Elimination Diet: Week One Review

When I decided to start the elimination diet, it was because I was working my ass off in the gym and not seeing results on the scale. Although I know we all like to repeat the mantra that muscle weighs more than fat, the fact remained that I spent eight weeks working out and restricting my calories only for my weight to go UP rather than down.

I had already begun to suspect that I was sensitive to some food I was consuming on a regular basis. Then the week before I started the diet, I went to a Mexican restaurant with my boyfriend, and experienced fatigue, headaches, and severe stomach issues for several days (not one day, mind you). I have always dealt with stomach problems, namely those related to GERD and something akin to IBS. Whenever I ate, I would run to the toilet. Whenever I got stressed, I would run to the toilet. It seemed like I was running to the toilet all the time.

After I read the initial article about Dr. Mansfield's diet, I was skeptical. There weren't many book reviews because this book was only recently released (I think maybe in October?). I also couldn't get immediate hold of it because it was mainly released overseas. However, I found a blogger, Blissful Mama, who was trying out the diet. She wasn't being paid, and her opinions were all her own. And she is really the one who solidified this idea that I should try it as well. So I bought the book.

I'm not going to kid you and say this week has been a cakewalk. The first day was miserable, running to the toilet every 15 minutes as a result of the Epsom salts. Then the food hankerings started. I wanted eggs. And milk. And bread, for God's sake! And I quickly tired of lentils, and pineapple, and lentils. And cod. (If I never have to see cod for as long as I live, I will be a happy girl.) Being from Louisiana, I craved garlic and onion powder. I wanted to douse everything in pepper. I wanted whip out my trusty container of Tony's and sprinkle it on EVERYTHING.

But I didn't. Because I wanted this diet to work. And so far? IT HAS. Below are my statistics regarding my weight throughout the week.

I've lost FIVE pounds. IN SEVEN DAYS. It's a post-Christmas miracle! But the work isn't done. The next couple of weeks marks the second phase of the diet, in which I slowly reintroduce foods. As I said in my previous post, I got to eat broccoli tonight, and you've NEVER seen someone so happy to eat her broccoli.

I'm not going to lie. I'm TERRIFIED at the thought of having a reaction to dairy. Or eggs. Or wheat. Or yeast. But I'm also not exactly welcoming of the thought that I'm slowly poisoning my body with things it reacts violently to. I've got an allergy test scheduled for next week, which means I might have to wait a few days to rid myself of the subsequent allergic reactions that are sure to ensue following those tests before introducing any new foods. That's not the most exciting prospect either. :-/

Regardless, the first week of this diet has proven to me that SOMETHING in my diet is causing my inability to lose weight and my gastric distress. I've already committed this much time and trouble, so I'm going to stick with it and see how the next month and a half goes.