawals only to feel better afterwards, but hated life because it was before GF became popular and options were limited back then. I started eating cleaner and noticed a tremendous improvement in my health, but reverted back to my old ways because I still loved bread and fresh-baked goods.
About a year and a half ago, I stumbled across some videos by a young woman calling herself Ally McWowie who lost a staggering amount of weight on the ketogenic diet. Because of her funny yet inspiring videos, I started looking at keto, paleo, primal, and wheat-belly diets. They all made sense as they are all whole, real food ways of eating. I landed on keto as the one that made the most sense to me because it didn't allow for grain- and starch-based carbs or any kind of sugar. This led me to videos from Dr. Ken D. Berry and Thomas DeLauer, as well as a few keto devotees who just plain inspire me (I'm talking about you, Headbangers Kitchen, Keto Connect, and Ruled.Me). I also watched a documentary on Netflix called The Magic Pill (if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it).
I dove into keto head first and felt amazing! I lost 20 pounds in a month and kept it off. My skin cleared up (this was pre-skin tag). My brain fog lifted. My belly flattened. My energy was better than it had been in decades and my pain was virtually gone. I sailed through six very successful months of keto then Thanksgiving happened. And that was that. I tried to get back on the wagon but my mojo was gone.
Without committing to anything, I started watching the videos that inspired me in the first place. I found even more inspiring devotees (real people just like Ally McWowie, such as the Ketoginja, and many more). I started gathering up the recipes. I started cooking the recipes. I never said a word about it to my boyfriend. Instead, I've slipped in a few keto meals here and there and he's enjoyed them all (albeit, he enjoyed them with a slice of bread or a handful of crackers).
This post went longer than I planned but I had a lot to get off my chest. I'd love it if you stayed with me during this journey, giving me feedback and sharing your stories. I'll keep future posts more focused. I promise.
IN THE BEGINNING
I have researched myriad diets and realize that wheat is the largest part of my problem, but not the only problem. My bad skin, female issues, some of the weight gain and digestive issues, and that horrid little skin tag, are also a result of my becoming insulin-resistant. This means my body is making insulin, it is just no longer able to use it properly, anymore. Back to more research.About a year and a half ago, I stumbled across some videos by a young woman calling herself Ally McWowie who lost a staggering amount of weight on the ketogenic diet. Because of her funny yet inspiring videos, I started looking at keto, paleo, primal, and wheat-belly diets. They all made sense as they are all whole, real food ways of eating. I landed on keto as the one that made the most sense to me because it didn't allow for grain- and starch-based carbs or any kind of sugar. This led me to videos from Dr. Ken D. Berry and Thomas DeLauer, as well as a few keto devotees who just plain inspire me (I'm talking about you, Headbangers Kitchen, Keto Connect, and Ruled.Me). I also watched a documentary on Netflix called The Magic Pill (if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it).
I dove into keto head first and felt amazing! I lost 20 pounds in a month and kept it off. My skin cleared up (this was pre-skin tag). My brain fog lifted. My belly flattened. My energy was better than it had been in decades and my pain was virtually gone. I sailed through six very successful months of keto then Thanksgiving happened. And that was that. I tried to get back on the wagon but my mojo was gone.
STARTING OVER
My hips, lower back, shoulders, and knees have been killing me. My focus is next to nothing. My anxiety is through the roof. I'm gaining weight (mostly in my belly, face, and neck). I have almost no energy. And I still have that skin tag and I swear it has gotten bigger. I happened upon another documentary, this time on Prime, called Fat: A Documentary, and I knew it was time.Without committing to anything, I started watching the videos that inspired me in the first place. I found even more inspiring devotees (real people just like Ally McWowie, such as the Ketoginja, and many more). I started gathering up the recipes. I started cooking the recipes. I never said a word about it to my boyfriend. Instead, I've slipped in a few keto meals here and there and he's enjoyed them all (albeit, he enjoyed them with a slice of bread or a handful of crackers).
GETTING STARTED
I know I will never convince my boyfriend to go keto. It's a shame, too. I know he'd feel great and look even better than he does now (and he looks pretty good!). But that can't be my concern. That's his concern. I know I'll probably choose to eat not-so-keto-friendly options over the holidays. I have to be prepared for that and I have to be ok with that. I'm not torturing myself with choosing not to eat high-carb foods so I shouldn't torture myself if I choose to indulge. I just have to remember that making that choice for one meal or even for one whole day does not mean that I have to quit a way of eating that works for me and feels really good. And so I won't. I will enjoy the foods I know make me feel better and I will not beat myself up if I choose to indulge in something not that great for me during the holiday meals. It is not my goal to alienate myself due to my eating habits but I don't have to over-indulge either.This post went longer than I planned but I had a lot to get off my chest. I'd love it if you stayed with me during this journey, giving me feedback and sharing your stories. I'll keep future posts more focused. I promise.
And so, the journey begins.
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