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The decision to do an elimination diet came after getting some surprising results from a food sensitivity blood test. I put it off for awhile until I found a plan to follow that walked me through each step. I shared our Elimination Diet Meal Plan journey through my weekly newsletter (be sure to subscribe!). This Elimination Diet Meal Plan Journal is basically a recap of our experience during each week of the program. Be sure to check out my full post on the Elimination Diet Meal Plan here.
Week 1
I’ve almost made it through the first week of my elimination diet following The Elimination Diet Meal Plan. The food on the meal plan has been so delicious.
I’m also already starting to feel the positive effects of following the plan. The plan mentions waking up and feeling refreshed and well rested. I’m not a morning person so I thought, yeah right! But since day 4 I’ve been waking up about 10 minutes before my alarm bright-eyed and ready to go. It’s crazy how much what you eat and put in your body can affect how you feel.
On day 2 I did make the mistake of eating chia seeds, which I tested as a having a high reactivity toward. Do you ever do something and after you think to yourself what was I thinking. I planned on testing chia seeds at the end of the elimination diet but thought, why not just follow the recipe and give them a try. Bad idea. I definitely experienced some detox symptoms that evening.
I woke up the next morning feeling weak and shaky. Looking back it may have been due to dehydration. But this girl who loves her carbs thought I might need some carbs so I ate a piece of bread. I also ate a banana and started feeling better.
That was the only day I experienced any negative symptoms. I’ve also lost a few pounds too!
I’m looking forward to the reintroduction phase that starts next week.
Week 2
I’m finishing up week 2 of my elimination diet following The Elimination Diet Meal Plan. I can’t wait to start testing out some different foods to determine my food sensitivities. While the recipes continue to be so delicious, I do miss eating some of the things I would regularly eat.
When I decided to start an elimination diet I was so excited and thought for sure my husband would be totally on board. He’s the one who likes to eat super healthy in our house. When I told him what we were going to do he gave me the this really isn’t a good time excuse. He has a guys trip coming up and our whole family is going to Chicago next month for my work conference.
I have to say, I was a little frustrated that my husband was not totally on board. Especially since he’s the reason we originally did the food sensitivity testing. He did say he would eat whatever food I made and he’s loved the recipes. But he keeps eating things that we aren’t supposed to yet.
For example, last week I asked him to bring our son home a burger or something from the cafe at the gym. My son generally eats what we eat but I know things like Butternut Squash Soup are just not going to happen. My husband comes home from the gym with TWO delicious cheeseburgers on a pretzel bun.
Apparently, they made the first one with all the toppings & sauces. My son only eats ketchup on his cheeseburger. So they made another one and told my husband he could just have the other one. Which he gladly ate. And I’m sure enjoyed. I wouldn’t know because I ate dinner in my office that night. I did not need that kind of temptation in my face.
Now, generally I have the full support of my husband in whatever I’m doing, which I appreciate and don’t take for granted. What’s ironic is that same day I was working on writing my blog post on getting the support of your family in your fitness journey. I literally wrote the words, “it’s hard when you’re trying to eat your healthy portioned food and your spouse is bringing home cheeseburgers!” And that same day he brings home a cheeseburger. I had him proof read the article the next day and he asked, hey is this about me? š
Week 3
I am just completing week 3 of The Elimination Diet Meal Plan. Getting back foods has been so exciting! During this first re-introduction phase, foods that you don’t show any sensitivities to you get to keep eating.
So far, I’ve reintroduced quinoa, citrus fruits and nuts. Tomorrow I get to add brown rice back into my diet.
I don’t feel like I’ve been eating as many carbs as I’m used to. And I LOVE carbs. I’ve been craving chips and I finally realized if I can have sweet potatoes then I can have sweet potato chips or even Terra Chips that are made from sweet potatoes and other root vegetables.
I felt like I was beating the system. I went to the store to grab a few things I needed and set out to get my chip fix. Only, the store didn’t have any sweet potato chips. I found some dried sweet potatoes from bare. Umm, they ruined sweet potatoes. Zapped all of the flavor out of them. They tasted like cardboard. I was super disappointed.
The next time I went to the store I looked for the sweet potato chips but ended up settling for plantain chips instead. They are delicious and sort of satisfied my craving.
A couple of days later I went to Target. And guess what they had at Target? Terra Chips! I bought 2 bags and munched on one on the ride home. Craving satisfied.
Besides cheating the system with my sweet potato chips, I have been quite surprised at my will power during this elimination diet. I’ve bought french fries twice for my son and didn’t even eat one. That’s a big deal for me. The girl who, as my husband likes to tell everyone, once ate a “bucket of fries” from McDonald’s. It was really just an extra large cup but the menu item was called “bucket of fries”.
Next week, I get to add potatoes back into my diet and believe me there will be some fries consumed.
We will also be in Chicago next week for my work conference. I plan to bring some snacks with me and try to stick as closely as I can to the meal plan. We will see what actually happens. Even if I fall off the plan I’ll just pick back up when I get home.
Week 4
I’m on week 4 of The Elimination Diet Meal Plan. This week I’ve reintroduced brown rice and nightshade vegetables which include bell peppers and tomatoes.
While an elimination diet is meant to test for food sensitivities a nice side effect has been weight loss. The first part of the diet is sort of like a cleanse. You cut out all the crap and basically just eat veggies, fruit, seeds and some lean protein.
It’s amazing that cutting out the crap really does help you lose weight. Those pesky extra 5 pounds I’ve been hanging on to since our last vacation – Gone!
Week 4.2
As is typical with most travel, I stuck with my Elimination Diet Meal Plan for the first day and half. I brought some trail mix, apples & Sun Butter for snacks. Since I checked a bag I even brought a knife to slice and peel my apples.
But by dinner of the 2nd night after a reception, where I did enjoy a glass of wine, I was starving and we ended up eating random 7-11 Pizza. After that I also enjoyed some of Chicago’s famous Garrett’s Popcorn. That caramel corn is amazing! I also visited one of our client restaurants, Portillo’s- also a Chicago must-do.
Instead of scrapping all the work I’ve done testing my food sensitivities with The Elimination Diet Meal Plan, I simply took a few days to reset then picked back up where I left off.
So basically I’m finishing up Week 4.2 of The Elimination Diet Meal Plan. I’ve reintroduced potatoes, beans & lentils. I’m really looking forward to this coming week where I get to test corn. Corn Chips & Guac are on the menu twice!!!
Week 5
I am in the last phase of The Elimination Diet Meal Plan, only two more weeks to go.
This past week I tested out a few food items I was really excited about. Chocolate & Corn (which equals corn chips)!
I ended up having an interesting reaction to chocolate. It caused me to have an increased heart rate. I was on a conference call and frantically Googling if this was normal. Apparently, yes it is. Chocolate contains caffeine and an ingredient called Theobromine that can increase your heart rate.
I enjoyed corn day with white corn tortilla chips & guac and corn on the cob. I may have overdone it because it made me feel really full. Probably a food item I will just eat in moderation in the future.
Week 6
This past week I tested Soy, Oats & Eggs. All seemed to go well.
This week I will be testing Wheat & Gluten (yea pasta!), Cheese, Yogurt, Milk & Butter.
For the most part, I’ve been sticking pretty closely with the diet and avoiding caffeine, alcohol and the items that have not been tested yet. I did reach into the candy bowl a few times this month (mini Heath bars & Junior Mints are my favorite). I also treated myself to french fries a few times since I re-introduced potatoes with no problems.
Even with a few treats here and there, my weight has remained on the lower side and bloating has been minimal. And I’m still eating several times a day. In fact, you can eat as much as you’d like of the foods on the The Elimination Diet Meal Plan.
Week 7
I have completed The Elimination Diet Meal Plan! During the last week I tested Wheat/Gluten, Cheese, and Yogurt.
Although I was super excited about eating some real pasta it did make me feel a little bloated. I’m thinking wheat/gluten will be a sometimes food for me in the future. I’ve given lentil pasta a try and it’s actually really good. It has the same texture as normal pasta but without the gluten.
Cheese day made me feel kind of blah and bloated. Which is really no surprise since I’m Lactose intolerant. Again, another sometimes food.
For all the details about the Elimination Diet Meal Plan check out my review here.
