First - Ever Case Study!
Skeptical about food intolerance induced weight gain? Not sure if cutting out wheat, dairy, and processed sugar is the right move for you?
Well, Dharma Jones (not her real name - she prefers to remain anonymous, as she's a well-known professional in the area), 36, is going to put it to the test for you. A skeptic by nature, Dharma has 20 pounds that won't seem to budge, and she isn't a big fan of "traditional dieting". I don't blame her - diets don't work! She doesn't eat a whole lot of processed foods and she walks daily. But, for some reason, she cannot lose the weight.
When I told her about my experience, the blog, and the upcoming book - she wanted to learn more. And so, I created a meal plan and gave her the guidelines of the plan. She is following it for 4 weeks and I will document her progress via this blog.
She'll be adding her comments every Monday to update us on her progress.
So far, it's been 3 days (she began officially on Jan. 8th). She has already noticed an increase in energy levels and reports feeling "lighter". I've had her weigh herself and take measurements. Dharma will weigh herself every week. I'm looking forward to seeing what Monday's weigh-in brings. Stay tuned!
--Heather
www.HeatherStrang.com
| Share this: |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
posted by HStrang @ 11:18 AM
1 Comments:
Hello There!
It's Dharma and I am here with my very first check in after eating Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free and Low Sugar for a full week.
OK. I have three words for you...I FEEL AMAZING!
After only three days of cutting out all that processed flour and sugar I felt physically lighter and after a full week I feel less "clogged up". In other words, my intestinal tract is loving me right now.
Another awesome benefit was that I found myself almost never hungry! Me, not hungry? Heather told me I would not experience those sugar spikes and crashes and she was right.I could eat a meal or snack and it held me steady for several hours. OH and I never had that yucky, too full feeling with my stomach all distended and stuff. (don’t ya hate that?)
Before I could almost always count on some bloating and retention and now I feel flatter and emptier, for lack of a better word.
And believe me, I was a bit skeptical going into this because I thought it was going to be impossible to cut all that out and make me miserable and moody and I thought for sure I would feel deprived of something. But it actually had just the opposite effect. I actually feel HAPPIER and more in control! Kinda weird but very cool.
So, to some of you who may be on the same fence I was, let me fill you in on a few things I discovered this week that not only made this easy, but yummy, too!
Here are my best friends in the Wheat-free world that keep me from feeling like I am missing out: Ezekiel bread, which Heather turned me on to. WONDERFUL! I toasted some up for the hubby and he didn’t know it was wheat free. You know if it can pass the hubby test it can pass yours Get some, you’ll love it!
Amy’s rice flour crust pizza! Super yummy. And again, it doesn’t make you feel yucky and full after eating it. I do miss the soft and mushy texture of a good pizza crust but I just remind myself that it doesn’t do my body good.
As far as the dairy goes…no problem there either. I fell in love with the vanilla rice milk and almond milk immediately. Yesterday I tried the Chocolate Almond Milk and almost fell off my chair it was so good! And because I am such a calorie watcher I have decided to lean more towards the almond milk because it is so much lower than the rice.
Oh and the Lisanatti Almond Jalapeno Jack Cheese is so delicious, especially when you make Heather’s Quesadilla recipe with it. Tastes like the real thing and your body feels better eating it…I swear.:)
I have been eating yogurt if it doesn’t have added sugar and my body thanks me for it.
And finally, the low sugar part. Now, I don’t eat a lot of sugar anyway, like soda pop or candy etc. so this wasn’t such a big deal for me. I will say though that I am a chocolate lover and had to find myself a 70% dark chocolate which I allow myself about a square a day That makes me happy. I am on a constant search for a chocolate with even less sugar that tastes good. I’ll keep you posted with what I find.
Other than that I just stay away form things with corn syrup and other added sugars. I am so proud of myself for doing this because I have known for years that that crap is just no good. SO I am walking the talk now and it feels right. I have even stepped away from splenda a bit and now use honey to sweeten my coffee. A little goes a long way and it is delish. Try it, I dare ya!
A final observation is that I am snacking in between meals a lot less when eating this way and I think that is for two reasons. One, like I said, I am just not that hungry. And two, most of my snacking choices in the past were full of flour and processed stuff like crackers or a pita or other empty calorie things that never really satisfied me anyway (quite a revelation) so saying no makes sense.
So in summary, I am loving this when I thought I wouldn’t. And I feel awesome inside and out.
Now, the question you have all been wondering about (or at least some of you).What about the weight loss??? Two pounds sistas! And the best part is, it feels like so much more than two pounds. I have dieted my entire life and I have never experienced this sensation. It’s like it all makes sense…finally. My body is adjusting and when it does, I will be at the weight I am meant to be at…whatever that is. The important part is I am giving my body what it can handle and it is responding positively inside and out!
So, stay tuned for more of my fabulous journey and post your questions. As a newbie I have lots of new experiences, but Heather is the real expert so either way, we got ya covered!
Signing off…
Dharma
Post a Comment
<< Home