10 Month Update: All About Mindset

I figured it was time to give everyone an overall update as I am hours away from my ten month anniversary of being gluten free.  I enjoy, learn from, and get encouragement from other people’s stories, so I am going to share mine.

It hasn’t been nearly as hard as I had thought.  It is all about mindset.  Once you have it in your head that you are not going to eat gluten, and you accept that you never will again, it isn’t so hard.  Like anything you do in life, you have to do it 100% to be successful!

I was diagnosed a few years ago, but I was living a fast-paced life and didn’t have any symptoms as daily encouragement to switch to a gluten free diet.  At the end of 2008, I noticed I was always tired and didn’t feel great.  My diet, not only containing gluten, wasn’t great overall.

I made the switch on my own.  I didn’t have a doctor or anyone setting the date for me.  I did it myself.  I think this helped me mentally prepare.  At that time, I started this blog and got involved in the gluten free community.  Immersing myself daily into the gluten free world really helped me stay motivated.  Start a blog, get on Twitter, search the internet, or connect with gluten free people on facebook.

I honestly can’t say I’ve been 100% gluten free.  If you step outside your house, I doubt anyone can honestly know they have not ingested any gluten.  There are lots of times I make my best effort to know what I am eating, but sometimes you are only 90% sure and you eat it anyway.  It is next to impossible to be 100% gluten free.  I can only count a few times, where I have suspected that something might contain gluten and eaten it anyway.  If I have an alternative, then I always pick that, but sometimes you don’t have a choice.  Only once, have I knowingly eaten gluten.  I was in a tough situation, with someone I had just met, and to save time, confusion, and other complications, I ate it anyway.  Looking back, I regret it.  Don’t cheat!

I have been able to find substitutes for almost everything I used to enjoy eating or drinking.  Yes, it is frustrating to watch friends eat pizza or chicken tenders, but I know I can go home and make it better the next day.  Beer has been the hard thing to replace and it costly to find alternatives.  This is one case where you just have to buck up and buy more expensive beer.

My advise for people starting out: Get your mind right.  After you have yourself convinced you will never eat gluten for you and that it is “poison” to your body, get involved.  Daily, read about what is going on in the gluten free community.  Get your family and friends behind you.  Once they know you are going to fight to the death over not eating gluten, they will willing accommodate to your needs.  Get your wife, husband, significant other, kids, or whatever on your side and maybe have them eat gluten free at home also.  Having my girlfriend eat gluten free at home has been a big help.

JUST DO IT!  In the end you will feel much better, and that is the biggest motivation of all.

Mike