Slight Deviations

As mentioned previously, I often hate this diet. It's more of a love-hate relationship really; I love feeling better, achieving health goals, being off insulin (though I may adjust that this week; I don't love my morning highs - but I'm worried about daytime lows! Damn you faulty pancreas!). When I find a delicious meal that works I'm happy and I love that too. It's the many forays into NON delicious meals and all the work it is taking to build up a usable collection of delicious meals that I hate.  I am also none too happy about cravings. I don't hate that part because I know this is temporary and I'll be able to have many of those things (in moderation) again in the future (or some variation of them if I do end up with gluten or other food allergies). I mostly hate the work and hate the times when I put a ton of work in only to end up with food I really dislike.

So. There have been some rough times and some sad times. There have been some low blood sugar times and some low energy times. Especially when I had my period last week... my energy in the afternoon was REALLY flagging. I was worried I wasn't getting enough carbs and for a few days in a row I was just headachy and exhausted all afternoon / evening. It may have been menstrual cycle related, or it may have been that I just wasn't getting enough of what I needed in my diet. I mentally examined my habits and made a few decisions:

• I will make sure I am eating a salad at lunch and at dinner, to try to get extra vegetables in
• I will make sure I'm eating some berries with my breakfast
• I will, in addition to being allowed 1/2 cup of berries a day, also allow myself one apple or one pack of GoGo squeeZ applesauce (or equivalent) each day

I had considered adding in a grain (like rice) or one starchy vegetable a day, but I'm most likely to eat those at dinnertime, and my low energy and headaches were starting mid-afternoon, so I decided to go with the apple and eat it around lunchtime or as my afternoon snack (with protein - typically peanut butter, or a couple slices of roast beef or ham).

So I have now allowed myself two deviations from the Advanced Plan.

1. I allow myself one Larabar a day - they have dates in them, equivalent to 1/4 cup of fruit. I only eat the Peanut Butter Cookie or Blueberry Muffin varieties for now.
2. I allow myself one apple or equivalent each day.

Finding a snack / meal bar that doesn't have lots of sugar or funky additives is not very easy. I've been pretty happy with these though. Except I'm disappointed in the cashew ones... which is sad because I love cashews. But they taste baaaaad.

It's amazing how much happier I am with just these two small changes. It makes it a little easier for me to be adaptable too. Also I don't have that low-energy, dragging, headachy issue. My period ended on Monday so it's hard to say which one was the problem - needing some carbs in the afternoon or hormones. I suppose I'll find out when my cycle comes back around in a month!

I try very hard to listen to my body and figure out what cues it is giving me. Sometimes there's a lot of trial and error in that, but I think it's important.

I did my journaling even though a certain kitten did NOT want to let me finish (AND wanted to steal my breakfast too!)