So today marks the one month spot of being gluten-free. I am surprised that I made it a whole month! But it is also so encouraging to see that I can be in control of what I eat and I can be disciplined enough to eat only things I plan and choose to eat.

I don’t physically feel any different. I lost 5 pounds. But other than that, I don’t really notice a difference. It was very interesting to always be thinking about what I was putting into my body. Always reading ingredient labels. Mostly eating home-made and fresh things. I really liked that part of it. I didn’t snack on ANYTHING at work for the whole month. That by itself is a HUGE accomplishment. There’s always food sitting around waiting to be eaten. I also haven’t had any sort of syrups in my coffee drinks. So I went from having 2-3 chais and white mocha Americanos per day to only having ONE non-fat latte. That’s amazing!

What I missed most was really good bread. I love bread. Gluten-free bread stinks. It has horrible texture and flavor. I never found one that I liked and I tried MANY and I even made several different kinds of bread. No luck. I did find some amazing cookies that I loved, made a new friend at a gluten-free bakery, ate way more fruits and veggies than ever before, and went out to eat much less than usual. I didn’t find that it hindered my lifestyle much at all. There were times when I had to make two different kinds of pasta (one for the fam and one for me). Or when I had to choose to not eat the donuts and pastries that people bring in for the band each week, but there are gluten-free choices all around. You just have to know how to find them. Will I continue? I’m not sure. I still have a lot of gluten-free ingredients so I probably will at least until those run out. But I can tell you one thing. I will not be eating anything at work anymore and I will continue to steer away from syrups in my drinks. That will hopefully last as long as I work at the bux. I still have pounds to lose and Starbucks pastries will not help me!

The biggest thing that I learned in all this is that I am in control. I choose what I eat and I can exercise self-control and say no to things that won’t benefit me. I feel like this was a huge hurdle for me to overcome. I have always been a slave to food. Its my comfort. But I learned to cook more, use less ingredients, eat less processed food, and choose healthier snacks. I can’t say I love being gluten-free, but hopefully this month will be something I always remember and it will be a turning point in my eating habits.

Working on what my goal for February will be!

One month goal COMPLETE!

I have LEARNED the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do EVERYTHING through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:12&13