Going Gluten Free And The Easiest Diet On Earth……To Remember

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I know it’s a cliche to write about diets this time of year, and the last thing we need is more cliches, they’re SOOOOO 2013. Besides, no one likes a diet.  Honestly, when I think of going on a diet, all I think of is being fat.  What I’m going to share with you isn’t a diet at all, it’s more of a lifestyle choice. (cliche #2 in this piece, if you’re keeping track at home). I’ve battled issues with weight my entire life, always having more then I should. Heck, at one time in my life, I had more then TWO people should. I won’t bore you with the details of how my weight has gone up and down, let’s just say Duncan Yo Yo’s was thinking of naming their newest unit after me. (Don’t worry, I’ll tie in the photo that accompanies this post later.)

Luckily, ever since I decided to kick that beast that is gluten, my weight has been on a downward trend. It hasn’t been a fast process (glacial?) but going down is certainly better then going up. If you decide to slay the gluten dragon some day, which I hope you do, beware, it’s a monumental task. I’ve read that it takes three weeks to break the psychological bond of a habit and that monster took me to day 20 to defeat. I didn’t drop the gluten because of a fad, I did it because I’m allergic to wheat, so there was a physiological reason for leaving it behind. I really do think gluten is a habit, like reality television or Candy Crush. I won’t say a bad habit, because in moderation, it’s just fine, and quite enjoyable for those without an allergy. My problem was, besides being deathly allergic to it, I didn’t moderate my intake and let it take control of my eating habits. It fueled my choices at the dinner table, when we’d go out to eat and basically anytime I was going to enjoy food.

My next battle isn’t as tough as the gluten death match, but it’s tough nonetheless. I came up with what I think is the easiest plan for me to remember so that I don’t have to keep track of foods. This guide has three rules to follow with a little advice to go along with it:

1. No wheat. It’s hard, but you’ll feel better once you do it.

2. No fried foods. For me, the toughest part of this rule is chips. I’m a chip fiend; absolutely love them. Potato or tortilla, it doesn’t matter, I want them.

3. No foods with ADDED sugar. This is the biggest bugaboo now that I’m not eating gluten. But remember, it’s anything with added sugar, so the occasional glass of 100% fruit juice won’t hurt and fruits are great. I’ll be honest though, it’s tough.

*A couple pieces of advice I would give you: portion control is paramount to your success, eat lots of vegetables and fruit (this isn’t the Atkins Diet) and exercise.

This is what has worked for me; I lost over 100 lbs by following this plan in the past. I got away from it and the pounds flew back on like the return of the Salmon Of Capistrano (yeah, that was a Dumb And Dumber reference in a weight loss article). Remember though, a little indulgence occasionally won’t kill you, the foods in the photo below are just fine, every once in awhile. (I’m sorry, I just love that picture)

To reduce this plan to it’s simplest form though, it’s all about willpower. Master willpower and everything else is a breeze. I’m giving it another shot and will hopefully see the same success I did in the past, I’ll keep you updated. If you decide to take the plunge with me, please post your experience/progress in the comments section, I’d love a good challenge to see who can lose the most weight.