Encouragement needed, please

[Arianwen1174]

For several weeks I've been gearing up to go gluten-free on May 4th (when I can go grocery shopping) and have pretty much been looking forward to it because I know it could make a big difference for me. This past week I've been reading more and realizing that I need to drop dairy too, at the very least so I can get a true picture of my health. I know it's the best thing, I know it could improve my health a lot, I know, I know, I know. But I so just don't wanna do it! My feelings about dropping gluten have gotten to being downright excited at times. Knowing I can do it, I can find things to cook and eat without too much trouble, how much better I could feel. Throwing in the dairy-free is making it feel so hard! (Insert kicking, screaming, tantrum-throwing emoticon here--oh, and a panic one!) I know I can do that too, but I could use some good thoughts. Remind me of the difference it could make. Remind me that I can do it. Remind me that there is still food I can have. Please, I beg of you. Thank you!!

[kjbrown92]

We've been dairy, gluten, soy and corn free for almost 3 years. Here's some of the things we eat: coffeecake (made this morning), brownies (made last week), bread, waffles (making chocolate waffles tomorrow), pasta with spinach, tomato, garlic, mushrooms and olive oil (dinner last night), coconut milk yogurt (snack, dip, alternate for sour cream). That's just recently... I've also made: taffy, cake, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, apple fritters, ice cream (I'm trying sorbet next week), chicken marsala, chicken mirabella, pork & kraut in slow cooker, bone broth (very healing and high in calcium), dried beef gravy on toast, chicken and gravy, salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, pierogis, eggplant parmesan, scalloped potatoes.... are you feeling better yet?

[CoBabyMaker]

Yes!  Totally doable!  Like Kathy, we are off gluten, dairy and more.  You can eat.  You will adjust.  I have found the first two weeks to be the hardest and then it starts to feel normal.

[Arianwen1174]

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been feeling so overwhelmed with the idea of dropping both gluten AND dairy that I was about to bag the dairy-free. My moods are all over the place these days and that can't help. And I'm worried about costs. Even basics cost more when they're GF and/or DF, sigh... Off to look for GFDF recipes, including Kathy's blog. I can do this and it will be okay!

[deminc]

Going GFDF cost more only if you are looking for replacements of familiar favourites - esp baked products. If you can move away from that, the cost will not be significant.
 

Originally Posted by Arianwen1174 

Even basics cost more when they're GF and/or DF, sigh...

 

[kjbrown92]

some people find it easier to do a meat (chicken breast, hamburger, roast chicken, pot roast), a veggie, a fruit, and a starch (sweet potato, baked potato, rice) at the beginning until you find your way around. Make a list of good choices and stick it on the fridge for when you're stuck.

[Arianwen1174]

Thanks, friends! I'm still concerned about the cost of GF flours and soy and/or rice milk but it will help that I'm already used to making quite a few things from scratch. It's helping to remember that I wouldn't buy a lot of pre-packaged things like cookies and crackers anyway, so that will help with not fretting about what's dairy-free--not to mention costs.

In a way, I feel sometimes like I'm sort of grieving the loss of certain foods and ways of cooking. Hope that doesn't sound crazy! My mood is all over the place this week and I know it has a lot to do with the upcoming changes. But it sure helps to hear folks say that I can do it, thank you!

[mytwomonkies]

And once you start to feel better it's a no brainer, once you see how good you feel without certain foods in your diet you won't miss them at all (ok, maybe every once in a while :p). I've never been a person who has had will power when it comes to food, I've always been bad at dieting and stuff. But this is totally different, I know how I feel when I don't eat certain things and I know how terrible I feel when I do eat them and that's enough to keep me away! It will get easier, it's totally normal to feel like you're feeling!

[DeerMother]

I've only been gf for a little over a month, but for me, the first two days were hard and it was pretty easy after that. I found it helpful to have a lot of snack foods ready to go - prepared quinoa or rice salad, cut up veggies etc - because at first, my brain was telling me to eat, eat, EAT while I was detoxing from the gluten. I also find that I am now eating more actual food because there are so many prepared packaged things I can't eat.

[Arianwen1174]

That's what I'm banking on, mytwomonkies--feeling better helping me stay on track.

DeerMother, I'm so glad you said that about how your body reacted. I will definitely have things ready to go!

(Darn that Firefox not liking the Full Page Editor, making it impossible to multi-quote!)

[kjbrown92]

Also there are coupons out there for Almond milk and Coconut milk etc. I've been doing coupons the last couple weeks seeing if I can save on some things like that so I can have more money to spend on the specialty stuff. I go to the Asian market and get 25 lbs. of jasmine rice. It's also where I get rice noodles (much cheaper than regular grocery store) and coconut milk to make yogurt and to use in baking. I make my own candy, brownies, etc. because it is cheaper than buying mixes. Also make my own ketchup. My mother makes zucchini relish and pickles for me from her garden each summer, etc. I'm growing a bunch of herbs and veggies this year. There are ways to save money. And I'm sure we're all healthier because of the real food we eat.

[Arianwen1174]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92 

Also there are coupons out there for Almond milk and Coconut milk etc. I've been doing coupons the last couple weeks seeing if I can save on some things like that so I can have more money to spend on the specialty stuff. I go to the Asian market and get 25 lbs. of jasmine rice. It's also where I get rice noodles (much cheaper than regular grocery store) and coconut milk to make yogurt and to use in baking. I make my own candy, brownies, etc. because it is cheaper than buying mixes. Also make my own ketchup. My mother makes zucchini relish and pickles for me from her garden each summer, etc. I'm growing a bunch of herbs and veggies this year. There are ways to save money. And I'm sure we're all healthier because of the real food we eat.

Kathy, you're a wealth of information! I truly appreciate it.