This food was killing me, and I had no idea.
I was killing myself with food. Beyond the obvious donuts and Donatos pizza, I knew dairy upset my stomach, but I had no idea what gluten was doing to me.
Before losing 75 pounds, 75 inches and going from a plus size 2x to medium in the last two years, I knew eating low carb was a quick way to lose weight. What I didn’t know was that not all carbs are created equal.
In the summer of 2015, a friend and I went to a Thai restaurant. After eating what I thought was an OK meal, no dairy, I felt so sick I couldn’t make it home. I was doubled over in pain in the Target bathroom, and my friend told me I needed to see a doctor.
I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me. I’d been tested for autoimmune diseases before, and they always came up negative. So this time, I found a practice that included a holistic approach to treating the body not just the symptoms.
After drawing blood and checking for food sensitivities, I learned I had an intolerance for gluten, which is wheat.
I had made fun of gluten free people. I thought a gluten allergy was a thing high maintenance people made up. Now I’m one of those people.
I had to stop eating anything that had gluten in it, which meant I had to read labels. There’s a lot wheat in products that come in a beer bottle and from a box. So I had to stop drinking beer and eating processed foods from boxes.
This was so frustrating because I had just figured out how many Weight Watchers points I needed for a Michelob Ultra and 24 Cheeze Its. That’s also why Weight Watchers wasn’t working for me.
If I changed my eating habits just to lose weight, there’s no way I would have stuck with it for the last two years. It was only because my stomach was so upset all the time from these gluten-filled inflammatory foods that I made a change.
If you’re having a hard time losing weight or worse, you have an upset stomach all the time, it’s most likely what you’re eating. I was losing weight on Weight Watchers, but my stomach was always upset, and I knew something wasn’t right. Trust your gut, pun intended, and find out how your body processes foods.
If you know someone who is going through these same challenges, please share my story with him or her. I wrongly accepted that I was going to be overweight and have an upset stomach all the time, and that’s no way to live. I wish someone would have told me about gluten sensitivities and inflammatory foods earlier.
If you or someone you know is struggling to lose weight, use me as an example. Stop guessing or hoping and get tested. I know I sound like a PSA from the 80s and 90s, but I mean it. Find a doctor or nurse practitioner who will help you understand how your body processes food. And then let’s talk about it. It’s hard thinking that you’re all alone, and it doesn’t have to be that way. We’re all in this together.