Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Speaking of winter greens...

On Monday, Clint and I started the "no wheat, no sugar, no dairy"...NO FUN diet. Basically, you eat a lot of greens and veggies and fruit and meat (if you are a carnivore...we are). Yesterday, day two of this new "diet", I was little Miss Grumpy pants. Like for real. I was just so easily annoyed by most everything...well most everything that Clint said to me. I just kept thinking that everything he said to me made no sense and that he was not thinking properly. Unfortunately, it is always him that gets the brunt of my bad moods...when I have them. I am generally a very happy, go lucky kind of gal. I smile a lot and try to bring smiles to others faces too...and perhaps coax them into a hearty laugh, I can be quite silly when I really want to be. Even when I do feel in a grumpy mood, I do it despite not really feeling like it. Although, I imagine some of my real close friends have gotten the "you love me no matter what" attitude I will give off when grumpy or in pain. But poor Clint...he will ALWAYS get it when I'm in that mood. (same for him too...his grumpiness is fully reserved for little old me...ain't love grand?) So that was day two of no anything that I love...bread, chocolate, chips, cheese and most importantly, red wine! I was a basket case. At least I warned him that I was feeling agitated and frayed in my nerves. No sugar high for a couple days will do that to you I guess. Today is a much better day. I feel pretty good...I even feel lighter. (I won't weigh myself though...I can feel it in my tight jeans that feel a little looser today...that's all I need to know.)

Quite a few of my friends have done this change in diet specifically to lose weight...and loss of pounds did happen for them. They look and feel good. I have been trying for a year or so to convince Clint to try this "new" eating habit with me. He was not into it at all. He has been complaining about weight gain for like ever...perhaps it is getting older, maybe less exercise, maybe more snacking...maybe it's because we have had cable for the last few winters!! ha ha ha!! Whatever the reasons, he has not been happy with his weight. I am not one to boast, my metabolism has definitely started to slow since I have been in my mid thirties...boo! And this past Christmas in Texas, I added about 8 extra pounds to my slowing and growing body. (my parents have a new and improved fan-dangled digital scale...why did I step on it??) I too am the heaviest I have ever been in my life, so I wouldn't mind shedding about 10-15 pounds...get back to my "normal" weight...at least to a body feeling that feels good. No Belly!!! Anyways...a Facebook friend recently posted that she started this "diet" with her husband who has gotten too fat (her words not mine...lol). She wanted to be supportive and join him in his efforts of ridding himself of the spare tractor inner tube attached to his waist. In return, she found that not ingesting gluten and sugar and dairy helped her and her joint and muscle pain. On her weekly "cheat" day, she noticed more inflammation again. Who knew that gluten had anything to do with joint inflammation?..not me obviously!

I suffer from chronic pain...I am in pretty severe pain on a daily basis. The only positive side to pain being chronic is that you are used to feeling that and you just deal with it. I have tried everything from massage and physio to painkillers (including prescribed narcotics) and even Botox injections into my affected muscles...nothing helped me. Massage feels really good during the session and I feel good for about 4 hours afterward, then it fades. Physio...well, the exercises just irritate my already pained and inflamed joints and muscles. Good old painkillers, the strong and sometimes addictive "evil" kind like Dilaudid and Oxycontin...even Morphine, they did nothing but make my head foggy and stomach nauseated...NOT a good feeling. And then the Botox...the first few times I had the injections, I got relief from the tightness and pain that I felt all up in my neck, shoulder, arm and upper back. That stopped. I would get my injections (30 different spots) and it just wouldn't work anymore. Botox is supposed to paralyze the muscle that it is injected into, therefore easing and tension and easing my pain. It stopped doing that. Medicinal marijuana can take your mind off of the pain and allow to function better in your day...but the pain is still there at the end of day making for sleepless nights. Argh! I am really hoping that this meal change gives me relief of some of my pain and inflammation. And me bringing up the fact that this could potentially help me in this effort is what finally convinced Clint, who is now a firm believer in it all, to start it with me. I haven't noticed any difference yet in that respect...but I sure do feel good. I am not bloated and full. My belly feels good. I will say that the extra veggie in my diet does cause a little more "gas" to come out of me...that may settle. Whatevs...;op Clint calls this diet the "hunter/gatherer" meal plan. I like it! We'll keep on it for a couple of weeks at least and see how things turn out. My tummy looks flatter already, only on day three...that is a positive sign of things to come I feel.

Bring on the indoor greens...spinach, bok choy, broccoli, yummy salad. Outside greens...well, we just got a dump of snow overnight. It's a winter wonderland out there right now. :o)

No comments:

Post a Comment