Wowee

I have been eating

(no wheat, barley, rye or oats)
for almost 3 mths.
Now, this has not been completely faithfully (sometimes by choice, sometimes by accident), because its super hard to change to that lifestyle. But I would say for the most part it has been gluten free.

Whenever I used to stand on the

I would feel like this...

But more and more I feel like this...

Cause I've lost 16 lbs. already!!!! This is crazy because it hasn't been a huge change in portions, but just taking out what my body really didn't like, has made it respond VERY WELL!!!! (And I don't have to memorize the fastest route to the bathroom at every destination!!!)

For your viewing pleasure ;) ...this is a 16 lb. Turkey!!!!
I've lost an entire turkey!!


Being a life-saving change, it has been much easier than saying, 'NO MORE SWEETS!' or 'NO WHITE SUGAR!' (not that those things aren't a good idea, but are so hard to stick to).



Info:
Celiac disease or Gluten Allergy/Intolerance is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley and occasionally oat. Gluten is found mainly in foods but may also be found in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms. When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging or destroying villi—the tiny, fingerlike protrusions lining the small intestine. Villi normally allow nutrients from food to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. Without healthy villi, a person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food one eats. Celiac disease is both a disease of malabsorption—meaning nutrients are not absorbed properly—and an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. Celiac disease is also known as celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy. Celiac disease is genetic, meaning it runs in families. Sometimes the disease is triggered—or becomes active for the first time—after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Allergy:

• abdominal bloating and pain
• chronic diarrhea
• vomiting
• constipation
• pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool
• weight loss or gain
• unexplained iron-deficiency anemia
• fatigue
• bone or joint pain
• arthritis
• bone loss or osteoporosis
• depression or anxiety
• tingling numbness in the hands and feet
• seizures
• missed menstrual periods
• infertility or recurrent miscarriage
• canker sores inside the mouth
• an itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis