You’re looking at someone who ate fast food 4x a week, didn’t like to be parted from her sweet tea, had chocolate once a day, drank all the sugary coffee drinks, and couldn’t say “no” to food. I also consumed A LOT of processed foods that were heavy on preservatives. I tried different fad diets. And looking back, it’s no wonder I always yo-yo’d and could never keep the weight off. I thought substituting certain things like almond milk for dairy made them “healthy.” And if the labels read, “organic”, “gluten-free”, or “no sugar” I believed that meant that they were also healthy. However, after seven months of these dietary restrictions, I now know that this is not the case. So, today, I’m going to talk about the food we eat and the food habits we’ve had to change. What’s worked for us, and what we’ve had difficulty with. Also, please note a lot of the times when I say “we” when talking about cooking I really mean my husband. Anywho, let’s get started.
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| Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash |
First, here’s a glimpse of my diet: No sugar, no artificial sweetener, no dairy, no gluten, no refined carbs, no junk food or fast food. So, all of the joy in life that comes in the form of food, I cannot have. *After 3 months I was allowed to incorporate some dairy, but I had to be mindful of my reaction to it. Natural block cheese is okay, packaged shredded is not. Sour cream and cream cheese are good. And while I had given up on milk years ago, when I tried it again it made my stomach hurt so that was a definite no. Now, let's move along to how we went about implementing these changes.
Pantry Clean-out: This was the first thing we did AFTER I went over my lab work with Dr. Hogan. Since we grocery shop once a week, we finished up what we had, because we don’t like to waste food. But before the next grocery shopping outing, we went through our pantry and fridge. We discarded anything bad and donated certain goods that we felt bad about throwing away because they were still good. Both our pantry and fridge were practically empty by the time we were done.
Fruits and Veggies: I am a picky eater when it comes to fruits and veggies. I’ll be the first to admit that. However, during this time, they became some of my best friends. Bananas, blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, pineapple, and mandarins were staples. I used them in smoothies or when I was having a sugar craving. We had a variety of lettuce, bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, squash, mixed veggies, and green beans. We would steam them, have them raw, or sautee. But there was always a cup worth of it on our plates.
Read the Label (or have someone else read it): I hate this one because it takes forever. That first grocery shopping trip took us just over 2 hours. But we have to do it with every single new product. The process looked something like this: I would find something, and look at the sugar, dairy, and/or sweetener content. If it contained any of those I would put it back. If it passed, I would hand it over to my husband and he’d read/look up the other ingredients. If it passed, we would get it. If it didn’t or there was an ingredient we weren’t sure of, we would snap a picture and then ask Dr. Hogan about it later. Once we familiarized ourselves with the products we could have, it became less of a hassle. However, when we look into something new we have to make sure we read the labels.
Buy Alternatives: This can get pricey. Full disclosure, since we implemented these changes our grocery expenses average $1,100.00/month for a family of 3. Y’all see why I’m having to budget so hard these days? Now, the cost of everything has gone up so that’s a huge factor in our bill increase, but I’d say about $200 of that is also because I have to have alternatives. Here are some brands that we use: Primal Kitchen, Forager Project, Kite Hill, Moocho, Daiya, Violife, G Hughes, Yo Mama’s, Carbone’s, and Nutpods Dairy Free Creamers. You still have to check the ingredients, but each of these has a lot of options that I’m allowed to have. The main priorities are no sugar, artificial sweeteners, or dairy. If the alternative contains less than 4 grams of sugar (but no added sugars), we look at what kind of sugar it is. Is it natural because it’s in certain veggies and fruits? If so, we will allow it. If it has more than 5 grams (of any kind of sugar) we put it back.
No Fast Food: This one was ROUGH. Especially after a long day. And not just for me, my husband too - as he’s the cook. Before, if we had a late day and were getting home around 8 PM, we would just grab a pizza or takeout. Well, we couldn’t do that anymore. So, for the first month, we said NO to fast food. We cooked at home every day. However, we did ask about alternatives and presented scenarios that we had experienced to get some feedback/instruction from Dr. Hogan. I’ve found that there are some things that I can have in case of an “emergency”, but they need to be limited. Salads with olive oil or a vinaigrette dressing. Grilled nuggets from Chick-fil-A. Cauliflower crust pizza without sauce from Blaze Pizza (they have a lot of dairy-free/vegan options). And depending on the place, I can have french fries.
No Snacks/Junk Food/Sugary Drinks: We do not buy treats, snacks, or junk food. This is hard, especially when you have kids. Now, there are a few exceptions (my daughter’s snacks for school or quick items for when she gets home), but we keep those in a separate area. In other words, I have to go out of my way to look for them. And while my budget is not a fan, we don’t buy them in bulk either. We purchase just enough to get her through her school week. I do this because my brain works like this: If she has enough for 5 days, then I can’t sneak a treat because then she won’t have one for one of those days. And so, that’s how I keep myself from indulging in her snacks. We also switched from sodas and sweet tea to sparkling or mineral water. It took some time to get used to it, but now they’re my go-to when I’m craving something other than water.
Modify at Restaurants: I’ve also learned how to order at restaurants, in ways that I’m not stuck just having a salad everywhere I go. This usually requires asking for no buns or dressing on a burger. Opting for baked potatoes (meat, cheese, sour cream). Eating grilled fish or shrimp. I can have red meat and grilled chicken. I usually pair them with vegetables, rice, black beans, or plain mashed potatoes (if they are not instant). At Mexican restaurants, I can have rice bowls, carne asada fries, or meat with rice and beans. It’s not always the most convenient to ask for all of these modifications, but for the most part, restaurants are pretty accommodating.
“Meal Prep”: Tuesdays are currently our grocery shopping day, so we will go through the fridge and pantry and see what we have. My husband will throw out ideas for meals that he can make with the ingredients we currently have while also coming up with other meal ideas we may need to buy all ingredients. We make sure to have at least two to three 10 - 15 minute meal ideas. We also tend to buy chicken and beef in bulk, and then the rest in smaller quantities for when we want to mix things up. It’s like meal prepping, but not. And I say this because we don't assign meals to days. Things come up and sometimes we may not have the time to spend 45 minutes to an hour on cooking. Knowing the ingredients we have available for the week gives us flexibility. We then head to the grocery store with our list and do our best to stick with what’s on it.
Pack My Lunch: And last but not least, most days I bring my lunch. This one is easy because my husband usually makes enough food that we have leftovers. And so, before our plates are made, he’ll pack me a lunch and stick it in the fridge. I’m blessed, I know. This habit was probably the most helpful in cutting out fast food because I had no excuse to eat out at lunch.
Now, my restrictions are pretty drastic. My lab results called for it. And these are NOT recommended or necessary for everyone. I would also like to add that I have chosen to ignore some of these restrictions, a bit more frequently in 2024. However, I do my best to stay within the parameters of the restrictions as best as I can. That said, if I want to have a cookie, I will. If I’ve been craving orange juice for weeks, I will have a cup. If I can’t get waffles out of my mind for two weeks, I will have one. If we are at a special event, I will indulge a little. But I’m selective and it can only be 1-2 things. I understand that I need to be disciplined but I also don’t want to feel like I can’t have something. In the past that would lead me to binge eat. And I don’t want to slide back into those habits.
For us, this all came down to planning. Sitting down with my spouse and making a plan was the best thing for us. He’s been a very big supporter and helped me stay on track during the really hard months. Setting up a timeframe is also really helpful. I went hard for 6 months and then we revised as needed. Then, we told Dr. Hogan that this could not be something we stuck with 100% for a whole year. We would need some modifications and some wiggle room. Because my husband and I cannot sustain a $1,100+/month grocery budget long-term. And that’s not including what I spend on supplements. My husband and I agreed to 9 months of this, and that was up this month. We have now switched to a “maintenance plan” of about 80% restrictive - 20% not.
So, all that said, my advice if you’re looking to make some changes is to start by talking to a nutritionist. Make sure you’re body and hormones can handle the changes you want to implement. Some of what I do may be completely unnecessary for you. Then, start with a few small things first. Cut out bread and sugary drinks. Then look into buying gluten-free if possible, and switch to low/no-sugar options. Note that not all "gluten-free" products are created equal, and "wheat flour" is found in some of them. Do this for a month and see how you feel. If you can be more restrictive, give it a shot. But just know, if this is putting your family in a financial bind - STOP. We went this route because I didn’t want to take medications for every issue. If I could fix things on my own, in a natural way, I wanted to do that. However, there’s nothing wrong with turning to modern medicine if it’s much easier on your wallet. No judgment here.
And finally, one last little note: This isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. My plan is tailored to my results, deficiencies, weight, hormone issues, and symptoms. This is why it's important to consult a nutritionist or doctor before starting a plan. One surprising thing I found was that apps like MyFitnessPal and Lose It! had me on a calorie-restrictive diet that was actually hurting my body by putting it into starvation mode which is why I wasn't able to lose weight. So, sometimes, what you think is good might actually be doing more harm. Keep that in mind.
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