This is how I feel today:
This past week or so has marked a significant overall turning point with my health and wellness. Not only has it been weeks since I’ve gotten sick (from IBS or GERD related symptoms), the scale shows I’ve lost 50 pounds since May, jeans that haven’t fit for years now fit perfectly and the crazypants cardio machine that I have been using on level 1 for the past few months (due to its crazypantsness) started feeling too easy and over the last few days I’ve had to steadily increase the level to continue having an effective workout (currently now on level 4). It’s an amazing feeling, being able to feel how much healthier and stronger I’ve become already, and I can’t wait to keep it going!
Also, several people have written to me or commented on posts/photos over the various social media networks letting me know that they have IBS, GERD and/or food intolerances, usually have no clue what to eat or feeling like they can only eat plain (a/k/a boring) and tasteless foods, and are so happy this blog is here with recipes that will work for them. This feels great because it was a tough decision whether or not to keep the blog going a couple of weeks ago, but that right there is why I chose to do it and it’s a wonderful feeling to know people can (and are already) benefiting from it.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I obtained the blessing of the gastroenterologist today to wean myself off Omeprazole (prescription PPI for severe acid reflux/GERD). This is absolutely huge for me, because I have never been one to want to be on pills if it can be helped. Granted there are of course plenty of times when they’re necessary and I do take some other prescriptions for things where there’s nothing else that can be done to alleviate or eliminate the problem. So many of the issues with GERD can be controlled by diet and lifestyle, though, and this is in large part what fueled my “aha moment” of turning my health around. So today I let the doc know about implementing the low FODMAP food plan modified to exclude GERD trigger foods, having lost 50 pounds and counting, having been in a regular exercise routine for the past few months now and about why I wanted to get off the Omeprazole and, based on all of these things (plus the fact that my endoscopy didn’t show any signs of barrett’s esophagus or other damage from the GERD), she agreed that I could wean myself off and see how it goes. Ecstatic isn’t a strong enough word for how this feels, since I’ve been wanting to be off it for a while now (there are some serious side effects and dangers from taking it long term).
It’s just such a wonderful feeling to have the hard work from the past few months pay off. The first couple of months, I’d have to exercise on days when only feeling mildly sick, because the only kinds of days happening then were mildly sick or really sick (there were no feeling great days) and work out on level 1, feeling every bit of how horribly out of shape and overweight I was (which, btw, is not a great feeling at all). There’s still a long way to go on this weight-loss/fitness/overall health and wellness journey, but now almost every day is a great day and I have no problem mustering up the energy to go work out and am excited to continue coming up with new food ideas not only for myself but for everyone else out there who needs some help and inspiration for what to eat so their IBS/GERD/Food intolerances don’t leave them feeling like all they can eat are boring, tasteless foods. Change definitely didn’t happen overnight, but I did make the decision to start on the path to change overnight and haven’t looked back. That decision, along with believing in and pushing myself mentally and physically, is the best decision I’ve made in a long time.