Over the past week, I have been going through a major life change and my focus has shifted. I keep asking myself where this gluten free thing leaves me intuitive eating wise. My mind races around a number of thoughts and ideas and I think I have settled into my comfort zone. I still have a lot of learning to do, especially with cooking and eating out, but it finally clicked for me a couple of days ago that I just have to learn the ropes. And once that clicked, I could open my mind up to intuitive eating again.
For the first few days, I felt hungry all the time. I was often really upset when I was eating because just figuring out what to eat got me in a tizzy. Now that I am a little more settled, my ability to recognize fullness is coming back. I don’t think that I have been overeating because that type of fullness just doesn’t feel good to me and I naturally stop before the point of discomfort. But, that fine line between satisfaction and fullness, well, it has been kind of blurry. Before this upheaval, I was really paying attention and had pegged satisfied, without a doubt. Over and over again I noticed that the first time I sigh is what satisfied feels like. The second time is more like full and if I go beyond that, I am pushing into discomfort and miserable. I think that I am back to a place where I can start honoring that first sigh again.
I plan to really stock my pantry, freezer and fridge with plenty of gluten free food so the fear of not knowing what to eat will be gone. I’m going to have to be a little more prepared because I will be relying on fresh ingredients all of the time and I don’t yet feel comfortable eating out. I can see that it would be easy to get caught up in eating a ton of packaged foods because seeing the words “gluten free” on a package is really reassuring (though not always the end all be all of gluten free) and that is not a trap that I want to get caught up in. I stand by my food philosphy and still think I operate best on whole foods. I am now somewhat limited in that department because I won’t be relying on a grain based diet anymore but I am happy to know that my body will thrive this way.
Thanks to everyone here who has stuck by me through this awkward transition. I have a few ideas for my blog so expect to see a few changes. I still want this blog to be a safe environment for intuitive eaters and I don’t want to lose sight of my original focus. But, I’ve had to change the way that I live so the blog will have to change, too. Obviously, my product reviews and recipes will have to change and at first, that is going to be a real challenge. But, hopefully, I will settle into a grove soon and be back to it. I have enjoyed these daily posts and plan to keep those going as well. I’ll be re-organizing the layout and adding in a few more pages to keep my intuitive eating readers happy as well as any new gluten free readers I might acquire. If there is anything in particular you would like me to write about, please do let me know in the comments or by email.
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Food journal ~ September 4, 2009
~coffee with coconut milk
~chocolate bumble bar
~brown rice custard made with almond milk, eggs and agave
~Big salad with greens, tomatoes, avocado, grapes, white balsamic vinegar, olive oil and two over easy eggs (holy delicious, what an awesome idea that was!)
~Sweet balsamic glazed salmon, sweet and spicy garlic green beans (minus the butter)
~coconut milk ice cream, pecan butter, chocolate chips
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Mood ~ I was in a really good mood most of the day though I did get some pretty depressing news in the afternoon that kind of got me down.
Energy ~ I seemed to be pretty full of energy even up until bed time but fell asleep easily once I got into bed.
Pain ~ I am happy to say I was in virtually no pain what so ever. I had tiny amounts of shoulder pain in triggering situations (like sitting still for extended periods or using the computer) but I have seen major improvement in the pain department. And since I was not at work, my sinus pain was pretty mild as well because I was not exposed to very much grass.
Hi! Thanks for the comment on my blog. I agree 100% with your food philosophy. When you first go GF it is so tempting to buy every GF packaged food you see. The thought of a GF bagel send chills of excitement down your spine, when, in all reality, before going GF you probably wouldn’t have bought frozen bagels to begin with! Whole, clean foods are the place to start. Once you get the hang of it, you will realize just how many amazing foods you can actually eat! Your food horizons are about to expand more than you could ever know. Keep up the great attitude and can do spirit!
Hang in there. It gets better and it will get easier to prepare meals and plan for meals. You will be able to eat out again too. At first it is scary and the worry of cross contamination enters your mind but with time you will learn what foods won’t affect you and where you can eat without fear.
I did the whole on and off gluten thing for a about a year and a half. It finally clicked with me that going gluten free made me feel better and I have faith it will do the same for you. While I still have days I struggle and wish I could eat gluten without getting sick or having terrible joint pain I know that in the end it is better for my health. I still don’t have the whole intuitive eating thing worked out but I know it will come. I come to your blog for inspiration. I know if you can do it so can I. Thanks for the great blog. I look forward to each post. Each post is filled with great insight and makes me want to continue on with my ventures in intuitive eating. Keep up the great work.
Oh, yes, one more thing. While you may be eliminating gluten from your diet it does not necessarily mean that your diet won’t or can’t be based on grains. There are so many delicious, healthy, and wonderful grains out there that can be incorporated into your new diet. I recommend experimenting with as many as possible. You never know what will make your taste buds dance and end up in your daily food choices.
I second it Katrina!
You are definitely spot on in going with whole foods. It is good to have a few convenient snacks around to help fill in when you are hungry and have no idea what to eat, but I get so frustrated when I see new GF and DF people run out and buy tons of processed foods!
Thanks Megan, unfortunately, I am noticing that grains make me feel very sleepy which is why I am trying not to eat many at this point. I don’t know if I am still detoxing from the gluten or if I have problems with cross contamination but they really seem to wipe me out.