So the question is...how is it going?
The answer is...pretty good.
More details?
Alright. Well, I've been pretty faithful to it for over two weeks now. Maybe it's even three. I'm not sure. I lost count and that's a good thing. I have been choosing not to view it as a diet, but a lifestyle change...because that's exactly what it is. When I go to the doctor in whenever my appointment is (I made the appointment...now I just have to wait to hear when it is) I want to be able to say that I made a big effort at doing things for me and that I am seriously trying to get better.
What has changed? I only eat red meat once a week or else two very small meals a week. This is a hard thing, because I am borderline anemic and need the iron and my husband is Albertan (and therefore likes steak. A lot). For example, I made steak the other night and I just had a tiny little chunk - probably 1/3 or 1/4 of what I would eat before. I then saved a little bit for my lunch the next day and put it on my wrap. What else? I don't eat meat at every meal. Sometimes I just have eggs or avocado or something else that is a little more filling. Lunch is often a spinach whole wheat wrap (I can have 100% whole wheat, but that is hard to find...most things that claim to be whole wheat are only 60%) filled with veggies and goat cheese. Dinners are modified whatever I make for Jordon - we had french toast the other night, so I just made myself eggs and mixed it with veggies. I still don't eat breakfast. I can't - barf. I am eating white rice and so far found it hasn't made a difference. I'm still also eating goat's cheese and small amounts of caffeine. I put rice milk in my coffee in the morning and a little bit of turbinado sugar. I've also switched most of my buying habits to organic. Except bananas. I don't like bananas anyways and my husband complained about the taste - I tried them - they do taste different.
Is it hard? Not as hard as it was the first few days and not as hard as I expected (I know, Leah...I'm waiting for the told you so). It's taking time to get used to actively making myself lunch and dinner everyday - it does take a lot longer, but it's not so bad. I find myself getting creative now. I also find it harder to make the effort to pack a lunch if we go somewhere, etc. It's hard when I go to my mom's house for dinner and it's hard when we go out for dinner - I know I'm doomed to have a salad...and some places make pretty gross salads.
Have I cheated? Yes and no. I am allowed minimal quantities of most of my restricted food...so it's not really cheating if I have something I'm not "supposed" to have. What have I cheated with? I've had a proper Starbucks drink (a pumpkin spice latte to be exact) and obviously indulged in turkey dinner - most things were okay, but there is loads of sugar in my mom's cranberry sauce as well as milk in the gravy and white flour in the stuffing. For the most part though I've stuck to what I'm allowed and found alternatives where needed. Except for that chocolate cake my mom made me for my birthday. I ate it. Shut up. And it was good.
Is it working? Yes and no. I have noticed a decrease in my pain most nights. Not always, but I think there has been some change. Truly not so achy. I think that my biggest irritant is milk, unfortunately. On the day I had the full on pumpkin spice latte I ached like no other that night. White rice hasn't seemed to be bother me. I'd like to continue eating this way regardless, it is healthier, and we'll see how pain management continues.
Bonuses? I lost ten pounds :)
kortney elise xoxo
Wednesday, 13 October, 2010
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5 comments:
Hopefully the pain continues to lessen!! Good luck!
I have so much to say I dont even know where to start.
First of all, this is the best thing you've ever said, "I have been choosing not to view it as a diet, but a lifestyle change".
Second, eat more spinach, then you're good as far as iron. Make yourself a spinach smoothie for breakfast. I promise its better than it sounds.
Now, as against this as I am, you may want to start recording what you eat so on the nights you DO have pain you can see if theres some type of connection. I'll bet you there is and its just something you never would have thought of.
And the ten pound weight loss is a nice bonus. Funny how that works eh? When you're not trying, it just happens.
if u want milk and its a trigger have lactose free milk. I dont do rice milk and soy milk makes me gag. When i found out they had lactose free milk it made me happy. Now i can eat my cream of wheat in peace :)
sounds like you are trying! i really do hope that things start to get better for you. i am doing a detox right now and its REALLY HARD, im only allowed to eat a very restricted amount of foods and only small amounts and at restricted times... no sugar, starch, dairy, flour etc etc at any times... basicly protein, veg and some fruit and LOTS of water :) its manily to lose the baby weight but also to reset my matabolisim and its SUCH a challange so know i sort of know how you feel when it comes to totally shifting your diet, its SO not an easy thing to do.good luck.
I have to keep pretty close track of my iron, too, so here are some of the things that have been working for me.
Red meat is probably the easiest way to get it, but greens (especially spinach!) are great, too, and a heck of a lot better for you on the whole. Whole grains have pretty good iron, too (although the fiber in them can inhibit absorption). You just have to make sure you're getting enough Vitamin C - it can triple the amount of iron your body absorbs.
I eat cereal (Nature's Path pumpkin raisin crunch, so delicious) with rice milk almost every morning, which gives me a lot of my iron, and I make sure to drink some OJ with it so that it does its job in my body. Throwing some tomato into a spinach salad is another thing I like to do to get the iron and vitamin C together.
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