I missed yesterday, so I've got some catching up to do!

Wednesday night:

Tasty dinner off the gluten free menu at Bar Toma:

Skirt steak with arugula and fennel (ok, red meat is technically on the DON'T eat list, but the chicken option had cheese, and I'm sorry. If I am cutting, gluten and dairy, I'm going to eat meat. I'll eat it sparingly, but I'll eat steak, gosh darnit!

The throbbing headache didn't really go away Wednesday. I woke up headache free yesterday and haven't had an issue since!

Yesterday, day three, was a solid day as well:

Breakfast:
Banana
Almond Milk
Rooibos tea

Snack:
Cashews

Lunch:
Leftover rice and beans
Strawberries

After work, I headed up to Evanston to dog-sit for some friends. They have a Whole Foods up nearby, so I did some shopping...NEVER AGAIN.

It was beautiful. They had a million options for my diet particulars. Everything was fresh and organic!
AND SO G-D EXPENSIVE!

Remember my under $40 trip to TJ's? Well, I got fewer items and paid $60 at Whole Paycheck. So, I say again. NEVER AGAIN.

I DID have a delicious evening:

Snack:
Sweet potato tortilla chips
Salsa

Dinner:
Quinoa pasta with sauteed spinach, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice

So. Yummy. And satisfying. I loved it!

Ate another whole mango for dessert, and felt pretty great about it.

Today, day four, is off to a good start:

Breakfast:
Gluten/Dairy free Bagel (these are the things WF is good for)
Peanut butter
Banana
Rooibos tea with almond milk and agave

Lunch:
Amy's Dairy free/Gluten Free/Soy free mac and cheeze
Kind of made me gag the whole time I ate it. It tasted fine, so I blame the texture. I chased it with an apple and feel fine now.

Note to self: stick to self-prepared meals. Mac and Cheese without real dairy just isn't right.

Thanks for reading!
xoxo
A

I'm still here

Day one is done! Piece of gluten free, dairy free, sugar free cake! ....Piece of paper!

I skipped on over to Trader Joe's after work and managed to pack a beautiful basket of fresh fruits and veggies and proteins. It all rang in at under $40, so the prospect of this diet making me skinny AND saving me money WHILE curing my allergies is pretty fantastic. My co-worker Liz and her boyfriend happened to be at the store, so they kindly offered me a ride home. It was 4 degrees in Chicago last night, so I thanked them profusely as I ran to their Volkswagen, groceries in tow.

At home, I cooked the following delight from my TJ spoils:

Brown Rice
Black beans
Yellow bell pepper
Onion
Garlic
Chicken
Lotsa cumin, salt, pepper
finished with fresh avocado, lime, and cilantro

It. Was. Yummy. And filling. I had plenty for lunch today and still have some for tomorrow.

In typical Anna fashion, my sweet tooth came out to play after all the dishes were done, and Julia Roberts was wiping her tears while flying away in a 1950s cab surrounded by her eager young art history students. (Yes, Mona Lisa Smile is on Netflix). Now, I have four boxes of Girl Scout Cookies that I received three days before I went to the doctor and got put on this diet. So was I tempted? Yes. I was tempted.

BUT! I reached for the beautiful mango I had picked up at TJ's, hacked into it, and enjoyed a tasty dessert.

Look, Ma! Will power!

I felt pretty great! I wasn't expecting anything earth shattering, and I was hungry when I went to bed. I know the worst is probably lurking a few days away, but I'll deal with it then.

Here's my day 2 so far:

Breakfast:
Banana
Decaf coffee
Gluten/dairy/sugar free granola bar from Starbucks -- this was SUPER yummy, but also $4.

I need some good breakfast options. Fruit is great, but it's not terribly filling for first thing in the morning, and it's difficult to find a substitute for energy boosts like cereal or eggs. Suggestions are appreciated, but I've done some research today, and I'm excited to try some recipes.

Lunch:
Leftovers!!
Half a box of cleaned and sliced strawberries

Snack:
Vanilla Rooibos tea with agave
Apple
Handful of cashews

I have energy, but I am definitely feeling the lack of caffeine. I've had a dull headache all day. I'm drinking tons of water to combat it, and I know it will probably take some time before that stops.

Tonight, I'm having dinner with Barrett's parents and they're taking us to "I Love Lucy Live on Stage!" We picked a restaurant with a gluten free menu, so that will be helpful. I'm anxious to hear how his day 1 went today as well.

See you on day 3!

xoxo
A

Here I go!

Last Friday, I went to the doctor for the first time in years. After a long discussion about my constant woes with allergies, ear/nose/throat issues, and weight-loss struggles (you know, my absolute lack of will power), she recommended an Elimination Diet for 6 weeks. Basically, I cut out gluten, sugar, dairy and some other common allergens like citrus and soy for six weeks and then slowly introduce one thing at a time back into my diet to see how my body reacts. I'm also cutting caffeine and alcohol. Gulp. For more details, here's a link:

http://www.functionalmedicine.org/content_management/files/ifm_Comp_Elim_Diet_091503.pdf

I've always been pretty terrible at diets. I don't actually believe eliminating anything from your diet completely is good for you. However, I turned 26 yesterday, and I think I can do anything for six weeks. Forty-two days. It's just not that long in the grand scheme. 

To keep myself accountable, I'm keeping a blog. It will serve as a food diary that hopefully inspires me to have some more stick-to-it-iveness. Or it will be where I vent how I absolutely hate every minute of these 42 days. That's 60,480 minutes, in case you were interested. 

Day 1 has included the following:

Breakfast:

- Decaf coffee (head still throbbing)

- Banana

Lunch:

-Gluten free chicken fingers (which probably had some form of dairy or sugar, but I had to eat something, great start, Danielson)

-Steamed broccoli 

**Probably shouldn't have tried starting this thing without the proper supplies. I was at Barrett's last night, so I'm winging it at work today. Trader Joe's is the first stop on the way home tonight so I can stock up on fruits, veggies, allowed snacks, etc. 

Speaking of Barrett! My supportive and wonderful boyfriend has decided to go along for the ride and do the whole diet with me. What a guy! 

So here I go! Encouragement is so appreciated. 

xoxo

A