I had an appointment with my doctor yesterday to go over some test results. I asked her a few weeks ago to include a Celiac & food allergy test in with blood work. She got the results back and guess what? I'm positive for Celiac Disease. As a result, I'm going on a gluten free diet for a few months (at least). I've been having some gastro issues and have had no interest in food. I had a sneaky suspicion that perhaps I had a food allergy or couldn't tolerate gluten. Turns out I was right!
As soon as I heard the news I started eating gluten free. I think I have to. There's a difference between wanting to follow on a diet to lose weight and needing to go on a specific diet so your body can absorb nutrients so you can continue to live. There's a difference in my head anyway.
It especially hit home when I did a bit of googling and found that uncontrolled Celiac Disease in women can result in premature birth, miscarriage or underweight babies. During my entire pregnancy I didn't want to eat anything. The only thing I craved were popsicles. I had to make myself eat. I gained about 8 pounds. Elizabeth was born (3 lbs, 6 oz) at 32 weeks because an ultrasound showed the umbilical cord wasn't providing nourishment to her. I told my midwives I thought something was strange about my lack of appetite but they told me it was good I wasn't gaining a crazy amount of weight (since I'm already a bit over).
So let's get this straight. Celiac Disease keeps mom from absorbing nutrients, which thereby keeps baby from absorbing nutrients, which results in pre-term birth, stillbirth or miscarriage.
That's some serious stuff! This diagnosis might explain my illness last year when I had Elizabeth. They diagnosed me with HELLP syndrome but what if it was untreated CD instead?
To start me on my journey this morning I had a bowl of Eco-Planet Instant Hot Cereal (which sounds odd but really it's the same as oatmeal to me) with sliced donut peaches (which sound fancy but really they're just adorable little peaches that I bought at our local Whole Foods).
My husband has decided to try this diet with me in an effort to feel better & lose some weight. It's ironic. I finally got to the point in my life where I was comfortable with my size and didn't have any urge to "get skinny". I did want to get in shape, but that urge to fit into a size 8 jeans is gone. Now I'm going on an eating plan that will inevitably end in weight loss. Well there you go.
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Friday, June 17, 2011
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Losing Weight & Saving Money
How do we lose weight in this economy when everyone is watching their purses just a little closer?
I'm a big proponent of shopping at Costco or Sam's club for our weekly produce, meat & dairy but be careful! Those New York strip steaks are awesome but everything at the warehouse markets are HUGE. Because everything is so large in those markets you don't realize exactly how big the steaks really are until you get home. For two people you really don't need more than one steak to split per meal. I typically buy a pack of NY strip steaks, come home and freeze them with seasoning. When it's time to grill I pull out one for the hubby & I to split. They are about 14 ounces each and 6-7 ounces of steak after cooking is more than enough to fill us up.
For about $30 I get 5 thick steaks that last us for a month. About once a week (or whenever we feel like going out for a good steak) I pull one out to grill. Serve with fingerling potatoes (often found at the warehouse markets for $6.99 for 5 pounds - at $1.40 a pound it's a steal) and mushrooms & green beans ($4.99 for 3 pounds of fresh snap beans - freeze them in portion sizes appropriate for meals).
I learned this trick from my mother in-law. Always have a steak in the freezer for those days when you're on your last dime for the budget and payday is a few days away. You can't feel bad about yourself when you're eating steak! And in moderation it's a very healthy meal. Just cut off the fat and voila!
Another trick I've learned by shopping at Costco is an idea for a healthy breakfast. The hubby & I have spent the last few years eating those God awful oatmeal bars for breakfast. The problem is, they don't fill you up & they're full of packaged sugar/flour/junk. Sure they're pretty good for you but after 3 years of eating them - it gets pretty durn old. One week while at Costco picking up 3 pounds of bananas for $1.19 (bargain!) and a $2.00 gallon of skim milk, I saw the strawberries. Yummy & ripe! I was hit with an idea. Why not try making smoothie's for breakfast? It's worth a shot right?
The following is a concoction I have stolen from a friend (thanks A!) using blueberries, strawberries, a banana and some vanilla protein powder. The result is a VERY yummy & filling smoothie with 273 calories, 2 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs & 27 protein. We've been eating these every day for the past few weeks and I actually look forward to breakfast. They're so filling that they carry you well into lunch time. Taking the time to prep for these is key but the little extra time is SO worth it! You can use fresh berries or freeze the strawberries yourself, depending on the consistency you desire.
Per smoothie (double for two):
1/3 cup oj
1 cup de-stemmed fresh strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries (3 pounds for $5.99! lasts for weeks!)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 banana
About 1/2 cup of water - depending on the consistency you desire
Blend for 20 seconds. Serve in 20 oz portable bottle.
It's a great healthy way to start your day! This smoothie also equals about 4 servings of fruits! Make them for yourself and your Significant Other one morning & see how fresh food can really make a difference in your overall health.
I'm a big proponent of shopping at Costco or Sam's club for our weekly produce, meat & dairy but be careful! Those New York strip steaks are awesome but everything at the warehouse markets are HUGE. Because everything is so large in those markets you don't realize exactly how big the steaks really are until you get home. For two people you really don't need more than one steak to split per meal. I typically buy a pack of NY strip steaks, come home and freeze them with seasoning. When it's time to grill I pull out one for the hubby & I to split. They are about 14 ounces each and 6-7 ounces of steak after cooking is more than enough to fill us up.
For about $30 I get 5 thick steaks that last us for a month. About once a week (or whenever we feel like going out for a good steak) I pull one out to grill. Serve with fingerling potatoes (often found at the warehouse markets for $6.99 for 5 pounds - at $1.40 a pound it's a steal) and mushrooms & green beans ($4.99 for 3 pounds of fresh snap beans - freeze them in portion sizes appropriate for meals).
I learned this trick from my mother in-law. Always have a steak in the freezer for those days when you're on your last dime for the budget and payday is a few days away. You can't feel bad about yourself when you're eating steak! And in moderation it's a very healthy meal. Just cut off the fat and voila!
Another trick I've learned by shopping at Costco is an idea for a healthy breakfast. The hubby & I have spent the last few years eating those God awful oatmeal bars for breakfast. The problem is, they don't fill you up & they're full of packaged sugar/flour/junk. Sure they're pretty good for you but after 3 years of eating them - it gets pretty durn old. One week while at Costco picking up 3 pounds of bananas for $1.19 (bargain!) and a $2.00 gallon of skim milk, I saw the strawberries. Yummy & ripe! I was hit with an idea. Why not try making smoothie's for breakfast? It's worth a shot right?
The following is a concoction I have stolen from a friend (thanks A!) using blueberries, strawberries, a banana and some vanilla protein powder. The result is a VERY yummy & filling smoothie with 273 calories, 2 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbs & 27 protein. We've been eating these every day for the past few weeks and I actually look forward to breakfast. They're so filling that they carry you well into lunch time. Taking the time to prep for these is key but the little extra time is SO worth it! You can use fresh berries or freeze the strawberries yourself, depending on the consistency you desire.
Per smoothie (double for two):
1/3 cup oj
1 cup de-stemmed fresh strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries (3 pounds for $5.99! lasts for weeks!)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 banana
About 1/2 cup of water - depending on the consistency you desire
Blend for 20 seconds. Serve in 20 oz portable bottle.
It's a great healthy way to start your day! This smoothie also equals about 4 servings of fruits! Make them for yourself and your Significant Other one morning & see how fresh food can really make a difference in your overall health.
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