Fat chance... fat bitch blog

2012-01-30T09:55:00.000-08:00

Here I am - a fat woman trying everything possible - short of stomach stapling or, the one my teens would like me to do ..... mouth stapling - to lose weight and not really succeeding. I'm still on the wheat belly lifestyle and love it - much more mental clarity even though little weight lost. So, I started thinking about what I'm not doing right (other than not eating right), and it occurred to me that I'm leaving out a vital component - that would be the spiritual part.

I am a member of a church community so I'm not without a spiritual component to my life, but I know I never use that aspect of my being to it's fullest potential. Somehow, when push comes to shove, I get all cognitive and just forget about the power of faith altogether. Weird and slightly sad, eh.

Okay, maybe I need to follow this thought thread to some action. I've re-activated my Spark People account and I've even posted once on the spiritual group board. Stop laughing, I know that's very little, but it's a start for me. And talking about this to you is a second step. I'll just have to see where I can take this. Spiritual growth is always a good thing, and whether it takes me to health or not, it's time to stop neglecting it. One step at a time, one ounce at a time, one prayer at a time......here I go.

Here's a tasty recipe - love beet greens yum.

1 pound beet greens

1 tbs coconut oil
pinch and a bit more of salt
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

1. Chop the stems into 2- to 3-inch lengths and roughly chop the greens.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beet stems and season with salt. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add the beet greens, sprinkle the salt, and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes more; if you need more liquid add a wee bit of water.

3. Meanwhile, add to a small pan and toast over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the beet greens topped with the toasted pine

By the way, I have a new ebook out - it's for parents who have raised extremely challenging children and now need some help re-claiming their lives. You can look at it at Smashwords.http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=brenda+mccreight

Have your best day possible.

2012-01-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness - I just read an article about how exercise won't help you lose weight unless you diet. Last week I read an article about how dieting won't let you lose weight unless you exercise. I mean, really! Can't they make up their minds?

As a fat woman, I can tell you that I'm well aware that I need both a healthy diet and regular exercise. I don't consistently do either, but I consistently try to do both. From the look of me, neither is working.

I'm still mostly wheat free and it feels great. My mind is much sharper and my energy is up. It's important to me to feel a clearer mind because I live in terror of Alzheimer's - my mother and my mother-in-law developed it despite not having a single risk factor and leading their lives in the way all the articles say you should if you want to avoid the ugly A. Well, they got it despite healthy diets, healthy lifestyles, and lots of exercise. If I'm going to get it, it will have started by now so the best I can hope for is a medical miracle - anyway, that's a digression.

My point, and I do have one, is that all of the disagreeing articles on how to lose weight make it obvious that there is no real understanding of obesity. Most of us fat people don't really eat all that badly - we just don't eat or exercise right for our bodies. I keep my calorie count low - and I monitor it daily - I guess it's just not low enough to do the job. Whatever - I'll work on it as always. In the meantime, I'll continue to stay as wheat free as possible and enjoy all the new recipes I'm trying.

Here's one you might like.
Butternut Squash Soup... tasty and not too difficult or time consuming to make.

2 tbsp olive oil

· 1 onion, diced

· 4 cloves garlic, minced

· 4 carrots, sliced

· 3 stalks celery, diced

· 2 small or one large butternut squash, peeled and chopped

· 5 cups gluten free vegetable broth

· 2 tbsp chopped fresh sage

· 1/2 cup soy milk

· salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large pot, saute the onion and the garlic in olive oil or coconut oil until the onions turn soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the carrots and the celery and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the squash and stir just to coat it and then add the vegetable broth and sage. Bring it all to a boil and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Allow it to cook for at least 25 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Use a potato masher and mash the squash until smooth or you can puree the soup in a food processor or blender.

2012-01-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

I'm amazed at how my local grocery stores have stepped up their wheat free products. In fact, last Saturday when I was shopping I was stunned to see that *gluten free* notes were sticking up all over the shelves. I could buy gluten free just about anything! What a change in only a few months. I assume this is a trend that will die like all others, but maybe the mainstream stores will keep stocking gluten free items anyway.

I'm still doing fine with wheat free most of the time, but I just can't organize my life to manage 24/7. Too much going on and too many occasions when I don't have control over what is available to eat. I'm improving on that daily, but still have a way to go.

I'm also not losing any more weight - too bad - that was nice incentive - however I didn't go wheatless just to lose weight - I did it because when I read the Wheat Belly book it just hit me as right - and I have noticed a better clarity of thought as well as more energy. And, since it's so easy to be wheatless most of the time, I might as well keep going with it.

Here's a tasty wheat free recipe you might like.

12 Wheat free corn tortillas
2 cups chopped tomato
1 cup chopped green onion
3 cups of ground beef
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
2 cups of chopped lettuce
1 cup of wheat free commercial tomato sauce
1 cup of wheat free, low fat sour cream

Fry the corn tortillas in the coconut oil. Fry the ground beef and mix the tomato sauce into it. Spoon a layer of the ground beef mixture on a tortilla, then add a layer of lettuce, a layer of cheese, some sour cream, and some green onions. Very quick and easy to make, and the kids will love it. Add some raw veggies on the side for munching and you've got a full meal.

2012-01-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, it takes more than determination to keep exercising - last night I was unable to go for a walk again because I spent the evening cleaning up the flooded basement that resulted from the gale force rain storm that prevented my walk the night before. I mean really, by the time I finished hauling a sogging mattress out of my son's bedroom, and buying the equipment that I need to dry out the room, it was way too late for this aging mamma to go walkies.

The good part of this is that even though I'm not exercising much this week, there is nothing the storm can do to impact my eating and that is going okay. I'm finding more and more gluten free food items and becoming increasing reliant on vegetables and fruit. Nothing to feel bad about there.

I have an added inducement to remain wheat free - I think I'm going back to New York city at the end of April. Not for sure yet, but likely. I love New York. It's my favorite city in the world - and since I've traveled to 29 countries I feel free to comment. My second favorite is London, England if your at all interested. If I didn't have children to raise I would have moved to New York years ago - oh the sacrifices eh! Anyway, traipsing through airports and feeling oh so bad about having to ask for a lap belt extender is motivation enough to help me get back to exercising despite flooding basements and bad weather etc.

I feel strong and determined, and I'm sure that being wheat free is part of it all.

Hey, have your best day possible.

Wind and rain can stop me...

2012-01-04T02:10:00.000-08:00

Well, the rain storms have dampened my determination to walk nightly (pun intended). Actually, I would have gone last night but my dogs, who generally leap to the leash, refused to step foot out of the door so I decided that they were likely smarter than me. We've been having near gale force rain storms that would have blown away the two of my dogs that are under 10 pounds, but even the big dog refused to step into last night's maelstrom. I can't get to the gym either because of my problem with their schedule - however, I can make sure I take a few extra trips up and down the stairs and that I keep myself active in the house. Anything is better than nothing.

Look at what I found! I had no idea these even existed. Who would have thought that Betty Crocker would be putting out gluten free cake mixes? I bought one so that I have an easy cake when I need one. Sounds suspicious, right. I mean who ever needs a cake. Well, with 8 kids still at home - I do. Sugar has never been my problem. I can eat one cookie or one slim piece of cake. Still, if I'm going to eat even a small piece of cake, it might as well be gluten free.

My problem, among many, is carbs and that noxious/addictive combo of fat, salt, and carbs. I mean really, my brain doesn't signal *time to stop* if I allow even one potato chip to cross my lips. I'm finding it easier and easier to not take that first deadly bite of most carbs since I've been (mostly) wheat free. I can leave out the potato in any form, and even though I finally found a wheat free bread, I'm only using it when I really need a sandwich to eat on the run. So very liberating. Still no further weight loss, but that's the way it's always been with me and I 'm not going to go back on wheat regardless.

Here's a great recipe - easy to make and very tasty.

Parmesan-Squash Cakes

4 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This goes great with a baked chicken or with a broiled or bar- b-qued halibut. It's also nice as a main dish with a salad on the side.

INGREDIENTS

· 1 large egg

· 2/3 cup finely chopped shallots

· 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

· 2 cups shredded seeded summer squash

· 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

· 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Beat the egg in a large bowl and then stir in shallots, parsley, salt and pepper. Place the shredded squash in the center of a clean kitchen towel and gather up the ends so you can twist to squeeze out any liquid. Add the squash and cheese to the bowl and stir to combine.
Heat the coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pack a 1/3-cup measuring cup with the squash mixture and unmold it into the pan then gently pat it down to form a 3-inch cake. Repeat the process to make 4 squash cakes. Cook them until they are browned and a bit crispy on the bottom, about 3 to 4 minutes. Gently turn the cakes over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve them hot.

Bread...or no bread... that's the question...and a Curves warning...

2012-01-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

I have been struggling with the issue of whether or not to keep all breads out of my diet, or to include wheat free breads. That's a tough one for me because like most wheat allergy people, I'm addicted to bread. I also have a busy life, as do you, and so taking a sandwich to eat when I'm out of the house at meal times is the easiest thing for me to do.

Well, over Christmas and New Year I have eaten wheat - two concurrent of out of town hockey tournaments requring hotels stays, and now another out of town hockey tournament this coming weekend as well as the younger kids regular activities back on track and me back at work - well, I just can't organize my food to the extent that's needed. So, I've had some wheat products and I feel the unpleasantness of it. I hadn't realized how much wheat dragged me down emotionally as well as physically!

Anyhoo - back to the topic - I finally caved and bought some rice based bread and I'm eating that when I need a sandwich on the go. I don't know how it will impact me - likely not a at all - but I'll be monitoring myself to see if I get the bread cravings back. I have to say - it's been such a liberating feeling to not crave bread - to see it and not feel that *gut wrenching* pull to consume every crumb.

I've also returned to my evening dog walking - 30 minutes in chilly weather - good for the dogs and good for me. In a couple of weeks I'll start going back to Curves - they changed their hours so that it's next to impossible for me to get there - but I'm going to see if extreme dedication can make it possible. I really think it's silly of a gym to have such short hours and when my membership runs out there I'll definitely be looking at other gyms that have better hours. These guys open early, but I do my writing and course work at the pre-dawn times, and they close early - so that I can't go after my office hours. When I joined Curves the hours were longer, but they changed the hours and wouldn't give me my money back - so ladies - be warned about Curves - check out what they intend to do with their open hours and their money return policy before you sign on.

Okay - that's it for me today - have your best day possible. In the meantime, here's a bread/wheat free lunch alternative for those who, like me, eat lunch at an office desk while doing 10 other things.

1	tbsp coconut oil
1	large	onion, chopped

1	tsp	cumin
1	tsp	turmeric
2x400	g	cans chick peas, rinsed & drained
2x400	g	cans chopped tomatoes
		freshly ground black pepper
1	tbsp	lemon juice throw in some chopped spinach or kale, and maybe a little chopped pesto or garlic to perk this up according to your tastes
1.	Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the chopped onion until it is softened, but not browned.



3.	Add the chick peas, chopped tomatoes, spinach or kale, pesto or garlic, and freshly ground black pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

4.	Add the lemon juice and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold later.

2011-12-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

Almost through the holiday season and looking forward to getting back to a routine and some more control over my food. We've got back to back hockey tournaments and one of them meant we had to pack up and go to a hotel in Victoria for a few days. It's soooo hard to shop and eat wheatfree when I don't have my own kitchen and am reliant on whatever we can fit into the hotel room fridge and grab to eat at the rink. This isn't an excuse - it's a reality. However, an interesting thing that I've realized is that I am greatly looking forward to being totally wheat free again. Eating wheat products has felt like a burden and I don't get the same enjoyment from wheat things anymore. Bread is now boring to me, and that is something I would never have thought possible in my life. Even treats that once enticed me are easy to leave alone - who would have thought, eh?

Here's a recipe that I got from the Wheat Belly Blog . If you don't subscribe to it, I strongly suggest that you do. The Wheat Belly Blog provides a lot of helpful tips and recipes and links. The blog is done by the company of Dr. William Davis, the man who started all of this ,so it's got a very positive energy that I really enjoy.

Here's the recipe:Mocha Walnut Brownies

Richer than a cookie, heavier than a muffin, brownies are ordinarily an indulgence that leaves you ashamed of your lack of restraint. Have one . . . or two or three, and you will surely pack on a pound of belly fat.

But these mocha walnut brownies, as with other recipes that Dr. Davis provides, will not pack on the pounds. With no wheat to trigger appetite, nor any readily-digestible carbohydrate to generate blood sugar highs and lows, you can have a nice brownie or two or three and nothing bad happens: You don’t send blood sugar sky-high, don’t trigger formation of small LDL particles and triglycerides, you don’t trigger appetite, you don’t gain a pound of belly fat. You simply have your brownie(s) and enjoy them.

Serve these brownies plain or topped with cream cheese, natural peanut or almond butter, or dipped in coffee.

Ingredients:

8 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (100% chocolate)

4 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, melted

2 large eggs, separated

½ cup coconut milk (or sour cream)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups ground almonds

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons instant espresso

Sweetener equivalent to 1 cup sugar or to taste (e.g., liquid stevia, Truvía, erythritol)

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Melt chocolate using double boiler method or in 15-second increments in microwave. Stir in melted coconut oil or butter.

In small bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Add egg whites, egg yolks, coconut milk, and vanilla extract to chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly by hand.

In separate bowl, combine ground almonds, coconut flour, walnuts, cocoa powder, espresso, and sweetener. Mix thoroughly.

Add dry mix to chocolate mix and mix together thoroughly. If dough is too stiff, add additional coconut milk, one tablespoon at a time.

Place mixture in 9-inch baking pan and bake for 25 -30 minutes or until toothpick withdraws dry.

If you enjoy sweet things, this recipe will make you happy.

Have your best day possible.

Ramblings, sagging, and other things...

2011-12-19T12:44:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice product for those who don't want to give up bread. You can buy it at this link

So, as I read more and more about weight loss from low carbs or wheatfree, I have come to accept that when one is obese, as I am, then when the weight is gone, the skin is left so saggy that it requires surgery to get rid of the excess - otherwise it droops and sags and my abdominal skin will be left dragging on the ground. I guess my legs will have skin hanging around the ankles like old nylons that have fallen to the ground.

Oh my, that just isn't encouraging. Should I, perhaps, be heartened that I'm no longer losing any weight? As I mentioned before, I was seeing some concavity to my cheeks, but that stopped and nothing else has happened. I do feel better, I sleep better, I eat much less, but the weight remains stable. I am convinced of my wheat allergy due to the increased energy and other aforementioned benefits, so I'll stick with it.

Still, it seems more than a tad unfair that I have to look totally ugly in my obesity, and then I will still have to look totally ugly when I lose weight yet have to tote my excess skin around in a wheelbarrow. I know there are surgeries available, but do I want that? And then, I have to ask myself why, oh why, am I even worried about this when nothing is coming off anyway?

Truly, I often feel incredible guilt and even horror that I fight obesity when so many in the world are starving. Well, I can't help them all, but I can at least have some self respect and attend to my own body in a way that is healthy. Another day, another set of wheat free meals, more joy.

Have your best day possible.

Is it really this simple?

2011-12-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

Is it truly this simple? I mean, honestly, I don't have cravings for bread or carbs in general; my appetite is half of what it has been for the last 10 years; I can't eat a full serving of dinner in a restaurant; my jeans are looser....I could go on and on but you get the picture. It's working!!

I'm able to remain wheatless without any effort. I've kind of re-designed how I eat. I have a bowl of wheat free cereal for breakfast , and then I pack a hard boiled egg, an apple, some Greek yogurt with fruit, and a wheat free bar for the day as well as some nuts to get me through the 4 pm hungries. I'm hungry when I get home, but those horrible blood sugar drops aren't happening and my head doesn't ache - which was how I always felt when I was hungry in the past.

I can't make it through the week totally wheat free - especially now when I leave work only to face the hordes of fellow Christmas shoppers, or shivering in the rinks at my kids' hockey tournaments, or Christmas dance and choir recitals etc - no time to have a sit down meal in a restaurant and no time to eat at home, so about one meal a week I end up with a sandwich - but no problem getting back on the wheatless path for the next meal.

I feel liberated! It still remains to be seen if this will last or if it's just the initial euphoria that comes with a new diet - I know all of you who struggle with weight know what I mean. You start a new *food plan* and you're all revved up with the hope that this one will do the trick. Then, it happens, the weight doesn't budge and it's just too hard to self motivate to deal with the hunger and the emotional deprivation. Well, it's not happening for me that way - at least not yet - so I'll keep on keeping on with this and enjoying every wheatless moment.

Have your best day possible.

2011-12-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

In my short time on a wheatless lifestyle I'm already recognizing a pattern - I eat wheat on weekends. This is twice in a row - so no point in going to the great river of Denial - there it is. This last weekend we had a friend over for dinner who always bring a great soup starter - my favorite dish in the whole entire universe (did I make it clear I like it?). That would be - drum roll please.... oyster stew. Don't forget, I'm a west coast lady so fish is a staple, but my friend makes it like no else. Here's a recipe that's close to hers:

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 pints oysters with liquor
salt and pepper to taste
dash of ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

My friend also adds chopped tomatoes, onion, and some other tasty little things.

Heat four bowls and add a tablespoon of butter to each bowl; keep hot.
Heat milk, cream, and oyster liquor just to the boiling point; add oysters and bring to boiling point once again. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Ladle into hot bowls and top with chopped parsley, if desired.

My friend changes the heavy cream to milk so it's less fattening. But I'm sure as your reading this, you're wondering why this is a problem since there is no mention of wheat in the recipe. Well folks, it's the french baguette you have to eat with it!

And don't try to tell me that the stew can be eaten with out this delicious french contribution because truly, it can't. So, I thought about it and decided that I would eat just as much of it as I wanted because life is hard at times and like the rest of you, I have stress and worries and if I want to drown them in wheat, well hell, I will. Much to my surprise, however, I found that I didn't actually want a whole lot of the bread. Two small chunks were tasty and great and left my taste buds doing the happy dance.

I have to say, that shocked the hell out of me. I would normally eat half a baguette, if not at dinner, then munching on it later in the evening. I'm still in shock at how easy it was to leave the rest.

I've also noticed that aside from my caved in cheeks, I'm also finding my pants a little loser. Nothing to get excited about yet - I don't need a small size, but there's some space there that wasn't in existence before two weeks ago when I started this wheat free life.

Well, now that I've identified my weekend eating pattern, and lived to tell the tale, I'll see what next weekend brings. In the meantime, I'll continue on with the nuts, vegetables, wheat free cereals, and other things that are taking the place in my life where bread once lived.

Have your best day possible.

2011-12-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a weird thing - I'm losing interest in food. I went out for dinner a couple of days ago and even the wine wasn't very enticing... although I still drank some. I don't feel hungry as soon as I normally do and I don't have the low blood sugar thingy happening either. Feels a bit like being let out of a prison. I wonder if it will last?

I think that feeling like I'm a prisoner of food isn't uncommon for fat people - if it doesn't start out as an eating disorder it certainly becomes one as I've tried diet after diet, and joined gym after gym, failing at all of them - anyway, it ends up that I"m always aware of what I'm eating, but not in a good and healthy way - it becomes associated with stress and worry and obsession. So, to have some relief from that is great - but I'm distrustful that it will last since nothing else has. I mean really, could it actually have been so simple as a wheat allergy?

It seems like with my drastic food reduction I should be losing weight but all I've noticed is that my cheeks are getting kind of concave. Odd eh! I guess that since my body is covered in fat cells it's depleting the easy ones first, but if I had the choice, it would make the stomach or butt fat cells a priority. Oh well, I don't have control over anything else in life so why should I have control over my melting fat cells? or maybe they aren't melting - maybe my cheeks just gave up and fell in?

Okay folks, have your best day possible.

Back on track..

2011-11-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about my weekend - I had some bread - it was really good bread, but then all bread is really good bread to a wheat addict. I didn't *pig* out - just a sandwich because I was unprepared and didn't have access to any food that would be good for me (one of my sons had 7 hockey games at his weekend tournament, and a daughter had a bottle drive, and then there was the usual stuff that goes with having a large family). So, I learned that I always have to be prepared with food I can eat easily at hand when I'm in out of home locations. Not hard to keep some nuts in the car - and some fruit.

The positive part of this was that I didn't beat myself up emotionally and surprisingly, it was very easy to not jump back on the wheat wagon. I've had no trouble getting back to my food plan and I'm not actually missing wheat products at all.

So, why couldn't I do this when I tried Atkins so many times? I could always stick with it for a while but the intensity of my commitment to the diet always wore me out. I don't feel that way at all this time - instead, I just think about avoiding wheat. Weird - and I can't find a single neuroscience piece to help me understand this.

A nice side effect of my wheat avoidance life style is that my face seems less puffy and the pants I put on for work this morning are a bit loose. Not a dramatic change for most people, but if even a half inch is gone, then I'm doing the happy dance. However, I'm determined not to focus on weight but to keep my mind on health. Still, I'm sure all would agree that a little less of me would be a good thing!!

Oh well, no point in thinking myself into a stupor - just continuing on. Hey, have your best day possible.

2011-11-24T11:52:00.000-08:00

I've been on dozens of low carb diets but failed at them all because I couldn't manage the cravings. I'm not finding that to be a problem so far. In fact, yesterday I was out of town on business and I wasn't in a place where I could eat my home made lunch, so I went to a restaurant and ordered a scrumptious salad of mixed greens, shrimp, feta, and some vegetables with a nice balsamic dressing. The potential trigger for me was that it arrived with some delightful looking pita bread!! Well folks, pita to me is a prime drug/substance of choice. The pleasure center of my brain sees a nice fluffy, fresh from the oven pita and it starts doing the neuronal happy dance.I didn't even have time to ask the server to take it away because she disappeared too quickly. To cut to the point - I not only didn't eat it, I didn't even struggle with not eating it. And, I didn't finish my salad because I got full and lost my appetite. Very different experience for me!!!!

I've found some wheatless tasty things too - I'm not a big treat eater - although many not believe that when they look at me, but truly, I'm not. However, with Christmas coming up I wanted to have some wheatless cookies or bars to eat on the type of occasion when that sort of social thing is happening and I don't have lots of baking time, so I looked harder in my local grocery store and was pleased to find some commercially made cookies and bars that are wheatless and fit the bill.

I've also had to do some thinking about if I'm going to determine the success and suitability of the Wheat Belly plan by weight loss or inches lost, or how I feel, or .......? I haven't fully decided but I have decided that pounds lost isn't going to the issue. I know I feel better, and I know I can't be harmed by eating more vegetables and less wheat based carbs, so for now, I'll just keep on with the plan and consider weight loss later.

So, have your best day possible and I hope your food plan is working for you.

Doing okay so far...

2011-11-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

It's always easy enough to stick with an eating change at the beginning. I'm sure you've done the same a thousand times too (well, maybe it's just me whose tried and failed a thousand times) - anyway, the motivation is high and the novelty triggers some endorphins to make the diet self rewarding - then, harsh reality sets in. The brain is wired to go to the negative (for survival because nothing that's fun and easy relates to keeping us alive) and it's wired to the familiar. So, once the novelty wears off, the endorphins are no longer triggered and we fade back into the same old eating patters. However, I'm still in the early days so it's been easy to stay on the Wheat Belly/Paleo style plan.

I've also found some food products that might help. Breakfast is a challenge for me because with 8 of us trying to get ready and fed and lunches packed up it's a zoo and I lack creativity at that time of the day but I found a cereal called Baker on Main that I just love. It's crunchy and filling and tasty - a great combo.

I'm still starving by 11 a.m. but my schedule doesn't allow for eating then anyway so no problem staying clear of food. I do find, however, that I'm not getting the weird feelings in my head (almost dizzy, almost a headache, just not quite right) when I'm hungry on this diet so I'm able to tolerate the hunger much better. I'm hoping the hunger will lessen with time. I also bought some Skinny B which I will try later this week.

I've been reading lots of blogs on wheatless eating and many mention clearing out their cupboards of wheat products. I can't do that. How on earth would I feed by kids without bread and pasta? I know millions of you do that quite well, but I can't. I need a quick go to meal on occasion as I run home from work and try to get something cooked before hockey practice or dance or piano lessons. And no, my kids aren't over scheduled, there's just a lot of them. Also, they love this type of food on occasion and they don't show signs of weight issues or slow thinking or any of the symptoms of wheat allergies - so why do it. I'm trying to find fast alternatives for myself such as frozen fish to microwave and then I have some of the salad we all have with our meals.

Yup, still early days and still learning and exploring how to live wheatless, not witless.

Have your best day possible.

First steps...

2011-11-18T21:04:00.000-08:00

Today I was sent a link to the Wheat Belly book by William Davis MD. It hit me like a rock on my hard skull. I've been fat for a long time now. Not just overweight, not just fluffy, I mean fat. I've also developed the curse of fat people - Diabetes type 2. It runs in my family - we all have it, even my skinny relatives - but that's no excuse - I may have had a genetic disposition to D2, but I wasn't likely to avoid it with my weight no matter what my ancestors passed on to me.

Anyway, back to my fatness. Like most fat people, I've failed every diet known to human kind - twice or three times on most of them. Doctors never believe that, they all seem to think that we fatties sit around eating bon bons all day. Well, I'm the mom of 14 - 8 still at home, and I work full time - and I have a mom with Alzheimer's- so how many minutes in a day do you think that leaves me to sit around stuffing myself. Sure, I eat the wrong thing at times, and I eat too much at times, but so do slim people. So - what's my problem? Am I doomed to this weight and an early death by food?

I figured I was, and I was grieving that. Then, my cousin sent the link to Wheat Belly and I looked up the web page. My oh my ..... I know that's it. I always knew I craved bread and pasta and as I read the Wheat Belly book (which of course I ran straight out and bought) I felt like every word was written to me.

So, the next logical question is - why do a blog about this? Well friends, I blog about other things too - it's a great way to meet other people who walking the same path, and to keep myself honest. If I do well, I'll let you know. When I fail, I'll write about that too. I'd love to hear from you and what you are doing on your journey - whether it's with food, or wheat, or life in general.

That's my intro to me - have your best day possible.