To begin...

At this point, I'm gluten free for good. I know some of you will shake your heads because I said this in July of 2010. Apparently, I wasn't ready for what that meant. I hadn't mourned my old enemy or figured out how destructive it is. Back then,  I had an IgE test that showed an intolerance for wheat (one grain where gluten is found). I was already pretty sure I was intolerant anyway. So, it didn't surprise me much. It also showed other intolerances for other foods. Celiac? I don't think so, but who knows? Does it matter? Not to me since the road leads to the same place.

I did well for a while cutting gluten out, but it didn't stick.

I hear I am not alone in this inability to stick it the first time. After all, I wasn't vomiting after every meal or having diarrhea or that sort of thing. No, just feeling dead, fat, tired, grumpy-- but that wasn't enough at that point. I had lost some weight by the end of the year-- effortless pounds.

Between the end of 2010 and now a lot of stress has kicked in. I let things go. I convinced myself it was no big deal, and I would up again feeling terrible. I gained back about 8 lbs. of the 20 or so I'd lost, and finally I got it. I gave myself a kick in the pants and said no more. I'm done with this, and I am.

What is different this time around? I guess it's that I don't see gluten as something to be played with. It definitely gives me multiple terrible symptoms. Other foods on the IgE? So far, only eggs have been proven to do so if I eat more than one at a time and I try to avoid those as best as I can. Gluten, though, is another story.

There is no middle ground with it. Now, I look at a cookie made with wheat flour and I think "poison." I just had Christmas dinner and easily passed over the gluten treats of brownies and more; this has been easy for the last few weeks since I made my decision. I think I'd already done some mourning, and now I'm in the anger phase of dang it, gluten. I won't let you steal any more of my life. Now I just choose or bring something without gluten and am fine with it.

After all, if gluten has poisoned me, why would I ingest such a toxic substance that has led me to death's door? That might sound nutty, but I don't think I'm exaggerating.

In the last few weeks, I've gotten with the program, and my body has too.My energy is up times at least five. I vanquished the laundry mountain among other things, and life looks good from here. I am also losing bloating/pounds that will never come off otherwise (believe me, I've tried), but that's not surprising. I'm definitely dealing with inflammation from ingesting gluten over the years.

So, more to come later on... but I wanted to wipe the slate clean. Goodbye Gluten, Hello Life!

Reboot Begins

I'm baaaack! I took off some months and sort of wandered around, had family stress, etc. I progressed a bit more goal wise and definitely mind wise.


**Edited... more to come. I'm going to reboot this blog and go where I'm focusing now and where I'll be putting my energy in the future.