Hello from the sky above!
No, I’m not in Heaven (wish me luck that I get someday though) but I am flying home to California. I’ve been in Florida since the 23rd and am really ready to get back!
Yesterday Ben was sick so I went shopping with his mom to Walmart (don’t tell my dad). Seriously. Yep, this is what we do for fun up in here.
Can I give a little “Bravo!” to Santa for making a small effort to encourage girls with a healthy role model with this toy. I still have issues with it having “Mommy” in the name, but it’s a small step.
Last night’s dinner was Chinese take-out – my favorite after Thai food. I was a happy camper all the way. 
Then, we headed to Jon’s and enjoyed a beverage or two.
My wake up call this morning was 5am to catch an 8am flight out of Sarasota. I wasn’t hungry that early but packed a cup of egg whites to eat later. I really need to get back to clean eating after 2 whole weeks of daily treats and sugar sugar sugar. 
The Sarasota airport was dead, I got my eggs through security and got a pat down in no time. Thankyouverymuch.
My flight to Atlanta was quick and sleepy. And I lied when I said yesterday’s DD was my last for a long time… I had time to grab a large iced coffee with skim before boarding round 2.
I also grabbed a salad for later and have SNAKES on a Plane! I mean snacks… almonds and cranberries.
This flight from Atlanta to LAX is on a super BIG plane! When I was a kid my mom took my brother and I to Washington DC and New York a few times. I remember the planes being huge like this – with 2 aisles. It’s been a long time since I’ve flown in a plane this big and I fly fairly often!
Since this was a vacation and all I brought a lot of reading materials to enjoy by the pool. I read “Wheat Belly” last week after multiple people recommended it to me. 
Wheat Belly is written by a doctor who treated 2,000+ patients with his theory that wheat is what is making them sick/diabetic/overweight/other. Dr. Davis claims eliminating wheat from some people’s diets can help eliminate health issues and weight problems. My first reaction to this is, “No sht, denying yourself a huge chunk of the foods you currently eat means you’re going to lose weight. Shocker.”
But, he does reference a lot of studies when making his case so I read it with an open mind. He wrote a lot about people with celiac and diabetes, but thinks the eliminating wheat is good for other groups of people too. I was getting on board until he started talking more and more about it being a way to lose weight (I consider eliminating wheat equal to a whole food group which isn’t moderation). And he also says, “don’t eat wheat, but don’t eat wheat free” which eventually is clear he means to eat meat, veggies and low carb.
Overall: I thought it was interesting to learn more about how wheat bread spikes your blood sugar more than white sugar. I do think you should only go “all or nothing” with something like this when you have a legit allergy, but my holistic nutritionist has theories about wheat and thyroid so I’m going to keep researching the cause. She did say that wheat affecting thyroid isn’t something you could test for like a wheat allergy, but is shows itself through other symptoms. This book doesn’t reference anything regarding the relationship between thyroid and wheat.
I’m a skeptic, but I’m going to keep researching / doing trial and error to figure out what works for me. I have cut back significantly on soy products (on the suggestion of my holistic nutritionist) and definitely feel a difference in my energy level! We’re all different, please take care of your body and your needs in whichever way works for you.
Question: What did you do this weekend?
What’s your favorite kind of take out?
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At first I was totally on board with the idea that many people could benefit from a wheat-free diet. But it really is a giant pain in the butt. Definitely something to try (I would be bedridden with extreme pain if I ate it now), but unless someone actually experiences a benefit from cutting it out, I wouldn’t recommend doing it long term.
Keep us updated on your experiments with wheat. I’m curious about this. I don’t have an allergy, so–like you–I’m not really interested in cutting out wheat. And I’m generally very skeptical about any claim that we should cut out ALL grains from our diets. That sounds crazy to me. But science rocks, and I’m always interested in what science has to say. I saw Wheat Belly at the store today… I’ll pick it up next time I’m there.
My favorite take-out is Thai.
For me, it is cutting out dairy that makes a difference. I see definite improvements in my stomach, energy, skin, and sinuses when I am dairy-free – and feel the consequences when I do consume dairy. As you said, everyone is different, and it’s about finding what works for you.
I’ve never read Wheat Belly before but I do eat a gluten-free diet as my boyfriend has Celiac disease. And eating wheat-free certainly doesn’t mean you’re eliminating an entire food group. Wheat falls under the “grain” category but there are lots of other types of grain besides wheat such as rice and quinoa.
I just wanted to put that clarification out there because I feel like a lot of people think eating wheat-free automatically means low-carb or even no-carbs and it definitely doesn’t.
Take out? What is take out? LOL (Says the girl who almost NEVER eats out!)
This weekend I worked on putting all of our race photos and misc photos from race trips in to photo albums. Then I framed-by year-race photos to hang in the extra bedroom upstairs in our house. It’s really it’s a miscellaneous room with nothing in it so I thought they’d be perfect in there.
I agree! I don’t believe in cutting out entire food groups, but with that said, I do keep wheat to a minimum. I don’t have any allergies so I can enjoy a sandwich or a wrap once or twice a week. When I eat it daily I crave more wheat and sugar.
How does trudging up 272 stairs up Batu Caves…10 times…for a third workout of the day sound to you? Yep, insanity ruled the roost yesterday!
I have flown quite a bit too and I have never been on a plane that big. I’ve only seen them in the movies 😉
This weekend, I returned/exchanged a lot of Christmas gifts and I shopped some pretty good sales.
Oh and favorite kind of takeout, Indian-yum!
I can’t stand the mentality behind elimination diets for weight loss. As you said- if it’s for a condition or allergy, fine. But anything that also suggests limiting servings of fresh produce to cut down on carbs (like this book and the now-infamous Atkins diet) send red flags up for me. Easy solution? Move more, eat less. Beyond that, try not to eat just crap!
Do your in-laws read your blog?
A few of them do.
I love Indian Food for takeout! Although, a bit of chicken pad thai is alwaaaaaays great!
You’ve been away from home for quite a while – enjoy being back!
I love your attitude toward “dieting”! You could not have said it any better, don’t eliminate food, unless there’s an allergy, and find what works best for YOUR body. Amen.
Hmmm, takeout…anything I don’t have to cook is great by me!
Did a post-holiday cleaning and got in a great hike this morning. As far as takeout goes it’s definitely Chinese FTW
AND…my cousins are in the People magazine you had on the plane. They’re the brother and sister featured 🙂
No way! That is really cool!!! Their story is so inspirational.
I sincerely hope you don’t eat those eggs on the plane, but before you board.
If I sat next to someone, or even in the vicinity of someone, who ate eggs they brought onto the plane, I’d have a STROKE because I’d be holding back my rage, in the name of manners. Stinky food in a confined space with circulated air is NOT COOL.
Very interesting, I may have to check out this book. I constantly go back and forth on the wheat/grains issue. I did lose a whole bunch of weight cutting it and dairy out but like you said, I realized later it was also a sh*tload of calories I cut out, too. But I do feel better when I’m eating less, so who knows?
This weekend I spent way too much time at the grocery store with my husband, and my favorite take out is sushi by a landslide.
My go to take out is Moe’s! I love that I can buy one quesadilla & get lunch and dinner out of it.
I’m going to have to get this book! I’ve been having a lot of blood sugar issues lately, and I’m testing out a gluten-free diet to see if it helps at all (and not doing well since I’m actually eating pie right now…)
I know my post was long but I did forget to mention I do eat quinoa, brown rice, potatoes and other non gluten carbs. I do not feel deprived and enjoy it but found a way to make it work for me without going to what I would consider extremes.
I read the book and found parts interesting. I think every part of a book like this will not fit. But I did have many ah ha personal moments. I did find it annoying how he said eliminate all wheat as a priority but then would talk about all carbs. I did notice though how many times he was talking about extreme cases. I holistic nutritionist (same as you thanks for the rec!) did recommend I consider going gluten free but it was that thyroid connection. I kind of started it on a whim and found it to be so easy. And my results have been amazing. I have a lot more energy, cravings for food are non existent and no more blood sugar drops every two hours. I ate what I thought was fairly clean only eating ezikiel, whole wheat usually only organic or stone cut oats. I have changed to eating more protein and healthy fats and making sure to eat breakfast within a certain timeframe of waking up. It is amazing how much better I feel but it was a combination of changes not just gluten free. Thanks for writing about this and I hope you keep it up! Thanks!!!
I’ve also heard people talk about wheat this, wheat that, don’t eat it, you should eat it… hard to know what’s ‘right’, but I suppose it just comes down to each person. If a person has celiacs, then not eating wheat/gluten is necessary. There are many alternatives to wheat, many other whole grains out there that are great for your body like quinoa, brown or wild rice just to name a few.
I also find it hard to believe any diet regime is legit for everyone if it involves cutting out a food group entirely, (not talking about some people with certain medical conditions suggested to refrain from foods by doctor recommendation, I’m talking more about the ‘fad’ diets that develop over the years) .
I hateeee fad diets. Everything in moderation! I know personally that elliminating something completely just makes me want it more. Portion control, lots of junk food and not exercising is why people are heavier today than they were 10 years ago, not because of wheat. Ok, rant over 🙂 My favorite take out is Korean BBQ steamed dumplings. SO GOOD.
I see a nutritionist in the OC and I am started going gluten free a few months ago. I did not do it for weight loss (I am not trying to loose any weight) but I have felt some considerable differences in my mood and stomach bloat.
Hey Kellie! How’s training going? You’re doing an ultra, right?
I’m doing the Whole 30 this month just to see what difference it makes, but I do think everything in moderation is the way to go generally. People rely too much on bread etc as quick fixes, but I don’t necessarily agree that we should never eat them.
My favourite take-out is Turkish food. It’s amazing!
We just got back from a night away in Oxford, which was lovely, but all those fancy university kids had us yearning for home and normality!
Pizza! O how I love pizza
We went out to dinner yesterday with the family….4 adults and 4 kids under 6 😉 Fun times! Chinese take it out is the bomb! My all time favorite!
This weekend was/is low key. Saturday we went to the gym and the grocery store. And then a brewery for a tasting. Wasted on me really. Sunday was all about bumming around the house and watching football.
The Kidless Kronicles
This weekend the hubby & I went to a friend’s house who is on an “everything-free” diet. She is vegan, gluten-free, etc. We had some of the best food I’ve eaten in my life! Reminded me to have an open mind 🙂
I’ve seen that book but I’ve never picked it up – the skeptic/food lover in me doesn’t like the idea of eliminating an entire food group just to lose weight. Allergies, intolerances and sensitivities aside, it just doesn’t seem necessary.
My go-to for takeout is sushi…but Chinese is pretty high up there too!
We definitely have similar views when it comes to nutrition. I like it.
My mom and sister both read this book a while ago and were so gung-ho on how it was 100% right and yada yada, and being a nutrition major at the time, I sat them down and had a little talk talk about how maybe it’s really not the best thing for them. But I still like to read these books just to see what they say, so maybe I’ll take a little read.
Oh, and Thai food allll the way for take out. Or chinese chicken on a salad…which I’ve been doing a little too much lately, oopsie daisies.
Oh my gosh- for our final project in one of my graduate nutrition counseling classes everyone had to review a fad diet book and present it to the class. A friend of mine read this book for her review- my favorite part is when the author claims eliminating wheat will cure schizophrenia… (eye roll) The thing I loved about this project was that it just opens your eyes to what the public could possibly be reading and how the author can use all these studies as “evidence” and cause SOO much confusion!! If you care about your health and want to learn more it shouldn’t be so confusing- BUT hey. Telling readers to eat more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats/dairy isn’t real sexy and doesn’t make anyone money… Sometimes I think people WANT to be told what they CAN’T have! Ok… enough rant, but I’m VERY thankful you didn’t agree with the book either and can read with a discerning eye 🙂
I am interested in your experience with your holistic nutritionist. I live in San Diego and have been looking for one. Will you be doing a post on the advice she has given you?
And my fave take out is THAI all the way!
I think it’s all about moderation. I can’t jump on the gluten free train- I try to eat enough protein, fruits and vegetables, and not OD on sweets and fats. My poor brain can’t handle another dietary rule.
That being said my favorite take out is from Chipotle or Panera! Ha!
And you were gone for a super long time. I couldn’t do it. The longest I’ve ever been gone is ten days (to Italy, where we also road on a huge plane) and by the end I needed my bed.
Safe travels! I did a 15 miler (following HH Intermediate I for LA marathon). And I’m totally getting on my soap box for a minute here…wheat is NOT the problem. Americans have been getting fatter and fatter (CDC website has scary maps of the trend in the last 20 yrs!) and I think a few things are to blame:added sugar, portion sizes (nobody should ever supersize, period) and sedentary lifestyle. There will never be a safe quick fix to replace mindful eating and physical activity. Sorry, I am just sick of fad diets and you are right in thinking eliminating an entire food group is a bad idea. Ok, I’m done. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! See you at LA 13.1!
What a great mini book review! As someone who’s had many stomach issues in my life I’ve been overwhelmed trying to sort through the research. I try and stay away from these strict elimination philosophies because ultimately everyone’s bodies are different. Trial and error, while time consuming, seems to be the best way to find what works for me.
As for this weekend, I bought my first foam roller.Why did I not know about its amazingness before now?!
I read that book too and I left with confused feelings about it too. I mean how am I supposed to lose weight and feel better about life if I have to give up Doritoes? Eesh.
In between watching very old (earlier than 1929 films!) movies (never saw Myrna Loy at such a very young age before. Ohmy. Loretta Young also …. just amazing how young they were!) on TCM, did chores all weekend! Undecided what to do w/the Christmas tree. Put away …. yes/no/maybe …. OR …. leave out until Feb.? There are still gifts under it!!! {{I know}}
Re takeout …. what you have in that bowl is good. Lots of veggies works …. without salt is how to order! Pineapple & chicken thin crust pizza is a fave. Also the fried chicken from Calo is delicious.
You look awesome Monica. Glad Florida was fun! How is Ben? Where is Ben? I did not see him w/u at the airport.
P.S. All these years I am wonderin …. DD …. decaf or regular 4U?