celiac disease | It's Time To Lose Weight

Every day brings me a little closer to my goal of losing 30 pounds. I’ve lost 21.5 pounds now and not stopping until I reach my goal. I am so happy that I finally figured out the food combinations that work for me – and what doesn’t work. Here’s the list of food that I have eliminated to burn fat to lose weight:

All grains
Limited dairy – I only eat a small amount of cheese
No peanuts, pistachios, or legumes
No soy or soy products
No sugar or artificial sweeteners, except stevia
No processed foods of any kind

When I say no grains, I mean none. I am not eating anything that could be made into a cereal – wheat, rye, barley, corn, rice, oatmeal, etc. This may not be permanent but I won’t go back to eating foods with gluten because of the Celiac Disease. I can tell my insides are healing because I don’t feel bloated after I eat, no gassiness or other issues.

I thought giving up sugar would be difficult. But I managed to ease myself out of the hold it held on me. At first, I was making low carb desserts to get me through the transition, using stevia as the sweetener. After about a month, I was able to give up the desserts. Now I eat a simple snack when I want something like a sweet treat – cashews and dates. Here’s how I make them:

Take 1 cup of cashews and chop them up in a food processor. Set aside.
Remove the pits from 9 dates and chop them up in a food processor until they look like a lump.
Add the cashews to the dates in the processor and pulse them until they are thoroughly mixed.
Using a small cookie scoop, make small cashew date balls. Refrigerate.

Once you are free of the sugar addiction – and I know I was addicted – this treat will be all the sweetness you need. I eat two for a snack and feel satisfied. As I get closer to my goal, I know I can’t afford to let up on the good nutritional habits I’ve developed. I’m never going back to being fat!

It’s official. The results of the endoscopy show that I have Celiac Disease. What does that mean? The Celiac Disease Foundation defines it as:

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. 2.5 million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications.

I already knew that I felt better when I eliminated wheat and other gluten containing foods from my diet. But to have a medical report state that there is visible evidence of damage to my intestine gave me resolve to revamp my entire diet.

I have researched for the “optimal” diet. One site will say one thing and another will contradict it entirely! How am I supposed to know what’s best. I fortunately have an office mate who is on the same search. She gave me her copy of The China Study to read. It is a dense book to read but provides such insight to the health/nutrition link, I could not stop reading it.

Like so many Americans, I have struggled with weight loss and health issues for years. Doctors prescribe pills and very little nutrition counseling. As many others, I am drawn the slick marketing of diets that claim will help you lose weight quickly. But I know that is a temporary fix. As I have gone through this process of trying to lose weight, I finally got it. When the light bulb went on in my head, it was almost anticlimactic. My nutritional needs are different from every one else. I began with the Paleo diet and moved to Atkins, all with the best intentions. What I didn’t realize was that I really hadn’t changed my way of eating. I still allowed myself to have processed foods. Once I eliminated those, I began to see weight loss come more easily. Then I realized that not all food is equal in value. That’s where The China Study helped shaped my views.

Although I am not eating a fully plant-based diet, I am limiting my animal protein. There are specific reasons that I have not made the leap and I will go into that later. The change has been dramatic.