Trying GF for a week...

abbiperets
abbiperets Posts: 10 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm thinking of trying GF for a week. I figure, I can try it and see how I feel, and if I approach it with a "one day (week) at a time" mindset, I won't feel so overwhelmed.

Currently, no matter how much I sleep, I am EXHAUSTED in the mornings and early afternoons. Like, falling asleep in my keyboard. I also have stomach issues that I've just always lived with. I've read good things about brain fog lifting and stomach issues clearing up when clearing out the wheat.

For starters, I'm not planning to replace my pantry. I have 5 kids, and the stuff I cook/buy is generally okay -- most of our food is cooked from scratch, with a few packaged staples that I certainly don't plan to eliminate cold turkey.

For Day One, Sunday, I'm thinking:

Breakfast -- 2-egg omelette with onion and cheese, plus my coffee with milk, because, really, people, I'm not trying to kill myself or accidentally stab one of my kids for lack of coffee.

Snack (really part of breakfast, but I prefer to split it): yogurt with GF granola (which I will probably buy rather than make, at least for now)

lunch: large salad with chicken and a salad mix I have with various seeds and nuts, whatever fruit I have on hand. Homemade dressing -- olive oil, good vinegar and silan (date honey)

afternoon snack: quinoa, probably with tomato and cucumber

dinner: out to a burger place, I know they have GF buns on request.

Any thoughts? Any suggestions? I am NOT looking to go crazy here, and I'm not checking for cross-contaminated ingredients at this point, as the idea here is to do this in a way that would actually fit into my life, not make myself nuts.

Thanks!

Replies

  • stb5879
    stb5879 Posts: 2 Member
    I have been GF for almost five months now. I feel fantastic! When I try to go back to eating wheat and gluten, I realize all the ailments I had...gas, heartburn, acid reflux, sluggishness, and headaches...were due to the gluten. My body loves me for cutting that junk out of my diet :) Not to mention, the first week I cute the gluten out, I lost 7lbs! Some of my favorites for being GF are:

    Udi's bread and rolls
    Trader Joe's Brown Rice pasta
    Trader Joe's or Food for Life Brown Rice Tortillas
    Lundberg's Risotto

    Also, www.skinnytaste.com has amazing GF recipes!

    Good Luck!
  • notnikkisixx
    notnikkisixx Posts: 375 Member
    FYI, people with a real gluten intolerance wont see real results in just a week. Generally it takes a month for your body to adjust, so if you feel like this is really your problem....stick it out for longer than a week!

    Another thing, people with Celiac's are also often lactose intolerant, so maybe cut out the milk/cheese as well.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    Why don't you head to the doctor and get tested before you start trying to force yourself into a more difficult way of eating? Buying GF products is typically more expensive than the regular versions of the same kinds and they often have other additives to make up for what is lost in removing the ingredients that contain gluten.
  • SarahRose35
    SarahRose35 Posts: 127 Member
    Why don't you head to the doctor and get tested before you start trying to force yourself into a more difficult way of eating? Buying GF products is typically more expensive than the regular versions of the same kinds and they often have other additives to make up for what is lost in removing the ingredients that contain gluten.

    The doctor won't be able to do tests to find if there is an intolerance/allergy, just if she has celiac. It really is better just to try it on her own first so she doesn't have to go through any unnecessary testing :)
    I don't go out of my way very often to buy any GF products(breads, cookies, etc. with the exception of certified GF Oats). So it's not hard to avoid those products.
    Good luck!
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  • abbiperets
    abbiperets Posts: 10 Member
    Wow, thanks for all the replies!

    Well, I made it through a week, lost about 3.5 pounds, but did not notice any major change in how I felt. I'll keep going -- I think that a big thing is that by eliminating wheat, I don't snack on crackers/cookies, I don't have a roll or any of the breakfast treats my husband often brings from the bakery, etc., so if nothing else, making that rule will help with weight loss. :-)

    I have done a lot of reading on GF over the last week, and I don't think that it's worth it for me to be gung-ho GF. I think that by simply severely restricting the wheat I eat, I will be able to accomplish what I want (a healthier diet, feeling good), but there's probably no reason for me to rush out and buy GF soy sauce, for example.

    Thanks for all your input!
  • willdob3
    willdob3 Posts: 640 Member
    Congrats on the big loss! Dropping wheat will results in a loss in most instances regardless of whether one has sensitivities.

    A week is probably not long enough to know if going gluten or wheat (they are different things) free will help how you feel. Generally, a month is suggested when eliminating a specific food. Simply cutting down on the amount you eat won't help if you do have a sensitivity. You would need to completely eliminate it.

    Testing is often inconclusive or incorrect. No matter what the tests might say it is how one feels that says the most.

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