Days 30-60

Well it has officially been 60 days and I continue to improve albeit slowly. I recently saw a video that showed a full cup of wine being filled with water. It took forever for the wine color to go away and turn clear. That analogy was to show how long it took to heal. But the wine slowly got lighter and lighter. That’s how I feel like it’s taking forever to heal and not that I will ever be my 20 year old self again but my energy, anxiety, focus and symptoms get better each week. Do I still have really bad days, the short answer yes. Still I don’t feel hopeless anymore. I also have really great days and that is priceless to me.

Mentally I am more stable, no more bouts of crying because I’m so miserable. No more such high anxiety that I can’t talk. It was really bad at the end. I still functioned but definitely not at my normal level.

Physically I’ve stopped losing weight and now maintain at about 110. 6lbs less than pre-diet but I had never intended to lose weight. My son, however has dropped 35 lbs and feels amazing.

My loose skin has tightened, again not 20 year old skin but so much better than it was. When my symptoms were bad I lost a lot of weight and even though it wasn’t overnight, it was probably faster than it should be. The result was saggy skin in my stomach, arms and legs. It has not been a focus but now that I am feeling a little better I may start exploring this.

Speaking of my skin, the texture and breakouts have had a Huge improvement, my skin is better than it’s ever been.

Some crazy things along the way.

One thing I have noticed is my craving for red meat has drastically increased. If you served me steak everyday I would be the happiest girl in the world. Ironic because just a year or so ago. I was exclusively vegetarian. Not for noble reasons but because I just couldn’t process it. I still have to take digestive enzymes but I handle it well as long as I take them. My body just feels strong when I eat it.

I wake up ready to go, no more hours of laying in bed groggy and lazy. Waiting until the very last minute to get out of bed and get going. Even when I try to laze around, I find I’m up doing some little thing.

I’m also tired at a reasonable time, up half the night doesn’t happen very often anymore. I’m usually asleep between 10-11pm, most of the time earlier.

I have new interest, I have embraced the lifestyle and have started a small raised pot garden. I’m pretty sure if I didn’t I live in an apartment I would have made my whole backyard a tribute to natural living. The way I go through sweet potatoes, I feel confident I would have had to dedicate half my yard to that.

Things that made my journey possible

1. Meal prep- this is probably the best advice I can give you especially week 1 and 2. Meal prep. Your body will be exhausted as it detoxes from the dairy, gluten and other inflammatory foods. On your day off cook like your life depends on it. Everyone who has done this diet says meal prep for a reason.
2. Snacks make sure you have them ready. Whether it’s jerky, chips, fruit…whatever just keep it handy. Below I’ll leave links for some of my favorites that you can buy that require no prep.
3. Vitamins, you may not get all the vitamins you were getting. For example if you are a big dairy eater like I was you’re probably not getting as much vitamin D. Especially if you’re not getting outside. Look at your vitamins, are you getting what you need? I swear by vitamin D because it was the first thing the doctor gave me that actually made me feel better.
4. Support, if possible find someone to be your cheerleader or better yet find someone to do it with you, even if it’s just for a few weeks. If you don’t have anyone. Read success stories or find groups online. The key is to stay motivated. In the beginning you will not feel great and will need encouragement.
5. Reminding myself when the cravings would come that one piece of cheese was not worth it. That the Diet Coke was hurting me. That I was smart and strong enough to stop damaging my body for instant gratification and a minimal reward. It wasn’t easy in the beginning but today I’m grateful that I didn’t slide back into old habits.

So What’s next

I’ll start reintroducing foods, very slowly.

Week 1 – walnuts

Week 2 – macadamia nuts

Week 3 – ghee

Week 4 – eggs (yellow part only)

During this phase, at the beginning of each week I’ll have a quarter of the serving size, waiting 72 hours to see if there is a reaction. If none, then I’ll try a normal portion and wait 72 hours. If there are no reactions the second time, I will add that food back to my normal diet. If I have a reaction then that food will go to the back of the list to try again at a later time.

What’s considered a bad reaction?

Well to be honest, I didn’t really know either. I mean I figured you would feel bad but it can actually be several things.

• Digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation
• Headache
• Rashes or skin irritation
• Joint pain or stiffness
• Fatigue
• Previous symptoms returning

I’ll keep you posted as I continue my journey and let you know how it goes. I’m excited and scared to reintroduce foods because I miss the variety but also I don’t want to go back to feeling like I used to ever again.

AIP Snacks

Sweet Potato Chips made with Avocado oil

Chomps beef jerky

Plantain Chips

Apple, Banana and Coconut Chips

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