Wheat: My Nemesis

I’ve been waiting for the lightning bolt. You know what I mean. The feeling that things are going in the right direction. I’ve been feeling slightly discouraged by this whole process. Wheat Belly makes many grandiose claims of rapid fat loss, especially in the belly, more energy, sleeping better. I realize that it’s only been a week, but I want some results!

I’ve been traipsing around in a haze of withdrawal and all I want to do is throw myself at a donut or cookie and scrap the whole thing. I’ve been close. Let’s just say that I haven’t been getting my coffee fix at Timmy’s lately. I talked to my mom about some of what I’m feeling, and she told me (I really need to read this book!) that the withdrawal from wheat is likened to that of nicotine withdrawal. So mine and Ian’s emotional reactions are not so out of place. I just wish I knew when it was going to end. I have remained prone to weeping, the barrage of sweet holiday commercials is not helping, and cannot wait for that to be over. I feel as though I’ve cried more in this last week than the entirety of last year. Yeesh.

I have noticed that I do have more energy. In the past that if I am eating well and exercising on a semi regular basis then I sleep much better, and overall seem peppy and need to spend less time actually asleep. I’ve been finding this to be the case with wheat and I’m only exercising very moderately and eating mostly ok. I discovered that I can eat higher quality chocolate. I’ve been eating it a little too much of it and I’m a little nervous as Monday, and my appointment with the nutritionist looms. I do however think that this will show me if not eating wheat is helping my overall weight loss journey. I do try to control my chocolate cravings, but with the loss of wheat I’m finding that very difficult. But if the claims of the good Dr. are true then maybe I will still have a loss over all.

I’m finding breakfast to be my latest mini challenge. I am famished when I awake, which is a definite change from before when I wouldn’t be hungry for an hour or more. I also want something easy and portable since I’m not really a morning person. So I found a recipe for a savoury breakfast muffin, that is also wheat free. It’s so good and just 2 little muffins keep me going. Check out the Savory Muffin. It’s made with almond meal, which I ground myself, thank-you-very-much, and rice flour. It’s kept moist with cottage cheese. I felt a little granola eating it, but it’s good so what-eves!

Wheat Update

Had my first ever no wheat outing. I went out for dinner with my in-laws (hi Joanne and Tony!) at Hudsons Tap House. It was an experience. While out in public, or discussing this experiment with strangers I’m pretending to have a wheat allergy. I’ve found that people don’t take you that seriously when you say that you have a preference over what you eat:

“I don’t like mushrooms”

“Oh you can’t taste them” and they leave them in.

 Say that you’re allergic and the result is more like:

“I’m allergic to mushrooms”

“Oh I’ll make sure the chef knows and won’t mix things up.”

I hate to be “that girl”, the one that has 14 special requests, and none of them include the spit the cook put in there out of retaliation.

Plus it’s sometimes kind of awkward to explain to people what it is we are doing. Sure friends and family get it, but strangers just don’t care and I don’t care to tell them. Over all the meal was good. Joanne let me have some of her potato skins, and I had a salad with a dressing I made sure was wheat free.

On Monday I met with my nutritionist and had lost 5 lbs. in 2 weeks. Now I’d only been on wheat belly for like 3 days by that point so I don’t know how much of that loss was wheat related, but since I’ve lost a huge chunk of snacks and sweets from my diet, I’m willing to bet it played a part even if it was only the denial of those bad foods.

I’ve also noticed that Ian and I are doing this over the month of December. The month when gluttony is encouraged, and the treats come out in spades. Luckily I will be able to eat wheat again on Christmas Day, which is good since my mother makes the most amazing stuffing to go with her turkey. I’d be so choked if I had to forgo it. I will however really miss the Nanaimo bars, or as Ian likes to call them Calgary style Nanaimo bars, because my mom also rocks those. Hard.  So no wheat over the month of December will likely be hard, but probably for the best.

We need some more visually stimulating media. Cat picture!