12/05/2018
2015 - apologies for those seeing this twice 🙂
I’ve struggled with my weight since high school. After my fructose malabsorption diagnosis in my early 20s, I started making most or all of my own food, and generally do strength and cardio 4-6 times/week. More recently after taking an Alcat food sensitivity test, I’d say I currently spend at least 30 hrs/ week on food prep and fitness.
The photos on the left were taken after I’d lost 30 lbs only to gain it back due to medication side effects. I don’t recognize myself in them. After years of work with minimal results, I went vegan last summer. I never liked meat anyway, so the kicker for me was cutting out eggs (baking reasons). It helped, I felt better, animal products quickly became unappetizing and I’ve stuck to it.
I then learned about the Alcat test, and that there are some foods your body has minor reactions to. All those repeated small reactions can lead to imbalances, skin issues, weight problems, and other fun stuff.
For a few months I’ve been on a rotation diet of limited ingredients that fit my Alcat, fructose malabsorption, AND vegan limitations. My options are not extensive. It was miserable at first, I was hungry and angry at my situation, but I shuffled ingredients and found a doable balance while my body recovers from the inflammatory foods. These were seemingly random ingredients I ate like rice, blackberries, quinoa, arrowroot, watercress, swiss chard, and flax.
This is an ongoing and tedious process, but I wanted to share. Sometimes you can do all the right things and it doesn’t show on the outside (the above is just a sampling of my experience). It can be depressing, hopeless and isolating. For years I hoped that MAYBE all my hard work would start paying off. It’s maddening and makes you feel crazy to KNOW that your outer appearance isn’t reflecting the hours of daily effort you put in.
After years of fluctuating weight that I didn’t feel I was in control of, I’m hoping this time it sticks. The difference between these photos is probably 30-40lbs. So, here’s to health, fitness, holding back happy tears while finishing this caption, and not giving up 💁🏻♀️💪🏻
