Ups and Downs

Photo courtesy of Photoexpress.com

The last couple of weeks have had their share of ups and downs.  Spring Fest was a challenge and while I thought I made good choices (I'm sure I did considering my options) I gained weight.  It wasn't that bad and while I felt like it was a setback, overall for the week, I was down.  I guess that makes that "down" an "up."  Wow, that could totally turn into a "Who's on first?" conversation, couldn't it?

Another thing I learned is my body is VERY happy with the now gluten-free lifestyle. On Sunday we had lunch at our favorite place (yes, Jackson's Corner) and the chef slipped us a sample of his lemon-poppyseed bread pudding.  There I am thinking, "I'm doing great, I'm down, I'm allowing myself a bite."  So I did...  While I'm eating it I admit out loud, "I'm going to regret this later."  Actually, I had no idea how much I would regret it!  This is where we get into the "bloggers TMI."  My body revolted!  Big time!  Not just to me, but to everyone around.  Until I went to sleep that night, everyone around me could hear my digestive system cursing me out.  You can only image with this attitude, it wasn't being very friendly in "le toilet" either.  Lesson learned, I no longer can consume gluten.

Weekends still give me a challenge.  It's hard to go and make great choices when you're not always sure what's in what you're eating.  Two weeks ago I had a greek-style salad at a place I trust for quality ingredients.  Good choice, right?  I thought so but my scale didn't agree.  Remember how I said I weigh myself often?  Try every morning. I think it was a bit on the salty side which means my weight gain was more than likely just water.  That doesn't always make me feel better about it.  We only go out for lunch on the weekends and cook at home the rest of the time so I guess a meal or two here and there isn't too bad.  As long as I keep it all in perspective, right?

Eating out has definitely been a challenge.  I don't want to feel like I can't do things with my friends and family because now I'm eating differently for my health.  Last Friday we were "visiting" a bit too long with friends and missed the "cooking" window for our planned meal.  It was frustrating trying to find something for dinner that wasn't "meat over lettuce."  That's what I had for lunch most of the week and the last thing I really wanted for dinner was what I had for lunch.  To prepare, we checked out some menus for local restaurants in our area.  I actually found one with a specific gluten-free menu. That took some of the pressure off knowing we could go there and I would find something to eat that would not upset my system.  Dinner was great and it was nice to find what I needed.

What I am finding is I have to watch out for me.  Not to be selfish but to be here for my family.  They have been flexible and supportive and I'm sure our meals help them out too.  Our daughter is even going gluten free to see if it helps with some skin issues she's been having.  This may make some of our events more challenging but with a little preparation, I can find success!

Cheers to another Sugar Control week!

PS:  I've set up a "menus" tab where I list the menus each week (it seemed to get a bit lengthy in a post).  If any of you are interested, I can also start posting menus for those meals.