Shocks and Suprises

I admit I was surprised when Ian told me that not only are we going to be giving up wheat for 30 days, but we are going to be blogging about it as well. Maybe a month ago my mother had introduced me to the book “Wheat Belly”, and I was intrigued by the idea that I could lose belly fat with one quick fix! Let me tell you it’s no quick fix, and this is only Day 1.

My first of several shocks was Ian telling me that chocolate was out. Unless of course it’s the 80% cocoa kind, which, let’s face it, is not that good. So I have the choice of figuring out what’s in a Jr. Mint, and likely being horrified (ingredient list) and disappointed (somehow it includes wheat?!?), or abstaining for a month to avoid the dangerous influx of information.

Second I was floored by how many items contain wheat that I didn’t even know about. At least with baked goods it’s obvious. As Ian mentioned in his post, wheat is used as a thickening agent in many foods. So wheat has snuck it’s was into everything. Did you know that it’s listed third as an ingredient for soy sauce? I know!!! And it’s third on the list not even last! I was thinking about ignoring the ban on wheat containing condiments, but in the fairness of trying this project out, I’m going to stick to avoiding them.

Third shock was trying to buy food today. Breakfast was easily taken care of by getting some healthy food at the gym. Lunch was a whole other issue. I walked into Safeway, hungry which was mistake number one, and started to forage. Soups… out either it had pasta or emulsifiers, in salads the dressings have wheat, and finally I turned to junk foods, only to find out they are a minefield of wheat among other undesirable ingredients. I was freaking out. After 15 minutes, of my precious 30 min lunch break, I’d only managed to find an apple and a yogurt that were wheat free. Finally I got a salad, having vowed to get rid of the dressing and the croutons and grabbed a couple of hard boiled eggs. I’m hitting protein and veggies hard.

Today taught me that I need a plan for dealing with meals. Walking in Safeway starving and clueless was a bad idea. 

So lunch made in advance for tomorrow. 

Good news: candy canes don’t have wheat! You’re welcome.

Also I made it through day one sans wheat.